KOCHI: Veteran journalist Ignatius Gonsalves has been elected president of the Indian Catholic Press Association (ICPA), becoming the first lay person from Kerala to head the ICPA in its six-decade-long history. He was unanimously elected to the top post at the association’s annual general body meeting at Jharsuguda near Kandhamal in Odisha , a release said here.
Rev Suresh Mathew, editor of New Delhi-based Indian Currents magazine, is the incumbent general secretary of ICPA. The other office bearers are: Fr Sunil Damor SVD – Odisha (vice-president); Fr Joby Mathew, former editor of Mumbai-based The Teenager Today magazine (treasurer); and Sr Tessy Jacob of the Holy Spirit Congregation – Odisha (joint secretary). Fr Valerian Fernandes, editor of Mangaluru-based Konkani publication Raknno; Roman Bhatia – Surat and Sebastian Kallarackal of Deepika are regional representatives. ICPA, which enjoys CBCI’s patronage has representation in international media organisations.