The Jesuit Superior General Fr Adolfo Nicolás has appointed Fr Rosario Rocha (59) the new Superior of the Goa Province comprising Goa and the districts of Belgaum, South  Kolhapur and Sindhudurg, in succession to Fr Anthony da Silva who completes his 6-year term in October.

Only child of his parents, Fr Rocha was born in Benaulim (Goa) in 1952 and brought up by his widowed mother Anjelina. He did his secondary studies at Loyola High School, Margao, and joined the Society of Jesus in 1970 at Desur (Belgaum). Besides the regular priestly studies at Jnana Deep Vidhyapeeth (JDV), Pune, he did his BA in Sanskrit/Sociology and MA in Sanskrit/Pali respectively at Baroda and Pune Universities, and after his ordination in 1985, MPhil and PhD at Delhi University with focus on Buddhist studies. He can write and speak in English, Konkani, Hindi, Marathi and Portuguese, and to some extent in French, Spanish and German. He can naturally also read Sanskrit and Pali.
In 1991Fr Rocha was assigned to teach at Jnana Deep Vidhyapeeth (Pune). After a year he was sent to USA to do Post Doctoral Research in the Theology of Religion at Boston’s Theological Institute’s Harvard Divinity School.  From the time he returned after a year and half, he has performed his ministry of teaching until now, being in between Dean of Theology for three years. Beside his academic work, as animator of Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth Konkan Sabha (JDVKS), he has also tried to promote appreciation for the Konkani language and culture among its lovers and admirers living in Pune. In spite of being in Pune for all these years, Fr Rocha has been very much in touch with his mother Province, having been a member of Formation Commission for a number of years and its Acting-Chairman during the year the present Provincial Fr Tony went for his Tertianship. Three years ago he directed the Province Retreat after having attended along with Fr Tony the last General Congregation that elected Fr Nicolás Superior General.
The members of the Goa Province, having accepted the news with joy and gratitude to God, wish the Provincial-elect His choicest blessings and assure him of our full support in carrying out his difficult mission.
 
Gregory Naik S.J.
Province Archivist