Newly Ordained Priests Celebrate First Mass at St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Dibrugarh, Assam

Dibrugarh, May 29, 2025: Frs. Kospal Ekka and Bimal Xalxo, newly ordained priests of the Diocese of Dibrugarh, celebrated their First Holy Mass in the chapel of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Dibrugarh on May 27, 2025. The occasion was extremely special, as both the priests are former students of the seminary.

Fr. Kospal presided over the Eucharist as the main celebrant, while Fr. Bimal preached an uplifting homily, drawing from his personal journey. “Due to my illness, I had to pause my formation, but I never lost sight of my vocation,” he shared. He urged the seminarians to remain focused and steadfast in their calling, emphasising that perseverance is one of the keys to success in life.

Following the Mass, the seminary community held a formal reception in honour of the new priests. Speaking at the event, Fr. Kospal fondly compared the seminary to Rabindranath Tagore’s Santiniketan, describing it as “a place where teachers and students live, study, work, play and pray together.” He further described the seminary as a nurturing home, where an aspiring priest learns the first lessons of his vocation. He urged the seminarians to treasure their time in the seminary and also remain receptive to the guidance of their formators.

Rector of the seminary, Fr. William Horo, likened the return of Fr. Kospal and Fr. Bimal to the seminary after their ordination to Jesus returning to Nazareth during his public ministry. “All eyes were fixed on Jesus as he read from the holy Scriptures in his village synagogue; in the same way, all our eyes are on our new priests today,” he said. He called upon them to remain holy and faithful to the call of Jesus.

The celebration concluded with a moving gesture as the seminarians reverently kissed the consecrated hands of the new priests, receiving blessings from them. This touching act underscored the reverence and hope the seminary community places in its newly ordained members.

Fr. Kospal and Fr. Bimal received their initial priestly formation at St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary during 2013–2015 and 2011–2013, respectively. They were ordained by Most Reverend Bishop Dr. Albert Hemrom, Bishop of Dibrugarh, on May 10, 2025.

By Fr. William Horo