June 5, 2009
BISHOP VALLEY ALL SET TO BOW OUT
Camil Parkhe
reporters@sakaaltimes.com
Pune: When he took over the reins of Pune diocese in 1977, Valerian D’Souza at 44 was one of the youngest bishops in India. As he hands over the charge to Bishop Thomas Dabre on Sunday, D’Souza has earned the distinction of having the longest episcopal tenure of 32 years among the serving bishops in the country.
Vasai’s Bishop Dabre will be installed as the new bishop of Pune diocese at St Patrick’s Cathedral here on June 7. As per the church’s law, Bishop D’Souza had resigned from his post on completion of 75 years in October last.
Mumbai’s Cardinal Oswald Gracias and outgoing Pune Bishop Valerian D’Souza will lead Bishop Dabre to the ‘Cathedra,’ the offi cial Chair of the bishop. The letter of appointment issued by Pope Benedict XVI or the ‘Papal Bull’ will be read by Pune Diocese Chancellor Fr Joe Abraham.
Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Pro Nuncio or the Vatican’s ambassador in New Delhi, who was scheduled to install the new bishop, has cancelled Pune visit last moment W hen he took over the reins of Pune diocese in 1977, Valerian D’Souza at 44 was one due to some other urgent work, sources said.
The fi fth bishop of 107-year-old Pune diocese, D’Souza presided over manifold growth in the activities of the Catholic Church in western Maharashtra and Konkan.
During his term, the diocese was twice bifurcated to form the Nashik diocese in 1987 and Sindhudurg diocese in 2005. The present Pune diocese, comprises Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts and Kolhapur city.
The Catholic priests and nuns run 67 schools and four higher secondary schools in Pune diocese. There are about 50,000 children, majority of them being non-Christians, studying in these institutions.
“Our schools do not lay overemphasis on academic excellence, their top priority lies in inculcating moral values and building characters of the students in a secular society,” says Bishop D’Souza.
“Christians in Pune are not even one per cent of the total population but we’ve served the society well,” he said.
Speaking to Sakal Times, the ‘singing’ bishop said he is quite content with his 32-year-long eventful term.
He said, “It is for others to judge our work, but I am sure that many achievements according to others will have low rank in the eyes of God.” “Love expressed in simple gestures and deeds will ultimately count much more than buildings, institutions and awards earned,” he said.
After his retirement on Sunday, Bishop D’Souza will move to his especially built room in Vianny Clergy Home on the Bishop’s House campus.
There, he plans to read, write and meet people, “relieved of administration and its obligations.”
EMAILhttp://epaper.sakaaltimes.com/ST/ST/2009/06/06/ArticleHtmls/
BISHOP VALLEY ALL SET TO BOW OUT
Camil Parkhe
reporters@sakaaltimes.com
Pune: When he took over the reins of Pune diocese in 1977, Valerian D’Souza at 44 was one of the youngest bishops in India. As he hands over the charge to Bishop Thomas Dabre on Sunday, D’Souza has earned the distinction of having the longest episcopal tenure of 32 years among the serving bishops in the country.
Vasai’s Bishop Dabre will be installed as the new bishop of Pune diocese at St Patrick’s Cathedral here on June 7. As per the church’s law, Bishop D’Souza had resigned from his post on completion of 75 years in October last.
Mumbai’s Cardinal Oswald Gracias and outgoing Pune Bishop Valerian D’Souza will lead Bishop Dabre to the ‘Cathedra,’ the offi cial Chair of the bishop. The letter of appointment issued by Pope Benedict XVI or the ‘Papal Bull’ will be read by Pune Diocese Chancellor Fr Joe Abraham.
Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Pro Nuncio or the Vatican’s ambassador in New Delhi, who was scheduled to install the new bishop, has cancelled Pune visit last moment W hen he took over the reins of Pune diocese in 1977, Valerian D’Souza at 44 was one due to some other urgent work, sources said.
The fi fth bishop of 107-year-old Pune diocese, D’Souza presided over manifold growth in the activities of the Catholic Church in western Maharashtra and Konkan.
During his term, the diocese was twice bifurcated to form the Nashik diocese in 1987 and Sindhudurg diocese in 2005. The present Pune diocese, comprises Pune, Satara, Solapur and Sangli districts and Kolhapur city.
The Catholic priests and nuns run 67 schools and four higher secondary schools in Pune diocese. There are about 50,000 children, majority of them being non-Christians, studying in these institutions.
“Our schools do not lay overemphasis on academic excellence, their top priority lies in inculcating moral values and building characters of the students in a secular society,” says Bishop D’Souza.
“Christians in Pune are not even one per cent of the total population but we’ve served the society well,” he said.
Speaking to Sakal Times, the ‘singing’ bishop said he is quite content with his 32-year-long eventful term.
He said, “It is for others to judge our work, but I am sure that many achievements according to others will have low rank in the eyes of God.” “Love expressed in simple gestures and deeds will ultimately count much more than buildings, institutions and awards earned,” he said.
After his retirement on Sunday, Bishop D’Souza will move to his especially built room in Vianny Clergy Home on the Bishop’s House campus.
There, he plans to read, write and meet people, “relieved of administration and its obligations.”
EMAILhttp://epaper.sakaaltimes.com/ST/ST/2009/06/06/ArticleHtmls/
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