The colonial era brought Christianity to the shores of Bengal. The Portuguese navigators found a happy shelter up the river Hooghly at Bandel. There they established their trading outpost, which was very lucrative drawing its wealth from the rich hinterland of Bengal. Trade was brisk and Bandel flourished. Close on to the Portuguese navigators, came the Danes to settle at Serampore and the French who made their settlement at Chandannagore. The English followed with the East India Company and opened up their base at the village of Sutanati later to develop into the city of Calcutta.

The ups and downs of this colonial history were many. Bandel was razed to the ground by Shah Jehan and his troops deporting around 10,000 Catholics to the capital at Agra. The wild elephant that was expected to crush the captives in the arena picked up the priest and placed him before the Emperor. This miraculous event led Shah Jehan to give Bandel 777 bighas of land and to reconstruct the damaged Church of Bandel. The Statue of Our Lady, which was being carried by a soldier across the river to, a Portuguese boat sank into the river along with the soldier shot by an arrow in his back. When years later the statue emerged on the shore with a bright light around it, the amazed inhabitants greeted the events with shouts of "Ma Utheche". The statue is still in Bandel and is the first Christian Shrine in Eastern India. People of all faiths come to the Bandel Basilica both for favours and in thanksgiving.

The Danes left their mark in Serampore with the Serampore College, which became well known through William Carey. The French developed Chandannagore and a number of artistic buildings and structures including the study of French still recall that period. However it was the Eastern India Company which finally took over the control of the Hooghly river by setting up Fort William at a strategic post and thereby commanding the other trading centres and forcing them to pay toll in order to reach their own trading outpost. This factor allowed the British colonial interests to spread all over Bengal which later through strategic contracts with the Rajas and Princes of the country led to the formation of British India.

When Pope John Paul II paid a visit to Calcutta the route took him through the streets from Dum Dum to Kalighat and they were lined by hundreds, perhaps thousands of people. The Statesman spoke of the "Hidden Legionaries of the Pope".

Christianity has brought with it a number of important factors, among them the concern for the poor and the underprivileged. Homes for orphans and homes for the aged were started. Well known today are the St.. Joseph's Home run by the Little Sisters of the Poor and the Shishu Bhavan of Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa responded to the dying destitutes with her Nirmal Hriday Ashram and Shanti Dan. She brought hope to many of the helpless lying on the streets of Calcutta, mostly caused by the partition of Bengal. Her Nirmal Hriday at Kalighat and the Shishu Bhavan at Lower Circular Road and Shanti Dan at No. 4 Bridge stand out today as very special features of Christian influence in Bengal.