Bishop João Aparecido Bergamasco

João Aparecido Bergamasco, S.A.C., is Bishop of Primavera do Leste-Paranatinga, Mato Grosso, Brazil. João Aparecido Bergamasco was born on 15 May 1967 in Marabá, municipality of Tuneiras D'Oeste, Paraná; the Holy See Press Office identifies the place as Tuneiras do Oeste, Diocese of Umuarama, in the State of Paraná. He is a religious of the Society of the Catholic Apostolate, the Pallottines. He studied philosophy at the Santa Maria Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, from 1987 to 1988, and theology at the same institute from 1990 to 1993. He made religious profession in the Society of the Catholic Apostolate on 25 March 1990 and received priestly ordination on 26 December 1993. He attended the formation course for religious and consecrated life at the Instituto São Tomás de Aquino in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, from 2009 to 2010. After ordination, he was sent on mission to the State of Rondônia, where he worked as vicar general from 1994 to 1995 at São Francisco de Assis Parish in Ariquemes. He was parochial vicar of São Francisco de Assis in Ariquemes, Cristo Redentor in Cerejeiras, São Roque in Coronel Vivida, Nossa Senhora de Fátima in Porto Alegre, and Rainha dos Apóstolos in Manaus. He was parish priest of Santo Antônio in Iporã, of the Shrine of Nossa Senhora de Fátima in Manaus, and of Nossa Senhora de Fátima in Fátima do Sul. He was the creator of the diocesan Shrine of Santo Antônio in Iporã and also belonged to the Presbyteral Council. In Cerejeiras, Rondônia, where he remained until the end of 1998, he was director of the FM community radio station and adviser for youth ministry in the episcopal area. In 2001 he became rector of the Shrine of Nossa Senhora de Fátima in Manaus. He was rector of São Vicente Pallotti Seminary in Palotina, Paraná, until the end of 2010. In 2011 he undertook the mission of serving as financial director of the Pallotti printing house and publishing house in Porto Alegre. In 2012 he returned to Manaus, where he exercised various services. He was also vocation animator, rector of São Vicente Pallotti Minor Seminary in Palotina, and director of the postulancy in Manaus. On 19 December 2018 Pope Francis appointed him as the fourteenth bishop for the Diocese of Corumbá, and he received episcopal ordination on 3 March 2019. On 23 of the same month he was officially installed as bishop of the diocese. João Aparecido Bergamasco is a member of the CNBB Episcopal Commission for Communion and Sharing and also of the Episcopal Commission for Socio-Transforming Action; the Holy See Press Office also identifies him as a member of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference's Episcopal Pastoral Commission for Socio-Transforming Action.