India’s Patna Archdiocese has a new archbishop

By Vatican News staff writer

In India, Coadjutor Archbishop Sebastian Kallupura has succeeded as Archbishop of Patna, the capital of the eastern state of Bihar.  His succession came after Pope Francis on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Jesuit Archbishop William D’Souza of Patna who has retired. 

Auxiliary and coadjutor bishops help the head of the diocese in the pastoral care and administration of the diocese.  However, unlike an auxiliary bishop, a coadjutor bishop has the right of succession.  On the resignation or death of the bishop of the diocese, the coadjutor bishop or archbishop automatically succeeds his predecessor..  

Archbishop Kallupura, 67, is a native of Teekoy, in southern India’s Kerala state.  He joined the minor seminary in Palai in 1971 to work for Patna Diocese and was ordained to the priesthood on May 14, 1984.  He holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Bombay University. He served the Archdiocese of Patna as parish priest in various places and was assistant treasurer, director of the archdiocesan social apostolate and director of the Bihar Social Forum.

Pope Benedict appointed him Bishop of Buxar on April 7, 2009, and Pope Francis appointed him Coadjutor Archbishop of Patna on June 29, 2018.  He is currently the Chairman of both Caritas India as well as the Commission for Family of the Latin-rite bishops of India.

Retired Archbishop William D’Souza, 74, was born in Madanthyar in Karnataka state.  He joined the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and pursued his philosophical studies in Shembanagur in Tamil Nadu and theology at Jnana Deepa Vidyapeet in Pune.  He was ordained a priest on May 3, 1976.  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.

When Pope Benedict XVI created the Diocese of Buxar in 2005, he appointed Father D’Souza as its first bishop.  He also served as Administrator of Muzaffarpur Diocese for a year.  Pope Benedict XVI appointed him as the Metropolitan Archbishop of Patna on October 1, 2007.  He has been a priest for 44 years and a bishop for 14 years.