Bangalore 1 November 2021 (CCBI) His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Most Rev. Telesphore Bilung, S.V.D. (60), Auxiliary Bishop of Ranchi, as Bishop of Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. This provision was made public in Rome on Monday, 1st November, 2021.
Most Rev. Telesphore Bilung was born on 15 April 1961, at Sargidipa in the Diocese of Rourkela, Odisha. In 1979, he joined the Jyoti Bhavan Minor Seminary in Sambalpur. In 1985, he entered the Society of the Divine Word (SVD). He professed his first vows in 1986 and his solemn profession was in 1991. He was ordained priest on May 2, 1992, in Gaibira, the Diocese of Rourkela. Between 1986 and 1992, he completed his studies in Philosophy and Theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeth in Pune. From 2005 to 2006 he did a counselling course in Britain.
He has served as Assistant Parish Priest in Puri from 1992 to 1994 and as Rector of the Minor Seminary in Sambalpur from 1994 to 1996. In 2005, he was made Chairman of the vocation board. In 2007, he joined as pastor in Premnagar, Archdiocese of Calcutta. He was the Provincial Councillor from 2008 to 2011 and the Rector of the SVD Minor Seminary in Lungai from 2010 to 2011. Since 2011, he has been the Provincial Superior of the Divine Word Missionaries.
On May 6, 2014, he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Ranchi. He was ordained Bishop on August 30, 2014, in Ranchi. On June 20, 2019, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis of the Diocese of Jamshedpur. He is a priest for 29 years and a bishop for 7 years.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara
Deputy Secretary General, CCBI