Archbishop of Bhopal
Most Rev. Alangaram Arokia Sebastin Durairaj, SVD was born on May 3, 1957 at Thirunagar in the Diocese of Madurai in Tamil Nadu. He is the first child of four children born to Alangaram and Rosari. After attending elementary school at Thirunagar in Madurai, he joined St. Charles Seminary in Tiruchirapalli for the Society of the Divine Word in 1971. He completed his Pre-University Course while he was in St. Charles Seminary. He completed his Juniorate programme at Palda Seminary in Indore in 1975 and did his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) at P.M.B. Gujarati Science College, Indore and M.A. in Psychology at Government Arts and Commerce College in Indore. He completed his novitiate at Khurda in Indore and made his first profession in 1979. He did his theological studies at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune and made his perpetual profession there on June 12, 1984 and was ordained a priest on May 8, 1985 at Thirunagar, Madurai. Thereafter, he served at Meghanagar (Jhabua) and was Assistant priest at Jhabua (1985-1987). He also served as the Procurator of SVD Vidhya Bhavan, Bhopal (1987-1988), Prefect of the students at Juniorate Palda (1988-1993), Spiritual Director at Khrist Premalaya Regional Philosophate, Bhopal (1995-1996), Rector at SVD Vidya Bhavan, Bhopal (1996-1999), Assistant Director, Snehalaya, Centre for Spirituality in Indore (2003- 2004) and Rector at SVD Vidya Bhavan Philosophate, Bhopal, (2004-2005). In 2005, he was elected Provincial Superior of SVD Central Indian Province and was re-elected in 2008. He has a postgraduate degree (M.Ed.) in Community Counseling from Loyola University in Chicago and a Doctorate in Counsellor Education at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh (USA). He was appointed Bishop of Khandwa Diocese by Pope Benedict XVI on May 11, 2009 and was ordained bishop on July 16, 2009. Pope Francis appointed him as the Archbishop of Bhopal on 4th October 2021 and was installed on November 27, 2021.