<p>Mysuru: The new Bishop of the Mysuru Diocese will be installed on Tuesday, October 7, at St Joseph’s Cathedral (St Philomena’s Shrine) at 4:30 pm.</p><p>Addressing a media conference at Sanmaargi in Mysuru on Saturday, Apostolic Administrator of the Mysuru Diocese, Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras, said that Archbishop of Bengaluru Peter Machado will install Bishop Francis Serrao in the presence of Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.</p><p>“In the absence of the Bishop in Mysuru, I have officiated as the Apostolic Administrator for two years and nine months. Francis Serrao has been transferred from the Shivamogga Diocese,” he said.</p><p>It may be recalled that Bishop K A (Kannikadass Antony) William, who was appointed Bishop of Mysuru on January 25, 2017, was ordained on February 27, 2017. He resigned on January 13, 2024, following which Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras was named Apostolic Administrator.</p><p>Francis Serrao, Bishop of Shivamogga, was named the new Bishop of the Mysuru Diocese by Pope Leo XIV on August 15, which was also Serrao’s 66th birthday.</p><p>Serrao has served as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shivamogga since 2014. He was born on August 15, 1959, in Moodabidri, Dakshina Kannada district. Among the 11 children of Piedade Serrao and Gracy Mary Serrao, Francis Serrao has five brothers who are priests.</p><p>He joined the Society of Jesus (SJ) on January 3, 1979, and completed his studies in Philosophy and Theology at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. He earned a master’s degree in Theology from Vidya Jyoti College of Theology, New Delhi. He was ordained a priest for the SJ on April 30, 1992, by Bishop Basil D'Souza of Mangalore, and took his final vows as a Jesuit on May 1, 1999.</p><p>Serrao worked in the Jesuits’ social apostolate for Dalit and tribal communities at Mundgod Mission in the Diocese of Karwar in 1991–92 and again from 1994 to 1997. He served as pastor of St Joseph Church, Anekal, from 2000 to 2004, and then as superior of the Jesuit Mission in Vijayapura in 2003–04. He was rector of St Aloysius College, Mangaluru, from 2004 to 2009, and served as provincial of the Karnataka Jesuit Province from 2009 to 2014.</p><p>Pope Francis appointed Serrao as Bishop of Shivamogga on March 19, 2014. He received his episcopal consecration on May 7, 2014, from Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio to India.</p><p>Present at the media conference were Vicar General Alfred John Mendonca, financial administrator Sebastian Alexander, secretary of the Mysuru Diocesan Educational Society Edward Saldanha, and member of the finance committee Michael Noronha.</p>
<p>Mysuru: The new Bishop of the Mysuru Diocese will be installed on Tuesday, October 7, at St Joseph’s Cathedral (St Philomena’s Shrine) at 4:30 pm.</p><p>Addressing a media conference at Sanmaargi in Mysuru on Saturday, Apostolic Administrator of the Mysuru Diocese, Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras, said that Archbishop of Bengaluru Peter Machado will install Bishop Francis Serrao in the presence of Apostolic Nuncio to India and Nepal Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli.</p><p>“In the absence of the Bishop in Mysuru, I have officiated as the Apostolic Administrator for two years and nine months. Francis Serrao has been transferred from the Shivamogga Diocese,” he said.</p><p>It may be recalled that Bishop K A (Kannikadass Antony) William, who was appointed Bishop of Mysuru on January 25, 2017, was ordained on February 27, 2017. He resigned on January 13, 2024, following which Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras was named Apostolic Administrator.</p><p>Francis Serrao, Bishop of Shivamogga, was named the new Bishop of the Mysuru Diocese by Pope Leo XIV on August 15, which was also Serrao’s 66th birthday.</p><p>Serrao has served as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Shivamogga since 2014. He was born on August 15, 1959, in Moodabidri, Dakshina Kannada district. Among the 11 children of Piedade Serrao and Gracy Mary Serrao, Francis Serrao has five brothers who are priests.</p><p>He joined the Society of Jesus (SJ) on January 3, 1979, and completed his studies in Philosophy and Theology at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. He earned a master’s degree in Theology from Vidya Jyoti College of Theology, New Delhi. He was ordained a priest for the SJ on April 30, 1992, by Bishop Basil D'Souza of Mangalore, and took his final vows as a Jesuit on May 1, 1999.</p><p>Serrao worked in the Jesuits’ social apostolate for Dalit and tribal communities at Mundgod Mission in the Diocese of Karwar in 1991–92 and again from 1994 to 1997. He served as pastor of St Joseph Church, Anekal, from 2000 to 2004, and then as superior of the Jesuit Mission in Vijayapura in 2003–04. He was rector of St Aloysius College, Mangaluru, from 2004 to 2009, and served as provincial of the Karnataka Jesuit Province from 2009 to 2014.</p><p>Pope Francis appointed Serrao as Bishop of Shivamogga on March 19, 2014. He received his episcopal consecration on May 7, 2014, from Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio to India.</p><p>Present at the media conference were Vicar General Alfred John Mendonca, financial administrator Sebastian Alexander, secretary of the Mysuru Diocesan Educational Society Edward Saldanha, and member of the finance committee Michael Noronha.</p>