Mary Help of Christians Parish, Maligaon, bids farewell to Fr Augustine Karottupuram and welcomes Fr Barnabas Mardi as the new parish priest.

The Parish of Mary Help of Christians, Maligaon, experienced a notable moment of change on 22 March 2026 as parishioners gathered to bid a warm farewell to their outgoing parish priest, Fr Augustine Karottupuram, and to welcome Fr Barnabas Mardi as the new parish priest. The occasion took place during a one-day parish retreat led by Fr Blasius Tete from the Salesian province of Dimapur, lending the transition profound spiritual significance.

The installation of Fr Barnabas as parish priest took place during the Holy Eucharist. Delegated by the Archbishop, Fr Augustine personally performed the installation, during which the new pastor carried out five symbolic gestures rich in pastoral and theological significance: opening the church door to signify welcome and sacred hospitality, mirroring Christ’s words “I am the door” (Jn 10:9); sitting in the confessional to embrace the ministry of reconciliation and Christ’s authority to forgive (Jn 20:23); kissing the altar as an act of Eucharistic identity, recognising that the altar represents Christ himself and that he is ordained to stand in persona Christi at the table of sacrifice; standing at the ambo to accept the obligation of preaching and nourishing the faithful with the living Word “in season and out of season” (2 Tim 4:2); and receiving the keys of the tabernacle, taking custodianship of the Reserved Eucharist and the entire pastoral care that flows from closeness to the Blessed Sacrament.

Following the homily, Fr Barnabas Mardi made the profession of faith before Fr Augustine and formally took on the role of parish priest of the Parish of Mary Help of Christians, Maligaon.

After the Holy Eucharist, the celebration continued with a range of programmes, during which the parishioners expressed their gratitude to Fr Augustine for his three years of dedicated service to the parish. Several parishioners took the opportunity to speak to him personally, offering words of appreciation and presenting him with gifts as a sign of their affection and respect.

Fr Barnabas Mardi was then formally welcomed as the new parish priest with the presentation of a bouquet of flowers and a gamocha, the traditional Assamese symbol of honour and hospitality marking the start of his pastoral mission among the people of Maligaon.

News Courtesy: Fr Joy Kachappilly SDB