Pope Francis on Feb. 24 appointed Fr Jose Chirackal as the auxiliary bishop of Tura, a diocese in the northeastern Indian State of Meghalaya. The announcement was made at noon in Rome and its corresponding time (4:30 pm) in India. The bishop-elect was born on July 14, 1960 at Ayiroor near Karukutty in Kerala’s Ernakulam district. He was ordained a priest for Tura on December 29, 1987.

National Federation of Churches in India Launched to Strengthen Christian Unity
The National Federation of Churches in India (NFCI) was officially launched during the Fourth National Ecumenical Bishops’ Fellowship Meeting held at St. John’s National Academy


