Bengaluru, 2 January, 2019: The 31st Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) is scheduled to be held from 7 to 14 January 2018, at the Joe Animation Centre, Mahabalipuram, Chennai. The Assembly will deliberate on the theme “The Joy of the Gospel” and will chalk out detailed programmes and action plans to revitalize the ministry of love and compassion of the Church at the diocesan and parish levels. The Assembly begins on Tuesday, 8th January, 20

Sunday, 2 December, 2018 (First Sunday of Advent) “Love one another as I have loved you” (John 13:34) To All Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Religious, Catechists and Lay Faithful of the Latin Catholic Church in India Dear Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ, Today we begin a new liturgical year with the season of Advent which offers us a sense of hope, joy and encouragement as we continue our journey of faith to celebrate the Mystery of the Incarnation. Advent refer

Ref: DS/241/2018 5 February, 2018 Bangalore, 5 February 2018: Inaugurating the 30th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) of the Latin Church, in Bangalore on Sunday 4 February 2018, His Eminence Oswald Cardinal Gracias, the President of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India and the Archbishop of Bombay exhorted the Bishops in India to urge the faithful to become fully Indian and fully Christian. He said: “The Catholic Church needs our n

Promoting the Joy of Love In Our Families Message of the 29 th CCBI Plenary Assembly to the Church in India We, two Cardinals, 136 Archbishops and Bishops, representing the 132 dioceses of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), gathered at the Pastoral Centre, Bhopal, for our Plenary Assembly from 31 st January to 8 th February 2017 to deliberate, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, on the theme “ Promoting the Joy of Love in our Families ”. The choice of t

All India Press Release Ref: DS/109/2017 24th January 2017 The 29th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) to be held in Bhopal to invigorate the Family Apostolate Bengaluru, 24 January 2017: The 29th Plenary Assembly of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) is scheduled to be held from 31st January to 8th February, 2017, at the Pastoral Centre, Ashaniketan Campus, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The Assembly will deliberate on the the

Bangalore 15 October 2016: Pope Francis has appointed His Grace Most Rev. Dominic Jala, S.D.B., Archbishop of Shillong, as Apostolic Administrator “sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis” of the Diocese of Nongstoin. This ecclesiastical provision was made public in Rome on Saturday 15 October 2016, at noon local time, corresponding to 15:30 hours, Indian Standard Time. The Diocese of Nongstoin was created by Pope Benedict XVI on 28 January 2006. The Apostolic Nuncio to India,

Mumbai 14 August 2016: Most Rev. Raphael Cheenath, SVD, (82) Archbishop Emeritus of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar passed away on 14 August 2016, at the Holy Spirit Hospital, Mumbai. The funeral will be conducted on 17 August 2016 at 3pm at the Sacred Heart Church, Andheri, Mumbai. Archbishop Cheenath suffered much when Kandhamal in his Archdiocese was subjected to terrible attacks against Christians. The archdiocese Cuttack-Bhubaneswar covers Kandhamal district of the eastern Indian st

New Delhi 6 August 2016: Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio (64) the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal has been appointed as the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland. From 8th May 2010 onwards he was serving as the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal. He was born on 7th September 1952 in Marano di Napoli (Italy) and was ordained priest on 18th September 1976. He joined the diplomatic mission of the Holy See in 1979. He worked in the diplomatic missions, in Panama, Ethiopia, Australia, T

Vatican 28 July 2016: The Holy Father has appointed Mons. Stephen Chirappanath, of the clergy of the eparchy of Irinjalakuda, as the Apostolic Visitor for the Syro-Malabar faithful living in Europe, elevating him to the episcopate and assigning him the Titular see of Slebte. Msgr. Stephen Chirappanath was born December 26, 1961 at Puthenchira. After his philosophical and theological studies at St. Thomas Apostolic Seminary, Vadavathoor, he obtained a doctorate in moral theol

Jhansi 12 July 2016: Most Rev. Frederick D’Souza (82) Emeritus Bishop Jhansi passed away on Tuesday, 12th July 2016 at 8pm. He was 82. He was critically ill and admitted the Holy Family Hospital, Okhla, New Delhi on 1st June 2016 and has been administered the last Sacrament at on 6 June 2016. The funeral will take place at 10.00 a.m. at St. Jude’s Shrine, Jhansi, on Friday, 15th July, 2016. Bishop Frederick D’ Souza was born on 4 December 1934 at Siddakatte in Mangalore dioce

Irinjalakuda 10 July 2016: Bishop Emeritus of Irinjalakuda diocese of Syro-Malabar, His Excellency Mar James Pazhayattil (82) passed away on Sunday 10 July 2016 at 10.50pm at Jubilee Mission Medical College Hospital Thrissur. Funeral was conducted at St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Cathedral, Irinjalakuda on Wednesday 13 July 2016. Bishop Mar James Pazhayattil was the first Bishop of Irinjalakuda Syro-Malabar Diocese. He was born on 26 July 1934 at Puthenchira in Trichur Dis

His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of His Lordship Most Rev. Gabriel Kujur, S.J., from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Daltonganj, according to Canon Law 401 § 2, and has appointed His Lordship Rt. Rev. Anand Jojo, Bishop of Hazaribag, as Apostolic Administrator sede vacante of the Diocese of Daltonganj. This ecclesiastical provision was made public in Rome on Thursday, 7th July, 2016, at noon local time, corresponding to 15:30 hours, Indian Standard T

His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of His Lordship Most Rev. Gabriel Kujur, S.J., from the pastoral care of the Diocese of Daltonganj. This ecclesiastical provision was made public in Rome on Thursday, 7th July, 2016, at noon local time, corresponding to 15:30 hours, Indian Standard Time.

Archbishop Emeritus Henry Sebastian D’Souza who served the Archdiocese of Calcutta from 1986-2002 passed away peacefully at 14:00 hours on Monday 27 June 2016 at Vianney Home, 9/3 Middleton Row, Kolkata – 71 where he was spending his retirement life. He was 90 years old and died of cardiac arrest. Archbishop Henry was born on January 20, 1926, in Calcutta and was ordained a priest on August 24, 1948 after completing his Philosophical and Theological studies at Papal Seminary,

(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday appointed a new bishop to the Diocese of Guntur in southern India’s Andhra Pradesh state. Fr. Bhagyaiah ‎Chinnabathini, a parish priest from the Diocese of Nalgonda, in the neighboring state of Telangana, is the new bishop of Guntur. The 60-year old priest takes over from Bishop Gali Bali, who has retired. Fr. Chinnabathini priest was born on Sept, 19, 1956, at Motakondur-Yadagirigutta Mandal. After attending the minor seminary of