Archbishop of Aparecida
Archbishop Mário Antônio da Silva was born on 17 October 1966 in Itararé, in the diocese of Itapeva, São Paulo. After studying philosophy and theology at the Divino Mestre diocesan seminary in Jacarezinho-PR, he was awarded a licentiate in moral theology at the Pontifical Alphonsian Academy of Rome. He was ordained a priest on 21 December 1991, and incardinated in the diocese of Jacarezinho. He has held the following offices: spiritual director and then rector of the Nossa Senhora da Assunção Minor Seminary; vocational pastoral coordinator; diocesan pastoral coordinator; professor of moral theology; spiritual director of the Divino Mestre Major Seminary; parish priest of Sagrado Coração de Jesus in Jacarezinho-PR; chancellor of the diocesan Curia; second vice-president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil and president of the Norte 1 Region of the same Bishops’ Conference. He was appointed titular bishop of Arena and auxiliary of the archdiocese of Manaus on 9 June 2010, and received episcopal ordination the following 20 August. On 22 June 2016 he was appointed as bishop of Roraima, and on 23 February 2022, transferred as metropolitan archbishop of Cuiabá. He is currently member of the Council for the National Shrine of Nossa Senhora Aparecida and president of Brazilian Caritas.