Bishop Salvadore Lobo: Who headed the Tribunal for the Beatification of Mother Teresa

By Dr. Eugene DSouza, Moodubelle
Bellevision Media Network

Moodubelle, 12 September 2010: In this centenary year of the foundation of the parish, Moodubelle is proud of some of the parishioners who have achieved responsible positions in society and religious life. The parish has produced a number of diocesan and religious priests as well as religious women who have been serving the church and society in different parts of India. The parish has given three Bishops who serve in north India-Bishop Alphonse D’Souza S.J. in Raiganj, Archbishop Albert D’Souza in Agra and Bishop Salvadore Lobo in Baruipur.

 

 

Coming from a family with agricultural background and living in picturesque village, Mattar, Bishop Salvadore has developed love of nature and concern for the poor. The literature of Bengali writers attracted him to West Bengal where he proceede to serve as a priest and gradually his spirituality and administrative capability saw him rising in diocesan hierarchy eventually being raised as the Bishop of Baruipur Diocese in West Bengal where he has been doing excellent work since the last 37 years, 25 years as a priest and 12 years as bishop. One of his notable achievements was heading two tribunals that were constituted to start the process of beatification of Mother Teresa following her death in 1997.

 

Bishop Salvadore Lobo was born on 30 April 1945 at Mattar in Moodubelle as the eighth among ten children, four sons and six daughters of late Thomas and Sabina Lobo. After studying up to fifth standard at the United Baptist Missionary (UBM) Primary School at Mattar, Salvadore moved to the Don Bosco Higher Primary School, Shirva where he studied up to eighth standard and completed further education up to eleventh standard in St. Mary’ High School, Shirva.

 

Salvadore has been a keen observer and lover of nature since his childhood. As a student he was fond of drawing and painting natural landscapes. This love and appreciation of nature helped Bishop Salvadore to develop what is known as ‘Eco-spiritualism’ and photographing different facets of nature as he had an interest in photography right from his childhood. As a student, Salvadore was interested in various games, but his favourite games were baseball and football. While in St. Mary’s High School, Salvadore was a team member of the school baseball team. Besides these sporting interests, Salvadore also had an aptitude for embroidery and tailoring. As a student, Salvadore had great love for books, especially written by Bengali authors such as Rabindranath Tagore and Sharatchandra Chatterjee whose translations were available in Kannada.

 

After completing SSLC in 1962, and having felt that he had a Divine call to join the religious life, Salvadore decided to join priesthood and serve in West Bengal as he was quite influenced by the literature of the Bengali writers and felt attracted to West Bengal. Another factor that prompted him to choose Calcutta was that the present Bishop of Raiganj in Bengal, Dr. Alphonse D’Souza S.J., son of late Immanuel D’Souza (Monnu Master) had joined the Calcutta Province of the Jesuits.

 

Having made up his mind to join the service of the church, young Salvadore approached the then parish priest of Moodubelle, late Fr. Abundius D’Souza for advice. The latter sent Salvadore to Mysore to meet Most Rev. Dr. Albert D’Souza who was then the Auxiliary Bishop of Mysore. Salvadore completed PUC at Mysore. When Dr. Albert D’Souza was transferred as the new Archbishop of Calcutta, Salvadore wrote to him about his desire to join the priesthood and serve in Bengal. Salvadore also met the Archbishop when he was on a visit to Mangalore and convinced him about his seriousness of fulfilling his dream of serving as a priest in West Bengal.

 

Being convinced about the sincerity of Salvadore, Archbishop Albert D’Souza made arrangements for the priestly training for him in St. Joseph’s Seminary at Jeppu in Mangalore where he completed Juniorate, Philosophy and Theology. While in seminary, Br. Salvadore had developed leadership qualities and was appointed as the Prefect for junior seminarians for three years. As he was inclined towards social service, Br. Salvadore was deputed by the seminary to participate in social work in organizing the youth and children of Jeppu parish.

