The Diocese of Udupi is preparing for a historic occasion as Msgr Dr Leslie Clifford D’Souza will be ordained as its new bishop on April 20, 2026, at the iconic Milagres Cathedral.
He was appointed Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Udupi on January 31, 2026, by the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV.
The solemn episcopal ordination and official installation ceremony will be attended by cardinals, archbishops and more than 30 bishops from across India. Hundreds of priests, religious sisters and lay faithful are expected to gather for the celebration.
Succeeds Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo
Msgr D’Souza succeeds Most Rev Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, whose resignation has been accepted by the Holy Father. Bishop Lobo will continue to serve as Apostolic Administrator until the new bishop formally assumes charge.
Born on August 19, 1962, in Yermal, he pursued a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mysore. He completed philosophy studies at St Joseph’s Interdiocesan Seminary, Mangaluru, and theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University. He later obtained licentiate and doctoral degrees in moral theology from the Université Catholique de Louvain.
Ordained a priest on May 10, 1990, he was initially incardinated in the Diocese of Mangaluru before being transferred to Udupi.
Years of dedicated service
Over the decades, he has served as assistant parish priest in Kundapur and Mangaluru, professor of moral theology at St Joseph’s Seminary, and parish priest in Pangala, Kallianpur and Shirva. Since 2023, he has also served as dean of the Shirva deanery.
The ordination marks a new chapter for the Diocese of Udupi, as faithful look forward with hope and prayer to his episcopal leadership.