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Fr
Joseph Silvestre D’Souza
Fr. Joseph Silvestre D’Souza hails from Nagoa, in the
archdiocese of Goa and Daman. Born on April 22, 1971 to devout
parents, he did his high school education at St. Joseph's High
School in Arpora, Goa and his pre-university studies at St.
Xavier's College in Mapusa, Goa. On June 14, 1988, he joined the
Carmelite Order and was admitted to the aspirants' house at
Xellim, Goa. On October 15, 1990, he made his first religious
commitment at the Carmelite Monastery in Margao. He obtained BA
in psychology from Madras University while completing his
philosophical studies at Pushpashrama, Institute of Philosophy
and Religion, in Mysuru. And after a year of regency, he
attended St. Joseph's Inter-diocesan Seminary in Jeppu, Mangaluru,
to complete his theological formation in view of the priesthood.
On May 26, 1996, he made his solemn profession at St. Joseph's
Monastery in Carmel Hill, Mangaluru. On October 16, 1997, at St.
Joseph's Inter Diocesan Seminary in Mangaluru, Most Rev. Bernard
Moras, Bishop of Belgaum, ordained him a deacon. The Most Rev.
Filipe Nerri Ferrao, the then Auxiliary Bishop of Goa and Daman,
elevated him to the order of the priesthood on April 22, 1998 at
Holy Trinity Church, Nagoa, Bardez, Goa.
Upon his ordination from 1998 to 2000, he was at the Carmelite
Monastery in Margao. He pursued higher studies in dogmatic
theology at the Northern Italy Faculty of Theology Milan, as
well as assisted at Corpus Domini Church in Milan from 2000 to
2004. Then he was assigned to the community at Johannesburg in
South Africa from 2004 to 2005 and rendered ministry of
spiritual life to the cloistered sisters, as well as laity in
the retreat house. In 2005 he was chosen to be the third
Provincial Councillor. Then once again from 2008 until 2011, he
rendered his pastoral service at Santa Teresa, Torino, Italy.
From 2011 - 2020 he gradually moved up, from being the third
councilor of the province, to be the second councilor. Then on
he was given the total responsibility of the province
secretariat. The 2020 Provincial Chapter elected him to lead the
Carmelite Monastery in Margao.
During the 15th Provincial Chapter of the Discalced Carmelites
of the Karnataka Goa Province which was held at Pushpashrama,
Mysuru, on April 21, 2023, he was elected as the Provincial
Superior.
Besides his competence in the bureaucracy, he served also as the
editor of the magazine 'Springs of Living Water' as well as was
a regular professor at various Formation houses and spirituality
Institutes such as Dhyanavana, Dhyana Sadhana, Ryshivana as well
as in other houses of formation for women religious. He recently
became Vice - President of the Goa CRI unit. Of late, since
2022, he is also a Member of the Diocesan Council of Priests and
Diocesan Pastoral Council (Goa and Daman).
Obviously, he is a man who reads widely; and his competence on
the papal documents is rich. He is diminutive in stature and
soft-spoken as a person and yet a highly talented musician with
qualifications from Trinity College of Music in London. He
combines a wealth of administrative knowledge with his skills as
an orator and animator.
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