Media Release
Panaji, Oct 31: Fr Dr Roque Teodorio Gonsalves of the Society of Catholic Apostolate (SAC) is the newly elected provincial of ABVM province of the Pallottines in India. He is currently the parish priest of St Vincent Pallotti Church, Marol, Andheri (E), Mumbai. The province has nearly 100 confreres and various houses of formation and parish communities in the Indian States of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa, and the Union Territory: Daman and Diu.
Fr Roque Gonsalves was born to late Carlisto Gonsalves and late Filizmina Gonsalves on December 21, 1976, in the village known for the delicate art of baking European Breads, Majorda. His siblings consist of one brother, Anthony Gonsalves and two sisters; Janet and Fatima Gonsalves.
At an early age, Roque expressed the desire to be a priest and joined the Pallottines in June 1993. Living the Pallottine way of life, he showed the desire to make his first profession on May 31, 1998 and got finally professed on May 31, 2005. Alongside spiritual prowess, he also proved academically excellent by coming in first division whether it be in Bachelor in Philosophy in 1999 or Bachelor in Science in 2002. He also received a distinction in Bachelor in Theology at St Charles Seminary, Nagpur.
He was ordained a deacon on July 6, 2005 at Nagpur and then ordained a priest along with his five goan companions; Fr Peter Patrick Mendes, Fr Siran Joquina Rebello, Fr Hendrico Rebello, Fr Caetano Crasto and Fr Beniz Anthony Gomes at Regina Mundi School Ground, Chicalim, Goa on May 1, 2006. In 2008, he completed his MA in Christian Studies and went on to do his PhD in Biblical Theology, Rome.
He has served as a prefect of VOC students and teacher at St Vincent Pallotti Church, Anbaham, Chennai (2006). He has been secretary to the provincial of the ABVM province of the Pallottines, Bengaluru (2008). He has also been the personal secretary to the rector general of the Pallottines, Rome (2013-2022) and the general secretary of the Union of the Catholic Apostolate, Rome (2019-2022).
The new provincial will assume his responsibility on January 6, 2023 after the installation ceremony.