Archdiocese of Shillong
catholic archdiocese in India
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shillong (Latin: Shillongensis) is a Catholic archdiocese with its jurisdiction in the two district of Ri Bhoi and East Khasi Hills State of Meghalaya, in northeastern India. The Archdiocese of Shillong is also the metropolitan diocese of the Province of Shillong, an ecclesiastical province in Northeast India. It serves 346,060 followers in 49 parishes under 8 zones in the 2 districts. The rural parishes are usually divided into Village Church called "Balang shnong" , each with a head known as "Rangbah Balang" who assist the Parish Priest at the village level while urban parishes are divided into CMCs and balang dong . The Archdiocese usually organised programmes, teaching and worship at Diocese level, Zonal Level, Parish level, CMC (Catholic Managing Committee)/ village level and Small Christian communities or Kynhun Balang barit (KBB).
History
Established on 15 December 1889 as the Apostolic Prefecture of Assam on territory split off from the Diocese of Krishnagar
9 July 1934: Promoted as Diocese of Shillong
Lost territory on 12 July 1951 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dibrugarh
Lost territory on 16 January 1964 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tezpur
26 June 1969: Promoted as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gauhati–Shillong
22 January 1970: Renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shillong–Gauhati
Lost territory on 1 March 1973 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tura
Lost territory on 5 December 1983 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Diphu
Lost territory on 30 March 1992 and renamed as Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shillong to establish the now Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Guwahati
Lost territory on 28 January 2006 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Nongstoin
Lost territory on 28 January 2006 to establish the Roman Catholic Diocese of Jowai
Cathedral
The cathedral of the Archdiocese is the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, in Shillong. It was built over 50 years ago. 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 10 April 1936.
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