Goan made Ranchi's new auxiliary bishop

Father Mascarenhas works at the pontifical council for culture as the head of the departments for Asia, Africa and Oceania.

Aux. Bishop Elect of the Archdiocese of Ranchi, Rev. Dr. Theodore Mascarenhas.

Vatican City:  Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Father Theodore Mascarenhas, a Goan priest working in the Vatican, as the auxiliary bishop of Ranchi in Jharkhand state.

Father Mascarenhas, 54, a member of Missionary Society of St Francis Xavier, popularly known as Pilar society, works at the pontifical council for culture as the head of the departments for Asia, Africa and Oceania.

A native of Camurlim in Salcete, he is familiar with northern India as he studied Philosophy at St. Charles Seminary, Nagpur, Maharashtra, and Theology at the All India Mission Seminary, the Society of Pilar, Goa.

He earned a Masters of Arts in Political Science at Nagpur and then a Licentiate and Doctorate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. He made his first religious profession in the Society of St. Francis Xavier, June 14, 1979 and was ordained a priest on April 24, 1988.

After his ordination from 1988-1993 he was engaged in pastoral work in Punjab in the parishes and in two schools as vice-principal and principal.

During 1994-2001 he did his studies for the Licentiate and Doctorate at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome. He was also coordinator of the works of the Society of Pilar in Rome and responsible for overseeing the postulation of the cause for beatification of the Venerable Father Agnelo SFX during 1998-2004.

In 2005 he become Delegate Superior for the Society of Pilar in Europe and in 2006 he was appointed an official of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

He was also procurator General of the Society of St. Francis Xavier, Member of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses and professor of Sacred Scripture at the Gregorian University and the Angelicum, in Rome.

Source: Vatican Radio