Bangalore 12 November, 2020 (CCBI): His Holiness Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Most Rev. Albert D’Souza (75) from the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Agra on 12 November, 2020. He was the Metropolitan Archbishop for Agra for the last 13 years (2007-2020).
He was born on 4 August 1945 as the eighth child of late Emmanuel and Magdalene D’Souza of Kattingeri. Among a dozen siblings, four brothers including Albert have become priests and among four sisters two had joined religious congregation. Most Rev. Dr. Alphonse S.J. the late Bishop of Raiganj in West Bengal is his brother, who passed away in 2016.
After his school studies he joined the diocese of Lucknow and initiated his priestly formation at St. Paul’s Minor Seminary, Lucknow 1965-68. He did his philosophy and theology studies at St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary, Allahabad 1970 – 74. He was ordained priest for the diocese of Lucknow on 8 December 1974.
He took doctorate from the Pontifical University Angelicum, Rome in Spiritual Theology for his thesis: “Power of Holy Spirit as Strength of Human Person”. After returning to his diocese, Fr. Albert served at St. Paul’s Seminary, Dilkusha, for a year and subsequently sent to St. Joseph’s Regional Seminary at Allahabad as Professor of Theology and Spiritual Director between 1989 and 1992.
At the age of 47 Pope St. John Paul Second appointed him as the fourth Bishop of Lucknow on 21 November 1992. He was ordained Bishop on 7 February 1993 and served for 14 years the Lucknow diocese. Prior to Pope St. John Paul II’s visit to Goa and Karnataka, Bishop Albert was deputed to Rome to coach Pope to speak in Konkani and few sentences in Kannada.
He was appointed as the Archbishop of the Agra following the transfer Cardinal Oswald Gracias from Agra to Mumbai on 16 February 2007. He was the Chairman of the CCBI Commission for Vocations, Seminaries, Clergy and Religious from 2007 to 2010. He was the Secretary General of the CBCI and the President of the Agra Regional Bishops Council. He represented the Church in India in various capacities in several meetings organised by the FABC and the Dicasteries of the Holy See. He is a priest for 45 years and a Bishop for 27 years.
Rev. Dr. Stephen Alathara
Deputy Secretary General, CCBI