Fr. John Vadakel new bishop of Bijnor

(Aug. 14, 2009) Pope Benedict XVI on Friday appointed a new bishop to the Syro-Malabar rite diocese of Bijnor in northern India’s Uttarkhand state. Fr. John Vadakel, a 66-year old priest of the Carmelite of Mary Immaculate (CMI) congregation is the new bishop of Bijnor. He succeeds CMI Bishop Gratian Mundadan who has stepped down on reaching the retirement age of 75 according to the Code of Canon Law for Oriental Churches. Fr. John Vadakel was born on 8 September 1943 at Beslehem in southern India’s Kerala state, became a CMI in 1964 and was ordained priest on 19 December 1975. He has a bachelor’s degree in science and later obtained a licentiate in theology from Dharmaram Vidya Kshetram in Bangalore. A member of the provincial council of St. John’s Province, Bijnor, Fr. Vadakel was also a spiritual director and confessor. At present he is vicar general of Bijnor diocese.