Bangalore 7 February 2026 (CCBI): His Eminence Cardinal Poola Anthony, Metropolitan Archbishop of Hyderabad, has been elected as the new President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) during its 37th General Body Meeting held on February 7, 2026. Cardinal Poola Anthony was born on November 15, 1961, in Poluru in the Diocese of Kurnool. After completing his formation at the minor seminary in Nuzvid, he pursued priestly studies at Saint Peter’s Pontifical Seminar

Goa, February 05, 2026: The New Revised Edition of the Konkani Missal was formally released during the 37th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, marking a significant development for the Konkani-speaking Catholic community across the country. The publication is seen as a major step in strengthening the liturgical life of the faithful by enabling fuller participation in the Eucharistic celeb

Bangalore 3 February 2026: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has honoured Fr. Lucien Legrand, MEP, one of Asia’s most respected biblical scholars and missionaries, in recognition of his lifelong service to the Church in India and his outstanding contribution to biblical studies. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, the President of the CCBI honoured him with memento and shawl during the 37 Plenary Assembly of the CCBI held on February 3, 2026, in Bangalore. Born on N

Bangalore, 3 February 2026 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has urged the Latin Catholic Bishops of India to promote unity and human fraternity and to inspire the faithful to live the Gospel of peace in daily life. The Pope made this appeal in a special message to the bishops gathered for the 37th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), held at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences in Bangalore on 3 February 2026. He said the Latin Church in Indi

New Delhi, 31 January 2026 (CCBI): The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo (76) from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Udupi, effective 31 January 2026. Bishop Lobo served as Bishop of Shimoga from 2000 to 2012 and as Bishop of Udupi from 2012 to 2026. He is presently the Chairman of the CCBI Committee for the Implementation of the Pastoral Plan. Born on 12 November 1949, Bishop Lobo was ordained a priest on 5 May 1977. He

New Delhi, 31 January 2026 (CCBI): The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed Rev. Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health, Shirva, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Udupi. The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Udupi. Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza was born on 19 August 1962 in Yermal, in the Diocese of Udupi, Karnataka. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts through distance

Gorakhpur, 25 January 2026: Mar Dominic Kokkat, C.S.T. (93), the first Bishop of the Syro-Malabar Diocese of Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, passed away on Sunday, 25 January 2026, at 10.58 a.m. at Fatima Hospital, Gorakhpur. Funeral details are awaited. He served as the Bishop of Gorakhpur for 22 years, from 1984 to 2006. Bishop Dominic was admitted to hospital on 14 December 2025 for the treatment of pneumonia. He was administered the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick on S

Volume No. XXXVI, 2 | July-December 2025 BLESSED ELISWA

New Delhi 29 November 2025 (CCBI): Fr. Edward Baretto has been appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Darjeeling by Pope Leo XIV. The announcement was made on 29 November 2025. Fr. Baretto, 60, is currently the judicial vicar of the diocese and the coordinator of its diocesan commissions. Fr. Baretto was born on 5 January 1965 in Alampuri, in Bantwal Taluk of the Mangalore diocese in Karnataka. He received his early education at St. Thomas Higher Primary School in Nirkan and continued

Fr. Rabindra Kumar Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar New Delhi, 22 November 2025 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr. Rabindra Kumar Ranasingh (53), of the Archdiocese of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar, as the Auxiliary Bishop of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar in Odisha and Titular Bishop of Tuburbo Maggiore. At present, he is the Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Church, Jatni and Dean of Cuttack Deanery. Fr. Ranasingh was born on 9 July 1972 in Kasabasa village in Kandhamal distric

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, September 28, 2024 (CCBI): The Vatican has appointed Dr. Freya Francis (27), from Coimbatore, India, to the International Youth Advisory Body (IYAB). This appointment, announced on September 25, 2024, by the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, represents a significant move in the Church’s efforts to embrace diverse global perspectives. Dr. Freya belongs to the Jesus Youth Movement will represent India during her three-year term. A graduate in homeopathy, Dr. Frey