Pope Francis has appointed Fr. James Shekhar (55) as new Bishop of Buxar, Bihar in North India and Father Wilbert Marwein (52) as Bishop of Nongstoin in Meghalaya, Northeast India on Saturday, 4 February.
James Shekhar, Bishop-elect of Buxar
Father James Shekhar was born on 23 September 1967 in Singamparai (Tamil Nadu), in the Diocese of Palayamkottai. He attended the Minor Seminary of Muzaffarpur and later the Saint Joseph Major Seminary in Allahabad. He was ordained a priest on 26 May 1996, incardinated in the archdiocese of Patna.
He held the following offices and carried out further studies: parish vicar at Mokama (1996-1997); director of youth ministry of the archdiocese and professor at St. Mary’s Seminary (1998-2003); studies for a licentiate in biblical theology at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome (2003-2005); studies for the doctorate in biblical theology at the University of Innsbruck in Austria (2005-2009); secretary to the Archbishop of Patna (2009-2015); since 2015, Deputy Secretary of the Episcopal Council of Bihar, Jharkhand and Andaman. He is presently working as a Diocesan Director for Social Work of the Archdiocese of Patna and Director of Bihar Social Forum.
Wilbert Marwein, Bishop Electof Nongstoin
Fr. Wilbert Marwein was born on 17 February 1970 in Rangblang – Sohsyniong (Meghalaya), in the then Archdiocese of Shillong, now Diocese of Nongstoin. He was ordained priest on 27th April 2003 for the Archdiocese of Shillong, and in 2006 he joined the new Diocese of Nongstoin.
In 1988 he entered St. Paul’s Seminary, Upper Shillong from 1991 to 1992 he studied at St. Xavier Minor Seminary, Shillong and from 1994 to 1997 he studied Philosophy at Christ King College, Shillong.
After two years of pastoral experience in Pynursla, Archdiocese of Shillong, from 1999 to 2003 he studied Theology at the Oriens Theological College, Shillong. From 2007 to 2010 he was in Rome, where he obtained a Licentiate in Missiology at the Pontifical Urban University.
After his ordination, he served as Assistant Parish Priest at Ummulong, Archdiocese of Shillong (2003 – 2005) and from 2005 to 2007 he was the Procurator of the Oriens Theological College, Shillong.
After his studies in Rome, from 2010 to 2015 he served as Assistant Parish Priest in the Diocese of Cosenza, Italy. From December 2015 to October 2019, he has been the Vicar General of the Diocese of Nongstoin. Since December 2015 up to present he is the Parish Priest of “Divine Saviour Church Nonbah” (Diocese of Nongstoin).
- With inputs from Father Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General, CCBI
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