The Diocese of Gulbarga

Gulbarga, August 26: Rev. Dr. Robert Michael Miranda was conferred the Episcopal Ordination on Thursday 18th August 2005 at St. Joseph’s Convent School Auditorium, Gulbarga. The main celebrant His Grace Archbishop Most Rev. Pedro Lopez Quintana, Apostolic Nuncio to India was assisted by His Grace Most. Rev. Bernard Moras, Archbishop of Bangalore and His Excellency Most Rev. Aloysius Paul D’Souza, Bishop of Mangalore.

Concelebrating also were two Archbishops, six Bishops and around two hundred Priests, witnessed by well over 5,500 faithful.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI announced the creation of the Diocese of Gulbarga on 24th June 2005, the feast of St. John the Baptist. His Holiness also announced Rev. Fr. Robert Michael Miranda, the Episcopal Vicar of Bidar Mission of Mangalore Diocese, a worthy Pastor to be the First Bishop of the Diocese of Gulbarga. The Diocese of Gulbarga comprises of the three north districts of Karnataka i.e. Bidar, Gulbarga and Bijapur. The Diocese of Gulbarga is carved out of four Dioceses – Hyderabad, Belgaum, Bellary and Mangalore.

Rev. Dr. Robert Michael Miranda hails from Kirem Parish which comes under the Mangalore Diocese. Witnessing the Episcopal Ordination celebration was his 85 year old mother, six brothers and five sisters among whom one is a nun, apart from other relatives.

Born in 1952, Robert Michael Miranda was ordained Priest in 1978. He served the Moodubelle Parish for 3 years and Rosario Cathedral for a year as Asst. Parish Priest. He then served the Bidar Mission (adopted by the Mangalore Diocese) for 23 years. His work at the Bidar Mission was very much evident with the attendance of around 4,500 faithful traveling to Gulbarga for his Episcopal Ordination.

18th of August 2005, the inauguration of the Diocese and the Episcopal Ordination of Rev. Fr. Robert Michael Miranda will be remembered as the most auspicious day in the history of the Diocese of Gulbarga.

Most Rev. Dr. Robert Michael Miranda celebrated his First Mass as Bishop at his native Parish, Kirem on 22nd August 2005. The felicitation by the Mangalore Diocese under the auspices of H. E. Most Rev. Aloysius D’Souza is scheduled for 25th Aug 2005 at Milagres Church, Mangalore.

By Edwin D`Souza, Dear Friend of Most Rev Dr. Robert M Miranda
[Edwin D`Souza, currently residing in Bahrain, is a close friend of Bishop Robert Miranda. He attended the Episcopal ordination ceremony in Gulbarga and has so graciously clicked some memorable pictures and with his kind permission we are publishing them on our site. We are grateful to him for his support and look forward to similar contributions from him.]