A bishop in an isolated Indian region, whose flock has grown at an astonishing pace from 900 Catholics in 1979 to more than 90,000 today, says the work was done by God and it is only his job to listen.
Bishop George Palliparambil of Miao, in the Indian Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, Tibet, Bhutan and Burma, has managed to deal with military chiefs, hazardous terrain and warring tribes in bringing the message of the Church to its scenic valleys.
The state lies under “restricted access” classification by the Indian army due to its proximity to its regional rival China, and in the late 1970s it was practically inaccessible other than by air. When asked how he had managed to preside over such a phenomenal growth in Catholics – who now make up 20 per cent of the region’s population – the 64-year-old bishop told the Catholic News Agency: “God did it.”
