DIMAPUR, AUGUST 7 (MExN): Salesian Fr Kuruvachira Jose was chosen as the 7th Provincial Superior of the Salesian Province of Dimapur on August 5. The Eucharistic celebration was presided over by Bishop George Palliparamabil of Miao Diocese, Arunachal Pradesh.
Salesian Province of Dimapur comprises the states of Arunachal Pradesh, upper Assam, Manipur and Nagaland which is headquartered at Dimapur, a release from Jonas Kerketta, Bosco College of Teacher Education informed.
Present on the occasion were outgoing Provincial Fr Nestor Guria and his council, Most Rev Bishop Dennis Panipitchai (Auxiliary Bishop of Miao), Fr Kanaga Maria Arokiam (Regional Councilor for South Asia), Fr Nirmal Gomes (Salesian Provincial of Kolkata Province), Fr Alex Benny (Financial Administrator of Guwahati Province), Fr George Maliekal (former Provincial of Shillong Province), Sr Elizabeth George (Provincial of the FMA Province of Shillong), other religious and diocesan priests and members of the Salesian family, the release also informed.
The release also mentioned that Fr Kuruvachira was born on March 7, 1958 in Kerala and officially joined the Salesian society on May 24, 1978 and was ordained priest on December 29, 1988. From 1989 till 1997 he was posted in Salesian College of Higher Education (SCHE), Dimapur. He obtained PhD degree in Vocational Pedagogy from Rome in 2002. From 2002 to 2010 he was back in SCHE, Dimapur. From 2010 till date he was Professor of Indian Philosophy in the Pontifical Salesian University, Rome. In April 2018, there was an election to choose the successor for the outgoing Provincial of Dimapur Province. In June 2018, Rev Fr Angel Fernandes Artime sdb, Superior General of the Salesian Congregation, headquartered in Rome, declared Fr Dr Jose Kuruvachira sdb as the successor.
During the installation of Fr Kuruvachira, Fr Kanaga Maria Arokiam, representing Rev Fr Angel Fernandes, wished the new Provincial God’s blessings and success in guiding the province for the next six years. The new team to assist Fr. Kuruvachira are Fr Nazarius Lakra (Vice Provincial), Fr Nebu Mathew (Financial Administrator), Fr Alex Pulimoottil, Fr Kottarathil Mathai, Fr Kreni Salew Peter, Fr Paul Panii and Fr Selvaraj Stanislaus (Provincial council members).
