Hello there! My name is Albano Da Costa. I was born, grew up and educated in Goa, India. At the age of sixteen, in June 1995, I joined the Divine Word Missionaries at SVD Mission Seminary, Raia, Goa. In 1997, I left Goa to undergo SVD common formation program in Spirituality, Integration and Studies (SIS course) in Palda, Indore. I did my college studies in Loyola College, Chennai, from 1998-2001. I completed my novitiate and professed my first vows in the Society of the Divine Word in 2002. I did my studies in philosophy at SVD Vidhya Bhavan, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh from 2002-2004. After which, I obtained a masters in Philosophy from RDVV University in Jabalpur. During and after my masters, I lectured in areas of Indian Philosophy, such as, the Indian concept of God (Indian Theism), Introduction to Indian Philosophy and Indian Classical Systems for two years, in two of our regional and SVD Philosophates in Bhopal, India. After my initial experience in teaching and formation, I underwent one year of mission experience followed by four years of Theological training in Jana Deepa Vidyapeeth (JDV), Pune, India. After completing my theological studies and courses in pastoral training, I was ordained priest in the Society of the Divine Word on 10th May 2011 in my home parish in Curtorim. After ordination, I received my first mission appointment to the Australian Province of the SVD and spent my first four years doing pastoral ministry in the Catholic Parishes of Saint Patrick's Church, Wainuiomata; Sacred Heart Church, Petone; Our Lady of the Rosary Church, Waiwhetu, and San Antonio Church, Eastbourne in the Lower-Hutt Valley of Wellington, New Zealand. While in Wellington, I was appointed as the board member for Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand by New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference (NZCBC) and member of the Council of Priests’ in the Archdiocese of Wellington. In April 2015, I was given the approval to pursue higher studies in Rome where I learnt the Italian language and did my licentiate in Missiology at the Pontifical Gregorian University from 2015-2017. After obtaining my licence degree, I moved to London and underwent further training in academic writing skills, Studies in European Society, and Comparative Studies in Culture at the School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), University of London in the UK. While at SOAS, I received an unconditional offer to purse higher studies at the University of Oxford. My primary responsibility as the Academic Dean of Studies at Dorish Maru is to make sure that the candidates for ordination complete all the SVD and Church Law Requirements for ordination and that candidates for the Brotherhood accomplish the basic theological program that has been outlined for them. I am also responsible for the development of Mission Studies at YTU and organise the Annual Mission Day, possibly invite Visiting Lecturers, and oversee the presentation of Occasional Lectures and Workshops on Mission topics.