The newly appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Dr Anton Ranjith, has been called upon to serve not only as the Bishop of the Catholic faithful, but also as a father and shepherd to all people living in the region.
The call was made by the Vicar General of the Diocese of Jaffna, Rev. Fr. Jebaratnam, in his welcome address at the conclusion of the installation ceremony of the new Bishop at St. Mary’s Cathedral.
Describing the occasion as not merely the arrival of a new Bishop, but the beginning of a new chapter in the history and life of the Diocese of Jaffna, the Vicar General said that the Tamil community as a whole welcomes Bishop Anton Ranjith as its leader.
Recalling the history of sacrifice deeply connected with the lives of priests and the people of the Diocese, Rev. Fr. Jebaratnam highlighted the sacrifices of priests including Fr. Mary Bastian, Fr. Lorret, Fr. Sarathjeevan and Fr. Karunaratnam, who gave their lives in service to the people. He also remembered the enforced-disappeared priests, Fr. Francis Joseph and Fr. Jim Brown.
He emphasized that the Diocese of Jaffna has been built through the blood of its martyrs and is a Diocese rooted deeply in faith, urging the new Bishop to continue this legacy of sacrifice and faith.
He further noted that Jaffna is a region where many people continue to carry the deep wounds of war. He said that, in his ministry as the new Bishop, he would encounter mothers still searching for their disappeared children, families living with the pain of loss and displacement, and young people facing uncertainty and questions about their future.
The Vicar General called on the new Bishop to walk alongside these people, understand their wounds and suffering, and offer them comfort and hope.
He stressed that the people expect the new Bishop not merely to be their Bishop, but a father who listens to their stories and a shepherd who understands their suffering.
He expressed the hope that the new bishop’s ministry would become a mission of healing, reconciliation, comfort and hope for the people of the Diocese of Jaffna.