By C.M. Paul
Kolkata, Jan. 20, 2026: The centenary celebrations of the Kolkata Salesian province will conclude on February 8 with the installation of Father Sunil Kerketta as its 18th provincial.
The installation ceremony at Nitika Don Bosco will be presided over by Salesian Rector Major Father Fabio Attard.
“This occasion will be a moment of grace, communion, and thanksgiving for our Province,” said outgoing Provincial Father Joseph Pauria in a January 20 statement.
Father Kerketta, who hails from Gumla in Jharkhand, studied at Salesian College Sonada before rising to leadership. His six‑year term is expected to guide the province into its second century of mission in education, service, and youth ministry.
Centenary Journey Across Bengal
The rector major’s visit to the province begins on February 5 in Kolkata with a provincial council meeting, followed by a stop in Siliguri to meet the Salesian Family of North Bengal and youth of Don Bosco School and Salesian College.
On February 7, he travels to Azimganj, Murshidabad, to interact with young people of central Bengal. The celebrations conclude in South Bengal with the February 8 gathering in Kolkata.
The centenary will close with a thanksgiving Mass at Don Bosco School, Park Circus, presided over by Father Attard, the 11th successor of Don Bosco. Representatives of past and present provincials from 11 Salesian provinces in India will attend, along with youth representatives from 40 houses in the province.
The Kolkata province now extends beyond Bengal into Bihar, Sikkim, Bangladesh, and Nepal. It comprises 40 houses animated by 242 Salesian Fathers and Brothers, serving in 32 parishes and running more than 25 boardings with coaching centers.
The network includes 30 higher secondary schools and 13 technical and vocational institutes. At the higher education level, the province manages Salesian College (Autonomous), with campuses in both the hills and plains, ensuring access to quality education across diverse geographies.
The announcement of Father Sunil Kerketta taking over as its 18th provincial is a very heartening piece of news for the parishioners of Auxilium Parish Kolkata. He is highly spiritual, very humble and jolly too. I sincerely hope he has the requisite administrative skills also to shepherd such a big area besides West Bengal. May God grant him all the wisdom, physical and mental strength.