CCBI Expands Lay and Women Leadership in National Roles

New Delhi 8 May 2026 (CCBI) - In a significant step towards greater participation of laity and women in the life and mission of the Church, the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) has appointed two lay leaders and two women religious as national officials of the Episcopal Conference.

The appointments were made during the Executive Committee meeting of the CCBI held from 5–6 May 2026 in Bangalore.

Mr. Adrian Rosario from the Archdiocese of Bombay has been appointed Executive Secretary to the Commission for Laity. Mr. Ajin Joseph from the Archdiocese of Delhi has been appointed Associate Executive Secretary to the Commission for Family, with special responsibility for the Pro-Life Ministry.

Sr. Celina Surin, M.S.M.H.C., from the Sacred Heart Province, Assam, has been appointed Associate Executive Secretary to the Commission for Youth. Sr. Deepti Minj, S.C.S.C., from the Mid India Province, Raipur, has been appointed Associate Executive Secretary to the Commission for Women.

The appointments reflect the growing commitment of the CCBI to promote participatory leadership and strengthen the role of lay faithful and women in the Church’s pastoral mission.

The recently concluded CCBI National Synodal Assembly, held from 1 to 3 May 2026 at St. John’s National Academy of Health Sciences, Bangalore, also witnessed remarkable participation of lay faithful and women delegates. Out of 220 delegates, 107 were lay leaders, making the Assembly one of the most representative gatherings in the recent history of the Latin Church in India.

“We are in the process of creating greater space for laity and women in leadership roles within the Church,” said Rev. Dr. Fr. Stephen Alathara, Deputy Secretary General of the CCBI. “The CCBI Pastoral Plan 2024 strongly emphasizes the formation of lay leadership and shared responsibility in the mission of the Church.”

He further stated that the CCBI is actively working towards reimagining and restructuring its pastoral and administrative systems to encourage broader participation of lay faithful at the parish, diocesan, regional and national levels.

The CCBI, the largest Bishops’ Conference in Asia and the third largest in the world, is also the first Bishops’ Conference to launch a comprehensive National Pastoral Plan aimed at building a more synodal and missionary Church.

The move to appoint more lay leaders and women to national responsibilities has been widely welcomed within Church circles as a meaningful step towards a more participatory, inclusive and mission-oriented Church in India.

By Canisha Judith