ASIA/INDIA - Appointment of Bishop of Baroda

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - On December 31, 2022, the Holy Father Francis appointed the Reverend Fr. Sebastião Mascarenhas, S.F.X., former superior general of the Society of the Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier (Pilar), Goa, India, as bishop of the diocese of Baroda, India.
Msgr. Sebastião Mascarenhas, S.F.X., was born on 29 July 1959 in Camurlim, Salcete, in the archdiocese of Goa and Damão. He carried out his studies in philosophy at the Saint Charles Seminary in Nagpur, and in theology at the All India Mission Seminary in Pilar, Goa.
He was ordained a priest on 6 May 1984 for the Society of the Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier (Society of Pilar).
After ordination, he held the following offices: deputy parish priest at Our Lady of Velankani, Vapi, and head of the Mother of Hope School, Gujarat (1984-1988); deputy parish priest of Our Lady of Piety, Salvassa and head of the Fr. Agnel High School, Silvassa (1988-1990); and chaplain in Shelti, Nagar Haveli (1990-1992). He went on to obtain a licentiate in missiology at the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Augustin, in Germany (1992-1994), and to serve as chaplain in Dudhni, Nagar Haveli, and head of Saint Xavier’s School, and visiting professor at the Mission Seminary, Pilar, Goa (1994-1996). He was awarded a doctorate in systematic theology from the Univerity of Freiburg, Germany (1996-2000). He subsequently held the roles of teacher, then rector, of Pilar Theological College, Goa (2000-2009); provincial superior in Mumbai (2009-2012); superior of the Mission of Daman (2013-2017); and superior general of the Society of Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier (Society of Pilar), Goa, India (2017-2022). (SL) (Agenzia Fides, 4/1/2023)

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