Aloysius Paul D'Souza was born on 21 June 1941 in Hekkotu, a neighbourhood in the Agrar suburb of Bantwal, Dakshina Kannada.[1] He was the sixth of seven children to Mathias and Isabella D'Souza.[1] The family belonged to the D'Souza-Kamath clan, a Mangalorean Catholic clan of the same area.[2] One of his brothers Fr. Charles D'Souza is a pastor in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Delhi, and one of his sisters Sr. Janis A.C., is a nun in Chandigarh.[1] He completed his primary education at Agrar, and did his pre-university studies at the S. V. S. High School in Bantwal.[1] In 1958, the same year of joining the high school, he joined the St. Joseph's seminary to study for the priesthood.[1]
Diocesan work
D'Souza was ordained as a priest on 3 December 1966,[2] and served as Assistant Priest of the Holy Cross Church, Cordel until 1970.[1] During this time, he graduated from Karnataka University.[1] Impressed by his competence and his creativeness and knowledge of Roman Catholic theology, the then Bishop of Mangalore Basil Salvadore D'Souza appointed D'Souza as the Diocesan Secretary.[1] In 1971, the Diocesan authorities sent him to Rome to do a doctorate in canonical law, where he specialised in Christian Marriage Law.[2] Upon completing his doctorate, he was subsequently appointed as an Advocate of Roman Rota—the supreme tribunal of Catholic Church, thereby becoming the first Indian priest to achieve this distinction.[2] D'Souza is one of only two Indians to qualify as an Advocate of Roman Rota, in which capacity he was Judicial Vicar of the Mangalore Tribunal from 1984.[2]
D'Souza returned to Mangalore in 1976, and was appointed the chancellor of the Mangalore Diocese in 1977.[2] During this time, he was in charge of vocations and founded Gladson Home, a minor seminary in Bolar.[1] He simultaneously held the posts of the Vicar of the Cascia parish from 1988 as well as that of the Director of the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women from 1985.[2] In 1995, he became the first Diocesan priest to be appointed as the first Rector of St. Joseph's Seminary in Jeppu.[1]
Bishop of Mangalore Diocese
On 11 January 1996, the Holy See under Pope John Paul II appointed D'Souza as Auxiliary Bishop of the Mangalore Diocese.[2] Upon Bishop Basil Salvadore D'Souza's sudden death in 1996, he was appointed as titular Bishop on 15 May of the same year.[1] On 27 December, he was formally installed as Bishop of Mangalore.[1]
After becoming Bishop, D'Souza finalised the construction work of the Diocesan Pastoral Centre wherein nine centres are headed by Priests.[1] He strengthened the Canara Organization for Development and Peace (CODP) Institution, and was instrumental in the establishment of Father Muller Medical College; inaugurating its opening in 1999.[1] He is currently the Chairman of Family Living Commission of Central Council of Bishops of India.[1] D'Souza also spearheaded the opening of many other colleges, High schools and Primary schools.[1] He developed and initiated a "Ten Point Program" to be followed in diocese masses, regardless of class, creed or religious affiliation.[1]
Initiating and developing a program to identify suitable persons to spread Roman Catholicism and instill piety.
The ward-wise liturgical preparation in parishes.
Building a voluntary group of people to preach and practice Christian principles.
Strengthening unity among Christians and initiating inter-religious dialogue.
Minority Christian movement.
Strengthening Women's Associations.
Providing basic necessities to underprivileged people.
Building Resource Groups at the Ward and Parish level.
Creation of Christ-centered families.
Strengthening youths to follow in the path of Christ.
D'Souza organised the World Konkani Conference and the All India Bishops Conference in Mangalore.[1] He translated the Bible into Konkani in a mini-pocket form.[1] He has made strenuous efforts into propagating Roman Catholicism in Mangalore, as well as promoting communal harmony among the local populace.[1]
Lobo, Michael (2000). Distinguished Mangalorean Catholics, 1800–2000: a historico-biographical survey of the Mangalorean Catholic community. Camelot Publishers. ISBN978-81-87609-01-8..
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