Bishop of Trincomalee
Christian Noel Emmanuel was born on December 25, 1960, in Trincomalee. After secondary school, he entered St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary. From 1978 to 1981, he pursued philosophical studies at the National Seminary in Kandy. From 1981 to 1982, he undertook a year of pastoral work (regency). In 1983, he entered St. Paul’s Major Seminary in Tiruchirappalli, India, where he completed his theological studies in 1986. He was ordained a deacon on March 12, 1985, and incardinated into the then-undivided Diocese of Trincomalee-Batticaloa. He was ordained a priest on May 21, 1986, at the Cathedral of Trincomalee. Following his priestly ordination, he held the following positions: 1986–1988: Parochial Vicar at the Co-Cathedral of Batticaloa; 1988–1989: Parish Priest of Iruthayapuram Church, Batticaloa; 1989–1993: Parish Priest of Our Lady of Good Health Church, Akkaraipattu; 1993–1999: Director of the Catechetical, Biblical, and Liturgical Apostolate, Batticaloa; 1999–2001: Advanced studies at the Urbaniana University in Rome, residing at the Leonian Ecclesiastical College; 2001–2011: Professor at the National Seminary in Kandy; since 2011: Episcopal Vicar of the diocese; since 2012: Diocesan Bursar.