From south India's coastal plains to the Himalayan foothills: the missionary path of Bishop Edward Baretto of Darjeeling

Bishop Edward Baretto has begun serving as coadjutor bishop of Darjeeling after his appointment by Pope Leo XIV on November 29, 2025. He works alongside Bishop Stephen Lepcha in the diocese, where he has served in various roles since his teenage years.

Baretto was ordained a bishop on January 21, 2026, in Kalimpong. His path to the episcopacy included entering the John XXIII Minor Seminary in Darjeeling in 1982, followed by priestly ordination for the Darjeeling diocese in 1993. He completed studies at Morning Star Regional Seminary in Calcutta, earned a master's degree in philosophy in Pune, and obtained a licentiate in canon law in Bangalore.

Originally from a modest family in Alampuri, near Mangalore, Baretto moved nearly 2,500 kilometers from the coastal plains of Karnataka to the Himalayan foothills to pursue his vocation.