Udupi: The Episcopal ordination and solemn installation of Msgr. Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza, as the second Bishop of the Udupi Diocese will be held on April 20 at 9am at the Milagres College Grounds, Kallinapur.Fr. Denis D’Sa, PRO of Udupi Diocese, said on Wednesday that the consecration ceremony will be conducted during a solemn Eucharistic celebration led by His Eminence Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa and Daman, president, Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences and Conference of Catholic Bishops of India. Co-consecrators will include Most Rev. Fr. Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore, president, Karnataka Regional Catholic Bishops’ Council, and Most Rev. Fr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, apostolic administrator of Diocese of Udupi. The historical event is expected to draw more than 5,000 persons, including Most Rev. Dr Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, numerous archbishops and bishops, priests, religious figures, political leaders, dignitaries from various communities, members of the Udupi diocese’s Catholic community and other guests.District minister Laxmi Hebbalkar and MLA Yashpal A Suvarna will offer felicitations on behalf of the civic society.The installation marks the end of Most Rev. Fr. Gerald Isaac Lobo’s 13-year tenure (2012-2026) as the Bishop of Udupi diocese. The New BishopMost Rev. Dr Leslie C D’Souza was appointed by Pope Leo XIV as the new bishop of Udupi Diocese on Jan 31. Born on Aug 19, 1962, in Yermal, within the Diocese of Udupi, Karnataka, Fr. D’Souza earned a BA degree through distance education from University of Mysore. He pursued studies in philosophy and theology at St. Joseph’s Inter-Diocesan Seminary, Mangaluru, affiliated with the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. Subsequently, he obtained a Licentiate and doctorate in moral theology from the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium. Ordained a priest on May 10, 1990, he was initially incardinated in Diocese of Mangalore and later in Diocese of Udupi. His past assignments include: assistant Parish priest at Holy Rosary Church, Kundapur, Udupi (1990-1992); assistant Parish priest at Holy Cross Church, Kulshekar (1992-1995); Professor of moral theology at St. Joseph’s Inter-Diocesan Seminary, Mangaluru (2003-2010); Parish priest at St. John Evangelist Church, Pangala (2010-2017); Parish Priest at Our Lady of Rosary Church, Kallianpur (2017-2023); and Parish Priest at Our Lady of Health Church, Shirva, and Dean of Shirva Deanery (since 2022). Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, Apostolic Administrator of Udupi Diocese; Rev. Fr. Ferdinand Gonsalves, Rector of Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, and Convener of the Programme Organising Committee; Rev. Steven D’Souza, Chancellor of the Udupi Diocese; and Michael Rodrigues, Media Coordinator of Udupi Diocese, were present. MSID:: 130280977 413 |
