By Jose Kavi

New Delhi, July 14, 2022: Father Stanley Kozhichira, a Limca World Record holder for theatrical production, was on July 14 elected the Asian president of Signis, the global network of Catholic communicators.

“My personal thoughts are for working together as a team to build a strong Catholic communication network in the Asian region and to make Signis a brand among the youngsters,” the 50-year-old priest of the archdiocese of Delhi told Matters India soon after his election.

He also said he would like to bring into the organization a collective decision-making concept as a professional street theater person.

The online election was attended by delegates from all member countries of Signis Asia.

Father Kozhichira, who is currently the president of Signis India, succeeds Father Joseph Anuch Chadeja of Thailand.

He has been in theater for more than 30 years. He has written and directed over 110 plays and street plays. An expert in street theater, he has conducted workshops in street theater for 22 years. He has produced documentaries and telefilms for Doordarshan, the national television network, and other production houses as director, assistant director, senior producer and script writer.

Father Kozhichira won in 2012 the prestigious Limca World Record for “Ars ke Krantikari” (revolutionary of Ars), a cine drama based on the life of Saint John Mary Vianney. Priests of the Delhi archdiocese acted in it.

He has a passion for the environmental concerns. As the administrator of the archdiocesan properties he made efforts to set up the first green church in Palam Vihar in Gurgaon, Haryana.

Since 2014, he has been relentlessly working to set up ISH VATIKA (God’s Garden), an eco-spirituality center for the archdiocese of Delhi. Ish Vatika is situated in Najafgarh at the outskirts of southwest Delhi.

Father Kozhichira won the Best of India Records in 2020 for the concept and design of the “Unique Star Shaped church” in the world. The Morning Star Church in Delhi is a six dimensional star from the exterior.

Father Kozhichira was born June 25, 1972, as the youngest of five children of Augustine and Victory Kozhichira at Thumpoly in Alappuzha district, Kerala.

He was ordained a priest on May 18, 2001. He holds doctorates in Mass Communications and Pastoral Communications. He has a masters in sociology and a bachelor degree in education.

He now edits the “Voice of Delhi,” the archdiocesan news magazine, and Buland Prajatantr (Strong democracy), bimonthly Hindi Tabloid of the Catholic bishops in Hindi-speaking region. He directs the archdiocese’s Media Commission and mentors Awaaz (voice), a network of theater groups.

Signis or World Catholic Association for Communication is a movement for professionals in the communication media, including press, radio, television, cinema, video, media education, internet, and new technology.

The Asian region covers the entire continent.