Fr Francis Xavier Lewis appointed Vicar General of Udupi Diocese, marking key leadership transition in Karnataka Church.
Mangaluru
Fr Francis Xavier Lewis has been appointed as the new Vicar General of the Udupi Diocese by Most Rev. Dr Leslie Clifford D’Souza, the Bishop of Udupi. The appointment was formally marked during a religious ceremony held at the Bishop’s House on Saturday, where Fr Lewis also took charge after the oath-taking service.
The ceremony was presided over by Bishop Leslie Clifford D’Souza and included a prayer service attended by V. Rev. Fr Stephen D’Souza, Chancellor of the Diocese, members of the College of Consultors, Rev. Fr Jithesh Castelino, and Mr Marcel D’Souza, the Procurator.
Fr Francis Xavier Lewis, originally from Our Lady of Fatima Parish, Pernal, was born on 20 October 1960. He is the son of the late John Lewis and Theresa Lewis and comes from a family of four siblings. He entered the seminary of the Diocese of Mangalore on 30 June 1976 and was ordained a priest on 28 April 1987.
Over nearly four decades of ministry, he has served in multiple pastoral and administrative roles across Karnataka. His early mission work included service in Bidar, Bhalki, Jalasangi–Humnabad, and Basava Kalyan from 1987 to 1997. He later held parish leadership roles in Bajal, Manipal, Mudarangadi, and Kalathur. He also contributed significantly to church communications as Director of the Canara Communication Centre, Vocation Service Centre, and Sandesha – Regional Communication Centre, as well as serving as Public Relations Officer of the Diocese of Mangalore.
Alongside his new role as Vicar General, Fr Lewis has been appointed Rector and Parish Priest of Our Lady of Milagres Cathedral, Kallianpur, and Vicar Forane of St Andrew Deanery, effective 18 May 2026.