Dibrugarh,Feb 24, 2019: Reverend Father Albert Hemrom on February 24 became the youngest bishop of northeastern India.

The 49-year-old was ordained the Coadjutor Bishop of the Diocese of Dibrugarh, Assam, watched by a large number of people at the Bishop’s House, Dibrugarh.

Archbishop Emeritus Thomas Menamparampil led the ceremonies. He was joined by 24 other bishops from various parts of the country. Monsignor Mitja Leskovar, the first counsellor to the Apostolic Nunciature India and Nepal, was also present along with more than 2,000 women religious from across the northeast.

Bishop Hemrom was born on February 27, 1969, in Konapathar,a remote village in Pengaree of Tinsukia district, to Cyril Hemrom and Josephine Purty. He is the eldest of three boys and three girls.

He had his early schooling in Assamese Medium Primary School, Konapathar and later he continued his schooling in Don Bosco School, Doom Dooma. He joined St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dibrugarh, and completed his matriculation in 1987 from Nongkseh High School, Upper Shillong.

At the age of 14, he opted to become a priest and pursued his academic and ecclesiastical studies. He was ordained a priest on April 25, 1999, at Philobari.

About 400 priests and around 35,000 people from the region attended the ordination.

The consecration ceremony was followed by a public felicitation where local religious heads from different faiths, church leaders of different Christian denominations, civic representatives, prominent citizens of the town and leaders from various political and non-political organisations were present.

As a priest of Dibrugarh, he served the Diocese as assistant parish priest, Rajabari (1999-2001), Prefect of Studies at St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary, Dibrugarh (2003-2006), Parish Priest, Rajabari, and Visiting Professor at Oriens Theological College, Shillong (2006-2011).

From 2011 to 2013, he studied at the Lateran University in Rome. Since 2014 he is the Judicial Vicar of the Diocesan Tribunal. At the time of his appointment was working as the Rector of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary, Dibrugarh.

As Coadjutor Bishop, he will assist the present Salesian Bishop Joseph Aind. He will automatically succeed Aind as tDibrugarh bishop upon his retirement.