He was ordained priest on 30 March 1969.
After the ordination, he was sent to Lebanon and Syria (1969-1971) to learn Arabic. He was assigned to Cairo, Egypt from 1972 to 1977.
From 1977 to 1978, he was again in Lebanon (Kaslik) to begin his studies for the Licentiate in Eastern Liturgy, which he completed in 1980 at the Pontificio Istituto Orientale, Rome.
From 1981 to 1990 he was professor of Eastern Liturgy at the Institute of Theology of Cairo, as well as the Delegation Superior, and then Provincial Superior, of his religious Congregation in Egypt.
In 1990 he was assigned to the Comboni Province of Sudan where he founded the “Catholic Teachers Training College” for the formation of Religion teachers in Schools (1990-1997).
From 1997 to 2000 he was in Rome for his Doctorate degree on the History of the Church in Sudan and especially in the Mahdiyyah time (1881-1898). During that period practice of any other religion except the Mahdist Islam was strictly forbidden. His research is on how the Christians and the Jews lived in those years.
Since 2000, he has been Director of the “Dar Comboni for Arabic Studies” in Cairo, a Pontifical Institute aimed at preparing the religious personnel for the Arabic and Islamic countries. At the same time he was also professor of Church History in the inter-ritual Major Seminary.
On 14 July 2005 he was appointed Bishop of Kuwait by His Holiness the Pope Benedict XVI. On September 2, 2005, He was consecrated a bishop and has taken charge as Apostolic Vicar of Kuwait.
On 31 May 2011 Pope Benedict XVI appointed him Bishop of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, with the title: Apostolic Vicar of Northern Arabia.