Attacks on Christians, who constitute only 2.3% of India's 1.4 billion people, have risen sharply over the last few years. The main perpetrators of these crimes are extremists who believe Hinduism, India’s most prevalent faith, is synonymous with Indian identity and citizenship.

When riots engulfed Tiangia, a village in remote Kandhamal in eastern India, Vikas Nayak was 15 years old. Last November, Nayak was ordained by the archbishop of Patna Diocese in the neighboring state of Bihar.