PANAJI
Fr Joseph Silvestre D’Souza OCD, Superior of the Carmelite Monastery, Margao, has been elected Provincial Superior of the Karnataka-Goa province of the Order of Discalced Carmelites.
Fr Silvestre was elected provincial at the ongoing 15th Provincial Chapter being held at Pushpashrama-Mysuru for three years. He succeeds Fr George Santhumayor, OCD.
His team of Councilors are Fr Archibald Gonsalves OCD (First Councillor), Fr Alphonse Britto OCD (Second Councillor), Fr Prakash D’Cunha OCD (Third Councillor) and Fr Joaquim Rodrigues OCD (Fourh Councillor).
Fr Silvestre is the President of the Divine Mercy Movement in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman and also the Vice-President of CRI-Goa. He is a member of the Council of Priests and Diocesan Pastoral Council in the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman.
A talented musician with qualification from Trinity College of Music in London, Fr Silvestre has been recognised for his administrative knowledge with his skills as a retreat preacher and animator. He was a part of the team of Lenten Retreat Preaching by the Carmelites in the Archdiocese of Goa.
Fr Joseph Silvestre D’Souza, who hails from Nagoa-Bardez, was born on April 22, 1971 and studied at St Joseph’s High School in Arpora and St Xavier’s College in Mapusa.
He joined the Carmelite Order on June 14, 1988, and was admitted to the aspirants’ house at Xellim-Canacona. On October 15, 1990, he made his first religious commitment at the Carmelite Monastery in Margao.
Fr Silvestre was ordained priest by then Auxiliary Bishop Filipe Nerri Ferrao on April 22, 1998 at Holy Trinity Church, Nagoa, Bardez.
In 2020, the Provincial Chapter elected him to lead the Carmelite Monastery in Margao.
Fr Silvestre has been a regular professor at various formation houses and spirituality institutes such as Dhyanavana, Dhyana Sadhana, Ryshivana as well as in other house of formation for women religious.
