Bishop Maurício da Silva Jardim

Maurício da Silva Jardim was born on February 9, 1969, in Sapucaia do Sul, within the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Porto Alegre and the State of Rio Grande do Sul. He completed his studies in Philosophy at the *Faculdade de Filosofia Nossa Senhora da Imaculada Conceição* (1994) and in Theology at the *Centro de Estudos Teológicos São João Vianney* in Viamão, RS (1999). He subsequently specialized in Psychopedagogy, Missiology, and Priestly Formation. He was ordained a priest on December 11, 1999, and incardinated into the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Porto Alegre, where he held the following roles: Advisor for Youth Ministry (2002–2007); Parochial Vicar of São Vicente de Paulo and Santa Terezinha; Parish Priest of Divino Pai Eterno, Nossa Senhora do Caravaggio, and São Vicente Pai dos Pobres; Spiritual Director of the Propaedeutic Seminary (2014–2015); Coordinator of Priestly Ministry (2013–2016); and Vocations Animator (2015). Additionally, he served as a missionary in Mozambique (2008–2012) and as Vice-Coordinator of Priestly Ministry for the "Sul 3" Region of the Brazilian Bishops' Conference (2013–2016). In 1991, he graduated. In November 2021, he was elected Coordinator of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Americas. Since 2016, he has served as the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Brazil. He completed a postgraduate program in Psychopedagogy at FAFIMC in 1998. He also holds a *lato sensu* specialization in Missiology from the Saint Thomas Aquinas Institute (ISTA), completed in 2017. He was ordained a priest on December 11, 1999, at the Our Lady of Fatima parish in Sapucaia do Sul (RS) and belongs to the clergy of the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre (RS). From 2002 to 2007, he served as an advisor to the Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre. Through the "Solidary Church" project of the CNBB's South 3 Region, he served as a missionary in Mozambique, Africa. He was the pastor of three parishes in the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre (Divine Eternal Father, Our Lady of Caravaggio, and Saint Vincent, Father of the Poor) and parochial vicar of Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Thérèse. He served as spiritual director for the propaedeutic course in 2014 and 2015. He acted as coordinator of the Presbyteral Ministry for the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre from 2013 to 2016 and as vice-coordinator for the CNBB's South 3 Region. In November 2015, he was appointed vocational animator for the Archdiocese of Porto Alegre. In January 2015, he coordinated the first stage of the *lato sensu* specialization course for formators of diocesan priests at the Saint Thomas Aquinas Institute (ISTA) in Belo Horizonte, MG. In March 2016, he was appointed by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Fernando Filoni, as National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), serving a term from 2016 to 2021. He was reappointed as National Director of the PMS in March 2021, with a term extending to 2026. In 1991, he graduated. In November 2021, he was elected continental coordinator of the Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS), and on June 8, 2022, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Rondonópolis-Guiratinga by Pope Francis. He took office on October 23, 2022, at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross, and since then has captivated everyone with his friendly and welcoming presence. His episcopal motto is Feed my sheep from John 21.