Fr. Rozario Menezes s.m.m from Karnataka State has been elected Assistant General of the Society of Montfort Missionaries recently. A zealous missionary, an erudite educationist, a philosopher, a preacher, a counselor and a scholar among others, Fr. Rosario is a man much sought after. He will hold this elected post for the next six years.

Fr Rosario’s wide experience as head of institutions in varying fields and organizations has made him popular and an extra ordinary person both in the religious circles and secular societies.

Fr Rosario began his career as an Assistant Novice master and Bursar in the Novitiate, from November 20, 1999 to May 30, 2000. A man of maturity and spiritual sagacity, Fr Rosario found the path open and inviting. Besides, his credentials helped him climb the ladder of service to God and humanity which took him to greater heights. He chose to be among the poor and the needy that led him to be at ease with the people of an undeveloped country such as Papua New Guinea. Born and brought up in a homely and contented life situation, Fr Rosario plunged into a venturesome pastoral pursuit from 2000 in far-flung, back of beyond regions, removed from kith and kin. He was parish priest of St. Brigid’s Parish, Kiunga, Papua New Guinea (PNG) from June 28, 2000 to December 30, 2007.

A person of determined disposition, temperament and the motivating force and youthful spirit in him made Fr Rosario the Youth Chaplin of Daru Kiunga Diocese from October 15, 2000 to December 30, 2007. Simultaneously, he looked after two parishes including St Paul’s Parish, Nomad. He was a project officer of Daru-Kiunga diocese from June 15, 2004 to December 2006. He was also Project officer of Daru – Kiuga for one year from 2007.

Fr Rosario who did Bachelor of Arts from the University of Mysore, Bachelor of Philosophy from Dharmaram College, Bangalore, Bachelor of Theology from Dharmaram College, Bangalore, Masters degree in formative Psychology and Counseling from Institute De Formation Humaine Integral De Montreal, Canada and Specialization in trauma counseling.

He has also obtained French language proficiency from Ecole International de Langues, Montreal, Canada. Studied in formative psychology and counseling in Montreal, Canada. He specialized in trauma counseling and human formation from September 2008 – May 27, 2011.

He held the post of Delegation Superior of the Montfort Missionaries, PNG delegation from January1, 2005 to January 1, 2008. He held the post again from January 4, 2012 to December 31, 2015 and from January 1, 2016 to date. He had been in charge of vocation promotion and formation for Montfort Missionaries from 2011 to date.

Getting due recognition among Bishops, he was one of the management associates and project officers for Catholic Bishops’ Conference of PNG/SI from 2012 to 2014. Fr Rosario, a world trotter, is a Formator of Vangeke Institute of ongoing formation for priests in PNG/SI from October 11, 2011 to date.

SERVICE TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF PORT MORESBY

Fr Rosario was Parish Priest of Martin De Porres Parish, Morata, NCD from November 2011 to date. He was elected member of the Priests Senate, Archdiocese of Port Moresby from 2012- 2016. He held the post of Vice President of Federation of Religious of PNG/SI from March 2015 to June 2016.

A man known for his hard work and perseverance was President of Federation of Religious of PNG/SI from July 2016. He takes short courses at Xavier institute for religious of PNG/SI from 2014 to date. Fr Rosario gets fully involved in anything he takes up. On account of his sense of work’s quiddity, he was entrusted with more and more responsibilities by ecclesiastical authorities. And he was also appointed the Spiritual director of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal from December 2015.

Fr was appointed a member of the Archdiocesan College of Consultors from March 3, 2016 for a term of 5 years. He was appointed a member of the Health Board of the Archdiocese of Port Moresby from March 8, 2016 for a term of three years.

He was made a Liaison Officer of Vocation Directors of different Religious Congregations in the Archdiocese of Port Moresby from March 22, 2016. Appointed Spiritual Director for the Catholic Professionals Society, August 2016 and elected Assistant General of the Company of Mary (Society of Montfort Missionaries) on May 16, 2017.

Son of Domingo Menezes and Monthi Mary Saldanha, Fr Rosario was born on August 30, 1969 at Virajpet, Coorg, Karnataka in Mysore Diocese, India. Fr Rosario whose mother tongue is Konkani handles other languages such as English, Tulu, Tamil, Pidgin and French. The 48 years old priest’s hobby includes music, singing, reading, spiritual writing and sports. He was ordained a priest on November 4, 1999 for Society of Montfort Missionaries (SMM). He has done specialization in trauma counseling and French language proficiency from Ecole International de Langues, Montreal, Canada.

The change of occupation will take him to Casa Generalizia, Rome Italy. ‘Fr Rosario Menezes gives stress to basic human relationship and his inter-personal relationship takes him across to any level of people in the society. That is the secret of his all-time success,’ said one of his close friends. (He had recently come to Karnataka and Bangalore for a lightning visit).

(The attached photo shows Fr Rosario with Pope presenting the book True devotion to Mary, translated into PNG language TOK PIDGIN.)