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Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shillong
Archidioecesis Shillongensis
Ka Jyllaniam Bah Shillong
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Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians
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| Location | |
| Country | India |
| Territory | East khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi District |
| Ecclesiastical province | Province of Shillong |
| Metropolitan | Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shillong |
| Headquarters | Archbishop House, Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, Laitumkhrah, Shillong |
| Statistics | |
| Area | 5,196 km2 (2,006 sq mi) |
| Population - Total - Catholics | (as of 2021) 1,233,000 346,060 (28.1%) |
| Parishes | 43 |
| Churches | Approx. 3000 - 3500 chapels |
| Information | |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
| Rite | Roman Rite |
| Established | 1934 |
| Cathedral | Cathedral of Mary Help of ChristiansinShillong |
| Secular priests | 189 |
| Current leadership | |
| Pope | Francis |
| Metropolitan Archbishop | Victor Lyngdoh |
| Map | |
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| Website | |
| shillongarchdiocese.org | |
The Metropolitan Archdiocese of Shillong (Latin: Shillongensis) is a Roman Catholic archdiocese with its jurisdiction in the two district of Ri Bhoi and East khasi Hills State of Meghalaya, in northeastern India. The Archdiocese of Shillong is also the metropolitan diocese of the Province of Shillong, an ecclesiastical provinceinNortheast India. It serves 346,060 followers in 43 parishes under 7 zones in the 2 districts. The rural parishes are usually divided into sub districts and further into "balang shnong" or village churches while urban parishes are divided into CMCs and balang dong in the district. The Archdiocese usually organised programmes,teaching and worship at Diocese level, Zonal Level, Parish level, CMC/ village level and Small Christian communities or Kynhun Balang barit ( KBB).
The cathedral of the Archdiocese is the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians, in Shillong. It was built over 50 years ago. This place of worship stands on the very site of the first Church built by the German fathers (Salvatorians from Germany).
The earlier 1913 building – the Church of the Divine Saviour – was a wooden structure. It was destroyed in the Good Friday fire of 10 April 1936. Built by the first Catholic missionaries to set foot on these hills, the Salvatorians from Germany, it was the first Catholic Cathedral in what was then the Mission of Assam.
The Catholic Church's presence in the northeastern region of India, particularly in Assam and Meghalaya, has been marked by a succession of ecclesiastical leaders. Beginning with Apostolic Prefects overseeing the early missionary efforts, the hierarchy evolved to include bishops and later metropolitan archbishops.
Apostolic Prefects of Assam
The Shillong Archdiocese serves not only as an ecclesiastical seat but also as the metropolitan Archdiocese of the Shillong province. A province within the Catholic Church is a grouping of dioceses under the authority of an archbishop. In the case of the Shillong province, it comprises the Shillong Archdiocese itself, along with the Tura Diocese, Aizawl Diocese, Agartala Diocese, Jowai Diocese, and Nongstoin Diocese. This arrangement reflects the hierarchical structure of the Church, wherein archbishops oversee the administration and spiritual welfare of multiple dioceses within their respective province.
The Archbishop of Shillong though have no ruling power over the other dioceses but in disputes within a diocese of the province, the diocese may seek assistance from the metropolitan archdiocese of their ecclesiastical province where the metropolitan Archbishop may intervene under canon law.
The Province of Shillong comprises the following suffragan dioceses that has Shillong as its metropolitan see:
The Archdiocese of Shillong comprises 43 parishes divided into 7 zones:
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Zone 5
Zone 6
Zone 7
25°34′N 91°53′E / 25.567°N 91.883°E / 25.567; 91.883
