Bishop of Udupi Ordains Two Deacons to the Priesthood

Karkala, Udupi, May 3, 2025: Bishop Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, Bishop of Udupi, ordained two deacons—Oswald Vaz from Hirgan and Rohan Edward Mascarenhas from Kelmbet-Bola—as priests for the Diocese of Udupi during a ceremony held on Thursday, May 1, 2025, at St Lawrence Basilica in Attur, Karkala. The solemn event was attended by a large gathering of clergy, religious, and lay faithful.

Bishop Lobo presided over the Eucharistic celebration for the ordination. In his homily, he reflected on the sacred calling of the priesthood, emphasising that a Christian priest is "chosen by God and cherished by both God and His people".

Bishop Lobo spoke about the dual mission of the priest: to shepherd the faithful through spiritual guidance and to proclaim the Word of God to the world. He also expressed deep gratitude to the families of the newly ordained for offering their sons to the service of the Church and urged more families to nurture and support religious vocations.

The ordination rite included the ancient tradition of bishops and attending priests laying their hands on the candidate, silently invoking the Holy Spirit in prayer. This was followed by the anointing of the deacons’ hands with holy oil, symbolising their consecration to the priestly ministry.

The event drew several dignitaries and clergy, including Chancellor of Udupi Diocese, Fr Steeven D’Souza; Judicial Vicar of Udupi Diocese, Dr Roshan D’Souza; Basilica Rector Fr Alban D’Souza; Assistant Parish Priest Fr Larry Pinto; Spiritual Director Fr Roman Mascarenhas; and deanery heads Fr Charles Menezes (Udupi), Fr Dr Leslie D’Souza (Shirva), and Fr Paul Rego (Kundapura). Diocesan PRO Fr Denis D’Sa and numerous priests and religious were also present.

Fr Rohan Edward Mascarenhas is the son of Robert and Evelyn Mascarenhas, parishioners of St John Bosco Church, Kelmbet-Bola, while Fr Oswald Vaz is the son of Abraham and Vera Vaz from Maria Goretti Church, Hirgan. Both were felicitated on behalf of the diocese by Vicar General Monsignor Ferdinand Gonsalves.

Fr. Wilson D’Souza, director of Divya Jyothi—the pastoral centre of the Udupi Diocese—organised and coordinated the ordination ceremony.

By Fr Denis D’Sa ,

P.R.O

Diocese of Udupi