By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, July 8: Pope Francis has appointed Fr Ferdinand Dkhar as the new bishop of Jowai Diocese. The announcement was made public in Rome on Saturday.
Fr Ferdinand Dkhar is currently the administrator of the diocese of Jowai.
He was born on February 26, 1962, in Longkaluh, a parish under the diocese. After attending the minor seminary in Upper Shillong, he studied Philosophy at Christ King College and Theology at Oriens Theological College in the Archdiocese of Shillong.
Ordained priest on January 23, 1994, Fr Ferdinand served as the dean of studies at the minor seminary of Shillong (1994-1995); assistant parish priest of the Annunciation Church, Namdong (1995-2000); assistant parish priest from (2000-2002) and then parish priest (2002-2007) of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ummulong; parish priest of the Annunciation Church and principal of a high school in Namdong (2007-2009); Procurator of the Diocese of Jowai (2009-2021). From 2021 until now he has been the diocesan administrator of Jowai.
Jowai diocese became vacant when Bishop Victor Lyngdoh was appointed as the Archbishop of Shillong on December 28, 2020. Father Dkhar will be the third bishop of the diocese after Bishops Vincent Kympat (2006-2011) and Victor Lyngdoh (2016-2020). Jowai diocese was created after the bifurcation from the Archdiocese of Shillong in 2006.
The diocese has 120,275 Catholics in 23 parishes, served by 30 diocesan and 41 religious priests, 83 religious sisters, and 313 educational institutions.
