PANAJI
Seeking to orient himself towards the service of people, newly appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Goa and Daman Simião Purificação Fernandes has said his focus will be to reach out to those along the peripheries of society.
Speaking to The Goan, Bishop-elect Fernandes, who was appointed by Pope Francis on Saturday and is presently serving as the Director of St Pius X Pastoral Institute at Old Goa, said his ministry of service as a priest and now as auxiliary bishop would remain the same.
“My ministry will focus on servant leadership. After all, it is the ministry of service that we have to render to God and to humanity,” said Bishop-elect Fernandes, who hails from Chandor.
He admitted that this new appointment would entail a wider responsibility in the archdiocese.
“I was earlier focused on limited area of service and activities, be it the parishes that I was assigned to, the apostolates in the Archdiocese or my present responsibility at the Pastoral Institute. Now, I will be serving the entire archdiocese,” said Bishop-elect Fernandes.
“My priestly motto was “Burn on till you burn out”. This time. I will have a motto which is rooted in the Bible, but I would like to continue in this same service to God and to humanity.”
FOCUS
Bishop-elect Fernandes said the focus of his episcopal ministry will be on those along the peripheries.
“We have started this synodal journey and we have been walking together for the last two years and this journey continues. The Synod also reminds us that we have to embrace everyone along this journey, without excluding anyone,” said Bishop-elect Fernandes.
“My focus will be on those along the peripheries. They may be the youth, the migrants, the marginalised, and those who have gone astray. Our focus has generally been on those who come to the Church. What about those who do not come to the Church? We need to be reaching out to them. I would like to take all our laity along with me in this journey.”
“I like visiting parishes to meet and connect with the people. I want them to know that I will be with them and for them.”
CHALLENGES
Bishop-elect Fernandes admitted that the challenges will be many and they will increase.
“It is not easy to exercise leadership in the church as there are pressures on all sides. But we must trust in the divine providence and I will have a number of collaborators in this ministry,” he said.
MESSAGE
Bishop-elect Fernandes said his message to the community is to work and journey together.
“We already have a beautiful vision in our Diocesan Pastoral Plan and must move forward as sisters and brothers. I would like to take everyone on board to promote a vibrant church,” he said.
Incidentally, this is the second time a priest serving as director of the Pastoral Institute in Old Goa has been appointed bishop of the Goa archdiocese.
The archbishop late Raul Gonsalves had been serving as director of the Pastoral Institute at Old Goa when he was appointed auxiliary bishop to the then Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese Francisco da Piedade Rebello in 1967, coincidentally the year Bishop-elect Fernandes was born.
