India’s new ecclesiastical province of Goa and Damao, new auxiliary bishop of Verapoly

(Nov 25, 2006) Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday created a new ecclesiastical province in India and appointed a new auxiliary bishop in the southern state of Kerala. The archdiocese of Goa and Damao which until now was directly subject to the Holy See has been made into a new ecclesiastical province of Goa and Damao. Sindhudurg diocese, created last year in July, which was a suffragan of Bombay ecclesiastical province, has become Goa and Daman’s only suffragan. The metropolitan archbishop of the new ecclesiastical province is Archbishop Filipe Neri António Sebastião do Rosário Ferrão of Goa and Damao. The new province covers a total area of over 25,000 sqm with a population of some 7 million of which a little over 645,000 are Catholics. Goa and Damao ecclesiastical territory covers Goa state and the Union Territories of Daman and Diu, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and the civil districts of Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg of Maharashtra state.
Also on Saturday Pope Benedict appointed an auxiliary bishop to Verapoly archdiocese in southern India’s Kerala state. Fr. Joseph Karikassery has been appointed the first auxiliary bishop of Verapoly which is headed by Archbishop Daniel Acharuparambil. Fr. Karikassery, who is currently the vicar of Verapoly was born in 1946 at Karthedom in Kerala. After passing from St. Joseph's Minor Seminary, Kalamassery, he began his priestly studies at St. Joseph Pontifical Seminary in Alwaye. Following his priestly ordination in 1973, he held several posts in the archdiocese besides being the spiritual director and professor at St. Joseph's Minor Seminary, Kalamassery, Vice Rettore of St. Joseph's Pontifical Seminary, Alwaye, rector of St. Joseph's Minor Seminary, Kalamassery and Verapoly’s Episcopal vicar for religious.