Bangalore Seminary gets new rector

Father Mathias fills the vacancy left by Father Thomas, whose body was found inside the seminary building on the morning of April 1, 2013.

Bangaluru:  Jesuit Father Joseph Benedict Mathias has been appointed Rector of St. Peter's Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore, almost two years after its rector Father K. J. Thomas was found dead inside the seminary.

Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, which cares for this pontifical seminary made the appointment, Fides news agency reported.

Father Mathias, 67, was ordained a priest in1974 after his studies in India. He also studied canon law and psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

He has served as a professor at several universities, rector, community superior, founder and director of the Institute for formators in Bangalore.

From 2004 he was Director of the National Vocation Service Centre (NVSC) in Pune and Secretary for the clergy and religious office of the Bishops' Conference.

Father Mathias fills the vacancy left by Father Thomas, whose body was found inside the seminary building on the morning of April 1, 2013.

Police charged five people, including two Catholic priests, last May for the murder of the 63-year priest of Ooty diocese in Tamil Nadu.

The arrested priests Elias Daniel and Fr William Patrick along with the other three Peter, Francis and Swami are in jail awaiting trail.

According to police ethnic and language rivalry that was going on in the seminary for decades was reason behind the murder.