Bishop of Bridgetown
Neil Sebastian Scantlebury was born on October 1, 1965, in Barbados. After earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of the West Indies at St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, he moved to the U.S. Virgin Islands. He pursued his studies at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland (USA), where he also obtained a Master of Arts in Sacred Scripture in 1999. In addition to English and Creole, he is proficient in Latin, Spanish, and French. He was ordained a priest on May 18, 1995, for the clergy of Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Following his ordination, he held the following positions: Parochial Vicar at Holy Family Church, St. Thomas (1995–1997); Administrator and Pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, St. John (1997–2003); Diocesan Chancellor (2000–2003); Rector of the Cathedral (2003–2009); and Pastor of Holy Family Church, St. Thomas (2009–2020). He served as Diocesan Chancellor from 2009 to the present and, since 2020, has been the Pastor of St. Ann Parish on the island of St. Croix. Furthermore, he has served on various councils—including Caritas and the Child Protection Board—and was a faculty member at Saints Peter and Paul High School, where he taught Mathematics and Theology.