by DEvJdC2026 | Dec 13, 2025 | Diocesan News
The Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India (JDCSI) honoured ministers who have faithfully completed 25 years in the ministry of God during the General Council of JDCSI 2025.
This special moment of recognition celebrated the dedicated service, spiritual leadership, and committed pastoral ministry of the clergy who have served the Church and society with faithfulness over the years. The gathering expressed gratitude to God for their enduring witness, sacrifices, and contributions to the growth of the Diocese.
The General Council members, clergy, and delegates warmly appreciated the ministers for their steadfast commitment to the mission of the Church. The occasion became a meaningful time of thanksgiving, fellowship, and encouragement for continued ministry in the years ahead.
by Author | Dec 12, 2025 | Diocesan News
The Rt. Rev. V. Pathmathayalan, Bishop of JDCSI, extends his warm and heartfelt congratulations to the newly consecrated Rt. Rev. Dr. S. Samuel Rajadurai. He joyfully prays that God’s abundant wisdom and grace will guide the new Bishop of the Trichy–Tanjore Diocese in every step of his episcopal ministry. Bishop Pathmathayalan assures his continued prayers, fellowship, and support as Bishop Rajadurai begins this blessed journey of service in the mission of Christ and His Church.
The JDCSI family extends its heartfelt congratulations and warm blessings to the Rt. Rev. Dr. S. Samuel Rajadurai, who has been joyfully consecrated as the Seventh Bishop of the CSI Trichy–Tanjore Diocese.
The solemn and historic Service of Consecration and Installation was held at 3:30 PM on Saturday, 06 December 2025, at CSI St. Luke’s Church, Bishop Heber College, Trichy. The service overflowed with grace, dignity, and spiritual richness as clergy, leaders, and faithful from across dioceses gathered in joyful fellowship.
The worship was led by the Most Rev. Dr. K. Reuben Mark, Moderator of the Church of South India, who served as the chief celebrant. The General Secretary, Adv. C. Fernandas Rathina Raja, and the Hon. Treasurer, Prof. Dr. B. Vimal Sukumar (in absentia), joined in celebrating this momentous occasion.
The liturgy was richly blessed through the participation of bishops from CSI dioceses, ecumenical partners, retired bishops, clergy, lay leaders, and a vast congregation of believers.
May God’s abundant grace guide him as he shepherds the Diocese of Trichy–Tanjore with wisdom, humility, and Christ-like love. We assure him of our continuous prayers and warm support as he steps into this sacred calling.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.” — Numbers 6:24–25
by Author | Dec 12, 2025 | Diocesan News
The Rt. Rev. V. Pathmathayalan, Bishop of JDCSI, extends his warm and heartfelt congratulations to the newly consecrated Rt. Rev. Dr. S. Christopher Vijayan, as he assumes office as the seventh Bishop of the CSI Kanyakumari Diocese.
The Church of South India joyfully announces the consecration of the Rev. Dr. S. Christopher Vijayan as the seventh Bishop of the Kanyakumari Diocese. The solemn and historic service took place at 2:00 PM on Sunday, 07 December 2025, at the CSI Home Church, Nagercoil.
The Most Rev. Dr. K. Reuben Mark, Moderator of the Church of South India, presided over the worship as the chief celebrant. The service was graced by the presence of Adv. C. Fernandas Rathina Raja, General Secretary, and the Hon. Treasurer, Prof. Dr. B. Vimal Sukumar (in absentia). It was further blessed by bishops from various CSI dioceses, retired bishops, bishops from ecumenical partner churches, diocesan officers, clergy, lay leaders, and a large gathering of the faithful.
Bishop Pathmathayalan rejoices with the Kanyakumari Diocese in this significant moment of spiritual leadership and prayerfully commits to uphold Bishop Christopher Vijayan in prayer, fellowship, and mutual support in the mission of Christ’s Church.
We give thanks to God for His gracious provision of leaders in the Church of South India and pray that God’s abundant wisdom, grace, and strength guide Bishop Christopher Vijayan in every step of his episcopal ministry. May his tenure be marked by spiritual renewal, unity, compassionate service, and a deepened witness to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
“I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” Jeremiah 3:15
by Author | Oct 31, 2025 | Diocesan News
Hon. Minister Ramalingam Chandrasekar paid a visit to Bishop Pathamathayalan at the Bishop’s House in Vaddukoddai, Jaffna, on October 29, 2025. Hon. Minister Chandrasekar is the current Minister of Fisheries, Aquatic and Ocean Resources in Sri Lanka. The meeting fostered warm discussions on community development and both leaders emphasized the importance of peace and cooperation in the region.
by Author | Oct 8, 2025 | Diocesan News
Bishop Pathmathayalan has warmly welcomed the announcement of the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
In his message of congratulations, Bishop Pathmathayalan said:
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to Bishop Sarah Mullally on her appointment as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. This historic moment, marking the first time a woman will serve in this role since the founding of the See of Canterbury, is an inspiration for the whole Anglican Communion. Bishop Sarah’s remarkable journey of service – from her vocation as a nurse to her faithful ministry as Bishop of London – testifies to her deep commitment to God’s mission of healing, reconciliation, and love.”
