Bishop of Palmares
Bishop Fernando Barbosa dos Santos, C.M., Bishop of Palmares, Pernambuco, Brazil, was born on 5 March 1967 in Sertânia, diocese of Pesqueira, in the state of Pernambuco. He made religious vows on 11 February 1995 in the Congregation of the Mission, the Lazarists, and was ordained a priest on 20 January 1996. After elementary studies, he attended philosophy and theology courses at the Instituto Regional de Pastoral in Olinda, archdiocese of Olinda and Recife, and obtained specialization in letters at the Universidade de Arcoverde, in Arcoverde, diocese of Pesqueira. During priestly ministry he held the following offices: parochial vicar in Santo Antônio Parish in Quixeramobim, diocese of Quixadá, from 1996 to 1998; formator in the propaedeutic seminary of the Congregation of the Mission in Fortaleza from 1998 to 1999; parish administrator of São Pedro e São Paulo Parish in Fortaleza from 1999 to 2000; formator in the seminary of Belém do Pará from 2000 to 2003; provincial superior of the Lazarist Province of Fortaleza from 2003 to 2006 and from 2006 to 2009; pastor of São José Parish in Tucuruí, diocese of Cametá, from 2009 to 2010; and treasurer of the Lazarist Province of Fortaleza from 2009. At the time of the source he exercised his ministry as pastor of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Parish in Fortaleza.