From special correspondent
Daijiworld News Network - Bangalore (GA)
Bangalore / Bellary, Nov 17: Bishop Joseph D'Silva (75) of Bellary for the past 14 years passed away on Friday November 17 morning at St John's Medical Hospital at Bangalore after a brief period of illness. Being indisposed, he had been admitted to St John's Hospital a couple of months ago.
Born on February 9, 1932, he was ordained priest on April 9, 1960. He was appointed as the third Bishop of Bellary October 27, 1992 by Pope John Paul II and took charge on March 9, 1993.
Being a great pastor he established 18 new parishes in different districts of Bellary Diocese. Many beautiful churches, presbyteries in the parishes and chapels in the substations have been constructed during his tenure.
Since the Diocese is extensive and quite unwieldy for administration from one centre, it is divided into 5 deaneries.
Bishop Joseph D'Silva was a down-to-earth man having established a great rapport with the people of the diocese. Despite his advancing age and deteriorating health, he perhaps never compromised with his work and mission.
Being a great visionary, he always believed in hard work and dedicated most of his time in visiting the parishes, meeting the faithful etc. He not only continued the great work of his predecessor Bishop Ambrose Yeddanapalli, O.F.M. While Bishop Yedinapalli almost built the diocese out of nothing, his successor Bishop Joseph D'Silva succeeded in making many of the parishes self-sufficient.
His motto, "Itta Pater" (Thy Will be Done) was his guiding spirit. He emphasized the education of poor Catholic children. To enable the neglected Catholic children get educated for their better future, he started good number of schools and boardings. In order to encourage local vocations a Minor Seminary "Deeksha Bhavan" was established in 1994 and extended in 1998 to facilitate better priestly formation. The Bishop invited many new Religious Congregations to take up various ministries for the upliftment of the underprivileged in the diocese.
Being a educationist himself, he knew the importance of education very well. That enabled him to raise the bar of education to higher standards in the diocesan schools. Other than this he is also the recipient of district-level award of Education in 1983, state-level award in 1985 and Karnataka Rajyotsava award in 1992.
His funeral service will be held in St Anthony's Cathedral Bellary, at 3-30 pm on Saturday, November 18.