Udupi, October 15: The 14th diocese in Karnataka and 166th diocese in the country was inaugurated, at Kallianpur Milagres Cathedral grounds on Monday. Most Rev Dr Jerald Isaac Lobo was installed as the Bishop of the diocese.
Apostolic Nuncio in India and Representative of Pope Rev Dr Salvatore Pennacchio who was in Udupi as a part of the inauguration, delivered the message of peace and harmony to the people, by practicing faith in religion.
Terming it as a great joy for the people of Udupi to have a separate diocese, he said the new diocese should help the people to express faith in religion and spread harmony.
The newly appointed Bishop said that the new diocese has tremendous opportunities and challenges before it. “The Udupi which was a part of the Mangalore diocese has a history, but it is new as an independent diocese. It has the legacy of faith and good work,” he said.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the Udupi diocese at Kallianpur Milagres Cathedral grounds. Terming it as a great joy for the people of Udupi to have a separate diocese, he said that the new diocese should help the people to express faith in religion and spread harmony.
Most Rev Dr Jerald Isaac Lobo, who took charge as the Bishop of newly formed diocese, said that the new diocese has tremendous opportunities and challenges before it. “Udupi, which was a part of the Mangalore diocese, has a history, but it is new as an independent diocese. It has the legacy of faith and good work,” he said.
Stressing on the significance of humanitarian values, he said all religions should promote fraternity and good values and should not divide the people. Every religion preaches peace and harmony and it is the duty of the people to join hands in promoting peace .
Udupi District-in-Charge Minister Kota Srinivas Poojary said that Catholics have always been a part of Udupi and they have become one amongst us, by practicing their culture and tradition.
Puttige seer Sugunendra Theertha insisted on treating all religions equally by upholding the dignity of every religion.
Offerings were made by the deaneries under Udupi diocese. Kundapur deanery offered coconut sapling, Shirva deanery offered banana plant, Udupi deanery rice and food grains, and Kallianpur deanery offered fruits and groceries on the occasion.
The new Diocese of Udupi consists of 48 parishes in Karkala, Udupi and Kundapur. There are 1.25 lakh catholics, 58 diocesan priests, 20 religious priests/brothers and 225 sisters in Udupi diocese.
The new diocese of Udupi will be a suffragan of the Archdiocese of Bangalore. The Church of Our Lady of Miracles will be the cathedral of the newly installed diocese.
Rajya Sabha MP Oscar Fernandes, Udupi-Chikmagalur MP Jaya Prakash Hegde, Bangalore Arch Bishop Most Rev Bernanrd Moras, Mangalore Bishop Aloysius Paul D'Souza were present.
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