Earl Fernandes Ordained as First Indian American Catholic Bishop

Pope Francis, in his letter to Fernandes, described him as being "of strong faith and good character".

Earl Fernandes was ordained on Tuesday, 31 May, as the 13th Bishop of Columbus, and the first Indian-American Catholic Bishop.

(Photo: Twitter/@UgonnaMario)

Earl Fernandes was ordained on Tuesday, 31 May, as the 13th Bishop of Columbus, and the first Indian-American Catholic Bishop.

The almost three-hour ceremony was held at Saint Paul the Apostle Church in Westerville, Ohio.

He was born in Toledo to Indian immigrants and was the pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Cincinnati before his ordination.

"Being a pastor is really hard and so I want to be close to the priests of the Diocese of Columbus, but get out to the parishes and go and see what the real needs are," Fernandes was quoted as saying by Spectrum News.

Pope Francis, in his letter to Fernandes, translated from Latin to English, described him as being "of strong faith and good character."

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz were among those invited for the ordination.

Three former bishops of Columbus were aso in attendance — retired bishops James Griffin and Frederick Campbell and Bishop Robert Brennan, now bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Priest, Teacher, Parochial Administrator: Who is Earl Fernandes? 

Fernandes' mother and father were born in Goa and Mangalore respectively.

He earned a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Toledo in 1994 and later a physiology degree from the University of Salford in England, according to the website of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in May 2002, Fernandes was eventually awarded a doctorate in moral theology from the Alphonsian Academy in 2007.

He also taught and served as the dean at Mount Saint Mary's Seminary in Cincinnati.

His 2013 book is titled "Seminary Formation and Homosexuality".

Fernandes also served as the parochial administrator of Sacred Heart parish from 2014 to 2016.

Talking about his ordination, Jane Collinsworth, a Saint Paul parishioner and Westerville resident told The Columbus Dispatch, "I think he’s going to bring a fresh perspective, and I think he’s going to breathe new life into so many things that need it."

(With inputs from The Columbus Dispatch and The Spectrum)