PANAJI
Pope Leo XIV on Saturday appointed Fr Stephen Eustace Victor Fernandes, a priest of Goan origin, as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Bombay.
Bishop-elect Fernandes, who presently serves as local collaborator with the apostolic nunciature in India, in New Delhi, since 2018, is a recognised expert in the Church’s social teaching and medical ethics, having presented scholarly papers at national and international seminars.
In his address shortly after being named auxiliary bishop, Fr Fernandes remembered in a special way his late parents for sowing the seeds of vocation in his life, as well as the inspiration and love he had received from his sister, Marie, and brother, Savio.
Fr Fernandes was born in Mumbai on September 20, 1961, and while his father, John, was from Calangute, his mother, Palmira, was from Santa Cruz.
Fr Fernandes completed his early education at Our Lady of Salvation High School, Dadar, and Don Bosco High School, Matunga, Bombay.
He was awarded a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Commerce at the University of Bombay. He studied philosophy and theology at Saint Pius X College in Goregaon and later obtained a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy in Rome (1994–2000).
He was ordained a priest on March 31, 1990 for the metropolitan archdiocese of Bombay.
The bishop-elect has served the Church in many capacities: Assistant parish priest of Saint John the Evangelist Church, Marol-Mumbai (1990-1992), deanery coordinator for catechesis and youth (1990-1992), lecturer in sacred scripture and moral theology at Saint Pius X College, Goregaon (1992-1994), professor of ethics, moral theology and patrology at Saint Pius X College, Goregaon (2000-2018), executive director of the F.I.A.M.C. Bio-Medical Ethics Centre, Mumbai (since 2008), secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) Commission for Doctrine and Theology (2010 to 2018), national advisor to the Catholic Nurses Guild of India (2010-2018), and secretary of the CBCI Commission for Justice and Peace (2015-2018).
In 2017, he was appointed theologian of the Catholic-Baptist Dialogue by the Pontifical Commission for Promoting Christian Unity.
