Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza Appointed Bishop of Udupi Diocese

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, February 2, 2026: Pope Leo XIV on Saturday appointed Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza, parish priest of Our Lady of Health Church, Shirva, as the new Bishop of the Udupi Diocese. The appointment comes following the retirement of Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo (76), who demitted office on Saturday.

Bishop Lobo had earlier served as the Bishop of Shivamogga from 2000 to 2012 and later as the Bishop of Udupi from 2012 to 2026.

Born on August 19, 1962, in Uchchila (Yermal) in Udupi district, Fr. D’Souza is the son of Lawrence D’Souza and Cecilia and hails from a family of eight siblings. He completed his primary education at Saraswati Mandir Higher Primary School, Uchila, and his secondary education at Government Fisheries High School, Yermal. He pursued his pre-university studies at Poorna Pragya College, Adamar.

Fr. D’Souza holds extensive academic qualifications. He studied philosophy at St. Joseph’s Inter-Provincial Seminary, Mangaluru, earned a B.A. degree from the University of Mysore, and completed his Bachelor of Theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. He also holds an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Mysore, a Diploma in Depth Psychology and Formation from the Bangalore Institute of Psychology and Training, a Licentiate in Theology, and a Doctorate in Moral Theology from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.

Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Mangalore on May 10, 1990, Fr. D’Souza served as assistant priest at Holy Rosary Church, Kundapur, and Holy Cross Church, Kulashekara. He later served as a professor and trainer of moral theology at St. Joseph’s Inter-Provincial Seminary, Mangaluru. His pastoral responsibilities also included service as chaplain at St. John the Evangelist Church, Pangla/Shankarapura, and Mount Rosary Church, Kallianpur-Santekate.

Since June 2022, Fr. D’Souza has been serving as parish priest at Our Lady of Health Church, Shirva. He served as Secretary of the Council of Priests from 2022 to 2025 and is currently the Principal Priest of the Shirva Zone.