Guwahati, August 23, 2026: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has recalled the early contribution of Christian missionaries to Northeast India, particularly Meghalaya, saying they served communities through education and healthcare when government facilities were largely absent.
“Before governments came in, it was the Christian missionaries who started to serve our people,” Sangma said on Saturday, August 22, while addressing the Episcopal Silver Jubilee celebration of His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios Cardinal Cleemis Catholicos, Major Archbishop-Catholicos of the Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and Major Archbishop of Trivandrum, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
“It was our Christian missionaries who opened the school and started providing education,” Sangma said, recalling the role of missionaries in bringing education to communities before government institutions reached many parts of the region.
He also highlighted their contribution to healthcare.
“Even before any health department could come in and set up a PHC or hospital, it was our Christian missionaries who served our people selflessly,” he said.
Sangma said the missionary legacy remains relevant to the Northeast today, where the Church continues to contribute to several areas of public life.
“In the entire Northeast, the Church has a very, very important role to play,” he said, adding that the government works closely with the Church “to take things forward.”
Sangma also thanked the priests and religious sisters from Kerala serving in Meghalaya. He specifically mentioned his auxiliary bishop, Bishop Jose Chirackal, and Sister Rose, who he said had spent more than 40 years serving in remote areas of the Garo Hills and had helped provide livelihoods to thousands of farmers.
Sangma was speaking at the celebration of Cardinal Cleemis’ 25 years of episcopal ministry. Congratulating the Cardinal, he praised his contribution to education, healthcare and service to the poor in India and beyond.
“I thank Almighty for your life, for the contributions that you have made to the Catholic Christian community and others, not just in your state, not just in the region, but throughout the country and throughout the world,” Sangma said.
Recalling his association with Cardinal Cleemis for more than a decade, Sangma said their friendship began when they met in the Vatican during the canonisation of St Mother Teresa. He said the Cardinal's humility and ability to immediately connect with people had created a lasting bond between them.
Sangma also recalled Cardinal Cleemis’ close friendship with his late father, former Lok Sabha Speaker P. A. Sangma, and said it was an honour to travel from Meghalaya to take part in the milestone celebration.
The celebration was attended by Kerala Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan, Union Minister Suresh Gopi, Lok Sabha MP Shashi Tharoor, Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, Most Rev. Dr Varghese Chakkalakal, President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council, Dr Joseph Mar Divannasios, Metropolitan of the Kollam Diocese of the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church, and leaders of various Churches, besides clergy and the faithful.
His Beatitude Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church in Lebanon, was also present.