Our Parishes

Name of the Church: St. John Berchmans Church, Dighia - ESTD - 1885

Postal Address: Tuko PO.  Bero PS, Ranchi - 835202 - Jharkhand

Official Email: repdighia@gmail.com 

Parish Priest: Fr. Vincent Minj

Contact Details: 9835340733 / 9304400580

Email: vincentminjador@gmail.com 

Assistant Parish Priests: Fr. Ajay Minz, Fr. Bricius Minj, Fr. Shishir Surin, Fr. Robert Minj 

Catholic Sabha President: Mr. John Peter Toppo /9379202008 / 9304207260 

President Mahila Sangh: Mrs. Kamla Lakra /9304291189

Regular Mass Centers : 

1.    Tilsiri, Semra PO, Lohardaga - Jharkhand, Contact: 7261837382 (Mr. Aiben Lakra)

2.    Idri, Murto PO, Ranchi - 835202 - Jharkhand,Contact : 9113385577 (Mr. Herman Beck) 

Dighia is one of the oldest parishes of the Archdiocese. The first pioneering missionary Fr. De Cock was often touring Dighia since 1883 and found that the Uraons were open t receive the Gospel, of course some to escape the harassment of landlords and money lenders while others hoped for economic upliftment. From the very beginning the people were eager to embrace Christianity but the greatest  obstacles were theh landlords who were hostile to the missionaries on account of their support to the poor and the oppressed. He definitively arrived in Dighia on April 15,1886 from Doranda where he was a military chaplain. He bought some property on April 14,1886 and began tostay with a Christian family at Khudarkho.

Soon after that theh temporary residence was built and on July 11, the first Mass was celebrated in the mission centre. Unfortunately, he fell seriously sick and was taken to Calcutta where he died on August 6, 1888. Other missionaries: Fr. Hagenbeek, (1888), Fr. Cus (1889), Fr. Walrave (1890), came to theh mission of Dighia. Till then there were 2300 Catholics.

On August 27, 1888 Archbishop Goethals appointed Fr. Lievens as the director of the whole of Lohardaga mission. Fr. Lievens came often to Dighia to help the Fathers and also to look after the people. With their hard labour the missionaries were able to liberate the people from the clutches of the zamindars and many embraced Christianity.

Besides the zamindars there were other internal problems to be settled i.e. the gap between Christian and non-Christian Uraons concerning their tribal practices and eating the food prepared by non-Christians. Tactfully through common meetings the problem was solved. Steadly with the co-operation of the local people the Church and school buildings were built and the mission began to grow and bear fruit.

The Daughters of St. Anne opened their convent at Dighia in 1927 and since then assisting in the parish mission with their school and medical services. At present Dighia has the only recognized High School established and managed by the Catholic Sabha in the Archdiocese.

 Patron:  St. John Berchmans