The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India on Feb. 7 inaugurated and blessed the new Secretariat building of the Pontifical Mission Organizations, strengthening the Church’s national infrastructure for missionary coordination and proclamation.
More than 170 bishops from the Latin, Syro-Malabar, and Syro-Malankara Churches attended the ceremony, held alongside the meetings of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India in Bangalore.
Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, apostolic nuncio to India and Nepal, inaugurated and dedicated the building by reciting the prayers, cutting the ribbon, entering the new premises, and unveiling the plaque marking the completion of the project.
Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, led the blessing ceremony, joined by senior Church leaders including Archbishop Peter Machado, vice president of the CCBI; Archbishop Vincent Aind, secretary general; Cardinal Anthony Poola of Hyderabad, president-elect of the CBCI; and Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, president of the CBCI.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara, deputy secretary general of the CCBI, welcomed the bishops, priests, and invited guests at the start of the program.
A brief felicitation program followed the blessing, presided over by Cardinal Ferrão. Archbishop Girelli delivered a felicitation message, while Archbishop Sebastian Durairaj, chairman of the CCBI Commission for Proclamation, and Bishop Ambrose Pitchaimuthu, director of the Pontifical Mission Organizations, also addressed the gathering.
Participants also recognized the architect, engineer, contractor, and workers involved in constructing the building, acknowledging their contribution to the completion of the project.
Church officials said the new Secretariat building is the culmination of a process that began in 1999, when the proposal was first put forward by Msgr. Siluvai Ignaci of Tuticorin during his tenure as national director of the Pontifical Mission Organisations.
The initiative was carried forward under Fr. Faustine Lucas Lobo of Mangalore and later realized during the leadership of Fr. Ambrose Pitchaimuthu of Chingleput.
After Bishop Pitchaimuthu’s appointment in 2023, oversight of the construction was entrusted to Rev. Dr. Alathara. The foundation stone was laid on Jan. 29, 2024, by Cardinal Ferrão.
Located near MG Road in Ulsoor, the building houses six office rooms, a boardroom, a chapel, a documentation room, and a media room.
Church officials said the facility will enhance the working capacity of the CCBI Secretariat and support the mission activities coordinated through the Pontifical Mission Organizations.
The Pontifical Mission Organisations is composed of four missionary societies: the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Holy Childhood Association, and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious. In India, the bodies function under the guidance of the CCBI Commission for Proclamation.
