DIBRUGARH, Dec 5 - The Vatican on Sunday announced Fr (Dr) Albert Hemrom as the Co-adjutor Bishop for the Catholic Diocese of Dibrugarh. Pope Francis made the announcement in Vatican at around 4:30 pm, following which the incumbent Bishop Joseph Aind of the Diocese of Dibrugarh announced the name of the Bishop designate locally at Bishops House here.
The 49-year-old Bishop designate will be the youngest Bishop in the entire North East. Currently, he is the Rector of St Joseph�s Seminary, Dibrugarh. He also holds the post of Judicial Vicar of the Catholic Diocese. In the capacity of the Judicial Vicar, he is a member of the Governing Board of the Diocese. He is also the vocation promoter of the Diocese of Dibrugarh.
The Bishop designate will serve as a Co-adjutor Bishop till the retirement of Bishop Joseph Aind in November 6, 2020 and, thereafter, take over the administration and governance of the Diocese of Dibrugarh as its Bishop. He will be consecrated as the new Bishop on March 3, 2019 at the Bishops House. About 20 Bishops from the country including 16 Bishops from the North East and the local Catholics from the region are expected to take part in the consecration ceremony, Church sources informed.
He had his early schooling in Assamese medium Konapathar LP School and later he continued his schooling in Don Bosco School, Doom Dooma. He joined St Joseph�s Minor Seminary, Dibrugarh and completed his matriculation in 1987 from Nongkseh High School, Upper Shillong. He completed his PU studies in the year 1989 from St Anthony�s College, Shillong.
At the tender age of 14, he opted for the vocation for priesthood and pursued his academic and ecclesiastical studies. He obtained degree in Philosophy and BA in 1993 from Christ King College, Shillong and Bachelors in Theology (B Th) in 1999 from Orien�s Theological College, Shillong.
He was ordained a priest on April 25, 1999 at Philobari. His first appointment as Assistant Parish Priest was at Rajabari in Jorhat district. After three years of his priestly engagement, he was sent to St Peter�s Pontifical Institute, Bengaluru for studies in Canon Law. He obtained Masters Degree in Canon Law from the Institute in 2001. Thereafter, he was appointed as the Dean of Studies in St Joseph�s Minor Seminary, Dibrugarh. Meanwhile, he was also serving as guest lecturer in Orien�s Theological College, Shillong.
In 2006, Fr Albert was appointed as the Parish Priest of Rajabari Parish Church and the Principal of St Francis of Assisi School, Rajabari in Jorhat district.
In 2011, he was sent to Pontifical Lateran University in Rome to obtain Doctorate in Canon Law. After securing his Ph D in Canon Law in 2013, he was appointed as the Rector of St Joseph�s Minor Seminary, Dibrugarh. He is still serving as one of the guest lecturers in Orien�s Theological College, Shillong.
Bishop designate Fr Albert Hemrom will be the sixth Bishop of Dibrugarh Diocese. The Catholic Diocese comprises the civil districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Majuli and Golaghat.
