Bishop Nazarene Soosai

Rev. Nazarene Soosai was born in Rajakkalamngalamthurai in the diocese of Kottar on 13 April 1963. He studied at the St. Aloysius’ minor seminary of Nagercoil, concluding his philosophical and theological studies at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Poonamallee, Chennai. He obtained a licentiate in theology from the Catholic University of Leuven, Belgium, and a doctorate from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He also holds a master’s degree in political sciences from the University of Madurai. On 2 April 1989 he received priestly ordination for the diocese of Kottar. He has performed his priestly ministry in the following offices: deputy priest of the Our Lady of Presentation church in Colachel (1989-1990); prefect of studies at the Tamil Nadu Xavier Mission Home in Nagercoil (1990-1992), and at the same time secretary of the diocesan Commission for vocations; pastor of the St. Helen’s parish in Enayam, and ecclesiastical assistant of the Christian Life Community and secretary of the Diocesan Priests Personal Board (1992-1998); student, specializing in theology, in Leuven, Belgium (1998-2000); student, obtaining a doctorate in Rome (2000-2003); dean and professor of theology at the Sacred Heart seminary in Poonamallee, Chennai (2003-2011); since March 2012, pastor at the Shrine of Our Lady of Ransom in Kanyakumari and vicar forane of the vicariate of Kanyakumari, and at the same time visiting professor at the Sacred Heart seminary in Poonamallee, Chennai, and at various other universities and institutes (Madras University, Chennai; CRI Theological Institute, Bangalore; Sason Sambalpur, Odisha; Salesian Theological Institute, Chennai; St. Paul’s seminary, Tiruchirapalli; Arul Kadal, Chennai).