The President of India marked the 200th anniversary celebrations of the Diocese of Calcutta with a ceremony held on 14 Dec 2015 at St Paul’s Cathedral. Joined by the Moderator of the Church of North India, President Pranab Mukherjee recounted the history of the Church of England in Bengal,. He noted it was “sacrosanct to have faith in the greatness of God through kindness and concern for others. Lord Jesus Christ had taught mankind ‘Love thy neighbour as thyself. (unquote). It is important for us all to embrace this teaching in word and deed. To my mind, the Diocese of Calcutta has shown the way through its respectful conduct of multifarious humanitarian activities and set an example for others to follow. It has fully exhibited faith in action. Its activities and services are in whole-hearted consonance with the vision and mission of the Church of North India, which are Unity, Witness and Service.” The president noted the church’s extensive work in education, health and social services, adding that only a small fraction of those whom it served were Anglicans. The diocese’s “efforts are aimed at providing equal opportunity to all the deprived and needy people in terms of developing social awareness, gaining access to quality education, building capacity, and providing healthcare services,” he said. “Its noble deeds have significantly impacted and transformed the lives of the citizens of Calcutta across many generations,” he said. The Bishop in Calcutta, the Rt. Rev. Ashoke Biswas, thanked the president for his words and said, “The chronicles of the Diocese of Calcutta is one of the mission. Today, as the Diocese stands at the threshold of this landmark, we feel proud of our rich past and the blessing of an enormous human resource potential. At the same time, we are humbled, being the successors of this great legacy and heritage.”
