Bishop José Roberto Silva Carvalho

Servite Domino In Laetitia ⊶ Serve the Lord with joy ⊷ 9th Bishop of the Diocese of Caetité (Incumbent). Episcopacy began on: January 29, 2017 ⋘ ✯ April 1, 1960 ⋙ Priestly Ordination: June 9, 1995 Episcopal Ordination: January 29, 2017. Dom José Roberto Silva Carvalho assumed leadership of the Diocese of Caetité on January 29, 2017; his appointment had taken place on October 26, 2016. Dom Carvalho was born in Fortaleza on April 1, 1960, the son of military man Joaquim Torres de Carvalho and Maria Odélia Silva Carvalho. Dom Carvalho's father was at work when he received a telegram informing him of the birth on April 1st. He did not believe the news, thinking it was a prank; consequently, he registered the birth as having occurred the previous day. His family was deeply religious, counting more than thirty priests and two bishops among its members. He was baptized on April 17 of the year of his birth at the São Geraldo parish church in his hometown and received his First Communion on December 13, 1970, at the Nossa Senhora das Dores parish church, also in the capital of Ceará, where he was confirmed seven years later. After his First Eucharist, he joined an altar server group and later a youth group; he then entered religious life as a Franciscan on February 2, 1979—at the age of nineteen—remaining in the order until 1984. He completed his studies in philosophy at the Nossa Senhora das Vitórias Institute of Philosophy in Vitória da Conquista and in theology at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Institute in Taubaté, eventually being ordained on July 9, 1995, in Barra do Choça, Bahia. Subsequently, Carvalho served as rector of the Nossa Senhora das Vitórias Seminary from 1995 to 2000 and ministered in various parishes, such as Iguaí and Poções; it was in Poções—by then holding the title of Monsignor—that he received his appointment from Pope Francis as bishop of the diocese based in the Bahian city of Caetité. Auditor Judge of the Ecclesiastical Court (since 1995); Member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors (since 2011). Dom José Roberto also studied in Rome, taking a course for seminary formators, and on September 15, 2011, he was named a Chaplain of His Holiness, receiving the title of Monsignor. The diocese had been under the leadership of Father Gilvan Pereira Rodrigues since August 2015, following the transfer of Bishop Dom Ricardo to Janaúba in May 2015. Dom Carvalho’s episcopal ordination ceremony, held on January 29, 2017, was presided over by the Archbishop of Vitória da Conquista, Dom Luís Gonzaga Silva Pepeu; the co-consecrating bishops were Dom Geraldo Lyrio Rocha (Archbishop of Mariana) and Dom João Santos Cardoso (Bishop of Bom Jesus da Lapa). On November 11, 2017, Dom Carvalho became a full member of the Caetité Academy during an induction ceremony at Santana Cathedral, filling the seat previously held by another bishop, Dom Antônio Alberto Guimarães Rezende, who had passed away in 2015; the occasion highlighted the institution's importance to local culture, and the prelate emphasized that this honor extended to the entire Diocese he represents. During his first three years leading the Diocese of Caetité, he established five parishes: Nossa Senhora Aparecida and São Cristóvão in Brumado; Nossa Senhora do Carmo in Ibitira (a district of Rio do Antônio); Nossa Senhora Aparecida in Caetité; São Geraldo Majella in Guanambi; and Santa Virgem das Vitórias in Lagoa Real. During this same period, he ordained three priests: Fr. Bruno Araújo Porto, Fr. Ícaro Vinícius Gonçalves Silva, and Fr. Danilo Lima dos Santos. 1. Blue Field: Symbol of heaven, our future homeland. “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Mt 25:34) 2. Shell with a Pearl: Represents Saint Anne (the shell) carrying Mary (the pearl) in her womb. Saint Anne is the patroness of the Diocese of Caetité, where Dom Carvalho exercises his episcopal ministry. 3. Silver and Gold Fields: The colors of the Vatican, as Dom Carvalho received the title of Monsignor—specifically "Chaplain of His Holiness"—on November 1, 2011, at the request of Dom Luís Gonzaga Silva Pepeu, Archbishop of Vitória da Conquista. 4. Lily: Represents Saint Joseph, patron of the state of Ceará; Dom Carvalho is a native of Ceará—specifically the state capital, Fortaleza—and holds a personal devotion to the saint, having received the name José at his baptism. 5. Carnaúba: Native vegetation of northeastern Brazil and a symbol of the state of Ceará; known as the "tree of life" for offering a multitude of uses to humanity, it is also a source of economic wealth for the state. 6. Red Pallium with Seven Flames: A reference to the Parish of the Divine Holy Spirit (Paróquia do Divino Espírito Santo), where Dom Carvalho served as parish priest at the time of his appointment as Bishop of Caetité. Furthermore, on the day of his installation as parish priest (November 1, 2011), he received the title of Chaplain of His Holiness (Monsignor). 7. Fleur-de-lis: symbolizes Our Lady, reflecting his particular devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. 8. The scroll bears Bishop Carvalho’s episcopal motto: “Servite Domino in Laetitia” (Serve the Lord with gladness; Ps 99). 9. The green hat, cords, and processional cross: these are symbols of ecclesiastical heraldry that, by rule, must be present in an episcopal coat of arms.