Father Sebastian Tudu Named New Bishop of Dinajpur, Bangladesh

Bishop-elect Sebastian Tudu

Photo courtesy: The Pratibeshi (Nov. 6, 2011)

Pope Benedict XVI, on October 29, appointed Father Sebastian Tudu the new bishop of the Diocese of Dinajpur, Bangladesh. Bishop-elect Tudu will succeed Bishop Moses Costa, CSC, who in last May was transferred to the Diocese of Chittagong. 

Bishop-elect Sebastian Tudu, at the time of the announcement, was the Vice Rector and professor of the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Dhaka. He will be the first Santal (one of the several ethnic groups) Bishop of Bangladesh. He will be consecrated as a bishop on January 27, 2012.

According to the Pratibeshi, the national Catholic weekly of Bangladesh, Bishop-elect Tudu was born on June 17, 1967 at Changura Village under Mariampur Catholic Church of Dinajpur District. 

He studied at Mariampur Catholic school, St. Philip’s High School of Dinajpur, Dinajpur Govt. College, Notre Dame College of Dhaka and Holy Spirit Major Seminary. He has a Ph.D. in Theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University of Rome, Italy. 

He became a priest on December 30, 1999. As an assistant parish priest, he had served at Dhanjuri and Ruhea parishes. 

The Diocese of Dinajpur, with an area of 12,638,991 sq. km., has a population of more than 16,000,000 people and among them more than 42,000 are Roman Catholics who belong to the Bangali (Bengalee), Santal, Oraon, Mahali, Mundari, Malo and Mal Pahari ethnic groups.