Bangalore 3 December, 2018 (CCBI): His Holiness, Pope Francis has appointed His Excellency Most. Rev. Elias Gonsalves (57), until now Bishop of Amravati, Maharashtra as the new Archbishop of Nagpur. This ecclesiastical provision was made public in Rome on Monday, 3rd December, 2018, at noon local time, corresponding to 16:30 hours, Indian Standard Time.
Most Rev. Elias Gonsalves, was born on 4 July, 1961, in Chulna Village, Vasai Road, Thane, Maharashtra. He studied at St. Pius X Seminary, Mumbai and was ordained priest on 1 April, 1990 in Vasai, for the Archdiocese of Bombay. He has a B. A. in History and Economics, from Bombay University (1982), he did his studies in Community Based Development and Leadership, from St. Francis Xavier University, Coady Institute, Canada, and studies in Counselling.
He was Assistant Parish Priest at Nandakhal, Vasai (1990-1991) and Sandor, Vasai (1991-1997); Youth Coordinator for South Vasai Deanery (1993-1996); Priest in-charge at Roha (1997-2004); Priest in-charge at Panvel (2005-2008); Assistant Director and then Director, Centre for Social Action, Mumbai (2008-2012); Director, Sarvodaya Centre for Capacity Building, Mumbai (2009-2012). He was elected Bishop of Amravati on 11 July, 2012 and ordained on 29 September, 2012.