New Delhi: In a significant ecclesiastical announcement, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV has appointed Rt. Rev. Francis Serrao SJ, currently serving as Bishop of Shimoga, as the new Bishop of the Diocese of Mysore.
Born on August 15, 1959, in Moodbidri, Karnataka, Bishop Serrao hails from a devout family of eleven children, with six siblings devoted to priestly life and one sister serving as a religious nun. He entered the Society of Jesus on January 3, 1979, at Mount St. Joseph, Bangalore, and was ordained a priest on April 30, 1992. His perpetual profession for the Jesuit Province of Karnataka followed on May 1, 1999.
Bishop Serrao holds a Master’s in Theology from Vidyajyothi College of Theology, New Delhi. His pastoral journey has been marked by dedicated service among Dalits and tribal communities in Anekal (Bangalore Archdiocese) and Mundgod (Karwar Diocese). He has also shaped future clergy as a theology teacher for Jesuit seminarians and served as Rector of St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, a historic institution over 136 years old.
From 2009 to 2014, he led as Superior of the Karnataka Jesuit Province. Pope Francis appointed him Bishop of Shimoga on March 19, 2014, and he was ordained on May 7, 2014, by Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, Apostolic Nuncio to India, at Sacred Heart Cathedral, Shimoga. His episcopal motto, “Service of Faith, Fullness of Life,” continues to guide his ministry.
With this new appointment, Bishop Serrao is set to bring his rich experience in pastoral care, education, and social outreach to the Mysore Diocese, ushering in a new chapter of faith and service.