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Golden Jubilee Year of Kohima Diocese Inaugurated
Opinion | Articles | Editorial Team | 07-Nov-2022
The Diocese of Kohima (Catholic Church in Nagaland), erected in the year 1973, entered the Jubilee Year with the official inauguration at Mary Help of Christians Cathedral on October 16 by Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, Bishop of Kohima.
Simultaneously the Jubilee year was inaugurated in all the Parishes and Centres of the Diocese of Kohima in Nagaland. The inauguration consisted of lighting the Jubilee Candle, unfurling the Jubilee Flag, reading the Pastoral Letter of the Bishop and praying the Jubilee Prayer.
The Golden Jubilee celebration will be yearlong celebrations with a specific theme for every month. During the year, the statue of Mary Help of Christians, who is the patroness of the diocese will be taken to every parish and centre and special prayers and devotion will be conducted as well. The Golden Jubilee celebration will culminate on October 28 and 29, 2023, in which Bishops, Priests, Religious and Lay faithful from all over the diocese including some foreign delegation is expected to attend.
The Diocese of Kohima was part of Dibrugarh Diocese until 1973 when the states of Nagaland and Manipur were separated from the Diocese of Dibrugarh and made into the Diocese of Kohima-Imphal. Late Bishop Abraham Alangimattathil SDB, the then Vicar General of Dibrugarh Diocese was appointed as its first Bishop. On June 29, 1990 the Diocese of Kohima-Imphal was divided and the Diocese of Imphal, comprising the State of Manipur and Diocese of Kohima, comprising the state of Nagaland came to existence.. Bishop Abraham Alangimattathil SDB, continued to be the Bishop of Kohima until his resignation on July 11, 1996 due to ill health. On December 9, 1997, Rome announced the name of Fr. Jose Mukala as the Bishop-Elect of the Diocese of Kohima. Bishop Jose Mukala served the Diocese for twelve years until his resignation on October 30, 2009. Then the diocese was placed under the pastoral care of the Apostolic Administrator in the person of Archbishop Dominic Lumon, Archbishop of Imphal until a new Bishop was appointed. The Vatican made the announcement of the election of Fr. James Thoppil, then Rector of Oriens Theological College, Shillong as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Kohima on June 16, 2011, who was ordained a bishop and took possession of the diocese on September 8, 2011.
Today the church has grown in many ways catering to the needs of the people of Nagaland. It has a Catholic population of 61,905. It has 109 Diocesan Priests, 100 Religious Priests, 493 Religious Sisters, 36 Parishes, 21 Quasi Parishes, 106 Schools (28 Hr. sec. Schools, 32 High Schools, 46 Primary and Middle Schools), 6 Colleges (including one B.Ed.), 1 University, 1 Teacher Training Institute, 4 Vocational Training Centres, 1 Media and Publication Centre, 1 Rehabilitation Centre for alcoholics and substance abusers, 1 Rehabilitation Centre for the differently abled, 2 Children Homes, 1 Mother Teresa home for the homeless, 1 Home for the infected and affected HIV, 1Health Centre, 1Holistic Health Centre, 2 Dispensaries, 3+ Social Work Centres, 2 Retreat Centres and 1 Palliative Care Centre.
As the diocese of Kohima (Catholic Church) celebrates its golden jubilee, it expresses hope that like the jubilee celebration of the people of Israel, from whom the Christians take the tradition of celebrating jubilees, it will be an occasion for reconciliation, restitution and renewal. Jubilee was an occasion of blessing for the people and a time to sanctify oneself and to be restored to the integrity of life and communion with God. It must spur the members of the Church with missionary zeal and the Church has to project itself as the Church of the Gospel to work for justice and promote peace.
NECARF Review Editorial Team is grateful to Rev. Fr. David Tithong for sharing this write up. We wish the Jubilee celebration a grand success
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