Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Nov 3 : Agrar parish in Bantwal has perhaps given the highest number of bishops to the Catholic community from this region.
Yet another priest, Fr Pius Thomas D'Souza born at Agrar on May 4, 1954, who was ordained priest for the diocese of Lucknow on March 28, 1982, has been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the new Bishop of Ajmer (Rajastan State) on November 3. He is presently chancellor of the diocese of Bareilly.
Father D’Souza holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Urban University in Rome.
The Diocese of Ajmer (1913), is a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Agra. It has an area of 146,681 square kilometers and a population of 17,595,585 inhabitants, of whom 9190 are Catholics. There are 10 parishes served by 43 diocesan priests, 21 religious brothers, 402 sisters and 23 major seminarians.
He succeeds Ignatius Menezes, aged 76, who has been bishop since 1979.
This Ecclesiastical Provision was made public in Rome on Saturday, November 3 at noon local time, corresponding to 16:30 hours, Indian Standard Time.
The first two secular bishops of Mangalore diocese, Dr Valerian J D'Souza, and Dr Victor R Fernandes, had served in Agrar. Three other bishops who hail from Agrar are Dr Ignatiaus - former bishop of Ajmer, Dr Aloysius P D'Souza, bishop of Mangalore and Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, bishop of Udupi.
More details on bishop Thomas to follow.
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