Monday is a day of joy, excitement and thanksgiving for the faithful of St Sebastian’s Parish, Loliem, as their Parish Priest, Fr Norbert D’Mello, attached to the Congregation of the Holy Cross, celebrates his Silver Jubilee in the Lord’s vineyard.
Fr Norbert hails from Kelmbet, Kinnigoli, Karnataka. Desirous of serving the Lord at the Altar, he joined the Congregation of the Holy Cross in 1978. He completed his XIIth standard in St Mary’s Junior College, Shirva and did his College studies at Christ College in Bangalore. He took his first religious profession on March 31, 1984.
During his priestly tenure he did his Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration at St Joseph’s College of Business Administration, Bangalore. Further, he completed his Pastoral Counselling at University of St Thomas, Minnesota, USA and Studies in Business Administration at University of Rice Lake, Wisconsin, USA.
Pronouncing his final vows on November 4, 1989, Norbert D’Melo was ordained a Religious Priest on November 3, 1990 at St Joseph the Worker’s Church, Bandra East, Mumbai by Bishop Thomas Dabre, the then Auxiliary Bishop of Mumbai. He got his first appointment as Vocation Promoter at Katapadi. He was appointed as Director and Vocation Promoter at Katapadi, Udupi District and six years later he served as Superior at Museum Road, Bangalore.
He served as a Parish Priest at St Vincent De Paul Church, Katapadi in Udupi Diocese for many years where he gave his best to animate liturgy and built Small Christian Communities before he left to USA for studies.
He was appointed as an assistant to the Parish Priest at St Sebastian Church, Loliem, Goa, which he served in that capacity for five months and now he is the Parish Priest at the same Church. Apart from his priestly ministry as formator and pastor, he has been actively helping the Province fulfilling various responsibilities entrusted to him.
As a religious, he is faithful to his vocation. He believes in commitment and dedication. We can experience the virtues of humility and simplicity in Fr Norbert. Priesthood is a gift meant to be shared. He shares the same with the faithful entrusted to his pastoral care by living an exemplary life that reflects his faith in action.
Congratulating Fr Norbert for completing 25 years of priesthood in and through the Congregation of the Holy Cross, we pray that the Almighty God shower His choicest blessings on him and help him continue his service in the parish and towards humanity.
