Palmerston North: The Diocese of Palmerston North bid farewell to Fr. Robin Koyikattil, who is leaving after completing seven years of meritorious service in New Zealand. Fr. Robin will assume his new position as the rector of the International House of formation of The Institute of Charity (The Rosminians) in Rome. He is the first Keralite priest to be appointed to this position.

Fr. Robin from the Pala Koyikattil family, began his ecclesiastical life in the Rosminian Religious Community in June 2014 after being ordained a priest by Auxiliary Bishop Mar Jacob Muricken from Pala Diocese.

He arrived in New Zealand in October 2015 after serving as co-priest of Cathedral Church in Mumbai Kalyan Diocese for one year. From 2015 to 2021 he held the position of Associate Vicar of St Mary's Church and St Brigid's Church in Fielding under the Diocese of Palmerston North and continued his mission as Vicar of these churches in 2022.

Strengthened in spiritual spirit and deepened in faith convictions, Fr. Robin formed the Rosminian Congregational Society for Laity in Palmerston North and served as its Superior in 2017.

Throughout his period in the diocese, he worked tirelessly to bring together the faithful of the Syro-Malabar Church in this region as a community and initiated the mission work of the Church. Fr. Robin was also the spiritual leader of St. Mary's Mission, a Syro-Malabar ecclesiastical community in Hastings.