Kalianpur witnesses historic event: Udupi Diocese comes into being; new Bishop takes charge

Mangalore Today News Network

Udupi, Oct 15, 2012: It was  a historic day for Udupi, when the Diocese of Udupi   was formally installed and Rev. Fr. Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo took charge as the first Bishop of the newly formed Diocese at a graceful ceremony held at the Milagres Cathedral grounds at Kalianpur on October 15, Monday. Thousands of people including Diocesan Clergy, religious priests, brothers, nuns, a host of dignitaries from all faiths as well as a large number of Catholic brethren were witness to this grand ceremony.

Udupi is now the ninth Roman Catholic Diocese under the Archdiocese of Bangalore.  The Diocese was inaugurated by Apolistic Nuncio of India Dr Salvatore Pennacchio. The inauguration was followed by a Eucharistic Mass.

 

 

 

Prior to the function, Dr Pennacchio, Dr Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore and the new Bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo were accorded a warm welcome at the entrance of the cathedral and taken to the function venue in a grand procession.

Fr Henry Sequeira, Chancellor, Mangalore Diocese read out the letter in Latin from Pope Benedict XVI, while Parish Priest of Milagres Cathedral Fr Stany Lobo read the Konkani translation of the same.
 
Rev. Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, the new Bishop formally took charge after the Mangalore Bishop Fr Aloysius Paul D’Souza and Archbishop Dr Bernard Moras escorted him to the ‘Cathedra.’ The scepter was presented to the new Bishop by Dr Salvatore Pennacchio.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Pennacchio exhorted all priests and nuns as well as the laity of the Diocese to extend their wholehearted co-operation to the new Bishop.

Year of Faith inaugurated: The new Bishop Rev. Dr Gerald Lobo inaugurated the Year of Faith by lighting the lamp along with Apolistic Nuncio Dr Salvatore Pennacchio in the presence of the  representatives of the five deaneries Fr Fred Mascarenhas, Fr Anil, Fr John Barboza, Fr Stany B Lobo and Fr Stany B Tauro and the Mangalore Bishop and the Archbishop.

Representatives of the five Deaneries also made their offerings including coconut sapling, banana plant, rice and food grains, fruits and groceries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Addressing a formal felicitation ceremony organized in honour of the new Bishop, the seer of the Puttige Mutt Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji emphasized the need to maintain peace and harmony. He expressed his extreme pleasure over seeing people of all faiths gathering for this great occasion and added inter-faith dialogues were a must to promote peace and harmony. There will be peace when each individual follows his or her dharma in the true sense, he added.

Jayaprakash Hegde, MP of Udupi, Chikmagalur and Rev Sadananda, CSI Bishop, also spoke on the occasion and wished the new Bishop.

Fr Ignatius Pinto, former Archbishop of Bangalore, Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes, Kota Srinivas Poojary, Udupi in-charge minister, Raghupathi Bhat, MLA,  N B Aboobakker, Chairman, Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation, Sunitha S Poojary, President of Kallianpur gram Panchayat and others were present.