Stephen Antony Pillai (born 22 June 1952) mononymously known as Stephen is the

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

bishop of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuticorin The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tuticorin ( la, Tuticoren(sis)) is a unit (or 'particular Church') of the Catholic Church in the city of Tuticorin, part of the Ecclesiastical province of Madurai in India. History The diocese of Tuticorin comp ...

Early life and priestly formation

Born in Keezha Manakudy of the

Diocese of Kottar The Roman Catholic Diocese of Kottar ( la, Kottaren(sis), ta, கோட்டாறு மறைமாவட்டம்) is a Latin rite suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of, Kottar, Kanyakumari District, southern India yet d ...

in the civil district of

Kanyakumari district Kanniyakumari district is one of the 38 districts in Tamil Nadu state and the southernmost district in mainland India. It stands second in terms of population density among the districts of Tamil Nadu. It is also the richest district in Tamil Nad ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, Pillai sought to become a priest, entering the St Thomas Minor Seminary, Santhome, Chennai in 1969. He gained his bachelor's degree in philosophy in Arul Anandar College, Karumathur,

Madurai Madurai ( , also , ) is a major city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the cultural capital of Tamil Nadu and the administrative headquarters of Madurai District. As of the 2011 census, it was the third largest Urban agglomeration in ...

, being an alumnus of Christ Hall seminary, Karumathur, Madurai. He continued his theological formation in St Paul's Seminary, Trichy and obtained a bachelor's degree in theology. After his formation, he was ordained a priest for the diocese of Vellore on 7 May 1979.

Pastoral ministry

As a priest of the Diocese of Vellore, he has served the diocese in various capacities. He was appointed as assistant parish priest in our Lady of Lourdes Shrine in Chetpet (1979-1980) and in Sacred Heart Church in Polur (1980-1981). As the parish priest, he has served in the following parishes: Our Lady of Fatima church (1983-1986) and Cathedral of Vellore (2001-2005). He has been appointed as the director of the diocesan pastoral center (1996-1999), as vicar general (2002-2005), vicar forane and member of the episcopal council (2010-2016), and the director of the diocesan retreat centre (2017-2019). To add a feather to his extensive pastoral ministry, he has been a missionary to Guadeloupe, France (1990-1996).

Higher studies and teaching ministry

After two years of ministry in the diocese, he was sent to St Peter's Pontifical Institute, Bangalore for master's degree in theology (1981-1983). He also pursued a doctoral degree in biblical theology from Pontifical Urban University, Rome (1986-1989). He was a professor in St Paul's seminary (1999-2001) and served as vice rector of the seminary (2006-2010). He has been a visiting professor to Don Bosco major seminary, Chennai, Pallotine major seminary, Mysore, Karnataka, and to St Paul's seminary, Trichy (since 2017).

Announcement and consecration

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Bishop Yvon Ambroise and appointed Stephen Antony Pillai as the new bishop of the diocese of Tuticorin on 17 January 2019. His episcopal ordination took place on 24 February 2019. He is the seventh bishop of the

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pillai, Stephen Antony 1952 births People from Kanyakumari district 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in India Living people