1. Personal Profile
- Born on 29 May 1981, at Rajapalayam, Tamil Nadu, India.
- Ordained a priest (Latin Rite) on 19 April 2009. Archdiocese of Madurai.
- Appointed a Missionary of Mercy by Pope Francis on 10 February 2016.
2. Academic Qualifications
- Doctorate in Biblical Theology (Ph.D.), Pontifical Athenaeum, Pune, 2015-17.
- Licentiate in Sacred Scripture (L.S.S.), Pontifical Biblical Institute, 2012-15.
- Master in Business Administration, Kamaraj University, 2009-11.
- PG Diploma in Safeguarding of Minors, Pont. Gregorian University, 2022-23.
- PG Diploma in Journalism, Bharathidasan University. Trichy, 2019-20.
3. Linguistic Proficiency
English, Italian, German, Ecclesiastical Latin, Biblical Hebrew, NT Greek.
4. Previous Pastoral Assignments
- Head of Programs. Notre Dame de Sion Centre for Biblical Formation, Jerusalem. (5 May ’25 – 5 Dec ’25)
- Executive Secretary, Commission for Bible, Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI); Also there, Jubilee 2025 coordinator. Synod 2021-24 facilitator. (1 Mar ’21 – 19 June ’25)
- Formator-cum-Professor. Missio canonica from the Congregation for Catholic Education. St. Paul’s Institute of Theology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu. (22 April ’18 – 31 March ’21)
- Secretary to the Archbishop of Madurai. (22 April ’17 – 21 April ’18)
- Parochial Administrator. Librarian-Archivist. Co-pastor. Projects coordinator. Higher Studies – LSS & PhD. Parish Collaborator. (20 April ’09 – 21 April ’17)
5. Skills & Contributions
- Writer (authored 15 books).
- Translator (E.g., Saint Augustine’s Confessions, Pope Francis’ Patris Corde and Laudato Si’ into Tamil).
- Instructor (Italian, Biblical Hebrew).
- Soft skills mentor (Artificial Intelligence trainer; Church leadership and administration skills).
- Inter-faith scholar (Jewish-Christian relations; dialogue with Hinduism).
- Catholic Media content creator, and designer (iMovie, Canva).
- Certified Reflexology practitioner.
6. Current Ministry (2025-2026)
Rome (Part-Time Volunteering). Interlocutore Referente. Pontifical Academy of Theology. Since 16 September ’25 till date.
7. Initiatives for the Church Universal
- Convenor of Think-Tank on the Sacrament of Reconciliation Today: Pathways of Empathy and Resilience.
- Organiser of trans-disciplinary dialogue series and popular theology workshops that bring academic insights to people’s everyday faith.
- Committed to making Catholic Theology – esp. themes like synodality – visible and accessible through social media platforms.
My Coat of Arms:
Heart (Compassion). Hand (Service). Eye (Stewardship). Mouth (Proclamation).
Cross (Faithfulness). Sowing (Fruitfulness).
My Three LifLaws:
Focus: Prioritise what truly matters (Pareto’s 80/20).
“You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.” (Mt 25:21)
Discipline: Master yourself to fulfil your mission.
“I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.” (1 Cor 9:27)
Action: Wisdom is proven by action.
“Success is the shortest gap between idea and action.” (Inspired by Musk)
“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (Jas 1:22)
Born of a Śaivite Father, Mr. Karunanidhi Thangavel and a Catholic Mother, Mrs. Maria Selvam Karunanidhi, on 6 December 1981 (as per Government Records 29 May 1981), at South Nathampatty, a village of the Parish of Our Lady of Mary Help of Christians, Rajapalayam, in the civil district of Virudhunagar, Tamil Nadu, India. With a sibling Mrs. Arul Mary Maria Muthu.
Yesu Karunanidhi 