Fr. Niranjan Singh of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese would take over as Sambalpur bishop. Fr. Kishore Kumar Kujur of Sambalpur diocese would be the new Rourkela bishop and Fr. Paul Mattekatt of the clergy of Diphu would be the bishop of Diphu diocese.
Fr. Singh, who replaces Divine Word bishop Lukas Kerketta after his retirement, is currently the professor of Theology and Moderator of the seminarians in the archdiocese.
The priest was born on July 20, 1961, in Kottama in Berhampur diocese, Orissa. He completed his theological studies at the Khristo Jyoti Mohavidyaloyo Regional Theologate of Sason. He holds a Masters in English Literature at the University of Berhampur, an Masters in Theology at the Vidya Jyoti in Delhi and a Ph.D. in Systematic Theology at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 29 April, 1991 for the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archdiocese.
The appointment of Fr. Kujur, who is currently the professor of Sacred Scripture at the Regional Seminary of Orissa, came as the Rourkela diocese is vacant since Feb. 11, 2011 following the transfer of Bishop John Barwa, SVD, as the Cuttack-Bhubaneswar archbishop.
Fr. Kujur was born Jan. 6, 1964 in Gaibira in Rourkela, Orissa. He completed his theological studies at Khristo Jyoti Mohavidyaloyo Regional Theologate of Sason. He has a Bachelor of Arts, a Licentiate and a Doctorate in Sacred Scripture.
He was ordained a priest on Feb. 7, 1993 and incardinated in Sambalpur diocese. He was appointed as the member of council of priests in 2010.
Fr. Paul, who is presently serving as the Pastor and Director of the Catholic school in Japrajan, was appointed Diphu bishop as the diocese is lying vacant since April 9, 2011, following the transfer of Bishop John Moolachira as Coadjutor Archbishop of Guwahati.
Fr. Paul was born in Kerela on June 1, 1961. He hails from a Catholic family in the Syro-Malabar Church. He completed theology at the Papal Seminary in Pune. On Dec. 31, 1988, he was ordained a priest of Diphu diocese, recently erected by the division of the Archdiocese of Shillong-Guwahati.