Mysore/Mysuru: Bishop Francis Serrao, presently Bishop of Shivamogga Diocese and Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Ecumenism, has been appointed the new Bishop of Mysuru by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. This announcement was made in Rome on Aug. 15 at 3.30 pm (IST), said Archbishop Emeritus Bernard Moras, who is also the Apostolic Administrator, Diocese of Mysuru, in a press release.
Bishop Serrao, a Jesuit, was appointed Bishop of Shivamogga on March 19, 2014, and was ordained on May 7 of the same year. Born on August 15, 1959, in Moodbidri in the Diocese of Mangaluru, he entered the Society of Jesus on Jan. 3, 1979, at Mount St. Joseph, Bengaluru. His philosophical and theological studies took place at Jesuit institutions — Satya Nilayam in Chennai and Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth in Pune — followed by a Licentiate in Theology from Vidyajyoti College, Delhi.
Bishop Francis Serrao was ordained a Priest on Apr. 30, 1992, and made his perpetual profession in the Society of Jesus on May 1, 1999. Over the years, his Ministry has spanned pastoral service, social action, academic leadership and community formation. He began with Pastoral Ministry in Mundgod in the Diocese of Karwar, before serving in social development work at Loyola Vikas Kendra in Mundgod. He later directed the Regional Theologate in Bengaluru, led St. Joseph Church in Anekal as Parish Priest, served as Superior of the Jesuit community in Vijayapura (Bijapur), and was Rector of St. Aloysius College in Mangaluru.
His episcopal journey now takes a new turn as he prepares to shepherd the Diocese of Mysuru, bringing with him decades of pastoral experience, Jesuit formation and a deep commitment to ecumenism.
Bishop Francis Serrao is the ninth Bishop of the Diocese of Mysuru. The Diocese became vacant in 2024 and Archbishop Bernard Moras was appointed as its Administrator. The Mysuru Mission was separated from the Vicariate Apostolic of Pondicherry on March 16, 1845 and made a Pro-Vicariate, later elevated to a Vicariate Apostolic in 1850.
In 1886, Mysuru became a Diocese with Bengaluru as its headquarters. Bengaluru was separated as a Diocese in 1940, followed by the creation of Ootacamund Diocese in 1955 and Chikmagalur Diocese in 1963, both carved out of Mysuru.
Today, the Diocese of Mysuru comprises the districts of Mysuru, Mandya, Kodagu and Chamarajanagar, bordering the Dioceses of Bengaluru, Ooty, Salem, Manandavadi, Kannur, Calicut, Mangaluru and Chikmagalur. It has a Catholic population of 1,34,000, served by 93 Parishes, 140 Diocesan Priests, 108 Religious Priests and 893 Religious Sisters.
This post was published on August 16, 2025 6:43 pm