Barishal Catholic Diocese Gets New Bishop
Barishal Catholic Diocese Gets New Bishop
Pope Francis has appointed Rajshahi diocese’s vicar general Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Kanon Rozario as Bishop of Barishal Catholic Dioceses on June 21.
His Episcopal Consecration Ceremony has taken place in the premises of Udayan Secondary School, Barishal today, 19 August 2022.
Country’s nine Catholic bishops, 300 priests, 200 religious brothers and sisters, including 4200 Christians were presented in the holy mass and in a reception. Caritas Bangladesh’s (CB) Executive Director Mr. Sebastian Rozario with other Directors greeted the new bishop with a crest. Bishop Emmanuel K. Rozario served CB as the member of General Body. Executive Board and in various capacities including the Chaplain of Caritas Rajshahi Region.
Archbishop Bejoy N D’Cruze, OMI, Bishop of Dhaka and President of Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Bangladesh, led the installation program and newly installed Bishop Emmanuel K. Rozario offered the holy mass.
The 59 year old bishop Emmanuel Rozario said, “Being selected as Bishop of Barishal is calling of migration. Abraham of holy bible was called by God to go another country, similarly I left my diocese Rajshahi and responded to the call to come to Barishal diocese where I never worked. In this diocese, first, I will listen to the faithful and will take care of them.”
After holy mass, a reception to the new bishop Rozario took place.
Born on Feb 8, 1963, in the village of Deirpara in Failjana parish in Pabna of Rajshahi diocese, Bishop Emmanuel is the fifth of six brothers and two sisters, and he is second bishop of Barishal Diocese.
He studied philosophy and theology at the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Dhaka and was ordained a priest on Dec. 28, 1993. He completed higher studies and obtained a Licentiate and Doctorate Degree in Biblical Theology from the Pontificia Universitas Urbaniana of Rome.
He worked for Bonpara, Borni and Kolimnagar parish since his priestly life. He served the Holy Spirit Major Seminary, Dhaka as a teacher and rector for 11 years.
He has been working as a member of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences – Office of Theological Concerns (FABC-OTC), and as an executive secretary of the FABC Office of Laity and Family (FABC-OLF).