Fr Francis Serrao appointed bishop of Shimoga

From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Mar 19: Karnataka’s Jesuit Provincial Fr Francis Serrao has been appointed as the new Bishop of Shimoga by Pope Francis on Wednesday.

The announcement was simultaneously made at the Vatican and also the Bishop’s House in Shimoga at 4.30 pm.

Fr Francis Serrao will be the third Bishop to head the Shimoga Diocese, which has been vacant since the transfer of the then Bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo on July 17, 2012, to shepherd the newly created Diocese of Udupi as its first Bishop in 2012.

Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo assumed charge of the new diocese of Udupi on October 15, 2012.
The Bishop of Bellary Diocese Dr Henry D’Souza has been serving as the Apostolic Administrator of Shimoga Diocese since October 16, 2012.

The date of consecration and installation of the Bishop-elect is yet to be decided. However, according to Church Law, the newly appointed Bishop will have to be consecrated and assume his new office within three months of the announcement.

Fr Francis Serrao is the youngest of the 11 children of late Piedade Serrao and Gracy Mary and was born on August 15, 1959 at Moodbidri in coastal Dakshina Kannada district. Six of the 11 children are priests – two each being Diocesan, SVD and Jesuits – and a sister becoming a nun.
He joined the Society of Jesus on January 3, 1979 at Mount St Joseph, Bangalore. He did his B.A. in Philosophy and M.A. Theology at the Jnana Deepa Vidya Peetha, Pune. He was ordained a priest by late Bishop Basil D’Souza in Mangalore on April 30, 1992. He made his final vows in the Society of Jesus on May 1, 1999,

Fluent in Kannada, Tulu, Konkani and Hindi besides English, he is popular for his humane approach, friendly nature, love for the poor, capacity for hard work, interpersonal skills and administrative abilities.

Fr Francis Serrao has a rich apostolic service in parish ministry in Mundgod of Uttara Kannada (1991-92), Social Action at Loyola Vikas Kendra, Mundgod (1994-97) besides being Mission Superior in Anekal while also serving as the Parish Priest of the local Parish Priest in St Joseph’s Church. He had also served as the Acting Director of the Regional Theological Centre (1998-2003) of the Karnataka Jesuit Province.

He was appointed Superior of the Bijapur Jesuit Mission(2003-04) and as the rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore in 2004. After a five-year stint as the Rector, he was appointed Provincial Superior of Karnataka Jesuit Province in 2009, in which capacity he continues to serve till date.
He has also been teaching Theology to the Jesuit students of Theology, preparing for the priesthood.

The Diocese of Shimoga was founded on November 14, 1998 with Dr Ignatius Pinto as the first Bishop. With the elevation of Most Rev Dr Ignatius Pinto as the Archbishop of Bangalore, Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo was appointed as his successor and was consecrated on March 20, 2000 at the Sacred Heart Cathedral.

The Diocese initially comprised of the two civil districts of Shimoga and Chitradurga by separating Shimoga from the Chikmagalur Diocese and Chitradurga from the Archdiocese of Bangalore. When the new district of Davangere was carved out by adding parts of Shimoga nd Chitradurga districts in 1997, the new district was included in the Shimoga Diocese.

Consequently, the Shimoga Diocee presently comprises the three revenue districts of Shimoga, Chitradurga and Davangere with a total of 20 parishes, 10 independent mission centres with resident priests and 20 sub-stations. There are 51 diocesan priests and 18 religious priests serving in the Diocese with about 200 religious sisters belonging to 23 different religious congregations.

'The clergy, the religious and the lay faithful of Shimoga have joyfully welcomed the new Bishop and prayed for God’s choicest blessings for his fruitful Episcopal service in the diocese.

Meanwhile, the Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras, has congratulated Fr Francis Seerao on behalf of the Archdiocese of Bangalore and the Karnataka Regional Council of Bishops and all the Priests, Religious and faithful of Karnataka Region and wished him God’s Choicest blessings in his episcopal ministry.

''We have another Jesuit Bishop and another Francis is the person of the new Bishop,” the Archbishop said it was significant that Pope Francis is also a Jesuit.

Archbishop Moras Greets New Bishop of Shimoga

Archbishop of Bangalore Dr Bernard Moras personally extended his greetings and best wishes to Fr Francis Serrao, Provincial of the Karnataka Jesuits, on his being appointed as the new Bishop of the Shimoga Diocese.
 
''I am greeting on behalf of the entire clergy and laity of not only the Bangalore Archdiocese but all the Bishops of the Karnataka Regional Council of Bishops. Our prayers and good wishes are always with you,” the Archbishop said after offering a shawl as a token of the love and affection.
 
The Archbishop remarked that it was perhaps a strange coincidence that Pope Francis is also a Jesuit and the newly-appointed Bishop with the same name also happens to be a Jesuit.
 
The Bishop-elect, Fr Francis Serrao, said he was yet to get used to the idea of serving as the Bishop of Shimoga Diocese. ''I need the prayers of all faithful and the clergy for the success of the new mission,” he said.

The Karnataka Jesuit Provincialte Executive Assistant Fr Fred D’Silva, Secrtary-Treasurer Fr Leo Pereira and Superior Fr Thomas D’Souza were present during the visit of the Archbishop to greet the newly appointed Bishop at the Jesuit Provincialate.