Pope appoints Rebello as bishop in Botswana

Pope Francis on Monday appointed Fr Anthony Pascal Rebello, S V D, as bishop of the diocese of Francistown-Botswana.

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Fr Rebello, who hails from Fatorda, had been serving as parish priest of the Holy Cross parish in Mogoditshane, until his appointment as bishop of Francistown.

Hailing the appointment of Fr Rebello as bishop, Fr Tony Menezes, a Goan priest from the same congregation, said: “Fr Rebello has been a missionary in the true sense, often volunteering to work among the poorest and those on the peripheries of society.”

Born on March 18, 1950 in Nairobi-Kenya, Fr Rebello entered the Society of the Divine Word (SVD) in 1969, completing his noviciate in Khurda, Madhya Pradesh.

He concluded his priestly formation at the Divine Word Seminary of Pune (1969-1977) and was ordained a priest in Goa on May 10, 1977.

Following his ordination, he first exercised his pastoral ministry in India and obtained a Bachelor of Education (1977-1979). He was then awarded a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome (1979-1981), and went on to serve as a missionary in Botswana, where he was parish priest in Palapye (1981-1984).

In Kenya, he also held the office of provincial superior (1984-1987) and in Antigua, where he exercised his ministry in a rural parish and then in the Holy Family Cathedral (1987-1990).

In Angola, he held the roles of parish vicar (1990-1992), parish priest (1992-1996) and master of novices (1996-2000). He then continued his pastoral ministry in India (2000-2002).

Since 2003, he has served as a missionary in Botswana, in the diocese of Gaborone, where he has held the office of parish priest of Palapye and Metsimotlhabe, and until now in the Holy Cross parish in Mogoditshane.