Bishop Stefano Russo

Bishop Stefano Russo was born on 26 August 1961 in Ascoli Piceno, in the diocese and province of the same name. He attended the diocesan Opera di Maria Movement, and graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of Pescara. He began his formative path to the priesthood in Grottaferrata, at the Generazione Nuova Sacerdotale Centre, Focolare Community, attending course for the bachelor’s degree in theology at the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome. He received priestly ordination on 20 April 1991 and was incardinated in the diocese of Ascoli Piceno. He first served as president of the Religious Art and Cultural Heritage Commission of the diocese of Ascoli Piceno, and head of Ecclesiastical Cultural Heritage of the same diocese (1990-2007), member of the Council for Ecclesiastical Cultural Assets of the Bishops' Conference of the Marches (1990-2005); regional Commissioner for Ecclesiastical Cultural Assets of the Bishops' Conference of the Marches (1996-2005); parish administrator of San Pietro in Castel San Pietro (1999-2001); head of the UDTAP, the diocesan office coordinating the recovery of earthquake-damaged buildings of historical and artistic value (2001-2005); member of the Committee of the National Office for Ecclesiastical Cultural Assets of the CEI; member of the Commission for Cultural Assets and Activities of the Marches Region (2002-2005); head of the National Office for Ecclesiastical Cultural Assets of the CEI and deputy parish priest of San Giacomo della Marca (2005-2015), and parish priest of Santi Pietro e Paolo in Ascoli Piceno (2015). On 18 March 2016, he was appointed bishop of Fabriano-Matelica. On 28 September 2018, he became secretary general of the Italian Episcopal Conference, still holding the diocese of Fabriano-Matelica, as apostolic administrator, until 27 April 2019. On 7 May 2022, he was appointed bishop of Velletri-Segni. Within the Bishops’ Conference of the Latium Region, he is bishop delegate for Cultural Heritage and Buildings of Worship.