From Daijiworld's special correspondent

Panaji, Jan 4: Fr Tomas d'Aquino Sequeira, former Rector of the Patriarchal Seminary of Rachol, Goa, has assumed office as the Deputy Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India at the CBCI Centre, New Delhi, on June 1, 2006.

Born in 1953 and ordained priest in 1976, Fr. Sequeira taught for five years in the Minor Seminary of Saligao-Pilerne, before going to Rome, here he earned a Licenciate in Sacred Scripture through the Pontifical Biblical Institute.

On his return to Goa, in 1987, he was appointed Professor of Sacred Scripture in the Major Seminary of Rachol, the oldest Seminary in Asia, where he taught till 2005, the last five years doubling as the Rector of the Seminary. Before his appointment to New Delhi, he worked for one year as the Parish Priest of Utorda in South Goa.

While in Goa, Fr. Tomas had been a Member of the Diocesan Commission for Liturgy and the Secretary of the Diocesan Commission for Biblical Apostolate, in which capacity he played an important role in the work of the Roman Script Konkani translation of the Bible. He was a much sought-after Preacher throughout Goa and a prominent musician, having founded Gavana, the well-known Goan choir that toured the world in the early nineties.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India is composed of 175 active and 39 retired members (bishops, archbishops and cardinals). For the next six years, Fr Sequeira will be in charge of running the day-to-day activities of the Bishops' Conference. As the Director of the CBCI Centre, Fr. Sequeira will head a community of about 15 priests, including the Director of Caritas-India and the Executive Secretaries of some of the CBCI National Commissions.