Rev. Fr. Francis Serrao SJ appointed as the Bishop of Shimoga

Media Release

Bangalore, 19 Mar 2014: Pope Francis appointed the Jesuit Provincial of Karnataka Rev. Fr Francis Serrao  as the new Bishop of Shimoga on Wednesday, 19 March 2014, the Feast of St. Joseph. The announcement was simultaneously made at the Vatican and also the Bishop’s House in Shimoga at 4.30 pm.

 

Rev. Fr Francis Serrao will be succeeding Most Rev. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo who was appointed as the first Bishop of Udupi Diocese last year and will be the third Bishop of Shimoga.

 

Hailing from Moodbidri, Rev. Fr Francis Serrao born on 15 August 1959,  is the youngest of the 11 children of late Piedade Serrao and Gracy Mary. Six of the 11 children are priests – two each being Diocesan, SVD and Jesuits – and a sister becoming a nun.

 

 

Rev. Fr. Francis Serrao joined the Society of Jesus in 1979 at Mount St Joseph, Bangalore. He did his B.A. in Philosophy and M.A. Theology at the Jnana Deepa Vidya Peetha, Pune and was ordained a priest by late Bishop Basil D’Souza in Mangalore on 30 April 1992.

 

Rev. Fr Francis Serrao has ample experience in parish ministry and administration in various regions such as Mundgod of Uttara Kannada (1991-92), Social Action at Loyola Vikas Kendra, Mundgod (1994-97) besides being Mission Superior in Anekal while also serving as the Parish Priest of the local Parish Priest in St Joseph’s Church. He had also served as the Acting Director of the Regional Theological Centre (1998-2003) of the Karnataka Jesuit Province. He was appointed Superior of the Bijapur Jesuit Mission(2003-04) and as the rector of St Aloysius College, Mangalore in 2004. After a five-year stint as the Rector, he was appointed Provincial Superior of Karnataka Jesuit Province in 2009, in which capacity he continues to serve till date.
He has also been teaching Theology to the Jesuit students of Theology, preparing for the priesthood.

 

The Archbishop of Bangalore, Dr Bernard Moras, has congratulated Fr Francis Seerao on behalf of the Archdiocese of Bangalore and the Karnataka Regional Council of Bishops and all the Priests, Religious and faithful of Karnataka Region.