Rev. Dr. Leslie Clifford D'Souza named new Archbishop of Udupi Diocese

Vartha Bharati | 31-01-2026 | 20:35:00 IST

Rev. Dr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza

Udupi: Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rev. Dr. Leslie Clifford D’Souza as the new Archbishop of the Udupi diocese. He is currently serving as the priest of the Our Lady of Health Church in Shirva.

The appointment was officially announced in Rome on January 31 at 12 noon (4.30 pm IST) and simultaneously at the Milagres Cathedral in Kalyanpur, Udupi district.

Rev. Dr. Leslie began his education at Saraswati Mandir Senior Secondary School, Uchila (1969–1976), followed by his secondary education at Government Fisheries High School, Yermal (1976–1979). He completed his pre-university studies at Purna Prajna College (1979–1981).

He pursued priestly formation at St. Joseph’s Inter-Provincial Seminary, Mangaluru, where he studied philosophy and obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Mysore (1982–1985). He later earned a Bachelor’s degree in Theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome (1986–1990).

Rev. Dr. Leslie holds a Master’s degree in English Literature from the University of Mysore (1991–1993) and a Diploma in Depth Psychology and Formation from the Bangalore Institute of Psychology and Training (1993–1995). He further completed a Licentiate in Theology (1997–1999) and a Doctorate in Moral Theology (1999–2003) at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Mangalore on May 10, 1990. His priestly ministry began as an assistant priest at Holy Rosary Church, Kundapura (1990–1992), and later at Holy Cross Church, Kulasekara, Mangaluru (1992–1995).

He served as a professor and formator in moral theology at St. Joseph’s Inter-Provincial Seminary, Mangaluru (1995–1997), and continued as a visiting professor until 2013.

Rev. Dr. Leslie later served as parish priest of St. John the Evangelist Church, Pangla/Shankarpur (2010–2017), and Mount Rosary Church, Kalyanpur–Santekatte (2017–2022). During this period, he also held the responsibility of coordinator of educational institutions.

Since June 2022, he has been serving as parish priest of Shokamata Church, Shirva, and as coordinator of Don Bosco and St. Mary’s educational institutions. He has also played a key role in the administration and governance of the Diocese of Udupi.

He served as Secretary of the Council of Priests from 2022 to 2025 and currently holds multiple responsibilities, including Principal Religious Teacher of the Shirva Zone, Advocate of the Diocesan Tribunal of Udupi, and member of the Advisory Board (2023 to present).

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Boat carrying 250 people, including Rohingya and Bangladeshis, sinks in Andaman Sea

15-04-2026 ¦ 15-04-2026 IST

PC: x.com/ruswar

Dhaka (AP): At least 250 people, including Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi nationals, were missing after a boat capsized in the Andaman Sea recently on the way to Malaysia, according to the United Nations' refugee and migration agencies.

When the boat sank and the status of any search Wednesday were unclear.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organisation for Migration in a joint statement said Tuesday that the trawler departed from Teknaf in the southern Bangladeshi district of Cox's Bazar carrying a large number of passengers to Malaysia.

Overcrowding, strong winds and rough seas caused the vessel to lose control and sink, the agencies said.

UNHCR and IOM said the disappearance reflected the protracted displacement of Rohingya people and the absence of durable solutions.

They said ongoing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine state has made the Rohingyas' safe return to Myanmar uncertain, and limited humanitarian assistance, restricted access to education and employment in refugee camps, continue to push vulnerable Rohingya refugees to choose risky sea journeys, often based on false promises of higher wages and better opportunities abroad.

UNHCR and IOM urged the international community to strengthen funding and solidarity to ensure lifesaving assistance for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, which has sheltered more than 1 million Rohingya from Myanmar.