PUNE: Pope Francis on Wednesday appointed Vasai-born priest Fr Ivan Pereira as the new bishop of Jammu-Srinagar diocese.
Fr Pereira (50) will succeed Bishop Peter Celestine who resigned after turning 75.
As per the canon law, bishop's retirement age is 75 while cardinals retire after turning 80.
Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre, in whose presence Pereira was ordained a priest in 1993, has congratulated the new bishop-elect.
Fr Pereira, who has chosen Jammu-Srinagar diocese for his work, had served as the vicar general and secretary of the Jammu-Srinagar bishop from 2004-2009. Presently, he is serving as the principal of the Burn Hall Higher Secondary School in Srinagar.
Pereira will be the seventh priest from Vasai taluka in Thane district to be elevated as bishop, an important post in the Church.
Bishop Dominic Abreu was the first Vasai clergy to be appointed by the Vatican as bishop.
He was appointed as Aurangabad diocese bishop. Ignatius D'Cunha, who succeeded him in Auragabad diocese, was also from Vasai.
The other Vasai-born priests to be elevated to the ranks of the bishop are Pune Bishop Thomas Dabre, also the first bishop of Vasai diocese, Vasai archbishop Felix Machado, Amravati Bishop Elias Gonsalves and Aurangabad Bishop Edwin Colaco.
ST COMMUNITY CONNECTCHRISTIANITY AND VASAI- Christianity in Vasai dates back to mid-16th Century when Portuguese established their rule in Vasai and nearby areas on the west coast.
- Tradition claims that Jesus Christ’s apostle St Bartholomew came to the neighbourhood of Vasai and preached Christianity near Kalyan nearly 2,000 years ago.
- Pereira will be the seventh priest from Vasai taluka in Thane district.