5000 attend consecration of new Meerut bishop

(February 12, 2009) More than 5,000 people including four hundreds priests, hundreds of nuns joined the liturgy that consecrated Father Francis Kalist the new bishop of Meerut diocese on February 8. The new bishop, a priest of the same diocese, succeeds Bishop Patrick Nair. Pope accepted the resignation of Bishop Nair, on December 3^rd 2008, which he tendered upon reaching the canonical age limit of 75. Priests from Delhi and several dioceses of also attended the ceremony in Meerut. Bishop Nair consecrated his successor in the ceremony attended by several bishops including Archbishops of Delhi and Agra. The new bishop was rector of the major seminary of Agra, when he was named bishop in December. He was born in Ratapuram, India in 1957 and ordained a priest in 1982. The diocese bordering Delhi covers an area 28,696 square kilometres with some 30 million people but its Catholic population is merely 29,000. At present 115 priests and 630 religious work in the area.