 

In the year 1968-69, Br. Salvadore spent a year in Bengal where he met Mother Teresa and the brothers and sisters of her congregation, Missionaries of Charity. He spent one month with the brothers and sevred the patients in ‘Nirmal Hriday’ at Khalighat.

 

After his ordination on 19 March 1973, Fr. Salvadore proceeded to Calcutta and was appointed as the Rector of the Minor Seminary known as Calcutta Spiritual Orientation Seminary where he served for six years. Those young aspirants for priesthood who had completed PUC or graduation would join this minor seminary and undergo orientation course.

 

 

Meanwhile, the Calcutta Archdiocese was divided into two dioceses-Calcutta and Baruipur in 1978. Fr. Salvadore opted for the Baruipur diocese as it comprised of rural regions and suburban Calcutta which were considerably backward and poor and Fr. Salvadore was keen working among the poor and marginalized people of the diocese.

 

After six years service as the Rector of the Minor Seminary, Fr. Salvadore was appointed as the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Church at Morapai in June 1979. Following his dedicated service and being noticed for his sincerity and honesty, Fr. Salvadore was given the additional responsibility as the Treasurer of the Diocese while still being the parish priest at Morapai. He continued to discharge the twin responsibilities till 1983. In 1983 he built a an orphanage at Morapai to house 120 orphan boys.

 

 

As Fr. Salvadore proved his ability in handling responsible position as the Treasurer of the Diocese, he was soon elevated to the position of Treasurer, Procurator, Chancellor, and Secretary to Most Rev. Linus Nirmal Gomes S.J. the then Bishop of Baruipur and in 1984 he was made Vicar General of the Diocese along with the earlier positions.

 

In 1985, Sr. Eugene D’Souza, daughter of Emmanuel D’Souza (Monnu Master) was appoited to Baruipur as the superoir of the newly opened convent of the Sisters of the Cross of Chavanod and as the assistant director of the Social Service Society of the Diocese. Her work and presence in Baruipur for three years had a great boost for the apostolic and social activities in the diocese and bishop Salvadore. Her service in the diocese 25 years ago has been gratefully remembered all the time.

 

After serving for four years as the Vicar General, Fr. Salvadore was deputed to St. Peter’s Seminary at Bangalore for a two years course in Canon Law in 1988. On completing the course, he went back to Baruipur and was appointed as the parish priest of the Sacred Heart Church at Thakurpur in suburban Calcutta in 1990. After four years service, Fr. Salvadore was once again asked to shoulder the responsibility as the Vicar General of the Diocese in 1994. Following the resignation of Most Rev. Linus Nirmal Gomes as the Bishop of Baruipur on health grounds, Fr. Salvadore was elected as the Diocesan Administrator in November 1995. After three years he was elevated to the position of the Bishop of Baruipur in October 1997 and his Episcopal Ordination took place on 29 January 1998.

 

The diocese of Buraipur established in March 1978, occupies the whole of South 24 Paraganas District and a section of Kolkata Metropolis. It covers the Indian part of the delta of the Ganges known as ‘Sunderbans’, which has been designated as World Heritage by the United Nations Organisation. The total area of the diocese is 10, 568 square kilometres and has a population of 90,67,800 among whom around 60,000 are Catholics. When Bishop Salvadore Lobo took charge of the diocese there were only 11 parishes which have increased to 22 in the last 12 years with 85 sub-centres. There are 22 diocesan schools, 3 Technical Training Schools, 4 Social Service Centres, one hospital, 8 dispensaries and 3 homes for the aged. Presently there are 36 diocesan and 27 religious priests and 120 sisters giving their service in the diocese.

