Media Release

Mangaluru, Oct 7: The Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, Angelicum, Rome, conferred the doctorate in Sacred Theology (STD) on Fr Denis Gabriel Veigas OFM Cap on Tuesday, October 6, at Rome, on his thesis: Graduality in Truth in the light of St. Augustine’s De vera religione (On True Religion).

Fr Denis hails from Vittal in the diocese of Mangalore. He is the son of Sabina Christine and Antony B Veigas. He had his primary and higher primary schooling at St Rita’s, Vittal. While staying at the Assisi Apostolic House, Mangaluru, run by the Capuchins, he attended his high-school and the pre-university studies at St Aloysius College. He joined the Capuchin seminary at St Fidelis Ashram, Lucknow in 1973 and made his simple religious profession on June 8, 1979, and the final profession on June 8, 1982. After his philosophical training at Trichur (Kerala), theological studies at Kotagiri (Tamil Nadu), and at Deena Seva Theological Institute, Bengaluru, he was ordained as a priest on April 24, 1983.

Fr Denis rendered services to his Capuchin Holy Trinity Province of Karnataka in different capacities: He was the parish priest at Kengeri and subsequently at GangondanaHalli, in the archdiocese of Bangalore. Concurrently, he also lectured at Capuchin philosophical and theological seminaries. He functioned as provincial secretary and administrator. He also served as the rector of Philosophical College at Kripalaya, Mysuru, and as provincial councillor of Karnataka Capuchins for a term. He devoted a number of years to establish the St Antony’s Educational Institutions at Gangondana Halli, Bengaluru. For a term, he was also the director of the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality in India (FISI), Bengaluru.

Fr Veigas has his BA (Sociology) and MA (Philosophy) from Dharwad University, MA (Sanskrit) from Gnana Bharati University, Bengaluru, and a Licentiate in Theology from the Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas, in Rome. He has authored a number of research papers on various philosophical and theological topics. He hopes that his doctoral degree, dedicated to his devout parents of happy memory, would give him access to the theological scholarship at the international level, especially in the areas of interreligious dialogue.