Pope appoints bishop in Sylhet, Bangladesh

By Vatican News

Pope Francis in Wednesday appointed Auxiliary Bishop Shorot Francis Gomes of Dhaka as Bishop of Sylhet Diocese in northeast Bangladesh.  He takes over from Bishop Bejoy Nicephorus D’Cruze, whom the Pope appointed Archbishop of Dhaka on September 30, 2020. 

Bishop Gomes, 55, is the second Bishop of Sylhet Diocese, which Pope Benedict XVI erected in 2011.   

Bishop Shorot Gomes was born on Dec. 15, 1965, in Hashnabad village in the Archdiocese of Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital.  After completing his primary and secondary studies at the Holy Cross High School in Bandura, he entered the Little Flower Minor Seminary in Dhaka.  Thereafter, he completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Holy Spirit Major Seminary in Banani in 1984.

After his priestly ordination on May 31, 1990, he served as rector of the Little Flower Minor Seminary.   He was sent to Rome where he studied from 1998 to 2002 to obtain a doctorate in moral theology.   

Back home, he served as parish priest of Nagari and Tejgaon in the capital until 2005. He was vice rector of the Holy Spirit Major Seminary until he was named vicar general of Sylhet Diocese in 2012.

On Feb. 8, 2016, Pope Francis appointed Bishop Gomes as Auxiliary Bishop of Dhaka, to assist Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario.  He was consecrated bishop on April 22, 2016.

Sylhet Diocese includes the civil districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj and Moulibazar, an area comprising a largely indigenous and tribal population.  

Pope Francis visited Bangladesh, November 30 to December 2, 2017, following his visit to neighhbouring Myanmar, November 26 to 30.