Rome, Jun 10: As per a Communication received from the Apostolic Nunciature, Pope Francis has appointed Rev Fr Fulgence Aloysius Tigga, as new Bishop of Raiganj. This ecclesiastical provision was made public in Rome on Friday June 8.
Rev Fr Fulgence Aloysius Tigga was born on March 3, 1965 at Katkathi village in the Diocese of Gumla. He attended the Minor Seminary at Muzaffarpur, the Philosophy at Vishwa Jyoti Gurukul, Varanasi and Theology at Bhopal Regional Seminary.
He was ordained Priest on May 3, 1997 for the Diocese of Muzaffarpur. At the bifurcation of the Diocese in 1998, he opted for the Diocese of Bettiah. Fr. Fulgence Aloysius Tigga held the following Ministries and Offices: 1997- 2000: Assistant Priest at Chuhari, 2000-2004: Parish Priest at Chanpatia, 2004-2009: Parish Priest at Dussaiya and Rector of St. Peter’s Minor Seminary, 2009-2015: Parish Priest at Chakhni, since 2015, Parish Priest at Ramnagar, since 2017, Vicar General of Bettiah. He is also Dean of West Champaran, Member of the Priests Council, Diocesan Consultor, In-charge of Liturgy and Vocation Commission and Vocation promoter.
Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, SFX, Secretary General, CBCI who made a statement on the appointment said, “We send our prayerful greetings and best wishes to Bishop-elect Fulgence Aloysius Tigga, welcome him to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and assure him of our prayers.”
Rev Fr Dennis Panipitchai appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Miao
In the light of the Communication received from the Apostolic Nunciature, His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Rev Fr Dennis Panipitchai, SDB, as Auxiliary Bishop of Miao. This ecclesiastical provision was made public in Rome on Friday, June 8.
Rev Fr Dennis Panipitchai, SDB, was born in Colachel, in the Diocese of Kottar (Tamil Nadu), on July 27, 1958. After attending St. Mary’s Parish School in Colachel, in 1976 he entered the pre-novitiate of the Salesians in Shillong and there he did his novitiate in 1979. On May 24, 1980, he made his first profession as a simple brother. Later he felt the call to priesthood and did his philosophy formation at DivyadaanSalesian Institute of Philosophy, Nashik. He continued with theology at Sacred Heart Theological College, Shillong. He obtained a Master’s degree in Theology and in a civil subject. After making his solemn profession, on the same day he was ordained Priest, on December 27, 1991.
He served in the following ministries: Dean of Studies, Salesian pre-novitiate, Rua Home, Jorhat, Dibrugarh (1992-1995); Administrator of Don Bosco Bible School, Tinsukia, Diocese of Dibrugarh (1995-1997); Incharge of Don Bosco School, Borduria, now in the Diocese of Miao (1998-2000); Principal of Don Bosco School, Miao and Assistant Priest in the same Parish, Archdiocese of Imphal (2001- 2004); Parish Priest at Mary Help of Christians Church, Borduria, now in the Diocese of Miao (2004-2009); Principal of Don Bosco School, Kohima (2009-2015). Since 2015 he is Parish Priest of Mary Immaculate Parish, Chingmeirong, in the Archdiocese of Imphal. Since 2012 he is also Provincial Counsellor.
“We send our prayerful greetings and best wishes to Bishop-elect Dennis Panipitchai, welcome him to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and assure him of our prayers,” said Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, SFX Secretary General, CBCI.