Patrick D'Rozario was born on 1 October 1943 in Padrishibpur, in what was then British India and is now Bangladesh, and took his vows in the Congregation of Holy Cross on 14 June 1962. He studied at Christ the King Seminary in Karachi and was ordained a priest in 1972, then took a licentiate in moral theology at Leuven (1973–76) and taught at the National Major Seminary in Dhaka. On 21 May 1990 John Paul II appointed him the first bishop of the new diocese of Rajshahi (consecrated 12 September 1990); in 1995 he moved to Chittagong.
Benedict XVI named him coadjutor archbishop of Dhaka in November 2010, and he succeeded as archbishop in October 2011. He led the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh and attended the 2014 Synod on the Family. Pope Francis created him a cardinal on 19 November 2016, with the title of Nostra Signora del Santissimo Sacramento e Santi Martiri Canadesi — the first cardinal from Bangladesh, and only the second Holy Cross cardinal after John O'Hara in 1958. The appointment was announced while he was celebrating an afternoon Mass; as he later told Crux, most of his flock knew about ninety minutes before he did. He resigned on 30 September 2020.
Consequential Quotes
We are happy and full of joy because the Creator has blessed our country.
Major Works & Initiatives
Archbishop of Dhaka
Nine years leading Bangladesh's capital archdiocese.
First Bishop of Rajshahi
Founding bishop of the new diocese in the northwest.
Bangladesh's first cardinal
A red hat for a Church of 0.2 percent of the nation.
Controversies
On the record
No significant public controversies reported.