Pope appoints Father Ferdinand Dkhar as New Bishop of Jowai in India

Pope Francis appointed Father Ferdinand Dkhar (61), bishop of Jowai, India, on Saturday, July 8, 2023.

Currently, he is the administrator of the Diocese of Jowai, Meghalaya, Northeast India.

Born in Longkaluh, Jowai Diocese, on February 26, 1962, he attended a minor seminary in Upper Shillong, Meghalaya, before attending Christ King College and Oriens Theological College to pursue Philosophy and Theology, respectively.

In the Archdiocese of Shillong, he was ordained a priest on January 23, 1994.

From 1994 to 1995, he was dean of studies at the minor seminary in Shillong, and from 1995 to 2000, he was assistant parish priest at the Annunciation Church in Namdong.

Served as associate parish priest for two years (2000–2002), parish priest for two years (2002–2007) of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ummulong, and parish priest of the Annunciation Church and principal of a high school in Namdong (2007–2009).

From 2009 to 2021, he served as procurator of Jowai, and from 2021 to the present, as diocesan administrator.

Bishop Victor Lyngdoh became the Archbishop of Shillong on December 28, 2020, vacating the See of Jowai.

Father Ferdinand Dkhar will become the third bishop of the diocese, succeeding Bishop Vincent Kympat (2006–2011) and Bishop Victor Lyngdoh (2016–2020).

In 2006, the Archdiocese of Shillong was divided into the Jaitia Hills to the east of the Khasi Hills, Bangladesh to the north, Cachar Hills to the west, and Karbi Anglong to the south.

Shillong has 1,20,275 Catholics and is located 40 miles (64 kilometers) from the metropolis. In Shillong, there are 23 parishes, 30 diocesan priests, 41 religious priests, 83 religious sisters, and 313 schools.