Pope appoints new bishop for Hazaribag Diocese

(September 08, 2012) Pope Benedict XVI on Saturday appointed a new bishop to the Diocese of Hazaribag, in eastern India's Jharkhand state. Fr. Anand Jojo, the director of evangelization and faith formation of the Diocese of Simdega is the new bishop of Hazaribag. The 53-year old priest takes over from Jesuit Bishop Charles Soreng who has retired. Fr. Jojo was born on May 17, 1959, in Kutungia, in the Diocesi di Simdega. After his primary and secondary education in Kutungia, he joined St. Aloysius Minor Seminary of Ranchi in 1980. While doing his university studies from St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi, in 1982 he also pursued philosophy at St. Albert’s College. In 1988 he went to St. Joseph’s Seminary in Mangalore for his theology. He has a bachelor’s degree from St. Aloysius College in Jabalpur. He was ordained priest on April 24, 1992, and in 2001 went to Rome, Italy, where he obtained a licentiate in catechesis from the Pontifical Salesian University. From 2005 to 2007 Fr. Jojo had been the vicar general of Simdega Diocese. Hazaribag Diocese, created in 1995, has a total population of some 5.3 million of which nearly 36,000 are Catholics. There are 22 parishes served by 108 priests, 103 brothers and 412 sisters. Currently there are 38 major seminarians.