Ranchi, Jharkhand 15 October 2014 :: 75th birthday of His Eminence Cardinal Telesphore P. Toppo [ Archbishop of Ranchi ], was celebrated in Bishop House, Ranchi. He was born on 15th of October 1939 in Chainpur, Jharkhand, India A large number of City dignitaries were present on this occasion
Telesphore Toppo
Telesphore Placidus Toppo (born 15 October 1939 in Chainpur, Jharkhand, India) is a Cardinal-Archbishop of Ranchi in the Roman Catholic Church. Born the 8th of 10 children, Toppo studied at St. Xavier’s College, Ranchi and Theology at the Urbanianum, Rome. He was ordained priest on 3 May 1969 by Bishop Franz von Streng.
Bishop
After a stint at Torpa (Jharkhand), as Headmaster of St Joseph’s School and Director of the Lievens Vocational Center, Toppo was ordained bishop for the diocese of Dumka (7 October 1978) by Archbishop Pius Kerketta, S. J., and soon transferred to Ranchi (Capital city of the Jharkhand state) first as Co-adjutor and then as Archbishop (1985). A polyglot, Toppo speaks Oraon, Hindi, Sadri, English and Italian.
Cardinal
Toppo was made Cardinal-Priest by Pope John Paul II on 21 October 2003, given the titular church of Sacro Cuore di Gesù agonizzante a Vitinia. He was elector at the 2005 papal conclave that elected Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI.
He was the president of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India from 12 January 2004 to 19 February 2008. He also served as president of Catholic Conference of the Bishops of India (Latin) from 2003 to 2005.