“As she prepares to take on this new responsibility, we in the global Anglican family assure her of our prayers. May the Holy Spirit grant her wisdom, courage, and grace to guide the Church of England and to strengthen the bonds of unity across the Communion, especially in times of challenge and change. We look forward to walking together in the Gospel, proclaiming Christ’s love, and working for justice and peace in the world.”
Bishop Pathmathayalan concluded by calling on the faithful to uphold Archbishop-designate Sarah Mullally in prayer as she prepares for her installation at Canterbury Cathedral in March 2026.
by Author | Sep 26, 2025 | Diocesan News
Grace and peace to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
On this blessed occasion of the 79th Formation Day of the Church of South India (CSI), I join all our faithful in the Jaffna Diocese of the CSI (JDCSI) in giving glory and thanksgiving to God Almighty, who has sustained and guided our Church from its very inception in 1947 until this day. With a deep sense of gratitude, I wish to thank the faithful members and leaders of our Diocese, especially those who have run the race faithfully in the past decades, keeping alive the witness of JDCSI in unity with the greater CSI communion.
We are profoundly thankful and proud of our leaders and pioneers of JDCSI, who, from the earliest years of CSI’s formation, have stood firm in solidarity- bearing testimony to our unity across boundaries of geography and culture. They root us in the larger story of CSI, which has always been an embodiment of ecumenism, partnership, and mission. The great legacy entrusted to us calls us to remain steadfast in the path of Christian unity and witness.
For this Formation Day, I wish to draw your attention to the verse from the Book of Ecclesiastes 4:9–10
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help.”
This passage, though simple and practical, carries profound theological depth for us. Ecclesiastes emphasizes the strength of fellowship and the necessity of community in human life. Applied to the Church, it speaks to the power of unity in Christ across nations, cultures, and languages. The CSI itself is a historic testimony of this truth—born of the conviction that the mission of God becomes possible when Christians from varied traditions (Anglicans, Wesleyans, Presbyterians, Congregationalists) unite.
In our current global realities, the spirit of this verse reminds us that the mission of God is never an individual task but a collective calling. When churches from different countries and contexts walk together, they lift and strengthen one another. Our formation as CSI was not simply an institutional decision but a divine movement of the Holy Spirit for unity in Christ’s mission. That’s why we proudly call CSI Formation day as an experience of Second Pentecost. Today, as we commemorate 79 years, we are called to deepen this ecumenical fellowship, to cross borders, stand with the marginalized, and to make God’s mission of love, justice, and peace possible in the world.
Contemporary Archaeological evidence confirms the age-old links between Sri Lanka and South India from the 1st century CE onwards. Coins bearing similar images found widely in Sri Lanka highlights this connection. Moreover, the unique pedestal motif on Sri Lankan coins—traced back to Megalithic pottery traditions (c. 500 BCE–200 CE)—demonstrates a shared yet distinct cultural heritage between the two regions.
These evidences represent the enduring, loving connection between South India and Sri Lanka, particularly across ages, celebrating their shared Tamil and calling for unity despite modern divisions.
On behalf of JDCSI, I extend my respectful greetings and heartfelt wishes to our Moderator, the Most Rev. Dr. Prof. K. Reuben Mark, Adv. C. Fernandas Rathina Raja, General Secretary and the Chairman of the Tamilnadu Minority Economic Development Corporation, and our Hon. Treasurer, Prof. Dr. B. Vimal Sukumar of the CSI Synod. We also remember and send greetings to all our brother Bishops in the CSI, who shoulder together the responsibility of guiding this great Church of unity and mission. May the Lord continue to bless your leadership with wisdom, humility, and courage.
As we celebrate the 79th Formation Day of CSI, may God strengthen our hands, sharpen our vision, and keep alive the ecumenical spirit that gave birth to CSI. Together with all our sister dioceses, may we continue to make a difference in the world by living out Christ’s prayer: “that they may all be one… so that the world may believe” (John 17:21).
With prayerful greetings in Christ,
Rt. Rev. Dr. Pathmathayalan
Bishop, Jaffna Diocese of the CSI
