Over 10,000 delegates, including religious leaders and members of the Catholic Church, attended the episcopal ordination ceremony of Rev. Fr. Linus Neli as Archbishop of Imphal, Manipur. The episcopal ordination ceremony was held at St John Bosco Parish, Maram Khunou in Senapati district.

With this, the 66-year-old Most Rev. Dr. Linus Neli, DD, becomes the fifth Archbishop of Imphal, Manipur and also the first from the Senapati district to make it to the Vatican’s approval.
Most Rev. Dominic Lumon, DD, Archbishop Emeritus was the chief Consecrator while Archbishop of Guwahati Most Rev. John Moolacchira, DD and Bishop of Kohima, Most Rev James Thoppil, DD were the Co-consecrators. The episcopal ordination ceremony was held in the presence of His Excellency Leopoldo Girelli, the Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal. During the ordination, the chief Consecrator led the rites or ordination of a Bishop, presentation of the Bishop-elect, reading of the apostolic letter, Homily, Promise of the elect and litany of the saints.
A total of four Archbishops, 14 bishops, 240 priests and 500 nuns from across northeast states witnessed the religious mega-event. Most Rev Dr Linus Neli, DD, Archbishop of Imphal was born on April 26, 1958, in Punanamei village, Senapati District. He belongs to Papal Seminary, Pune and took priestly ordination on December 20, 1984. Apart from various appointments in his life, he was elected Archbishop of Imphal on October 7, 2023, and Episcopal Consecration on December 8, Friday.