Bishop of Nola
Bishop Francesco Marino, Bishop of Nola, was born on November 24, 1955, in Cesa, in the province of Caserta and the Diocese of Aversa. He completed his middle and gymnasium studies at the seminary of Aversa and theology at the Campanian Interregional Seminary of Posillipo, where he obtained a bachelor's degree in theology. He was ordained a priest for Aversa on October 6, 1979. He attended courses at the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy of the University of Naples and in 1989 obtained a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Theological Faculty of Posillipo, later completing his doctorate with the publication of his thesis in 1997. He served as animator of the lyceum seminarians and vicar cooperator in the parish of Sant'Antimo (1979-1980); teacher of religion in state schools (1979-1982); vice-rector and group animator at the seminary of Posillipo (1980-1992); parish priest of San Sossio and Madonna di Pantano at Villa Literno (1982-1994); lecturer in ecclesiology at the Theological Faculty of Posillipo from 1989; head of the ongoing formation of the clergy, first as episcopal delegate and then as episcopal vicar (1991-1998); diocesan assistant of Catholic Action from 1992; lecturer at the Institute of Religious Sciences of the Diocese of Aversa from 1993; and parish priest of San Michele Arcangelo in Trentola Ducenta and vicar forane of the same deanery from 1995. He has been a chaplain of His Holiness since 1997, and is a member of the presbyteral and pastoral councils of the Diocese of Aversa and of the regional priests' commission. On November 13, 2004, he was appointed Bishop of Avellino. He received episcopal ordination on January 8, 2005, with Crescenzio Sepe as principal consecrator and Mario Milano and Antonio Forte as co-consecrators, and he was installed on January 14, 2005. On November 11, 2016, he was appointed Bishop of Nola, and he was installed on January 15, 2017.