Bishop K.A. William was ordained as the seventh bishop of the Catholic
Diocese of Mysore at an elaborate ceremony here on Feb 27.
Held
at the St. Philomena’s Church precincts, the episcopal ordination and
installation ceremony was witnessed by a large gathering of the devout.
Bishop
Thomas Anthony Vazhapilly, the outgoing bishop, officiated the
ordination ceremony in the presence of other spiritual leaders of the
church.
Nearly 5,000 people had gathered to witness the consecration of the new Bishop.
The
appointment of the new bishop was announced by Pope Francis on January
25, and he succeeds Bishop Vazhapilly who held the post for 14 years.
Bishop
Williiam belongs to Polibetta in Kodagu district and completed his
education in Mysuru before joining the seminary to take up theological
studies. He also has a Master’s degree in Canon Law and Christianity.
Besides
being the spiritual head of Catholic churches in Mysuru, Mandya,
Chamarajanagar and Kodagu, as the Diocese head, Bishop William will also
be responsible for more than 130 educational institutions in the
region.