Media Release

Bengaluru, Jul 4: The entire Catholic Christian community of Karnataka rejoices at the news of its first doctor in Sacred Scripture in the person of Fr Richard Francis D’Souza, OCD.

Fr Richard defended his thesis titled, 'Yes Lord, I have Believed', Martha’s confession of faith in the fourth gospel, a narrative critical analysis, on Tuesday June 30 in Rome.

It was an online defense that lasted for about two hours and was live-streamed on YouTube starting at 7.30 pm Indian standard time.

Fr Richard is the son of Maurice D’Souza and Elize D’Souza and hails from Our Lady of Pompei Church, Gurpur, Mangaluru. After completing his SSLC in 1992 he joined the Order of the Discalced Carmelites of the Karnataka-Goa Province. He pursued Philosophy in Mysuru and graduated in Commerce securing the first rank and a gold medal.

Later he completed his Theology at St Peter’s Pontifical Seminary, Bengaluru. He was ordained a priest on December 28, 2004. After his ordination, while serving six months at the Carmelite mission in Hadagali, he was appointed as the director of the minor seminary in Koteshwar, Kundapur for three years. He also completed his MBA in Human Resource Management at the KSOU, Mysuru. Thereafter, for three years he rendered his services as the secretary to the Provincial Superior in Bengaluru.

In 2011, Fr Richard travelled to Italy for higher studies in Rome. In October, the same year he began his Licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the prestigious Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. Having completed his Licentiate in record time (December 2014), he registered himself for the Doctoral programme at the said university in 2015. In February 2016 he successfully cleared his free-doctoral defense (Lectio Coram). From October that year, Fr Richard began his doctoral research under the guidance of Prof Luca Pedroli and submitted the completed thesis for the defense in February.

While working on his research paper, Fr Richard also taught at the Pontifical Spirituality and Theology Institute, 'Teresianum', Rome. He will continue to be a professor of Sacred Scripture at the said institute. During his visits to India, Fr Richard also teaches Scripture at the Carmelite Spirituality Institutes such as 'Ryshivana' in Mangaluru and 'Dhayanavana' in Mysuru. In summer, he holds Biblical conferences for the Cloistered Carmel sisters in Italy and the parishioners of St Gregory the Great Church, Harrison, New York.

The Discalced Carmelites, along with the Catholic Christian Community of Karnataka, congratulate Fr Richard Francis D’Souza on being the first Doctor in Sacred
Scripture and wish him all the very best for his teaching ministry as the professor at the Teresianum, Rome.