Since its establishment in 1958, the Diocese of Hyderabad has been blessed with faithful and dedicated bishops who served the Church with humility, wisdom, and devotion. Their leadership has shaped the spiritual, pastoral, and social life of the Diocese, laying a strong foundation for future generations.
James Cornelius van Miltenburg O.F.M., also known as Alcuin van Miltenburg (14 September 1909 – 14 March 1966), was a Dutch prelate of the Catholic Church who was a missionary bishop in Pakistan, the first bishop of Karachi and of Hyderabad, Pakistan.
He was born on 14 September 1909 in Harmelen, Netherlands. He was ordained a Priest of the Order of Friars Minor on 31 March 1935.
Pope Pius XII named him the first Bishop of Karachi on 20 May 1948[1] and he received his episcopal consecration on 3 October. He became archbishop when the see of Karachi was raised to the status of an archdiocese in 1950.[2]
Appointed the Holy See’s Apostolic Delegate on 17 September 1950,[3] he represented the Holy See in the Pakistan. When the status of the delegation was raised to of an internuncio, a status that anticipates the appointment of an official with rank of ambassador and an inappropriate role for the ordinary of a diocese, van Miltenburg led the internunciature as its chargé d’affaires and the office of internuncio remained vacant until after his departure from Karachi.[4]
Bonaventure Patrick Paul, O.F.M. † (13 Apr 1967 Appointed – 1 Sep 1990 Resigned)
**Bonaventure Patrick Paul OFM†** (26 March 1929 – 18 January 2007) was the Bishop of Hyderabad, Pakistan. Educated at St. Patrick’s High School, Karachi, he joined the Order of Friars Minor and was ordained a priest on 1 March 1954.
He served at St. Jude’s Parish from 1961 to 1966. In 1967, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Hyderabad and consecrated Bishop on 14 June 1971. After resigning in 1990, he focused on education and social justice, and served as chairman of the National Commission for Justice and Peace from 1998 to 2001.
Joseph Coutts (1 Sep 1990 Succeeded – 27 Jun 1998 Appointed, Bishop of Faisalabad)
He was (born 21 July 1945) is a Pakistani Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Karachi (2012–2021) and Bishop of Faisalabad (1998–2012). Ordained in 1971, he studied in Rome and held various leadership roles in seminaries and dioceses across Pakistan.
Appointed Bishop of Hyderabad in 1990, he became known for promoting interfaith dialogue and social justice, especially during his time in Faisalabad. Pope Francis made him a cardinal on 28 June 2018, the second in Pakistan’s history.
He also served as President of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference and is a member of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue. In 2024, he received the **Hilal-i-Imtiaz**, and in 2025, he participated in the papal conclave that elected **Pope Leo XIV**.
Bishop Max John Rodrigues was ordained a priest by Pope Paul VI at St. Peter’s Basilica on 6 January 1966. He served in various roles including Assistant Parish Priest at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Karachi, and Principal of St. Paul’s High School (1984–2000).
Appointed Bishop of Hyderabad by Pope John Paul II on 3 December 1999, he was consecrated on 25 March 2000. He was an advocate for women’s education and empowerment, contributing to social change in his diocese.
Rodrigues participated in the 2006 Asia Mission Congress in Thailand and resigned as bishop on 16 December 2014. He later consecrated his successor, Bishop Samson Shukardin, on 31 January 2015.
Bishop Shukardin was born on January 29, 1961, in Hyderabad in Pakistan. After completing education at St. Bonaventure High School in Hyderabad and at Government Boys College Phalali of La Salle Brothers, he entered the Order of Friars Minor.
In 1992 he graduated in Art at the Sindh University, Jamsharo, and later in Theology at the National Catholic Institute of Theology in Karachi. In 1998, he completed his Civil Law studies at Sindh Law College. He was ordained a priest on 10 December 1993.
Since ordination he has served in a number of pastoral roles: From 1993-1996, he was assistant priest in Gujrat, Diocese of Islamabad-Rawalpindi. He served as Prosecutor of the Franciscan Province from1996-2004 and as Guardian of the Franciscan Order and President of the Conference of Major Superiors of Pakistan during 2004-2008.
Since 2008, he has been pastor of St. Elizabeth Church in Hyderabad, Diocesan Director of the Justice and Peace Commission, Director of AsIPA (formation of small Christian communities). Since 2010, he has been the Vicar General of the Diocese of Hyderabad.
