Archbishop Francisco José Villas-Boas Senra de Faria Coelho

Msgr. Francisco José Villas-Boas Senra de Faria Coelho was born on 12 March 1961, in Mozambique, to a Portuguese family. Returning to Portugal after the independence of the colonies, he attended the minor seminary and philosophy course in the archdiocese of Braga. In 1980 he moved on to the major seminary of Évora, where he completed his theological studies. He was ordained a priest on 29 June 1986. Since priestly ordination he obtained a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Pontifical Athenaeum Antonianum in Rome; a bachelor’s degree in theology, from the Pontifical Salesian University, and a licentiate in Ecclesiastical History from the Pontifical Gregorian University (1988-1991). In 2008 he also obtained a Ph.D. in history from the Phoenix International University in the United States. During his priestly ministry he has served as lecturer at the Évora Higher Institute of Theology; Cathedral canon; spiritual director of Christianity courses and the Fátima Message Movement; and religious assistant and collaborator at Radio Renascença. He has served as pastor of the parishes of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, São Marcos and Nossa Senhora da Consolação and member of the presbyteral council. The author of several books, he has a column in the weekly journal of the archdiocese of Évora. On 29 June 2014 he was elected auxiliary bishop of Braga. Within the Episcopal Conference he is currently part of the Episcopal Commission Laicado e Família.