Bishop Mario Russotto

Bishop Mario Russotto, Bishop of Caltanissetta, was born on July 23, 1957, in Vittoria, in the province and Diocese of Ragusa. After attending the state classical lyceum, he completed his studies at the diocesan seminary of Ragusa. He was ordained a priest for Ragusa on June 29, 1981. He then served as vicar cooperator of the mother church of Comiso (1981-1984); vice-assistant of diocesan Catholic Action; head of diocesan vocations ministry; canon mansionary of the chapter of Ragusa (1985); diocesan assistant of the Italian Catholic Federation of University Students (1987); episcopal delegate for the formation of the religious women of the diocese (1987); and lecturer in Hebrew and sacred scripture at the episcopal seminary of Ragusa and at the Higher Institute of Theology for the laity until 1991. He was episcopal vicar for consecrated life (1988-1990); vice-rector and bursar of the diocesan seminary (1988-1990); a member of the diocesan presbyteral council; and assistant of the instituted ministers of the Word. From 1990 to 1997 he was central ecclesiastical assistant of the Italian Catholic Federation of University Students; from 1997 director of the regional centre for the ongoing formation of the clergy in Sicily; and from May 2002 adjunct secretary of the Sicilian Episcopal Conference for the pastoral sector. From 1999 he lectured in sacred scripture at the Theological Faculty of Sicily. He is the author of numerous theological and spiritual articles and publications. On August 2, 2003, he was appointed Bishop of Caltanissetta. He received episcopal ordination on September 27, 2003, at Caltanissetta, with Salvatore De Giorgi as principal consecrator and Salvatore Pappalardo and Paolo Romeo as co-consecrators.