Media Release
Bengaluru, May 9: The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has appointed Fr Nigel Barrett (56), from the Achdiocese of Bombay, as its new Public Relations Officer (PRO). The appointment was made during the executive committee meeting held on May 6 and 7 in Bengaluru.
Fr Nigel holds a doctorate in broadcast journalism and new age communication tools from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. He also holds a master’s degree in social communication from McGill University, Montreal, Canada. He currently serves as the director of communications for the Archdiocese of Bombay and is the spokesperson for Achbishop John Rodrigues and Cardinal Oswald Gracias.
Fr Barrett has led several key initiatives in the archdiocese of Bombay. He heads the Catholic Communication Centre and serves as the CEO of the Archdiocese of Mumbai Charitable Foundation (AMCF). He has played a vital role in building the Church’s digital presence and shaping its public narrative.
He has also served as the technical coordinator for the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences (FABC50) and for the Continental Stage of the Synod. In addition, he is a member of the National team of the CCBI media apostolate and secretary of the Western Region Social and pastoral commission.
The CCBI executive committee also announced several other key appointments. Fr Patrick Mathias, aged 49, from the Salesian province of Chennai, has been appointed executive secretary to the Commission for Bible.
Fr Anthaiah Kondaveeti, 56, from the diocese of Nellore in Andhra Pradesh has been appointed as the executive secretary to the Commission for Ecumenism.
Fr J Charles Davis, 50, from the diocese of Jammu-Srinagar, has been appointed director of the CCBI bioethics forum.
Fr Madanu Anthony, 42, from the archdiocese of Hyderabad, has also been appointed coordinator of the Social Apostolate.
Fr John Barman, MSFS, 44, from the Guwahati province of the missionaries of St Francis de Sales, has been appointed associate executive secretary of the commission for youth.