The brothers of the São Damião de Molokai community, in Catuji-MG, participated last Saturday morning in the installation of Bishop Esmeraldo Barreto de Farias in the diocese of Araçuaí, in the Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais. Bishop Esmeraldo is the tenth bishop of this diocese and the successor to Bishop Marcel Romano, who served from 2012 to 2020.

Father João Lucas Alves, ss.cc; Father Élcio Rubens Felix, ss.cc, and Brother Francisco Gleison Oliveira, ss.cc, were present at the Eucharistic Celebration where the new bishop was installed. They represented the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts and the parish of Catuji, which belongs to the diocese of Araçuaí, which has a total of 27 parishes.

Dom Esmeraldo Barreto de Farias

Dom Esmeraldo was born on July 4, 1949, in Santo Antônio de Jesus, Bahia. He studied Philosophy at the Federal University of Minas Gerais and Theology at the Institute of Theology of the Catholic University of Salvador. He is a member of the Prado Institute.

He was ordained a priest on January 9, 1977. He served as parish vicar in several parishes, coordinator of Rural Pastoral Care, spiritual director of the Major Seminary of Amargosa-BA, national coordinator of the priests of Prado, and diocesan administrator of Amargosa.

On March 22, 2000, he was appointed bishop of Paulo Afonso-BA and ordained bishop on June 11 of the same year. On February 28, 2007, he was appointed to the Diocese of Santarém-PA and on November 30, 2011, he was appointed archbishop of Porto Velho. On March 18, 2015, he was transferred to the office of auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of São Luís do Maranhão.

At the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), he was a member of the Permanent Council and president of the Episcopal Pastoral Commission for Ordained Ministries and Consecrated Life (2007-2011).

*with information from Vatican News