Bishop Vincent Samuel of Neyyattinkara Retires

New Delhi, 18 October 2025 (CCBI): Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Vincent Samuel (75) of the Diocese of Neyyattinkara. Most Rev. Selvarajan Dasan (63), the Coadjutor Bishop, now succeeds him as the Bishop of Neyyattinkara.

Bishop Vincent Samuel was born on August 10, 1950, in Arayoor, Kerala. He was ordained a priest on December 19, 1975, for the Archdiocese of Trivandrum, and served in several parishes in both the Trivandrum and Neyyattinkara dioceses.

He obtained a doctorate in systematic theology in 1987 from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome. After returning to India, he served as professor and later vice rector of St. Joseph’s Pontifical Major Seminary, Alwaye.

When Pope John Paul II erected the Diocese of Neyyattinkara on June 14, 1996, Father Vincent Samuel was appointed its first bishop. He was ordained bishop on November 1, 1996, and shepherded the diocese with dedication and pastoral zeal for nearly three decades.

Having reached the canonical age of retirement, Bishop Vincent Samuel concluded his active ministry on October 18, 2025, marking a graceful conclusion of a long and fruitful episcopal service.