Pune/Bangaluru: Most Rev. Sebastian Kallupura (67), currently the Coadjutor Archbishop of Patna, succeeds as the Metropolitan Archbishop as His Holiness Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Most Rev. William D’Souza S.J., (74) from the pastoral governance of Patna Archdiocese. This ecclesiastical provision was made public on Wednesday, December 9 at 4.30 pm.
Archbishop Sebastian Kallupura, was born on July 14, 1952 at Teekoy, in the Diocese of Palai, Kerala. In 1971 he joined the minor seminary in Palai for Patna diocese, and was ordained priest on 14 May, 1984. He holds a bachelor of education from Bombay University. He served the Archdiocese of Patna as parish priest in various parishes, as assistant treasurer, director of the Archdiocesan social apostolate and director of the Bihar Social Forum.
He was elected Bishop of Buxar on April 7, 2009 and ordained on June 21, 2009. Pope Francis appointed him as the Coadjutor Archbishop of Patna on 29 June 2018. He is currently the Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Family and the Caritas India.
Meanwhile, Archbishop William was born on 5 March 1946 at Madanthyar, Karnataka. He joined the Jesuit congregation and ordained priest on 3 May 1976. He did his philosophical studies in Shembanagur in Tamilnadu and theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeet in Pune. He was superior of Jesuit communities in various places. He served as rector of the minor seminary in Muzaffarpur, parish priests in different parishes, secretary to the bishop of Muzaffarpur and provincial of the Patna Jesuit province from 1995 to 2001.
He was appointed as the first Bishop newly created of Buxar on 12 December 2005 and ordained Bishop on March 25, 2006 on the feast day of annunciation at Mary Mother of Perpetual Help Cathedral Buxar. He was also the Administrator of Muzaffarpur diocese for a year. He was the parish priest of Itarhi in the district of Buxar at the time of his appointment as Bishop. Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Patna on October 1, 2007. He is a priest for 44 years and a Bishop for 14 years.
Archbishop William was also known for his ecological ministries since 1996, especially when he set apart ten acres of prime land in the metropolis to build the first ever Bio-reserve. He was the Archbishop who wrote to all churches and communities not to indulge in electric illumination for Christmas since 52 kilograms of coal produces one unit of electricity. He always urged his people to stand up and take action especially on the conservation of electricity and water.
