The priestly ordination of deacon Patrict Chinlianlal took place at the remotest Assumption Parish for the Imphatl Diocese on January 7, 2025.
The ceremony began with a solemn Mass presided over by Archbishop Linus Neli.
In his homily, he recalled his time as a brother serving regency at St. Joseph's Parish, Sugnu.
The Manipur conflict destroyed the parish.
Catechist John Boi, the father of newly ordained priest Patrick, was a loyal friend of the archbishop and praised him as a kind person.
The prelate never saw him quarreling and fighting with anyone. He also praised John's wife.
With God’s blessing, both have many children and lead a lovely and joyful family.
The archbishop congratulated them as they gave Patrick to the church.
As many as 38 priests, 35 nuns, 10 catechists, and 2000 members of the Kuki-Zo community attended the ceremony.
"To follow Jesus, we do not know what the end will be, but whatever difficulty and odds come along the way, we are to carry on so that we proclaim the gospel," the archbishop said.
The prelate urged the faithful to pray for their bishop and priests, particularly for Deacon Patrick, who would shortly become a priest, so that he could continue Jesus' works.
Bishops and priests work together for the ministry of God, he said.
From 2024–2025 until January, 12 ordinations took place in different parts of Manipur. Five diocesan priests and the rest were religious.
Father Patrick was the lone Kuki-Zo community priest among the 12 ordinations.
Father Jacob Chapao, the president of the Diocesan Fraternity in Archdiocese of Imphal, congratulated Father Patrick on his ordination.
He also informed the public that together with Fr. Patrick, the diocesan priests have now 135 priests, out of which 13 priests have died.
Another 13 priests joined in various dioceses in different parts of the world.
Father Patrick became one of the 109 priests in the Archdiocese of Imphal. The diocesan fraternity is one of the biggest fraternities in northeast India.
The RVA ZO service team meticulously worked by doing a live telecast, despite the difficulty of the regional network.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
Latest News
