New Delhi, 1 November 2025 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Simon Almeida, 65, as the new Bishop of Poona. He is currently the Deputy Secretary of the Western Regional Bishops’ Council and the Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Church, Ghorpuri, Pune. Fr. Simon Almeida was born on 4 November 1960 in Gass, Bhatori. He completed his schooling at St. Gonsalo Garcia Primary School and Holy Cross High School, Nirmal. In 1978, he joined Prakash Bhavan Minor Seminary, Pune, and lat

New Delhi, 25 October 2025 (CCBI): His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Antony Kattiparambil as the new Bishop of Cochin. The announcement was made on 25 October 2025. Fifty-five-year-old Fr. Kattiparambil is presently serving as the Judicial Vicar of the Diocese of Cochin. Born on 14 October 1970 in Mundamveli, Fr. Antony belongs to St. Louis Church, Mundamveli. He is the son of the late Jacob and the late Treesa, and the youngest among seven children, four sisters an

New Delhi, 25 October 2025 (CCBI): His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Stephen Fernandes as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bombay. The announcement was made on 25 October 2025. Fr. Stephen Fernandes, 64, is presently serving as the Secretary to the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli and is based at the Apostolic Nunciature in New Delhi. Born on 20 September 1961, Fr. Fernandes was ordained a priest on 31 March 1990 for the Arc

Rev. Dr. Anthony Sebastian New Delhi, 11 September 2025 (CCBI): The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has appointed Rev. Dr....

New Delhi, August 15, 2025 (CCBI): His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Francis Serrao, S.J. (66), as the new Bishop of Mysore....

New Delhi, June 28, 2025 (CCBI): His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Elias Frank (62), of Asansol, as the Coadjutor Archbishop...

New Delhi, 7 June 2025 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr Jose Sebastian Thekkumcherikunnel as the new Bishop of Jalandhar in Punjab....

New Delhi July 5, 2025 (CCBI): The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Antonysamy Savarimuthu, until now Bishop of...

Fr John Barman Bangalore, 10 May 2025 (CCBI): The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has appointed Fr John Barman MSFS as...

Rev. Dr. Anthaiah Kondaveeti Bangalore, 10 May 2025 (CCBI): Rev. Dr. Anthaiah Kondaveeti has been appointed as the new Secretary of the Commission for Ecumenism of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI). The decision was made during the Executive Committee meeting held in Bangalore on 6–7 May 2025. A priest of the Diocese of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh, Fr. Anthaiah brings with him nearly three decades of priestly ministry. Born on 5 May 1969 in Katrapadu, he was or

Bangalore, 9 May 2025 (CCBI): Fr. Madanu Anthony, a priest of the Diocese of Hyderabad, has been appointed as the Social Apostolate Coordinator of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI). The decision was made during the Executive Committee meeting held in Bangalore on 6 and 7 May 2025. Born on December 16, 1982, in Mariapuram, Hyderabad, Fr. Anthony is 42 years old. His academic journey is marked by a strong foundation in philosophy, theology, education, and human

Bangalore, 9 May 2025: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has appointed Rev. Dr. Charles Davis as the new Director of the CCBI Bioethics Forum. The decision was taken during the Executive Committee meeting held on 6–7 May 2025 in Bangalore. Fr. Davis, a priest of the Diocese of Jammu-Srinagar, is a renowned expert in Moral Theology and Bioethics. Born on 26 July 1975 in Perur, Tiruchirappalli, he has served the Church for over two decades through pastoral mini

Bangalore, 9 May 2025: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has appointed Fr. Nigel Barrett (56), from the Archdiocese of Bombay, as its new Public Relations Officer (PRO). The appointment was made during the Executive Committee meeting held on 6–7 May 2025 in Bangalore. Fr. Nigel holds a doctorate in Broadcast Journalism and New Age Communication Tools from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He also holds a master’s degree in social communication from McGill Univ

Bangalore, 9 May 2025: In a significant step to promote the role of women in Church leadership, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has appointed two women religious to key national positions. Sr Hilda Diago Rodrigues, MMSB, aged 49, has been named the new Coordinator of the Health Apostolate and Sr Margarita Dias, SCB, aged 40, from the Congregation of St Charles Borromeo, Western Province, has been appointed Associate Director of Communio. Sr. Hilda member of

Bangalore, 12 April 2025 (CCBI): Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Sonatan Kisku, aged 56, as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Dumka in Jharkhand. The announcement was made on Saturday, 12 April 2025. Fr. Kisku is currently serving as the Vicar General of Dumka and the Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Church, Dumka. Fr. Sonatan Kisku was born on 15 May 1969 in the village of Kaudia, under Kalhajor Parish in the Dumka Diocese. He completed his early education at St. Joseph’s Hig

Bangalore, 12 April 2025 (CCBI): Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Sahaya Thatheus Thomas (54), Rector of Holy Trinity Major Seminary, Jalandhar, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Simla-Chandigarh. The announcement was made on Saturday, 12 April 2025. At the same time, the Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Ignatius Loyola Ivan Mascarenhas (75), who has led the diocese since 2009. Fr Thadeus was born on 6 November 1971 in Chinnavilai, Tamil Nadu, in the Diocese of

Bangalore, 12 April 2025 (CCBI): In a historic decision, Pope Francis has elevated the Diocese of Calicut to a Metropolitan Archdiocese on12 April 2025, also names Bishop Varghese Chakkalakal (72) as the first Metropolitan Archbishop of Calicut. The dioceses of Kannur and Sultanpet will serve as their suffragans. The diocese of Calicut in Malabar region has a deep-rooted legacy that dates back over 500 years. Evangelization began in 1498 with the arrival of Trinitarian missio

Bangalore 4 April 2024 (CCBI): Rev. Dr. Gilbert De Lima (68), the new Executive Secretary to the CCBI Commission for Theology and Doctrine, is appointed as the Rector of St. Pius X Major Seminary, Mumbai. He will take charge on 1 June 2024. Fr. Gilbert was born on January 15, 1956, in the Archdiocese of Bombay. He did his philosophy and theology at St Pius X Seminary and was ordained a priest on April 16, 1983. He holds a B.Com. from Mumbai University. He had a doctorate in s

Bangalore, March 8, 2025 (CCBI): Fr. Paul Prakash Saginala has been appointed as the new Bishop of Cuddapah by Pope Francis. The announcement was made public on March 8, 2025. Until now, he has been serving as a professor of Sacred Scripture at Saint John’s Regional Seminary in Hyderabad. Born on November 28, 1960, in Badvel, Diocese of Cuddapah, Fr. Paul Prakash Saginala pursued his studies in philosophy and theology at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Poonamallee, Chennai. He l

Bangalore, March 1, 2025 (CCBI): His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Fr. John Carvalho (55) of the clergy of the Diocese of Ajmer, currently the Principal of St. Paul’s Sr. Secondary School, Alwar Gate, Ajmer, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Ajmer in Rajasthan. This provision was made public on Saturday March 1, 2025. Diocese of Ajmer became vacant by the resignation of Bishop Pius Thomas D’Souza on June 1, 2024. Bishop Oswald Joseph Lewis Bishop Emeritus of Jaipur wa