Deacon Patrick Chinlianlal Ordained a Priest of the Archdiocese of Imphal

Imphal, Manipur, January 20, 2025: Deacon Patrick Chinlianlal was ordained as a priest of the diocese of Imphal on January 7, 2025. The ordination took place during a solemn celebration of Holy Mass at the Assumption Parish, located in the remote village of Kholian in Chandel District. The ceremony was presided over by Most Rev. (Dr.) Linus Neli, Archbishop of Imphal Archdiocese. 38 priests, 35 nuns, 10 catechists, and over 2,000 faithful from the Kuki-Zo Catholic community attended the ordination ceremony.

In his homily, Archbishop Neli reflected on his time as a brother serving regency at St. Joseph's Parish, Sugnu. The parish was destroyed during the Manipur conflict in 2023. He also spoke fondly of Catechist John Boi, the father of Deacon Patrick Lal.

Catechist John Boi is a long-time loyal friend of the archbishop.

Commenting on John, the prelate said that he never saw him quarreling with anyone. The archbishop also emphasized how John, along with his wife, raised a loving family of eleven children.

“With God’s blessing, both have eleven children and lead a lovely and joyful family,” he said.

The archbishop congratulated and thanked John and his wife as they gave their son to the Church. He also reminded the congregation that following Jesus is a path of uncertainty, marked by challenges, but one that must be persevered in order to proclaim the gospel.

"To follow Jesus, we do not know what the end will be, but whatever difficulty and odds come along the way, we are to carry on so that we proclaim the gospel," the archbishop said.

The prelate urged the faithful to pray for their bishop and priests, particularly for Deacon Patrick, who would shortly become a priest, so that he could continue the works of Jesus.

"Bishops and priests work together for the ministry of God and the church," he said.

Over the course of 2024 and until January 2025, 12 ordinations have taken place across Manipur. Out of these, five are ordinations of priests belonging to the diocese, while seven are ordinations of priests belonging to a religious order. Father Patrick Lal was the only priest among these 12 individuals who belonged to the Kuki-Zo community.

Father Jacob Chapao, President of the Diocesan Fraternity in the Archdiocese of Imphal, congratulated Father Patrick on his ordination and shared that, with Father Patrick’s inclusion, the diocese now has 135 priests. Out of these, 13 have passed away, and another 13 have joined dioceses across the globe.

Father Patrick Lal’s ordination brings the total number of priests in the Archdiocese of Imphal to 109, with the diocesan fraternity being one of the largest in Northeast India.

Father Patrick Lal’s ordination ceremony was also broadcast live by the RVA ZO service team, despite the challenges posed by the region’s difficult network conditions.

By Tungthang Zou