Kerala   

Monsignor Chullikkat consecrated Bishop

Staff Reporter

500 priests were co-celebrants in the ceremonies

KOCHI: Thousands of Catholics along with priests participated in the Episcopal ordination of Monsignor Francis Assisi Chullikkatt here at the St. Albert's Higher Secondary School grounds here on Sunday.

The ordination ceremonies were led by Giovanni Lajolo, secretary for the Relations with Sates, Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio to India, and Daniel Acharuparampil, Archbishop of Varappuzha.

Dr. Chullikkat and the main celebrants were received by Vicar General of Varappuzha Monsignor Joseph Karikkassery at the gates of the premises where the ordination ceremonies took place. About 500 priests from the archdiocese of Varappuzha and the dioceses of Kochi, Kottappuram were co-celebrants in the ceremonies.

A choir led by Jerry Amaldev, noted music composer, and William Nellikkal, Director of Cochin Arts and Communications, was one of the features of the ceremony. The faithful had begun to throng the pandal a little after noon on Sunday for the ceremonies.

Dr. Chullikkat was recently appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq and Jordan and as the titular Archbishop of Ostra. He hails from the Archdiocese of Varappuzha and that was one of the reasons why the Episcopal ordination was held here.

Joseph Mar Powathil, Archbishop of Changanassery, M. Susaipakiam, Archbishop of Thiruvananthapuram, and Joshua Mar Ignatius, Auxiliary Bishop of the Major Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram, were among those who offered felicitations.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Expert panel to review entrance test system in Kerala: Minister
Power thieves on the prowl
Vedi activists vacate encroached land
Saudi King pays blood money for release of Indian driver
The moods rain evoke
Coin in memory of Basaveshwara
Monsignor Chullikkat consecrated Bishop
Invasion of gall wasps hits Wayanad pepper growers
Training in fruit processing
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu