(April, 07,2009) Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Fr. Sebastian Kallupura, as the new
bishop of Buxar Diocese in the eastern Indian State of Bihar. Currently, the Director
of the “Bihar Social Forum,” the new bishop hails from the Patna clergy. Born 14
July 1953, in the southern India state of Kerala, he completed his studies in
Palai village and then entered St. Joseph’s Seminary in Mangalore, Karnataka State.
He completed his seminary studies in St. Albert’s College at Ranchi and the Papal
Seminary in Pune, Maharashtra State. After his ordination 14 May, 1984, he first
served in Patna’s Archdiocese. Later from 1984 to 2003, he served in various parishes
until 2003, when he was made the Director of “Seva Kendra” Socio-Economic Development
Centre in the Archdiocese of Patna. Five years later, he became the Director of the
“Bihar Social Forum”, the post he was holding at the time of his election as the new
Bishop of Buxar. Erected in 2005, the Diocese of Buxar is the suffragan of the
Patna Archdiocese. It has an area of some 11.298 square kms. and a population of
a little less than 10 million inhabitants, of whom nearly 25 thousand are catholic. The
Diocese of Buxar was lying vacant since 1st Oct. 2007, after the transfer
of Jesuit Bishop William D’Souza to the Metropolitan See of Patna.