JUST six months after losing their beloved Father Bernard Caszo, the congregation at the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Devizes has learned they are to say farewell to his successor, Father Bosco Lobo.

Father Bosco, 34, has served the town's Roman Catholic community for five years and has been in sole charge of the parish for the last 11 months, taking over from Father Bernard, who left in January.

Father Bosco will be leaving at the end of July.

He was born in Bahrain in 1970. His father came from Kenya and his mother from Goa. In 1991 the family came to live in England.

In 1992 Father Bosco went to Fribourg in Switzerland to study for the priesthood in philosophy, theology and psychology. He was ordained in July 1999 in St Peter's Church, Woolwich, and came to Devizes as curate in October of that year.

Since then he has served the parish in many capacities, including chaplain to the local hospitals and Erlestoke Prison. He is a foundation governor at St Augustine's College in Trowbridge and of St Joseph's Primary School in Devizes.

He represents the Trowbridge Deanery at the council of priests for the diocese of Clifton and the Deanery Pastoral Council.

In addition, he has organised and led the confirmation preparation, the altar servers guild and the youth group and has instructed the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. He has established a team of special ministers of the Eucharist and started the Wednesday Smile group.

Pat Kennedy, who wrote a history of the Devizes Roman Catholic parish, Sursum Corda, said: "His commitment and dedication has helped to revitalise the parish and he will be very much missed."

Father Bosco will offer a mass of thanksgiving on Tuesday at 7pm, the fifth anniversary of his ordination, and this will be followed by a reception in the school hall.