The Catholic Church in southern India has launched a new pastoral initiative for the transgender community.

The archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore formally inaugurated a dedicated “Catholic Desk” for transgender persons during a parish visit to Kadarkarai Sagaya Madha Church in Ennore, a coastal district of Chennai, on February 26. The opening followed the blessing of newly completed parish facilities and is understood to be the first structured ministry of its kind within the archdiocese.