Press Release: Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) Elects New Team
New Delhi (CBCI News) The Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA) elected former Editor of The Teenager, Fr Alfonso Elengikal, as its President at the end of a three-day national convention and annual general body meeting held at Don Bosco Centre, here, March 3.
The ICPA is a national forum of Catholic newspapers, periodicals, news agencies, publishing houses, editors, journalists, and teachers of journalism. Founded in 1963 under the leadership of American Jesuit priest and founder editor of Sanjivan, Fr. John Barrett, the ICPA has entered the golden jubilee year of its establishment. It runs the South Asian Religious News (SAR News) and organizes training and workshops and promotes ethics and values in the press, confers awards. Since 1995, the ICPA has held national conventions in different parts of the country on pertinent themes related to the press in India.
Accepting his responsibility to lead the ICPA, Fr Elengkal said he, along with the new team of office bearers would make every effort to strengthen the association by bringing together Catholic journalists in the country. He thanked the pioneers and successive leaders who steered the association during the past five decades. The general body chalked out plans to hold yearlong celebrations to mark the golden jubilee.
Besides the president, the general body elected a 10-member executive committee to lead the ICPA for a three-year term. They are: Jose Vincent, (Hyderabad) secretary, Mathew Plathottam, (Kannur) vice-president, Sr Mariola Sequeira, MSA (Ajmer) treasurer and Fr Feroz Fernandes (Goa) joint secretary. Anto Akkara (Bangalore), Mrs Anjali Tirkey (Guwahati), Fr Christopher Hembrom (Dumka), and Sr Clare Ukken (Mumbai) were elected as members. The New Delhi-based weekly Indian Currents, was elected to represent the member dailies and periodicals in the committee.