Kolkata: The All India Catholic Union, a 97-year-association, has elected a farmer-engineer as its new leader for the next two years.
Lancy D’Cunha was elected the National President of the country’s largest laity association as its annual general body held over the weekend in Kolkata, eastern India. The 50-year-old lay leader was the union’s vice president.
The meeting also elected Elias Vaz, a senior Goa corporate executive, as the new National Vice President, The new Secretary General is former Delhi Catholic Federation president A Chinnappan and the new Treasurer is Alexander Anthony who simultaneously also serves as president of the Catholic Association of Bengal.
John Dayal, who led the union during 2004-2008, has been appointed official spokesperson. Eugene Gonsalves, a Kolkata based entrepreneur, president from 2012-2016, had initiated the centenary celebrations.
The union has started preparing for the centenary celebrations. Since its founding in 1919, the union has repeatedly intervened when issues of freedom of religion and expression were challenged.
D’Cunha, who was born in Bondel, Mangalore in south Canara, has been active at the grassroots nurturing inter-faith dialogue. He is married to Lidwin, 42, a teacher. They have two sons and a daughter.
The new president was among those who led the movement for justice for the victims of the targeted violence in August 2008. Although Kandhamal in Odisha was the epicenter of anti-Christian violence that year, Mangalore was also viciously hit.
The AICU is also involved in the drawing up of a response to the National Education Policy proposed by the federal government as it moves ahead on a multi-point program of strengthening the constitutional rights of religious minorities and other marginalized groups such as Dalits, Tribals and nomadic other targeted groups.
Within the church, the AICU works with Catholic bishops as well as other denominations to build a stronger laity aware of their rights and duties as a church and as citizens, says a press release.