Udupi  : All arrangements are complete for the formal erection of the new Diocese of Udupi on October 15, 2012, Monday  at a grand ceremony to be held  at the Kallianpur Milagres Cathedral Grounds.  Udupi will be the fourth diocese in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district – the other two being Puttur of the Syro-Malankara rite and Belthangady of the Syro-Malabar rite.  It is the  14th diocese in Karnataka and 166th  Diocese of India.

Most. Rev. Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo, hitherto the Bishop of Shimoga, will be ordained the First Bishop of the New Diocese.  Pope Benedict XVI announced the formation of the Diocese of Udupi on July 16 . The  areas under the new Udupi Diocese were  hitherto a part of Mangalore Diocese since its inception in the year 1887. It consists of  48   parishes belonging to Karkala, Udupi and Kundapur taluks There are 1.25 lakh Catholics, 58 diocesan priests, 20 religious priests / brothers and 225 religious sisters in Udupi diocese. The Church of Our Lady of Miracles (Kallianpur) has been designated as the Cathedral Church of the new Diocese.

Nearly one third of the parishes in Mangalore Diocese will be under Udupi Diocese the formation of which is expected to provide some relief to the Mangalore Bishop  Most Rev Aloysius Paul D’Souza, who otherwise has to  look after the spiritual needs and administration of 160 parishes under the Mangalore Diocese spread over Dakshina Kannada, Udupi in Karnataka state and part of Kasargod district of Kerala.

The function will commence with a short reception at 2 pm on October 15 at Kalianpur-Santhekatte main junction. The Eucharistic celebrations will be held  at the Milagres grounds. The official decree received from Vatican about the new Bishop of the Diocese would be read out in Latin and Konkani. Later, the new Bishop of the Udupi Diocese will be take his seat at the  pedestal ‘Kathedra’ and with this the new office of the Bishop of Udupi Diocese would come into effect. This will be followed by the  Holy Eucharistic Mass at the Cathedral grounds.

Apostolic Nuncio in India, Dr Salvatore Pennacchio will be the principal Prelate along with  new Bishop Dr Gerald Isaac Lobo as the main celebrant of the Mass. Dr Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore Archdiocese, Dr Ignatius Pinto, Rtd Archbishop of Bangalore Archdiocese,  Rev. Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore and President of Udupi Diocese Installation Committee together with more than 35 bishops and  300 priests will take part in the holy Eucharistic celebrations.