Pope Appoints Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Lahore (Pakistan)

(February 14, 2009) The Holy Father has appointed Reverend Father Francis Sebastian Shah, OFM, former Provincial of the Order of Friars Minor in Pakistan, as the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Lahore (Pakistan), granting him the title of Bishop of Tino. Rev. Father Sebastian Francis Shah, O.F.M., was born on November 14, 1957 in the province of Sindh, in the Diocese of Hyderabad. After completing his early education in Fatima High School, in his native, he attended the Government Degree College for Bachelor in Arts. In 1984, after working for about eight years as a teacher, he entered the Franciscan novitiate in Karachi and completed his studies in Theology at Christ the King Seminary in 1991. He made his perpetual profession on 2 August 1989. Two years later, on 6 December 1991, he received priestly ordination. After ordination he held the following positions: He has been the Rector of the Junior and Postulancy house, Dar-ul-Naim of Lahore and at the same time Lecturer at the minor seminary in Lahore from 1991 – 1995. He has been the Master of Novices Franciscans in Karachi, Provincial of the Order of Friars Minor in Pakistan, President of the Conference of Religious Superiors More of Pakistan, and worked as Counsellor for the Franciscan formation in Lahore. He has completed his Master of Science in Guidance and Counselling at De La Salle University in Manila.