Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Catholic Church first entered in Darjeeling by arrival of Irish Loreto Nuns in Darjeeling   in 1846. Sunday services were conducted
in the chapel of Loreto convent until l884. In 1892 Archbishop Goethals laid the foundation of the Church of Immaculate Conception. The construction was supervised by Bro. Eugene Rotsaert. It is 113 feet high by 28 feet with oratories on the both sides of the sanctuary. The stain glass windows light up the interior of the Church. Pastoral care started by Capuchins, later continued by Belgian Jesuit, Canadian Jesuits and finally handed over the pastoral care of this parish in the hands of the local Diocesan priests. In the year 1962 the Immaculate Church, Darjeeling became the Cathedral, when Darjeeling was erected as a Diocese  after   bifurcation from the
Archdiocese of Kolkata.

The following are the priests those served Immaculate Conception Church :

1)    Fr. Ignatius Persico (1848-1849)
2)    Fr. Felix (1949-1851)
3)    Fr. Archangelo Polverelli (1851-1859)
4)    Fr. Accursio Insermini (1859-1880)
5)    Fr. Fr.Charles Joseph Gentili (1880-1881)
6)    Fr. Louis Seagliarini (1881-1884)
7)    Fr. Accursio Insermini (1884-1885)
8)    Fr.James (1885-1886)
9)    Fr. Louis Seagliarini (1886-1887)
10)    Fr. Englebert Lentijes (1886-1887) the last Capuchin priest.
11)    Fr. Henry Depelchin (1887-1891) the first Belgian Jesuit parish priest.
12)    Fr. John Schaefer (1882-1894)
13)    Fr. Vincent Naish (1895-1903)
14)    Fr. Henry Annacker, Fr. Anthony Van Kasteren and Fr.Louis Bodson(1904)
15)    Fr. Remy Louwyek (1905)
16)    Fr. Frederick Peal (1906-1914)
17)    Fr. Charles Grant(1914-1919)
18)    Fr.Edmund Van Tichelen(1918-1936)
19)    Fr. John De Berraly(1939-1942)
20)    Fr. Betran Tolley(1942-1946)
21)    Fr. Herlod Craig (1946-1947)
22)    Fr. John Prendergast (1947-1954)
23)    Fr. Eric Benjamin (1954-1962) He was then elected the first Bishop of new Diocese of Darjeeling.
24)    Fr. Michael Rai (1963-1965)
25)    Fr. John Prendergast(1965-1967)
26)    Fr. Augustine Gurung(1967-1973)
27)    Fr. Michael Rai (1973-1975)
28)    Fr. Charles Mukhia (1975-1979)
29)    Fr. Marcus Yonzon(1979-1988)
30)    Fr. Michael Lepcha (1989-1994)
31)    Fr. Gerard Lepcha(1998 – 1999)
32)    Fr Swid Singh(1999 – 2000)
33)    Fr. Andrew Sada(1999-2000)
34)    Fr. Samuel Lepcha(2000 – 2001)                 
35)    Fr. Elias Pinto (2001-2006).
36)    Fr. Laban Lepcha(2006 0nwards)



Address:    
Nishkalanka Parish Center
Catholic Church Road
Darjeeling,
West Bengal – 734101
Phone: (0354) 2252939
Pro – Vicar:  Fr. Laban Lepcha (Mobile 9733222438)
Assistant: Fr. Edward Sangnes