Twenty-five years after its establishment, the Apostolic Vicariate of Quetta in southwestern Pakistan has ordained its first local diocesan priest.
The ordination of Fr. Samran Boota took place on April 24 at St. Pius X Parish Church in Samungli, Quetta, and was presided over by Archbishop Sebastian Francis Shaw, Apostolic Vicar of Quetta. The celebration was attended by clergy, religious sisters, and hundreds of faithful from across the province of Balochistan.
“Today marks a historic moment. God has chosen a young man from the soil of this vicariate,” Archbishop Shaw said during the Mass. “This is a day of immense joy and a testament to the growing faith of our local community. The ordination of Fr. Samran Boota marks a significant milestone for a Church that has long relied on missionaries and visiting clergy.”
He added: “The priestly ordination of the first local priest in the Apostolic Vicariate of Quetta reflects the deepening roots and steady growth of the local Church in Balochistan.”
The vicariate was established on November 9, 2001, from parts of the Diocese of Hyderabad and the Archdiocese of Karachi. It was elevated from an apostolic prefecture to a vicariate on April 29, 2010, with Bishop Victor Gnanapragasm, OMI, as its first Apostolic Vicar.
“I praise and thank God for the gift of the priesthood,” said Fr. Boota. “It has been a long journey, but with the help of God, my parents, my family, and my formators, I stand here today as a priest. He has called me, and I am ready to say yes to serve Him and His people.”
A native of the region, Fr. Boota was born on April 7, 1996, in Nushki, near the Afghanistan border. He completed his early education at a government high school in Nushki before entering St. Pius X Minor Seminary in Karachi in 2014. He pursued philosophical studies at St. Francis Xavier Seminary in Lahore in 2017 and completed his theological formation at Christ the King Seminary in Karachi in 2021. He was ordained a deacon on August 7, 2025, by Archbishop Khalid Rehmat, OFM Cap, then Apostolic Vicar of Quetta.
As of early 2026, the Apostolic Vicariate of Quetta serves around 35,000 Catholics across Balochistan through nine parishes and 44 mission stations, supported by 14 priests, 21 catechists, seven religious brothers, and 18 religious sisters.
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