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Under the able leadership of Mgr. Urban McGarry, more
mission stations were opened and activities intensified.
Recognizing the immense progress made by the Prefecture
within a decade, and to give greater stability to the church
among the Santhals who, with population of about 8 million,
constituted the largest tribe in the country, the Holy See
proceeded with the establishment of the diocese of
Bhagalpur, consisting of the same area as that of the
Prefecture. On the 9th of January 1965, Pope VI nominated
Mgr. Urban McGarry as Bishop and on January 11 by his decree
“Cum Dei Munere” elevated the Prefecture Apostolic of
Bhagalpur to the status of a diocese. ‘Both the Decrees were
made known and promulgated on January 30, 1965. The
Episcopal Ordination of Mgr. Urban McGarry took place in the
Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Altoona, Pa (U.S.A.)
on May 25, 1965.
Since the neighbouring dioceses of Patna and Ranchi had two
pockets of Santhal Catholic population and since Bhagalpur
with a well developed liturgy was catering almost
exclusively to the Santhals, it was felt that the Santhal
parishes of these dioceses be amalgamated to Bhagalpur. In
this connection, Most Rev. M. J. Limieux OP Apostolic
Pronuncio, made a pastoral visit to the diocese in early
1970. Upon his recommendation, on October 8, 1970, the
parishes of Chakai, Mariampahari and Jhajha, formerly of
Patna diocese, were annexed to the diocese by the Sacred
Congregation of the Evangelization of the Peoples. Shortly
after, Giridih district, formerly of Ranchi Archdiocese, was
likewise added to the diocese of Bhagalpur. In 1984, the
parishes of Sokho and Kharagpur in the Munger district of
Patna diocese were also handed over to the care of the
diocese of Bhagalpur.
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