Team Herald
MARGAO: The first Indian-American to head a US Roman Catholic diocese is the newly-promoted Bishop Rev Earl K Fernandes who is of Goan origin. This news has been hailed by Goans and the Goan diaspora abroad.
The Vatican has announced that Pope Francis has named the Rev Earl Fernandes, now a priest in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Columbus. He will be consecrated and installed as the 13th Bishop of Columbus on May 31.
He is also the first person of colour to lead the Columbus Diocese.
"This is the land of opportunity. There is a great deal of pride in being the first Indian-American Bishop," said Bishop-elect Fernandes, while addressing a press conference in Columbus.
"I see myself as a man, a human man, made in the image of God, and every person I see as a brother and sister," said Rev Fernandes.
While he has been given the nickname ‘Father Speedy’ by his Cincinnati parishioners for his perceived fast-walking and talking style, Rev Fernandes said he is committed to efficiency when it comes to prioritising goals for the Columbus Diocese.
He referred to Pope Francis' desire to create a synodal church, or a church that walks together, listens and discerns.
"It's not so much a programme for social and political reform but for evangelising — of bringing the joy of the Gospel to every level of culture and to every heart," said Rev Fernandes.
Amongst his many objectives, he touched upon the discussions to restructure parishes within the diocese amid declines in attendance and a priest shortage throughout the Catholic Church.
"We need to be spiritual entrepreneurs. We need to help everybody live their vocations and see Christianity not just as a set of rules, but a way of life," said the Bishop-elect.
The fourth of five sons born, Rev Earl attributes his deep faith and vocation to the exemplary prayer life of his mother, a teacher, and his father, who is a physician.
He was born on September 21, 1972, in Toledo in Ohio to Sydney Oswald and Thelma Fernandes, who hails from Mumbai and has roots in Goa.
Describing himself as 'a young and a happy priest', the 49-year-old recalled the lesson of humility his parents imparted on him, growing up in a poor neighbourhood that guides him till today. On that note, he said that same moral imperative followed his journey and career.
Before becoming pastor at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Cincinnati, Fernandes attended the University of Toledo, where he got a bachelor's degree in biology, before attending the University of Cincinnati College Of Medicine.
Rev Fernandes also pointed out that he comes from a family of doctors and teachers.
It was in his second year of medical studies at the University of Cincinnati that he felt the call of the Lord and realised that he wanted to become a priest.
Thereafter, he did his priestly formation at Mount Saint Mary’s of the West in Cincinnati and bagged a master’s in Theology in 2002.
He was ordained on May 18, 2002, for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and two years later he went to Rome to earn a licentiate and doctoral degree in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy.
Rev Fernandes served as vicar of Holy Angels parish and was a religious teacher at Lehman Catholic High School in Sidney from 2002 to 2004.
He was the dean and assistant professor of moral theology at Mount Saint Mary’s of the West seminary from 2008 to 2016. He served as a member of the executive committee for the National Association of Catholic Theological Schools and was appointed a Missionary of Mercy during the extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy from 2015 to 2016.
He served on the staff of the nunciature for three and a half years.
Part of the board of trustees of the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Rev Fernandes is also fluent in Spanish, Italian and French apart from having a reading knowledge of Latin.