History of Diocese

By the Apostolic Bull “Quandoquidem Christus” of February 20, 1956, the present civil districts of Bijnor , Chamoli, Dehra Dun , Gharwal. Ghaziabad, Haridwar, Meerut , Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Rampur , Sharanpur , Tehri and Uttarkahsi in west U.P. were detached from the Archdiocese of Agra and formed into the diocese of Meerut.

In May 1972, the new diocese of Bijnor was formed with the districts of Bijnor (excluding Dhampur Tehsil), Chamoli, Garhwal. Tehri and Uttarkashi, taken from the diocese of Meerut

At present Meerut Diocese comprises of the districts of Meerut , Muzaffarnagar , Saharanpur, Dehra Dun, Haridwar , Moradabad, Rampur , Jyotiba Phule Nagar, Ghaziabad, Baghpat and the Tehsil of Dhampur of Bijnor district.

The boundaries of Meerut Diocese are: North – Diocese of Bijnor, South – Agra Archdiocese; East – Bareilly diocese and West – Delhi Archdiocese and Simla – Chandigarh Diocese.

His Grace Most Rev. Dr. Joseph Evangelisti O.F.M. Cap. was the first Bishop of the Diocese of Meerut . He was succeeded by His Excellency Most Rev. Dr. Patrick Nair in 1974.

In 1998 Most Rev. Bishop Oswald Joseph Lewis was ordained Co-adjutor Bishop of Meerut and in 2005 he was transferred to Jaipur as the first Bishop of the new diocese of Jaipur.

On 3rd the December, 2008, His Excellency Most Rev. Francis Kalist was appointed to succeeded Bishop Patrick Nair and was ordained Bishop on 8th February,2009.

The Church of Our Lady of Graces was raised to the dignity of a minor Basilica by Pope John XIII on December 13, 1961.