The Salesian Province of Shillong is the fastest growing province in South Asia with 298 confreres and 28 novices. The median age of the confreres is 40. In 2022 it celebrated 100 years of the arrival of the first Salesian Missionaries to the territory. There are 41 houses spread across a large territory comprising of the States of Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and Barak Valley of Assam in India.
Fr John is a native of the State of Mizoram. He made his novitiate and first profession in 1995 at Shillong and did his philosophy studies at Sonada in the province of Kolkata. Sacred Heart Theological College at Shillong was his alma mater for theological studies, and he was ordained at Chhingchhip in Mizoram. His father Raymond Ngurchhawna and his mother Annie Thantluangi have both gone to their eternal rewards.
At the time of being nominated, Fr John Zosiama is serving as the Vice Provincial and Delegate for Formation and Vocation of the Province of Shillong. He has been in that ministry for the last six years, while being a regular teacher of Sacred Scripture at the Sacred Heart Theological College. Prior to that he has served in the role of Registrar and Director of the Integrated Theology for Laity and Religious programme in the same college.
Fr John has Doctorate in Biblical Theology form the Pontificia Studiorum Universitas S. Thoma AQ. In Urbe (Angelicum) in Rome. He completed his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from Pontificium Institutum Biblicum de Urbe (Biblicum), Rome and also has a Masters Degree in Sociology from the Madras University. He has published seven books, six of which are in the Mizo language.
Fr John Zosiama will be succeeding Fr Paul Olphindro who has been serving as Provincial of Shillong since May 2018.
