Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong

Archdiocese of Shillong
Archidioecesis Shillongensis
शिलांग के सूबा

Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
Location
Country India
Ecclesiastical province Shillong
Statistics
Area 5,196 km2 (2,006 sq mi)
Population
- Total
- Catholics
(as of 2012)
886,794
271,000 (26.8%)
Information
Rite Latin Rite
Cathedral Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians in Shillong
Current leadership
Pope Francis
Metropolitan Archbishop Dominic Jala, S.D.B.
Statue of Mary Help of Christians on the facade of the cathedral

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Shillong (Latin: Shillongen(sis)) is an archdiocese located in the city of Shillong in India.

History

An Archdiocese is a “diocese” or area under the jurisdiction of an Archbishop. In all there are 33 church districts or “Parishes” in the Shillong Archdiocese. The Cathedral Church was built over 50 years ago. Since it also has the “cathedra” – the seat or throne of the Bishop – it is known as a Cathedral Church. This place of worship stands on the very site of the first Church built by the German fathers (Salvatorians from Germany). The earlier 1913 building – the Church of the Divine Saviour – was a wooden structure. It was destroyed in the Good Friday fire of April 10, 1936. Built by the first Catholic missionaries to these hills, the Salvatorians from Germany, it was the first Catholic Cathedral Church in what was then the Mission of Assam. The Cathedral Church of Mary Help of Christians is the principal place of worship of the over 3,00,000 strong Catholics of the Shillong Archdiocese which covers the districts of East Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi of Meghalaya.

Leadership

Suffragan dioceses

Sources

Wikisource has the text of a 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia article about Apostolic Prefecture of Assam.

Coordinates: 25°34′N 91°53′E / 25.567°N 91.883°E