Date set for ordaining of new Bulawayo Archbishop

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By GETRUDE GUMEDE

Published: August 27, 2009

ZIMBABWE – BULAWAYO – The new Archbishop for the Bulawayo Diocese, Reverend Alex Thomas Kaliyanil, will be ordained on 12 September at the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair show grounds, an official has said.

The spokesperson for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bulawayo, Father Nigel Johnson, said the event would be attended by among others eight archbishops from all over the country.

The Apostolic Nuncio George Kocherry from Harare will represent the Pope at the event.

Reverend Thomas was appointed Archbishop for Bulawayo Diocese in June Pius Ncube who resigned in 2007 following the exposure of his illicit love affairs.

The Diocese has been led by Father Martin Schupp who was appointed apostolic administrator after Archbishop Ncube’s resignation.

Archbishop Kaliyanil was born in the Archepacy of Chananacherry in India in 1960.

He served as a missionary priest in Zimbabwe from 1989 when he was solemnly professed as a Divine Mercy Missionary.

Archbishop who Kaliyanil was ordained as priest in 1988 also holds a degree in Economics.

Since 2001, he has been the Caritas ex-officio advisor to the Catholic Development Commission and has also served as a diocesan economist.

In 2008 Kaliyanil was appointed the regional superior for the Divine World Missionaries in Zimbabwe.
The Catholic Church in Zimbabwe is divided into two metropolitan provinces, Harare and Bulawayo, each with three suffragan in Chinhoyi, Gokwe and Mutare, Gweru, Hwange and Masvingo.

The archdiocese of Bulawayo was established on 1 January 1995 and comprises 14 civil districts and is home to 116 000 Catholics, 40 parishes, 87 priests and 11 religious orders.-The Zimbabwe Telegraph