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The Apostolic Carmel Provincial House invited Rev Fr Pius D’Souza OCD, the Episcopal Vicar of Mangaluru Diocese to St. Ann’s Convent on 6th August 2020, to felicitate him, as he is elected as the Provincial Superior of Karnataka Goa Province of OCD Fathers.

With an appropriate Mass introduction by Sr Maria Roopa A.C, we set the right thanksgiving note for Mass which was offered by Fr Pius DSouza at 6.45 am in St Ann’s Chapel. Even though our Provincial Superior had great desire to invite the local communities of Mangaluru, because of Covid-19, only the sisters from 3 of our communities i.e. the Provincial House, St Ann’s Convent and Carmel Convent, Ashaniketan were present for the occasion.

After Mass, all of us gathered together in the refectory for the felicitation programme. The M.C Sr Reethika in the introduction said, it was co-incident that God ordained that Fr. Pius DSouza be among us on the great feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord, where God the Father exclaimed about His Son saying “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”. And today God says the same words about Fr Pius DSouza, saying, This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, not only my son, he is also the great son of his beloved Patron Saints St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, and given a great responsibility of shepherding the flock of Karnataka Goa Province of the OCD fathers.

We will certainly miss very much Fr Pius as our Episcopal Vicar for religious, who loved and cared for the sheep and took keen interest in every lamb and sheep of the Diocese who knew each one by name.

Our Provincial Superior Sr Shamita felicitated him with a verse and she said: Today any leadership entails a lot of sacrifice, forgetfulness of self and other personal concerns to be at the service of the cause for which one is chosen. Definitely the Lord, who knew Fr Pius, has trusted in his total commitment and dedication and so has given him this yoke to carry on for His greater glory. It was a great joy to celebrate in him, the choice of God and express sentiments of praise and gratitude to Him for what he has made of him to be a person of witness to the values of His Kingdom. We congratulate Fr Pius and we wish to express our sincere appreciation of his person, for we have found in him a Father who is humane, kind, gentle and approachable.

Sr. Marie Lucy, the Superior of St Ann’s Convent offered a bouquet of flowers on behalf of the Province.

While Fr. Pius thanked the sisters of the Apostolic Carmel for inviting him, he also said that he really admired the A.C. sisters for their spirituality and commitment and owes his appreciation and gratitude to them.

We pray that his shepherding tenure be one of blessing, joy, peace and love that satisfy the souls who come under his influence.