Archbishop of Fermo
The Pope has appointed Msgr. Rocco Pennacchio—a priest of the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina and formerly the parish priest of San Pio X in Matera—as Archbishop of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Fermo. Msgr. Pennacchio was born in Matera (in the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina and the province of Matera) on June 16, 1963. He obtained a diploma in commercial studies and a diploma from the Conservatory. He began his professional career at the Banco di Napoli branch in Matera. He was actively involved in his parish and in Catholic Action, holding leadership roles at both the local and diocesan levels. In 1993, at the age of thirty, he entered the Interdiocesan Major Seminary of Potenza for his theological studies, completing them with a Baccalaureate in Theology; he was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Matera-Irsina on July 4, 1998. Later, he resumed his studies in theological anthropology at the Apulian Theological Institute in Molfetta, obtaining a Licentiate degree. His most significant assignments include: Parochial Vicar at San Paolo Apostolo in Matera (1998–2010); Diocesan Assistant for FUCI and the youth sector of Catholic Action (1998–2006); Spiritual Assistant to the Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ (1998–2009); Religion teacher at the local high school (2001–2011); Diocesan Bursar of Matera-Irsina (2004–2010); and Bursar of the Italian Episcopal Conference (2011–2016). Since October 2016, he has served as the parish priest of San Pio X in Matera.