From The States

Seminarian accidentally falls into river, drowns

A young man who resigned a job in a multinational firm to join a semi-nary has died after he accidentally fell into a river and drowned. Brother Noel Felix Thekkekkara was doing his regency in an estate of Kalyan diocese in Sawantawadi, a town in Maharashtra state’s Sindhudurg district when the tragedy occurred. He was […]

Salesian priest among teachers honoured in Siliguri

A professional youth group of company secretaries and chartered accountants in Siliguri marked this year’s Teacher’s Day by honouring school principals and senior teachers. Among the educators honoured by Marwari Yuva Manch was Salesian Father C.M. Paul, a lecturer of Sesian College Siliguri, West Bengal. Recognition was handed over on Sept. 8 by Inspector General […]

School that braved testing times to educate rural poor

On this teacher’s day, a school in Odisha, which is the lifeline of many students and a ray of hope for many teachers, Vidya Jyoti Girls High School, Kahupani, a tribal hamlet in the Kutra Block of Sundargarh district, was established in 1982. The hamlet is some 20 km from the nearest town. Transport and […]

Christian-majority Indian state objects to cow protection march

A Hindu group’s plan to campaign against cow slaughter in India’s Christian-majority Nagaland has invited criticism from several quarters, including the state’s ruling alliance. National-level Hindu leaders, such as Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Maharaj of Jyotirmath, are scheduled to arrive for the Gau Dhwaj Yatra (cow protection march) set for Sept. 28. However, the state’s political parties […]

Indian diocese foils bid to install Hindu deity idol in college

An Indian prelate says his diocese has foiled an attempt by the student wing of the country’s ruling party to install a Hindu deity’s statue in a church-run college with police help. Members of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (All India Students’ Council), affiliated to the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Prime Minister Narendra […]

Priest dies of electrocution while removing flagpole in Kerala

Gloom has spread over the archdiocese of Tellicherry in Kerala after one of its young priests died of electrocution on August 15. Father Mathew (Shince) Kudilil was dismantling a pole erected to hoist the national flag in the morning as part of the Independence Day celebration in the premises of Infant Jesus Church at Mulleria […]

Kannur diocese gets auxiliary bishop

Pope Francis on August 15 appointed Monsignor Dennis Kuruppassery as the auxiliary bishop of Kannur that covers Kerala’s northern districts of Kannur and Kasaragod. The 57-year-old priest is currently the counsellor at the Nunciature in Malta. Monsignor Kuruppassery was born on August 4, 1967, in Palliport in the Kottapuram diocese. He studied philosophy and theology […]

Prison Ministry, Mangaluru, provides scholarships to mark silver jubilee

The Mangaluru unit of the Prison Ministry India celebrated its silver jubilee by providing scholarships to children of prisoners. As many as 25 students from Mangaluru, Bengaluru, Shivamogga, Ballari and Kalaburagi were given a cheque for 10,000 rupees each to support their studies. “A large number of people are suffering in prison due to lack […]

Eviction-facing Indian Catholics to fight Muslim charity’s claims

Goans oppose tourism project near 16th century basilica