The Carmelite priests opened their first house in Bihar on Oct. 1 taking over a parish in Buxar diocese.

Bishop Sebastian Kallupura of Buxar diocese handed over Koath parish in Rohtak district to the Order of Discalced Carmelites.

Several nuns, priests and parishioners attended a Eucharist led by Bishop Kallupura on Oct. 1, the feast of Saint Teresa of Lisieux, the patron saint of the missions.

“This is a big day for Koath parish,” Bishop Kallupura said urging the parishioners to welcome the new Religious group.

The prelate introduced Carmelite priests as people of “deep prayer and experts in pastoral work.” He urged the parishioners to support the new priests in the pastoral, educational and out reach programs they plan to start.

Father Sebastian Koodapattu, provincial of Carmelites’ Malabar Province, said his congregation looks forward to cooperation from the bishop and local people to manage the parish.

He said that he has given two best priests for the new mission. Besides pastoral works, the priests would network with other Religious in the area to reach healthcare facilities to people.

The provincial also said his congregation also aims to recruit vocations from Bihar. The congregation came to the undivided Bihar in 1989 and started a house in Ranchi.

But when Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in 2000 Ranchi became capital of the new state.

OCD congregation traces its origin to the early days of Christianity. Its priests said they wanted to work in Bihar and chose the Koath mission because they can do much in faith formation and social development of the people.

The congregation has 11 priests and a formation house in Jharkhand. The first local ordination is expected in April 2010, said Father Augustine Poonelil, delegate provincial in the house.

Koath parish has a population of 20,809 people of which some 1,000 are Catholics. It has also produced five priests and 18 nuns.

Jesuits of Patna province managed the parish until now. Jesuit Father Bertram Ernst, a homeopathic doctor, started it as a sub-station of Piro parish. It became as an independent mission station in 1953.

Father Kurian Karakattu, the new parish priest, said a priority for him and his assistant Father Joseph Paiyapally is to learn the new culture and language. Both are natives of Kerala, southern India.

Parishioners expressed hope their parish will develop more under the new priests.
Lawrence Mohanlal, 75, wanted them to better educational facilities. Asha Kuar, 45, a widow expects the parish and all its four sub-stations develop simultaneously.

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