By Felix Anthony
Longding: The Vincentian Congregation has elected Father John Kandathinkara, a missionary priest working in Longding District of Arunachal Pradesh as their new superior general.
The 66-year-old priest was elected April 14 during the Kerala-based congregation’s general chapter held at Edappally in Kochi.
Father Kandathinkara is currently working as the rector of the De Paul Mission in Tissa, Miao diocese.
He succeeds Father Sebastian Thundathikunnel as 100-year-old congregation’s leader.
Father Kandathinkara came to Arunachal Pradesh in 2017 after completing his term as the provincial of St. Thomas Province Delhi for eight years. He has been serving in Tissa, one of the last centers of Miao diocese since then.
Congratulating Father Kandathinkara, Bishop George Pallipparambil of Miao said, “Father John is a humble and able leader. With his academic excellence in pastoral counseling and with his years of working in a humble mission in Arunachal Pradesh, I am sure he is the right person to lead the Vincentians across the world. I wish God’s blessing upon him and his congregation”.
Father Kandathinkara was born on November 25, 1954, and ordained priest on April 9, 1984. He has a doctorate in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University, Baltimore, USA. He has served as a professor and spiritual director at the De Paul Institute of Religion and Philosophy, Bangalore and as rector of St. Ephrem’s Theological College, Satna in Madhya Pradesh, before his election as the Delhi provincial, one the three provinces of the congregation.
“We are very happy to hear the news of his election as our new superior general. Having worked under his spiritual leadership in Tissa mission, we can say that he is the right person to lead our congregation. We thank God together with our people for his election”, said Vincentian Father Paul Thekkanath, the parish priest of Tissa mission that caters to the Wancho and Nocte tribes of Longding district.
Started in Kerala in 1904, the Vincentian Congregation is based on the rules of St. Vincent De Paul and modeled on the congregation of Mission founded by him in 1625. It has spread across 19 states of India and serves more than 15 countries such as Australia, Germany, Italy, New Zealand and USA.
“We have been praying for the right superior general to take our congregation further on the right direction and God has heard our prayer. Father Kandathinkara is the right person in the present-day context,” said Father Shaji Joseph, the rector of Divine Renewal Retreat Centre, Margherita, Assam.
Preaching the Word of God as main charism, the congregation has 51 retreat centers across the world. The famous Divine Retreat Centre in Muringoor, Kerala, attracted thousands of people every week before the lockdown. The North East India has six, with Arunachal, Assam and Manipur having two each.
As superior general, Father Kandathinkara will lead 564 priests and 197 professed members. He will serve the congregation from its headquarters at De Paul Nagar, Edappally.