Agartala, Tripura|May 22, 2026
The Diocese of Agartala will celebrate the Pearl Jubilee of its erection along with the Pearl Jubilee of the Episcopal Ordination of Lumen Monteiro, the first Bishop of the Diocese, through a two-day programme on May 23–24, 2026.
Bishop Lumen Monteiro (74), a native of Goa and a member of the Congregation of Holy Cross (CSC), was ordained a priest on October 28, 1980, and appointed the first Bishop of Agartala on January 11, 1996. He received Episcopal Consecration on May 26, 1996.
The twin celebration is an occasion of thanksgiving for the Diocese’s pastoral growth, evangelisation, and the dedicated service of its first shepherd in Tripura. The Diocese of Agartala, comprising the entire State of Tripura under the Ecclesiastical Province of Shillong, was erected on January 11, 1996, by Pope John Paul II through the Apostolic Constitution Venerabiles Fratres Nostri. The Diocese was bifurcated from the Diocese of Silchar, marking a new chapter in the pastoral mission of the Church in the region.
The celebrations will commence on Saturday, May 23, at 5:00 p.m. at Holy Cross School with Eucharistic Adoration, followed by a cultural programme and felicitation ceremony. Parishes from in the Diocese are preparing cultural presentations for the occasion.
Three Archbishops, 16 Bishops, Archbishops and Bishops Emeriti from the region, priests from the 15 dioceses of the Northeast, and family members and relatives of Bishop Monteiro are expected to participate in the Jubilee celebrations.
The Convener of the Pearl Jubilee Organising Committee, Father George Jacob, CSC, says the event is “a double thanksgiving — for 30 years of our Diocese and 30 years of Episcopal ministry of our first Shepherd. It is a time to give thanks for God’s faithfulness and renew our commitment to unity and mission.”
The solemn conclusion of the Jubilee will take place on Sunday, May 24, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. The day’s programme will begin with Morning Prayer at 10:00 a.m., followed by the Solemn Jubilee Eucharistic Celebration at 10:30 a.m., to be presided over by Pearl Jubilarian Bishop Lumen Monteiro, along with other Archbishops, Bishops, and priests of the region.
As a sign of communion and gratitude, all 30 parishes of the Diocese will participate in the offertory procession during the Jubilee Mass, bringing gifts representing their faith and unity.
The Pearl Jubilee celebrations are expected to bring together clergy, religious, and faithful from across the Diocese in thanksgiving and renewed commitment to the mission of the Church.
(With inputs from Fr. Bala Showry, Assistant Director, Commission for Social Communication, Diocese of Agartala)