Most Reverend Elias Frank has been appointed the new archbishop of Calcutta, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta announced on Saturday. He succeeds Most Reverend Thomas D’Souza, becoming the 10th archbishop of the city.

“I am happy to announce that His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has accepted my resignation from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Calcutta… Coadjutor Archbishop Elias Frank becomes the tenth Archbishop of Calcutta,” wrote archbishop emeritus Thomas D’Souza in a letter addressed to the clergy, consecrated persons and the faithful.

The formal handover will take place between September 23 and 26.

Father Dominic Gomes, chancellor of the archdiocese, circulated archbishop Frank’s pastoral letter in English, Bengali, Hindi, and Santhali to the community.

In his letter, archbishop Frank wrote: “... I extend to you my greetings of peace and my apostolic blessing.”

“The Archdiocese, being vast in territory, will take me several months to visit in its entirety. For now, I wish to reach you through this letter,” archbishop Frank wrote.

He recalled first coming to Calcutta in 1979 as a teenager. “I grew up here, completed my studies here, and Bengal became my home. As a priest, I have spent most of my years, while in India, working among the Santhal community, and I have become one with them at heart. As a student, I began learning Bangla and fell in love with the language, becoming a true Bangla premi,” he wrote.

Ordained in 1993 at Our Lady of Happy Voyage Church, Howrah, archbishop Frank chose to be ordained within the archdiocese, despite being eligible to do so in his native place.

A solemn Thanksgiving Holy Mass will be held on September 28 at the Cathedral of the Most Holy Rosary, presided over by the new archbishop. Archbishop emeritus D’Souza will assist in Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, Barasat, from September 29.