Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Villavicencio, Colombia
Appointment of bishop of Baroda, India
Appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Villavicencio, Colombia
The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Misael Vacca Ramírez as metropolitan archbishop of Villavicencio, Colombia, transferring him from the diocese of Duitama-Sogamoso.
Curriculum vitae
Archbishop-elect Misael Vacca Ramírez was born on 5 November 1955 in Somondoco, Boyacá. He was awarded a licentiate in philosophy and religious sciences from Santo Tomás University, and a licentiate in theology from the University of the Holy Cross in Rome, and specialized in youth pastoral ministry and catechetics at the Salesian Pontifical University of Rome.
He was ordained a priest on 3 December 1983, and incardinated in the diocese of Garagoa.
He has held the following offices: chaplain and teacher at the Colegio Nacionalizado San Luis de Garagoa; parish vicar of the Cathedral; episcopal delegate for youth pastoral and vocational ministry in the diocese; director of the licentiate in ethics and religious sciences; vice-rector and rector of the Juan de Castellanos University Institute in Tunja.
On 24 April 2001 he was appointed as bishop of Yopai, receiving episcopal consecration the following 10 August.
On 18 April 2015 he was appointed bishop of Duitama-Sogamoso.
Appointment of bishop of Baroda, India
The Holy Father was appointed the Reverend Fr. Sebastião Mascarenhas, S.F.X., former superior general of the Society of the Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier (Pilar), Goa, India, as bishop of the diocese of Baroda, India.
Curriculum vitae
Msgr. Sebastião Mascarenhas, S.F.X., was born on 29 July 1959 in Camurlim, Salcete, in the archdiocese of Goa and Damão. He carried out his studies in philosophy at the Saint Charles Seminary in Nagpur, and in theology at the All India Mission Seminary in Pilar, Goa.
He was ordained a priest on 6 May 1984 for the Society of the Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier (Society of Pilar).
After ordination, he held the following offices: deputy parish priest at Our Lady of Velankani, Vapi, and head of the Mother of Hope School, Gujarat (1984-1988); deputy parish priest of Our Lady of Piety, Salvassa and head of the Fr. Agnel High School, Silvassa (1988-1990); and chaplain in Shelti, Nagar Haveli (1990-1992). He went on to obtain a licentiate in missiology at the Philosophisch-Theologische Hochschule Sankt Augustin, in Germany (1992-1994), and to serve as chaplain in Dudhni, Nagar Haveli, and head of Saint Xavier’s School, and visiting professor at the Mission Seminary, Pilar, Goa (1994-1996). He was awarded a doctorate in systematic theology from the Univerity of Freiburg, Germany (1996-2000). He subsequently held the roles of teacher, then rector, of Pilar Theological College, Goa (2000-2009); provincial superior in Mumbai (2009-2012); superior of the Mission of Daman (2013-2017); and superior general of the Society of Missionaries of Saint Francis Xavier (Society of Pilar), Goa, India (2017-2022).
