By Nabam Pekhi
Itanagar, Oct 17, 2023: The diocese of Itanagar in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal has installed its second bishop in the presence of more than 10,000 people.
Archbishop John Moolachira of Guwahati on October 15 led the episcopal ordination of Bishop Benny Edathattel in Sacred Heart Church Naharlagun, a town in the foothills of Himalayas and part of the state capital of Itanagar.
Monsignor Juan Pablo, who represented Pope Francis, read out a message and expressed his confidence that the diocese will continue to make great progress under the new bishop.
The Pope on June 29 announced the appointment of the new bishop after accepting the resignation of Bishop John Thomas, who led Itanagar diocese for the past 17 years.
Arunachal Pradesh Catholic Association president Taw Tebin welcomed the new bishop and promised to cooperate with the bishop in all his plans for the diocese.
The lay leader thanked Bishop Thomas for his services to the state.
Present on the occasion, among others, was former state Chief Minister Gegong Apang.
The diocese of Itanagar was erected on December 7, 2005, by bifurcating the Tezpur diocese in Assam. The other diocese in the state is Miao, carved out of Dibrugarh diocese, that covers its eastern region.
Itanagar diocese includes 10 civil districts of Arunachal Pradesh. On its north is China, south the mother diocese of Tezpur, Miao in the east and Bhutan in the west.
The diocese has 90,822 Catholics; 52 parishes; 27 diocesan priests; 105 religious priests and 170 nuns. Adi, Aka, Apatani, Hill Miri, Monpa, Nyshi, and Tagin are the languages spoken in the diocese.
Catholicism entered Arunachal Pradesh through young people from the state who were attracted to the faith while studying in the Salesian schools in Assam and other states in the region.
Arunachal Pradesh was then a prohibited land for Christianity and its missionaries. The early Catholics and catechists resisted all prohibitions and persecutions to hold on to their faith and proclaimed it in the villages.
The seed of faith took root guided by some great missionaries such as Benedictine Brother Prem Bhai, known as the “apostle of Arunachal Pradesh.” His missionary spirit took him beyond all borders and into every village in West Arunachal Pradesh.