NEW DELHI: Jesuit Archbishop William D’Souza, who retired recently as the head of Patna archdiocese, on March 1 became an assistant parish priest.
Archbishop D’Souza, who on March 5 turns 75, the mandatory retirement age of bishops, is the new assistant pastor of St. Stephen’s church, in Danapur Cantonment area, outside Patna, capital of Bihar state.
The retired archbishop said the “parish ministry is close to my heart and I will avail myself for the spiritual ministry in the parish and religious communities within my competence.”
As the archbishop he was noted for his simple lifestyle, approachability and closeness to mostly village people in his archdiocese. He resigned the archbishop’s post on December 9, 2020, nearly three months ahead of the retirement age.