The Province of Kolkata has 263 confreres with a median age of 50 and comprises territories in India, Bangladesh and Nepal. In India, it has houses in the states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and Sikkim.
Through its 40 communities (34 canonical), the Province of Kolkata cares for 32 parishes, 30 higher secondary schools, 25 boardings and hostels, 3 higher education institutions, 13 vocational training centres and several social development works, youth centres and youth-at-risk centres, along with 3 formation houses.
The beginning of the Province goes back to 1926 when the first single Province of India was established twenty years after the arrival of Salesians at Thanjavur in 1906. From 1934 new provinces began to be established in India. Till 2004, Myanmar was also part of the Kolkata Province.
Fr. Sunil Kerketta was born in the village of Birta Girjatoli in Jharkhand State, India. His home parish is Lachragarh in the diocese of Simdega. Both his parents have gone to their eternal reward after raising their seven children, of whom Fr. Sunil is the fifth.
Salesian roots began to form right from his high school days at Don Bosco Hatia, Ranchi. He completed his higher secondary education at Don Bosco Bandel and his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy and Bachelor’s Degree in Arts from Salesian College, Sonada, Darjeeling. He also completed a Diploma in Counselling and Spiritual Direction from the National Vocation Service Centre (NVSC), Pune – an institute of spirituality and counselling psychology managed by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India.
Fr. Sunil made his first profession at Nazareth Bhavan, Siliguri on 24 May 1994, his perpetual profession at Liluah in 2000, and was ordained a Salesian priest on 14 December 2003 in the Shrine of the Blessed Mother at Bandel.
At the time of being nominated the new Provincial of Kolkata, Fr. Sunil was serving as the Vice-Provincial, Formation Delegate and Salesian Family Delegate of the Province. He has several years of experience as Provincial Council member and has been a vocation promoter of the Province. He has served in various capacities such as youth animator, pre-novitiate director and administrator.
Fr. Sunil Kerketta is nominated to be the 18th Provincial of the Kolkata Province. He succeeds Fr. Joseph Pauria, who has led the Province since 2020. The date for the installation is yet to be fixed.
