New Delhi: In a significant move for the Catholic Church in North India, Pope Leo XIV has appointed Fr Jose Sebastian Thekkumcherikunnel as the new Bishop of Jalandhar, Punjab. The Vatican made the announcement on Saturday, marking a new chapter for the diocese after several years under interim leadership.

Fr Jose, aged 63, currently serves as the Financial Administrator of the Diocese of Jalandhar and Parish Priest of St. Joseph’s Church, Phagwara. He also directs St. Joseph’s Convent School. A native of Kalaketty in the Palai Diocese, he was born on December 24, 1962, and was ordained a priest on May 1, 1991, for the Jalandhar Diocese.

His priestly journey began in 1978 at the minor seminary in Trichur. He studied philosophy and theology at St. Charles Seminary, Nagpur (1982–1991), and later obtained a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Urban University, Rome (2002–2004).

Fr Jose has held a wide range of pastoral and administrative roles over the past three decades. His early assignments included teaching at the minor seminary in Amritsar and serving as Assistant Parish Priest at St. Mary’s Church, Fatehgarh Churian. He later became Parish Priest at key parishes such as St. Joseph’s Church, Khasa, and Sacred Heart Church, Majitha Road.

He served as Vice Rector of the minor seminary, Principal of St. Francis School, and was deeply involved in diocesan educational and pastoral ministries. From 1996 to 2002, he served as Dean and Parish Priest in Amritsar and Jandiala Guru, and contributed to various diocesan bodies, including the Presbyteral Council and Education Board.

After returning from Rome in 2004, Fr Jose served as Vice Chancellor, Defender of the Bond, Director of Village Catechesis, and later as Chancellor and Judicial Vicar of the Diocese until 2020. He was also a theology professor and department head at the Holy Trinity Regional Major Seminary in Jalandhar.

From 2020 to 2022, he was Rector and Parish Priest of St. Mary’s Cathedral, Jalandhar Cantonment, before assuming his current administrative roles.

The Diocese of Jalandhar has its roots in the Belgian Capuchin missions under the Diocese of Lahore. Following India’s partition in 1947, the Apostolic Prefecture of Jalandhar was created in 1952 by Pope Pius XII and entrusted to British Capuchins. It became a full-fledged diocese on December 6, 1971, with Bishop Symphorian Keeprath as its first bishop. Later leaders included Bishop Anil Couto and Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who stepped down in 2018 amid legal proceedings. Since then, the diocese has been under the stewardship of Apostolic Administrator Bishop Agnelo Gracias.

The Diocese today spans 18 districts across Punjab and parts of Himachal Pradesh, serving over 1.23 lakh Catholics, with the support of 214 priests, 897 religious sisters, and 147 parishes.

With a deep blend of pastoral experience, educational leadership, and canonical expertise, Bishop-elect Jose Thekkumcherikunnel is expected to bring both stability and vision to a diocese ready for renewal.