New bishops for Syro-Malabar Church

The Syro-Malabar Church on Friday announced the appointment of two new bishops.
Fr George Rajendran and Fr Jacob Murikken were elected bishops at the synod of the Church which is in progress at Mount St Thomas, Kakkanad.
The announcement was made by Cardinal Mar George Alencherry.
The announcement was also made at the Vatican at the same time.
Fr Rajendran was elected as the new bishop of the Thuckalay diocese in Tamil Nadu while Fr Murikken was elected as the auxiliary bishop of the Pala diocese.
The seat of the bishop of Thuckalay had been vacant after Mar George Alencherry, who was heading the diocese, was elected as the major archbishop of the Syro-Malabar Church.
A member of the Society of Francis De Sales, Fr Rajendran had been serving as a teacher in Shillong.
Fr Murikken was serving as a pastoral coordinator of the Pala diocese for the last three years.
Syro-Malabar Church Laity Commission secretary V C Sebastian and KCBC Laity Commission secretary Jose Vithayathil offered felicitation to the newly-elected bishops.