 

 

One of the important associations under the Charimanship of Rt. Rev. Salvadore Lobo is the Association of Bengal Collaborators for Development (ABCD). It is the state level forum of the Diocesan Social Service Societies in West Bengal, which facilitates and promotes community based social development in the 8 dioces in the state. Its main activities are capacity building of the diocesan resource team, coordination of commom programmes of the diocese, production and publication of resource materials and to be an interface between Caritas India and the Dioceses. ABCD also liaisons wwith the Government and the international agencies functioning in West Bengal and involves the diocesan social service societies in these linkages.

 

Bishop Salvadore Lobo has been well-known for his work with Mother Teresa. Since 1975, as a priest, he was helping spiritually the congregation of Mother Teresa-the Missionaries of Charity. After the death of Mother Teresa on 5 September 1997, there was a request to start the beatification process for which Bishop Salvadore Lobo was appointed by the Archbishop of Kolkata and the Congregation of the Missionaries of Charity and approved by the Vatican in 1999.

 

In the beatification process there were two tribunals-one for recording the holiness of Mother Teresa and second to examine a miracle that has taken place. Bishop Salvadore Lobo was appointed to head both these tribunals. The research work of the first tribunal covers 37,000 pages. The witnesses covered by this tribunal include people belonging to Hindu, Muslim and Christian communities. Among the Catholics the persons who had given witness to the holiness of Mother Teresa include Cardinals, Bishops, Priests and Sisters of the Missionaries of Charity. The research of the second tribunal on miracle covers 650 pages.

 

After submitting the report of both the tribunals to Vatican by Bishop Salvadore Lobo, the beatification process was earnestly taken up at the Vatican level and Mother Teresa was beatified as ‘Blessed Mother Teresa’ on 19 October 2003. On the occasion of the beatification ceremony Bishop Salvadore Lobo concelebrated mass with Pope John Paul II at the altar at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican.

 

Bishop Salvadore Lobo has been well-known for preaching retreat both in India and abroad. In India, he had been preaching retreat to both religious and diocesan priests. In foreign countries he has been giving retreat to priests as well as lay people. In the mission of preaching retreat, Bishop Salvadore has been to various countries such as Australia, Austria, Italy,Germany, France, England and Croatia. He has been often appearing in the history section of discovery Channel of TV broadcast world wide.

 

 

Bishop Salvadore says that there is no Naxal, Maoist or communal problem in his diocese. It is chiefly due to his excellent work in promoting socio-economic development and reaching out to the poor and marginalised irrespective of the religious affiliation and his secular credentials, Bishop Salvadore has been well-known among Hindus and Muslims as well and has earned the respect from all communities.

 

The Cathedral dedicated to the chief patroness of the diocese, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Blessed Mother Teresa built under the direction of Bishop Salvadore and inaugurated on 12 November 2009 by Sr. Prema, Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, has become a landmark in the town of Baruipur. The cathedral built in Romanesque style of architecture has been attracting a number of visitors who marvel at its fine architecture and aesthetic interiors. There are 24 oil paintings on the ceiling of the cathedral and 32 glass painting on the windows.

 

 

Bishop Salvadore has a good fliar for writing as his articles in the diocesan bulletin ‘Baruipur News’ on various issues have been well appreciated. The first volume of these writings was published as a book in 2008. Later the Bengali translation of the bookwas also published His writngs have been pubilsed in Croatia, Canada and Germany. The second volume of these writngs is to be published in a book form in December 2010.

 

 

Among his three brothers of Bishop Salvadore, the eldest-Albert Lobo who is 85 years old resides in the ancestral home at Mattar, Moodubelle, next brother Casmir Lobo has passed away and third brother, Raymond Lobo is managing his own business, ‘Raymond and Compnay’ in Mumbai. His six sisters are: Severine Cardoza, Late Dulcin Nazareth, Christine Menezes, Leticia Saldanha, Alice Saldanha and Celestine Norohna.

 

Recently when I met Bishop Salvadore Lobo in the church for an interview for Bellevision during his brief visit to Moodubelle, I found him to be extremely simple, unassuming, jovial and quite agile. He was kind enough to interact with me and give necessary information for this write up.