John Rodrigues

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John Rodrigues
Archbishop of Bombay
Church Roman Catholic Church
Archdiocese Archdiocese of Bombay
See Bombay
Appointed30 November 2024
Installed25 January 2025
Predecessor Oswald Gracias
Other post(s)
Previous post(s)
Orders
Ordination18 April 1998
by  Ivan Dias
Consecration15 May 2013
by  Oswald Gracias
RankArchbishop
Personal details
Born
John Rodrigues

(1967-08-21) 21 August 1967 (age 57)
Mumbai, India
Denomination Roman Catholic
ResidenceArchbishop's House,Mumbai, India
ParentsStanley Rodrigues (father)
Corinne Rodrigues (mother)
Alma mater St Pius X College Mumbai
MottoBuilding Up The Body of Christ
Ordination history of
John Rodrigues
History
Priestly ordination
Ordained by Ivan Dias
Date18 April 1998
Episcopal consecration
Principal consecrator Oswald Gracias
Co-consecrators Filipe Neri Ferrão
Agnelo Gracias
Date15 May 2013
Place Saint Michael, Church, Mahim
Episcopal succession

John Rodrigues (born 21 August 1967) is an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church who is the Archbishop of Bombay. He was coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Bombay from 30 November 2024 to 25 January 2025. He was Bishop of Poona from March 2023 to November 2024, and before that served as an auxiliary bishop of Bombay for ten years.

Contents

Biography

John Rodrigues was born on 21 August 1967 in an east indian family in the Bandra suburb of Mumbai. [1] He and his two older brothers became priests, one of them a Jesuit. [2] Their father Late Stanley Rodrigues died in 1975 and they were raised by their widowed mother Corinne, who was a leader of the Marriage Encounter movement with her husband and founded a charity to support widows. [3] [4] John Rodrigues earned a bachelor of science degree in physics at Mumbai University and a bachelor's in philosophy and theology at St. Pius X College in Goregaon, a Mumbai suburb. [5] One of his seminary teachers was Oswald Gracias, later Cardinal Archbishop of Bombay. [6]

He was ordained a priest on 18 April 1998. Following ordination he served for a year as assistant priest at St. Michael's in Mahim and then for a year as assistant to the archbishop. He spent the next two years studying in Rome, earning a licentiate in systematic theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in 2002. Returning to Mumbai, he taught systematic theology at St Pius X College from 2002 to 2011, serving also as the school's group moderator from 2003 to 2013 and dean of studies from 2011 to 2013. He was named rector of the college, but served only a few weeks before being named a bishop. Alongside his academic work, he served the archdiocese as secretary of the priests council from 2010 to 2013 and as coordinator for the Year of Faith in 2012/13. [1]

Pope Francis named him auxiliary bishop of Bombay on 15 May 2013. [5] He received his episcopal consecration on 29 June 2013 [7] from Cardinal Oswald Gracias, with co-consecrators Filipe Neri Ferrão, Archbishop of Goa e Daman, and Agnelo Rufino Gracias, Auxiliary Bishop of Bombay.[ citation needed ] He chose as his episcopal motto "Building Up The Body of Christ". [1] At the end of his term as auxiliary he headed the deaneries for Bandra and Borivali and rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Mount in Bandra. [1]

Pope Francis appointed him bishop of Poona on 25 March 2023. [8] He was installed there on 24 May. [9]

Pope Francis named him coadjutor archbishop of Bombay on 30 November 2024. [7] He succeeded as archbishop when Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Gracias on 25 January 2025. [10]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Auxiliary Bishop John Rodrigues". Archdiocese of Bombay. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  2. "Pune Diocese Gets New Bishop". Matters India. 26 March 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  3. Carvalho, Nirmala (8 March 2017). "Mumbai: Corinne Rodrigues, a widowed mother who inspired the vocation of three children". Asia News. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  4. Alexander, Binu (18 January 2018). "Vocation to priesthood – inspiration and mystery". Living in Faith. Retrieved 1 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 "Rinunce e Nomine, 15.05.2013" (Press release) (in Italian). Holy See Press Office. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  6. "A message from H.E. Oswald Cardinal Gracias - November 30, 2024". Archdiocese of Bombay. 30 November 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Resignations and Appointments, 30.11.2024" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 30 November 2024. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  8. "Resignations and Appointments, 25.03.2023" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 25 March 2023. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  9. Thevar, Steffy (25 May 2023). "John Rodrigues Is New Bishop Of Poona Diocese". Times of India. Retrieved 30 November 2024.
  10. "Resignations and Appointments, 25.01.2025" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 25 January 2025. Retrieved 25 January 2025.