Pope appoints new Bishop for Meerut Diocese

(Dec.03,2008):- Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a new bishop for the Diocese of Meerut in India’s northern State of Uttar Pradesh. Fr. Francis Kalist has taken the place of retiring Bishop Patrick Nair. Fr. Kalist was born 23 Nov. 1957 in Ratnapuram in the Diocese of Kottar in the southern Indian State of Tamilnadu On the completion of his elementary studies at Ratnapuram, he entered the Minor Seminary of St. John’s in Sardhana, Meerut, and continued his theological and philosophical studies in the Major Seminary of St. Albert’s at Ranchi. He was ordained priest 30 Dec. 1982 at Meerut and rendered service in the same diocese.
After his ordination, Fr. Kalist also rendered service in several parishes. From 1999 – 2002, he was the Rector of St. John’s Seminary and Administrator of the Sanctuary of “Our Lady of Graces” in Sardhana. At the time of his new appointment as Bishop of Meerut, he was the Rector of St. Francis Xavier Regional Philosophate at Etmadpur in the Archdiocese of Agra.
The Diocese of Meerut erected in 1956 is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Agra. It has an area of 28.696 square kilometres and a population of a little over 29 million people of which, some 28.696 are Catholics. It has 59 parishes , 115 priests , 22 seminarians and 634 nuns.