Bishop of Mannar
Msgr. Gnanapragasam Anthonypillai was born on 12 July 1965 in Adampan, in the diocese of Mannar, and studied philosophy and theology at the Saint Francis Xavier Major Seminary in Jaffna. He was ordained a priest on 7 April 1994, for the clergy of Mannar. After ordination, he held the roles of parish vicar of Murunkan (1994-1996), secretary to the bishop (1996-1999), parish priest of Cheddikulam (1999-2003), parish priest of Pallimunai (2003-2006), parish priest of Vankalai (2006-2009), rector of the diocesan minor seminary (2014-2018), and parish priest of Saint Sebastian Cathedral (2018-2021) and Pesalai (2021-2023). After obtaining a licentiate in religious education from Fordham University in New York, United States of America (2010-2014), he attended a course in youth pastoral care in India (2022). Since 2023 he has served as administrator of the Our Lady of Madhu National Shrine in Mannar.