Udupi: Bishop Gerald Lobo inaugurates the Process of Beatification of Fr. Alfred Roche

Media Release
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 27 Dec 2021: The process to start the procedure to enable F. Alfred Roche to be raised to the status of a saint of the Roman Catholic Church at the diocesesan level was initiated at the Holy family Church, Brhamavar with solemn mass concelebrated by Most Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo on Monday, 27 December 2021.

 

Soon after the holy mass, the committee appointed to formalize the procedure to raise Fr. Alfred Roche to sainthood was sworn in.

 

Speaking on this occasion, Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo said that the Udupi Diocese is blessed because the son of the soil, Fr. Alfred Roche through his devout and exemplary life had become a model for all and earned all the qualities to be considered to be raised to the status of a saint. This is an historic event. The procedure of raising Fr. Alfred Roche to the position of a saint being a long drawn process, it is hoped that it will be completed as early as possible and we will have our own saint, said Bishop Gerald Lobo.

 

Rev. Msgr. Baptist Menezes-Vicar General of Udupi Diocese as the representative of the Bishop of the Udupi Diocese is the Promoter of Justice of the Committee and Fr. Sunil Kumar D’Souza is the member of the Committee. Fr. Ravi Rajesh Serrao is the Notary, Fr. Steven D’Souza is the member of the Historical Commission, Fr. Baptist Rodrigues, Fr. Joel Lopez and Fr. Santa Lopez will be supervising the entire process.

 

 

The process of raising Fr. Alfred Roche to the status of a saint being a long one, he has to go through the stages of being referred to as ‘Servant of God’, ‘Venerable’ ‘Blessed’ and ‘Saint’.

 

On this occasion, in order to facilitate the process of raising Fr. Alfred Roche to the status of a saint, the documents related to the process, and website as well as an office were inaugurated.

 

Fr. Alwyn Dias-Provincial of the Capuchin Karnataka Province, Vice Provincial-Fr. Paul Melwyn Fernandes,Vicar General of Udupi Diocese-Rev. Msgr. Baptist Menezes, Parish priest of the Holy Family Church-Fr. Victor Fernandes as well as a number of priests belonging to the Capuchin Congregation and Diocesan Priests were present.

 

Fr. Chetan Lobo-PRO of Udupi Diocese compeered the programme.