PORTLAND — Bishop Robert P. Deeley has appointed Anthony Kanagaraj Chinnaiyan as parochial vicar of Prince of Peace Parish (Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, Holy Cross Church and Holy Family Church, all in Lewiston), Holy Trinity Parish in Lisbon Falls and Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Sabattus, which also includes St. Francis Church in Greene.

He is one of eight Heralds of Good News (HGN) now serving in the Diocese of Portland. The Heralds of Good News is a missionary society of apostolic life in India that specializes in providing priests to other countries, especially in the west, as well as the promotion of vocations to the priesthood.

Originally from a small village in Tamil Nadu, India, Chinnaiyan was raised in a strong Catholic household. He was an altar server and attended Catholic schools through middle school. After high school, he entered the seminary.

In 2005, he completed his theological studies at St. Joseph’s Major Seminary in Khammam, India, and was ordained to the priesthood on Dec. 21 of that year.

Since his ordination, Chinnaiyan has served as the dean of studies at a minor seminary (2005-2007), as an assistant parish priest (2007-2008), and as a parish priest (2008-2010), all in the Diocese of Tiruchirappalli, India. He was also the director of a retreat center in Tirunelveli, India (2010-2012).

His first missionary assignment outside of India was in the Diocese of Saint-Hyacinthe in Quebec, Canada (2012-2014), after which he returned home to serve as procurator for the Heralds of Good News Mary Queen of Apostles Province.

For more information, contact Dave Guthro, communications director for the Diocese of Portland, at 207-321-7810 or dave.guthro@portlanddiocese.org.

Chinnaiyan