Benjamin Tamang becomes first ordained Catholic priest from Gangtok

PEDONG, 28 April: Deacon Benjamin B Tamang of St. Thomas Parish, Gangtok, has been ordained the first Catholic priest from Gangtok. He is the second Diocesan priest from Sikkim, after Fr. Robin Kalikotey of St. Mary’s Parish, Gyalshing, who was ordained at a special function held at Namchi Public School last year.
Deacon Benjamin Tamang and other six deacons were ordained priests by Rev. Bishop Stephen Lepcha of Darjeeling-Sikkim Diocese in a ceremony organized at St. George’s Senior Secondary School, Pedong, yesterday.
Earlier, homage was paid to Sri Sathya Sai Baba on behalf of the Diocese and two minutes silence observed to mourn his death. The priests ordained yesterday, are: Boniface Rai, St. Teresa’s Parish Kalimpong; Marcelenus Sukdhen Lepcha, Vijaya Rani Parish, Maria Basti; Pradeep Austine Rai, Lolay Parish; Stephen Lepcha, Vijaya Rani Parish, Maria Basti; David Rai, Damsang, Pedong; Benjamin B Tamang , St. Thomas’ Parish Gangtok, and Michael Singh, Vijaya Rani Parish , Maria basti.

The ordination Eucharist was concelebrated by sixty priests with the Bishop as the chief celebrant. Before the ordination, the Vicar General of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Felix Baretto introduced the candidates and presented them before the congregation and requested Bishop to ordain them.
Thereafter, the seven deacons took the oath of obedience to the Bishop and his successors. The three-hour long ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Augustine Subba on behalf of the organizers and Fr. Pradeep Rai on behalf of the newly ordained priests.
Fr. Benjamin B Tamang was born on 26 September 1983. He received primary level education from Modern Secondary School, Gangtok and then joined the John Teenty Third Institute, Minor Seminary, Darjeeling on 05 June 1999. He passed his higher secondary examination from St. Robert’s School, Darjeeling in 2001 and completed his graduation with English Honours and Philosophy from Salesian College, Sonada in 2005. He did his first year regency at St. Francis of Assisi Church, Fagu, Gorubathan from 2005 to 2007 and second year regency at St. Xavier’s School, Pakyong.
Thereafter he joined the Morning Star College and Major seminary, Bareckpore, Kolkata and completed Theology in 2010. His deaconate ordination was held on 08 December 2010 at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, Darjeeling. He was appointed to St. Francis’ School, Jorethang in February 2011 for his deaconate ministry.