Archbishop João Justino de Medeiros Silva

Father João Justino de Medeiros Silva was born on December 22, 1966, in Juiz de Fora, in the Archdiocese of the same name, in the State of Minas Gerais. He completed his secondary and higher education, as well as his philosophical and theological studies, at the "Santo Antônio" Seminary of the Archdiocese of Juiz de Fora. He subsequently obtained a Bachelor's degree in Pedagogy (1988); a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree in Sociology (1992–1993); and a Licentiate (1997) and Doctorate (2003) in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He was ordained a priest on December 13, 1992, and incardinated into the Archdiocese of Juiz de Fora, where he subsequently held the following positions: Parish Priest of Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Benfica (1993–1995); Parish Priest of Bom Pastor (1997–2004); Coordinator of the Santo Antônio Pastoral Region (1998–2001); Coordinator of the Presbyteral Council (2002–2003); and Professor, Vice-Rector, and later Rector of the Santo Antônio Archdiocesan Seminary (since 1998). He is currently also a Parochial Vicar at São Pedro Parish and a member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors of the Archdiocese of Juiz de Fora.