Bishop of Caxias do Maranhão
Sebastião Lima Duarte was ordained a bishop at the age of 46. The new Bishop of Caxias is a native of Carutapera, Maranhão, and was born on April 3, 1964. He studied philosophy and theology at the Theological Center of Maranhão, now known as the Institute of Higher Studies of Maranhão (IESMA). In Rome, Italy, he pursued studies in theology and patristic sciences at the Augustinianum Patristic Institute. Ordained a priest on November 30, 1991, Monsignor Sebastião served as pastor of St. Anthony Parish (the cathedral) in the Diocese of Zé Doca. He held roles such as pastoral coordinator, diocesan administrator, diocesan liturgy coordinator, and member of the College of Consultors; he also taught the History of the Early Church and Patristics at IESMA. Having been ordained a priest in 1991, he was serving as Vicar General of the Diocese of Zé Doca (Maranhão) when he was appointed Diocesan Bishop of Viana in July 2010. He received episcopal ordination on September 18, 2010, at the hands of Bishops Carlo Ellena, José Belisário da Silva, and Xavier Gilles de Maupeou d’Ableiges. He was installed as Diocesan Bishop of Viana on September 25, 2010. On December 20, 2017, he was appointed by Pope Francis as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Caxias do Maranhão.