Father Osvânio Humberto Mariano, ss.cc., was elected this afternoon, January 20, 2021, as the Provincial Superior of Brazil and the Paraguay Region. The election took place during the 11th Provincial Chapter in Pindamonhangaba, São Paulo.

Osvânio, 56 years old, is the son of Mrs. Terezinha and the late Mr. José Mariano. The priest was born in Guimarânia-MG and currently worked as parish priest of the São Damião de Molokai Parish, in Patrocínio-MG, in addition to serving as Episcopal Vicar for Consecrated Life in the Diocese of Patos de Minas-MG.

The assembly that elected Father Osvânio began last Monday, the 18th, and will continue until next Saturday. On Wednesday afternoon, the priests with voting rights met for the election and chose the parish priest of Patrocínio, who will now leave the city and move to Belo Horizonte, to the Congregation's headquarters, to serve a three-year term.

Who is Father Osvânio?

The son of José Mariano and Teresinha Maria de Jesus, Osvânio was born in the city of Guimarânia/MG and is the eldest of six siblings. Until the age of seven, the family lived in the countryside, at which point they moved to the city so that he could go to school. Osvânio came from a very poor family; his father was a farmer and also worked as a carpenter, and his mother was a homemaker.

“"We have never lacked faith in God and the cultivation of a rather simple spirituality; praying the rosary, novenas, and especially participating in the Eucharist."”

Father Osvânio Humberto Mariano, ss.cc

Regarding his vocation, from a very young age, whenever someone asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he always answered: "I want to be a priest!" But, during that period of childhood and adolescence, everything went very naturally. Whenever he thought about going to the seminary, he immediately considered the family's financial situation, as he was unable to contribute; being the oldest, he needed to help the family, which he did in fact.

He started working at the age of ten: selling popsicles, working at a fruit and vegetable stand, and at a bar. One of the important things he highlights from that time, and which certainly helped him in discerning his vocation, was his contact with the poorest people. As his father was a member of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, he always accompanied him to meetings and visited those in need.

Father Osvânio recounts that something very significant in his decision-making process was when, in 1980, Pope John Paul II came to Brazil for the first time, and dozens of priests were ordained in Rio de Janeiro. “"I thought it was very beautiful, and from then on I started telling my family and friends that I would like to go to the seminary.", He reminds him.

The young man recounts meeting a boy who was already in the seminary, and that this boy gave him a book about the life of Saint Damien of Molokai, which awakened his missionary zeal. It was then that Osvânio ended up joining the same congregation as Saint Damien. Since childhood, the priest has maintained a great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima. His mother always said that on the day of his baptism (June 21, 1964) he was consecrated to her.

In his priestly religious life, Father Osvânio always cultivated the missionary ideal. Contact with the poor was always a fundamental experience for him in renewing his consecration.