Retired Udupi bishop offers thanks as new bishop takes charge

Outgoing prelate expresses gratitude for years of shared ministry and prays successor will lead diocese to greater heights of faith, unity and mission

UDUPI, Karnataka (Indian Catholic News) — Retired Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of Udupi thanked clergy and lay people for their support and wished his successor “greater heights of faith, unity, and mission” as a new bishop was ordained Monday.

Msgr Leslie Clifford D’Souza on April 20 was ordained and installed as the second bishop of the Diocese of Udupi, marking a new pastoral chapter for the coastal Catholic community.

The Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, represented Pope Leo at the liturgy. Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrao of Goa was the principal consecrator while Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore and Bishop Lobo joined as principal consecrators alongside other bishops from Karnataka.

The ceremony coincided with the formal conclusion of Bishop Lobo’s episcopal ministry, which began in 2012 when the diocese was established. Canon law requires that Catholic bishops must tender their resignation when they turn 75.

In a message of gratitude, the outgoing bishop reflected on more than a decade of pastoral service.

“As I bring to completion my episcopal ministry in the Diocese of Udupi, which began on 15 October 2012 and now concludes on 20 April 2026, my heart is filled with deep gratitude to God for His abiding grace and providence,” Bishop Lobo said in an official communiqué published on the diocesan website early April.

He described the diocese’s journey as “a journey of faith, sacrifice, and communion, made possible through the dedicated collaboration of each one of you”.

Bishop Lobo paid tribute to clergy, religious and lay faithful, highlighting their role in building the local Church. He said diocesan priests’ “tireless pastoral zeal, deep commitment, and generous service have been the backbone of our diocesan life”.

He also acknowledged the contribution of administrators and collaborators across diocesan structures, saying, “Your commitment has ensured the steady and fruitful growth of our Diocese.”

Expressing appreciation for religious communities, he added, “Your presence has enriched the spiritual and pastoral life of our Diocese.”

Prayers for new leadership

Turning to the laity, Lobo said their “faith, participation, and collaboration have been a constant source of strength and encouragement”, adding, “Together, we have built a vibrant community rooted in Christ and in the true spirit of synodality.”

Looking ahead, he offered prayers for his successor, saying, “May the Lord, who has called him to this sacred office, fill him with wisdom, courage, and pastoral charity.”

“May his ministry bear abundant fruit, and may he shepherd the people of God with compassion and zeal, leading the Diocese of Udupi to greater heights of faith, unity, and mission,” he said.

The Holy See Press Office on Jan. 31 confirmed that Pope Leo had accepted 76-year-old Bishop Lobo’s resignation and appointed Father D’Souza, previously parish priest of Our Lady of Health in Shirva, as bishop of Udupi.

Born in 1962 in Yermal, D’Souza was ordained a priest in 1990 and holds a doctorate in moral theology from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. He has served in parish ministry and seminary teaching and is a member of the diocesan presbyteral council and a tribunal lawyer.

Read Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo of Udupi’s Message of Gratitude.