Pope Leo XIV has confirmed Lazarus Devasahayam, an 18th century Indian saint, as the patron of the laity in the country, the Latin bishops’ conference announced on September 20. The July 16 confirmation came through the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. It follows a petition submitted by the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI), the national body of the Latin rite prelates in the country.

The official proclamation of the patronage will take place on October 15 during Mass at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Varanasi. The event will coincide with the annual national meeting of the diocesan and regional secretaries of the CCBI Laity Commission, gathering representatives from dioceses across India, the conference stated.

Saint Lazarus Devasahayam (1712–1752) was a Hindu convert to Christianity and the first layman and martyr from India to be canonized by the Catholic Church. Born Neelakanda Pillai in Nattalam, Tamil Nadu, he served as a court official in the Kingdom of Travancore. Drawn to the Christian faith, he converted in 1745 and was baptized as Lazarus (Devasahayam in Tamil, meaning “God is my help”). His conversion led to persecution, imprisonment, and torture for refusing to renounce his faith. He was executed in 1752.

He was beatified on December 2, 2012, at Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu, in a ceremony presided over by Salesian Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, on behalf of Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Francis canonized him on May 15, 2022, at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, proclaiming him a model of courage, faith, and commitment to justice. The Catholic Church has no single patron for the entire laity. It has recognized different saints as patrons of various aspects and groups within the laity, such as Saint Josemaría Escrivá (1902-1975) for laypeople living a holy life in the world and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati (1901-1925) as a patron for young adults.

Emeritus Archbishop Jacob Thoomkuzhy of Trichur, former vice president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, founder of the Society of Khristudasis (Handmaids of Christ) congregation and founder chairman of Jeevan TV, has died. The death occurred at 2:50 pm on September 17 at Trichur. He would have turned 95 on December 13 this year.

The Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly paid tribute to the late Archbishop Mar Jacob Thoomkuzhy, remembering him as a great pastor who, through his distinctive leadership, imparted the simplicity of Christ and a new sense of direction to the Church and society, aligning with the needs of the times.

Throughout his priestly life spanning over half a century and his pastoral service across three dioceses, Archbishop Thoomkuzhy was dedicated to spreading the Gospel and clearly manifesting the witness of Christ to many. By harmonizing his profound life experiences with a loving lifestyle, he made the Church’s services more meaningful and welcoming. Mar Thoomkuzhy’s ministry was set apart by his vision that the Church’s mission should be grounded in real-life experiences, human-centred, and open to timely renewal, says a press release published by the Major Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly.

His leadership style in the dioceses of Mananthavady and Thamarassery, and Thrissur Archdiocese not only inspired the Church but also contributed to the moral and social development of the community. Mar Thoomkuzhy’s influence extended beyond the dioceses where he served; he made interventions that gave the entire Kerala Church a new sense of direction. Always close to the Archdiocese of Ernakulam-Angamaly in both his methods and thoughts, Archbishop Thoomkuzhy courageously embraced the prophetic role of taking a firm stand, consistently serving as a good shepherd to God’s people. His passing is an immense loss to the Church, particularly to the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese. The unique qualities he demonstrated in his life of service will serve as an inspiration for the present and future of the Church.

The violence and harassment against Christians persist unabated in India, with at least two cases of harassment and police arrests over the weekend. A Catholic nun and a group of girls were detained in Jharkhand on suspicion of conversion on Sept. 19, while police in Uttar Pradesh arrested 14 Christians for allegedly violating the state’s strict anti-conversion law and the national criminal code.

In the Jharkhand incident, a Catholic nun, two staff members of a non-government organization, and 19 girls were detained at a railway station in Jamshedpur, eastern India. Church sources say police action followed allegations made by some right-wing Hindu groups, as the girls were traveling to attend a training program, and the nuns came to the railway station to welcome them.

Father Birendra Tete, director of Catholic Charities in the Jamshedpur diocese, told that the girls, aged 13-19, arrived for a focused event on adolescent health and skill development scheduled for Sept. 20-21. The police checked the girls’ documents, including consent papers from their parents and national identity cards, but seven of them did not have these papers, and some Hindu activists began to make noise. Diocesan chancellor Father Sushil Dungdung stated that Hindu hardliners, who are working to turn India into a Hindu theocratic country, often make false accusations to harass Christians and portray them negatively. About 1.4 million of Jharkhand’s estimated 33 million people are Christians, mostly tribal communities.

The Commission for Migrants of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) will be hosting the National Jubilee for Migrants celebration at Our Lady of Good Health Basilica, Velankanni, from November 6 to 8, 2025. The event, themed “Migrants, Missionaries of Hope in the Heart of Mary”, aims to honour and celebrate the resilience, faith, and contributions of migrants across India. Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, will inaugurate the celebration. The CCBI Commission for Migrants, the Scalabrini Congregation, and Caritas India are jointly organising the Jubilee celebration. Over 300 migrants, as well as members of the Commission and several religious congregations, have already confirmed their participation, highlighting the scale and significance of the event. In a press statement, Fr. Jaison Vadassery, Executive Secretary of the CCBI Commission for Migrants, emphasised that the celebration will be a moment of grace, renewal, and communion. He encouraged participants from all across the country to gather in faith and hope at the feet of the Blessed Mother to celebrate the missionary spirit of migrants in the life of the Church.

The Supreme Court stayed the Madras High Court’s decision that marriage under the Indian Christian Marriage Act, 1872, constitutes automatic conversion to Christianity and leads to loss of Scheduled Caste (SC) status. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Prashant Kumar Mishra issued the stay order notice in response to a petition filed by Theroor Town Panchayat Chairman V. Amudharani, challenging the High Court ruling.

The controversy arose after the Madras High Court, in a verdict delivered by Justice L. Victoria Gowri, held that Amudharani, who married a Christian man in 2005 at St. Antony’s Church in Kulasekaramputhoor, ceased to retain her SC status under constitutional provisions. The High Court noted that voluntary submission to Christian marriage rites, including publication of banns, automatically changes a person’s socio-legal identity, irrespective of whether he or she has received formal baptism or not. This led the court to conclude that Amudharani now fell under the Backward Classes category and was ineligible to continue serving in the SC-reserved post of chairman of the panchayat.

The legal dispute began when petitioner V. Iyyappan challenged Amudharani’s eligibility for the post, arguing that her original status as a member of the Hindu Pallan community (SC) was nullified by her Christian marriage. The High Court emphasised that the Indian Christian Marriage Act does not allow civil interfaith marriages, and marrying under the Act effectively identifies both spouses as Christians for legal purposes. Citing the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, and relevant precedents, the court directed concerned authorities to disqualify Amudharani from the post of chairman of the Theroor town panchayat and take necessary action against her under Section 50(1)(ddd) of the Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920. The Supreme Court’s intervention now puts the High Court ruling on hold, pending further hearings on the matter. The next hearing date is expected to be scheduled after the responses to the apex court’s notice are filed.