BANGALORE (SE): The Conference of Catholic Bishops of India [CCBI] paid tribute to Paris Foreign Mission Society [MEP] Father Lucien Legrand, one of Asia’s most distinguished biblical scholars and missionaries, honouring his lifelong service to the Word of God and his enduring contribution to the Church in India.
The recognition took place on February 3 during the 37th Plenary Assembly of the CCBI in Bangalore. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão, president of the CCBI, presented Father Legrand with a memento and a ceremonial shawl, acknowledging decades of scholarship, teaching, and pastoral dedication that have shaped generations of Church leaders in India.
Born on November 10, 1926, in Monson-Bern, France, Father Legrand joined the Missions Étrangères de Paris (MEP) at the age of 18. After completing his studies in Paris and Rome, he earned a licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Institute and was ordained a priest on 29 June 1950.
He arrived in India in 1953 and, following a brief period of pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Salem, was assigned to St. Peter’s Pontifical Seminary in Bangalore in 1955. There, he began a teaching ministry that would span nearly seven decades. His classrooms formed countless seminarians and scholars, many of whom now serve as priests, theologians and bishops across India and in other parts of the world.
Father Legrand’s influence extended beyond India when he was appointed a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission by Pope Paul VI from 1973 to 1978. During a critical post–Vatican II period, he contributed an Asian perspective to the Church’s global reflection on Scripture.
His classrooms formed countless seminarians and scholars, many of whom now serve as priests, theologians and bishops across India and in other parts of the world
His academic work remained closely tied to faith and pastoral life. His doctoral research, completed in 1979, focused on the Annunciation to Mary, reflecting his conviction that biblical scholarship must nourish prayer and mission. Alongside his academic responsibilities, he continued to serve as a parish priest, known for clear preaching and a simple, disciplined way of life.
A prolific author, Father Legrand wrote several influential works in biblical theology, including Unity and Plurality: Mission in the Bible, Paul and the Missionary Strategy of the Apostolic Churches, The Word Is Near You, and The Power of His Resurrection. He also contributed numerous articles and translations in both French and English.
At St. Peter’s Seminary, he strengthened the library and founded the Bible Museum, now regarded as one of Asia’s important centres for scriptural resources.
Despite his international reputation, those who lived and worked with him recall a man marked by humility, prayer and quiet compassion. He avoided positions of honour, preferring a life ordered by daily prayer, study and attentive care for students and the poor.
In honouring Father Lucien Legrand, the bishops of India recognised not only an accomplished scholar but also a missionary priest whose life has helped to root the Indian Church more deeply in love for Sacred Scripture. His legacy, they noted, continues in the lives and ministries of the many priests, religious and lay leaders formed by his teaching and witness.
