[From L to R] Archbishop of Gandhinagar Thomas Macwan, Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Bishop Sebastião Mascarenhas and Archbishop of Goa Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão during the Episcopal Consecration ceremony in Vadodara-Gujarat on Saturda
PANAJI
Former Superior General of the Pilar Society Fr Sebastião Mascarenhas SFX was ordained Bishop of Baroda at the Episcopal Consecration ceremony held at Rosary High School Ground in Vadodara-Gujarat on Saturday.
The Principal Consecrator was Archbishop of Bombay Cardinal Oswald Gracias, while the Co-Consecrators were Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão and Archbishop of Gandhinagar Thomas Macwan.
Bishop Sebastião’s own brother, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli, the Nuncio for India and Nepal, 22 Bishops, about 330-350 priests, around 400-500 religious sisters and 7,000-8,000 lay faithful were also present for the Episcopal Consecration.
Delegates of the Goa government included PWD Minister Nilesh Cabral, IGP Omvir Singh Bishnoi IPS and Secretary for Revenue and General Administration Sandip Jacques IAS.
Pope Francis had appointed Fr Sebastiäo Mascarenhas, SFX, former Superior General of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier (Pilar Fathers), as Bishop of Baroda on December 31, 2022.
Bishop Sebastião Mascarenhas SFX, who hails from Camurlim-Salcete, is the fourth bishop of Baroda diocese and is a member of the Society of the Missionaries of St Francis Xavier, popularly known as Pilar Fathers.
Archbishop of Goa and Daman Cardinal Filipe Neri Ferrão imposing his hands on Bishop Sebastião Mascarenhas during the Episcopal Consecration ceremony in Vadodara-Gujarat on Saturday.
Bishop Sebastiäo Mascarenhas, SFX, is now the third bishop from the Society of Pilar. His brother, Bishop Theodore Mascarenhas, Auxiliary Bishop of Ranchi and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Daltonganj in Jharkhand, and Bishop-Emeritus of Port Blair Alex Dias are the two other bishops from the religious congregation, which was formed in 1887.
Bishop Sebastiäo Mascarenhas began his early Priestly ministry in the Parish and School in Vapi, and at various intervals served in the missions of Nagar Haveli.
After his Licentiate and Doctorate abroad, he joined the Mission Seminary at Pilar as Professor and Animator from 2000-2002 and then Rector and Professor of the Seminary 2002- 2009.
