Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On July, 5th 2021, the Holy Father appointed as bishop of the diocese of Francistown, Botswana, the Reverend Fr. Anthony Pascal Rebello, S.V.D., until now parish priest of the Holy Cross parish in Mogoditshane.
Msgr. Anthony Pascal Rebello, S.V.D., was born on 18 March 1950 in Nairobi, Kenya. In 1969 he entered the Society of the Divine Word, completing his noviciate in Khurda, Madhya Pradesh, India. He concluded his priestly formation at the Divine Word Seminary of Pune (1969-1977).
He gave his religious vows in 1976 and was ordained a priest on 10 May 1977, in India.
Following his ordination, he first exercised his pastoral ministry in India and obtained a Bachelor of Education (1977-1979). He was then awarded a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (1979-1981), and went on to serve as a missionary in Botswana, where he was parish priest in Palapye (1981-1984), in Kenya, where he also held the office of provincial superior (1984-1987), in Antigua, where he exercised his ministry in a rural parish and then in the Holy Family Cathedral (1987-1990); and in Angola, where he held the roles of parish vicar (1990-1992), parish priest (1992-1996) and master of novices (1996-2000). He then continued his pastoral ministry in India (2000-2002). Since 2003 he has served as a missionary in Botswana, in the diocese of Gaborone, where he has held the office of parish priest of Palapye and Metsimotlhabe, and until now in the Holy Cross parish in Mogoditshane. (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 6/7/2021)
