Vicar Apostolic of Méndez
Becerra (El Pan, Azuay Province; April 29, 1957) is an Ecuadorian prelate of the Roman Catholic Church affiliated with the Pious Society of Saint Francis of Sales (Salesians). He currently heads the Apostolic Vicariate of Méndez in Ecuador as the sixth bishop of that ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Néstor was born in El Pan, in the Ecuadorian province of Azuay. After completing his primary education in his hometown at the Nicanor Corral School and his secondary education at the Salesian Orientalista School in Cuenca, he pursued institutional courses in Philosophy from 1977 to 1980 at the Salesian Higher Institute—then affiliated with the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador (now the Salesian Polytechnic University)—where he earned a Licentiate degree in Educational Sciences, specializing in Psychopedagogy. From 1977 to 1980, he studied theology in Rome at the Pontifical Salesian University, completing his degree. He also pursued doctoral studies in Theological Sciences and Sacred Scripture at the same institution. He made his perpetual profession in the Salesian Congregation on May 24, 1982, and was ordained a priest on August 30, 1986. Following his ordination, he assumed the following roles: Professor and Counselor at the Salesian Higher Institute in Quito (1986–1988); Counselor at the Cardinal Spellman Salesian School (1988–1992); member of the Salesian Community in Riobamba and Professor at Santo Tomás School (1992–1993); Pastor of the Limón Mission in Méndez and head of youth ministry at the Salesian Lyceum (1993–1995); Formator and Vicar of the Salesian Post-novitiate in Quito and Professor at the Salesian Polytechnic University (1995–2000); member of the El Girón Salesian community and head of youth ministry at the Cardinal Spellman Salesian School in Quito (2000–2003); Director of the El Girón Salesian Community in Quito (2003–2006); Director of the La Tola Salesian Community in Quito; and person in charge of the Spellman and Don Bosco de la Tola educational centers as well as the "Chicos de la Calle" (Street Children) program in Quito (2006–2008). On April 15, 2008, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Becerra to head the Apostolic Vicariate of Méndez—replacing Pietro Gabrielli, who had resigned upon reaching the canonical age limit—and assigned him the titular episcopal see of Celes in Mauritania. His episcopal ordination and inauguration took place on June 21 of that year at the Cathedral of the Purísima Virgen in Macas; the ceremony was conducted by the then-Apostolic Nuncio to Ecuador, Monsignor Giacomo Guido Ottonello, with the outgoing Bishop Gabrielli and Bishop Luis Antonio Sánchez Armijos of Tulcán—both Salesians—serving as co-consecrators. Monsignor Néstor participated in the beatification ceremony of Sister María Troncatti, FMA, held at the Macas Cathedral on November 24, 2012; the ceremony was presided over by the Salesian Cardinal Angelo Amato—then Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints—acting as the papal delegate. On that occasion, Monsignor Néstor read, on behalf of the local Church, the Salesian petition to have Sister María enrolled among the blessed.