A verdict by the Madras High Court in the state of Tamil Nadu could serve as a guide to resolve several cases across India where state officials have delayed staff appointments at Church – run educational institutions, Church officials say. Father Maria Charles, secretary of the Indian Catholic bishops’ Office for Education, called the court order “a blessing,” as many Christian-run, government-aided educational institutions face staffing problems nationwide. Charles told on July 23 that the verdict from the highest court in the southern state regarding staff appointments at Jesuit-run Loyola College could be des-cribed as a “guiding verdict safeguarding the rights of religious minorities.” The court ordered the state government on July 14 to grant approval for 19 appointments –18 assistant professors and one librarian – made by Loyola College, an autono-mous institution for higher education based in the state capital, Chennai.
From a Railway Platform to the Altar: Abandoned Child Becomes a Priest
Twenty-eight years ago, a frightened five-year-old boy was found alone at Shoranur railway station. He had no memory of his parents or a family to
