Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza Appointed New Bishop of Udupi

New Delhi, 31 January 2026 (CCBI): The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has appointed Rev. Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza, Parish Priest of Our Lady of Health, Shirva, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Udupi.

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Isaac Lobo from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Udupi.

Fr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza was born on 19 August 1962 in Yermal, in the Diocese of Udupi, Karnataka. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts through distance education from the University of Mysore. He studied philosophy at St. Joseph’s Interdiocesan Seminary, Mangalore, and theology at the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. He later obtained a Licentiate and Doctorate in Moral Theology from the Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium.

He was ordained a priest on 10 May 1990 and was first incardinated in the Diocese of Mangalore and later in the Diocese of Udupi. He has served in the following assignments: Assistant Parish Priest, Holy Rosary Church, Kundapur, Udupi (1990–1992); Assistant Parish Priest, Holy Cross Church, Kulshekar, Mangalore (1992–1995); Professor of Moral Theology, St. Joseph’s Interdiocesan Seminary, Mangalore (2003–2010); Parish Priest, St. John the Evangelist Church, Pangala (2010–2017); Parish Priest, Our Lady of Rosary Church, Kallianpur (2017–2023); Parish Priest, Our Lady of Health Church, Shirva, and Dean of Shirva Deanery (since 2023).

Dr. Stephen Alathara