Most Rev. Elias Frank Celebrates His First Mass as Archbishop of Calcutta

Kolkata, September 21, 2025 — Archbishop Elias Frank, the newly appointed head of the Calcutta Archdiocese, celebrated his first public Mass as archbishop on Sunday in Baligheria, a rural village within the Midnapore Deanery. Due to space constraints at the local Holy Cross Church, the Mass was held under a large tent and was concelebrated by Fr. Reginald Fernandes, Dean of Midnapore, along with several priests from the deanery. The celebration drew a large gathering of faithful from Baligheria and neighbouring villages and towns.

Archbishop Frank chose one of the remotest parishes in the archdiocese – Holy Cross Church, Baligheria – to offer his first Holy Eucharist as archbishop. Explaining the reason for his decision during the celebration, he said, "Every parish in the diocese is important. The importance is not measured by its financial status or location but by the presence of the faithful."

On the occasion, 95 children received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Explaining the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit during his homily, Archbishop Frank said, "Fortitude gives us the strength to fight against temptations and even persecution."

The Mass formed part of a pastoral tour aimed at visiting priests and people across the deaneries of the Calcutta archdiocese. In his first pastoral letter released yesterday, Archbishop Frank emphasised his commitment to “visiting the priests and the people”. True to that vision, he has been visiting parishes and various other institutions within the Midnapore deanery over the past week. He visited several religious institutions, met residents of diocesan facilities, and engaged informally with parishioners at multiple parishes. In Kharagpur, he even joined a brief game of basketball at a local church.

After completing his tour of the Midnapore deanery, the archbishop will proceed to the semi-rural deanery of 24 Parganas to continue his programme of parish visits and community outreach.

Most Rev. Elias Frank Celebrates His First Mass as Archbishop of Calcutta

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