Bangalore: His Holiness Pope Francis has appointed Fr. Ferdinand Dkhar (59), currently the Administrator of the Diocese of Jowai, Meghalaya, North-East India, as the Bishop of Jowai on Saturday.
He was born in Longkaluh, in the Diocese of Jowai, on 26 February 1962. After attending the minor seminary in Upper Shillong, Meghalaya, he studied Philosophy at Christ King College and Theology at Oriens Theological College in the Archdiocese of Shillong. He was ordained a priest on January 23, 1994 for the Diocese of Jowai.
He has held the following offices: dean of studies at the minor seminary of Shillong (1994-1995); assistant parish priest of the Annunciation Church, Namdong (1995-2000); assistant parish priest (2000-2002) and then parish priest (2002-2007) of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ummulong; parish priest of the Annunciation Church and principal of a high school in Namdong (2007-2009); Procurator of the Diocese of Jowai (2009-2021). From 2021 until now he has been diocesan administrator of Jowai.
The See of the Diocese of Jowai became vacant when Bishop Victor Lyngdoh was appointed as the Archbishop of Shillong on December 28, 2020. Fr. Ferdinand Dkhar will be the third bishop of the diocese after Bp. Vincent Kympat (2006-2011) and Bp. Victor Lyngdoh (20116-2020).
The Jowai diocese was erected in 2006, bifurcating the Archdiocese of Shillong. It is situated in Jaiñtia Hills, in the east of Khasi Hills, north of Bangladesh, west of north Cachar Hills, and South of Karbi Anglong in Meghalaya. It is 64 kilometers away from Shillong.
It has a 1,20,275 Catholic population, 23 parishes, 30 diocesan priests, 41 religious priests, 83 religious sisters, and 313 educational institutions.