The Archbishop
Filipe Neri Antonio Sebastiao do Rosario Cardinal Ferrão
Most Reverend Filipe Neri Cardinal Ferrão, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Goa and Daman, Primate of the East and Patriarch of the East Indies, was installed as the 34th Archbishop of Goa and Daman and the 7th Patriarch of the East Indies, on the 21st of March, 2004 at the Cathedral See Old Goa, Goa.
He hails from Aldona and was ordained Bishop on the 10th of April, 1994. He served the Archdiocese of Goa and Daman as Auxiliary Bishop to his Excellency Most Rev. Raul Nicolau Gonsalves, for about ten years (1994 to 2004).
“TIM SOGLIM EK ZAUM” (That they may all be one – Jn 17, 21) is his cherished episcopal motto. He completed his philosophical and theological studies at the Papal Seminary, Pune and was ordained a priest for this Archdiocese on 28th October, 1979. After serving in Parishes and in the Institutions of this Archdiocese he was sent to Rome in the year 1986 to pursue his higher ecclesiastical studies and there he obtained a licentiate in theology with specialization in Biblical Theology through the Pontifical Urbanain University. He has to his credit yet another licentiate in Catechetics and Pastoral Theology from the Lumen Vitae International Institute in Brussels, Belgium.
He is the member of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI – Oriental and Latin Rite) and the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI – Latin Rite). In both these Bodies he has served as chairman of the Laity commission. He also was the Ex-chairman of Justice, Development and Peace Commission of the Western Region Bishop’s Council and vice-chairman of the Western Region Social Service Forum. Presently, he is the chairman of the Western Bishop’s Council.
He was elevated to Cardinal on 27th August 2022.
He, as the president of the Diocesan Family Service Centre, has always shown keen interest in the Family Apostolate of the Archdiocese. In his pastoral visits to all the Parishes of the Archdiocese, he likes to address families and offers them spiritual support in order to strengthen and empower them. He visits families especially comforting those members who are old and sick and fortifies them with hope. He is a special friend of youth and children, and he would like to challenge them to emerge as good citizens of our country and as worthy members of the church.
The Diocesan Family Service Centre greatly acknowledges his contribution towards family apostolate and prays that God may bless him with His abundant Blessings to continue doing good.