C.M. Paul
Kurseong – One of the oldest parishes of Kurseong deanery in north Bengal organized carol competition and pre-Christmas mela for neighboruing parishes, 11 December 2016.

Fourteen choir groups participated in the keenly contested competition in which most of the carols were original compositions sung in Nepali language.

Gathering at St Berchman’s parish on historic St Mary’s Hill Kurseong some 15 scholastics from distant Saleisan College Sonada (SCS) organized the day’s events with a well prepared Sunday liturgy followed by chance games to raise funds for youth activities of the parish.

Three SCS Brothers do their regular Sunday youth centre activities at the parish.

In the afternoon, carol singing competition was the main attraction drawing 14 choir groups from various wards of the parish.

“The first three winning choirs besides being awarded prizes would be featured in the newly launched community radio of the Salesian College,” said parish priest Fr Paul Sitling encouraging the participants to put in their best performance.

St. John Berchman’s parish was established in later part of 1889 by Belgian Jesuit Missionaries on St. Mary’s Hill, Kurseong, Darjeeling a very beautiful place in the heart of Gorkhaland.

Darjeeling Diocese consists of four hill subdivisions of Darjeeling District (Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik and Kalimpong), the State of Sikkim and the country of Bhutan.

The diocese of Darjeeling was erected on 8th August, 1962 and was formed by separating Darjeeling Diocese from the archdiocese of Calcutta, and joining it to the Prefecture Apostolic of Kalimpong-Sikkim.

In November 1997, the Church in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling District was separated from the Diocese of Darjeeling to form the new diocese of Bagdogra.

The Church first came to Darjeeling with the arrival of Irish Loreto Sisters in 1846, soon after opening of the hill station of Darjeeling by the British.

The area was then under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Bishop Hartman of Patna diocese and was staffed by Capuchin Fathers, who were mostly Italians.

In 1886, when the hierarchy was established in India, the area comprising the present subdivisions of Darjeeling, Kurseong, Mirik and Siliguri and the State of Sikkim was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Archbishop of Calcutta and came under the care of the Jesuits from Belgium.

In 1889, a Theologate for the Society of Jesus called St. Mary’s College was started at Kurseong up to the end of 1971, when it was transferred to New Delhi – Vidya Jyoti.

Currently the St Mary’s Hill property houses the Forest Rangers Training College.