Father Earl Fernandes wasn’t surprised to receive a phone call at his Cincinnati rectory from the papal nuncio to the United States on March 21, because he had worked with the nuncio for 3 ½ years in Washington. But he wasn’t expecting to hear the life-changing words the nuncio spoke to him.
“I was in a hallway just outside the office when he called,” Father Fernandes said. “He asked how I was doing, then followed with questions: ‘Where are you? Are you alone? Are you sitting down?’ I knew from working with him what those questions meant, and the message that would follow – that Pope Francis had appointed me to be a bishop.
“The nuncio then announced that the pope had chosen me to be bishop of the Diocese of Columbus. I was silent for a moment, then accepted the appointment. We talked about many things, and afterwards I began thinking about how my life was going to change.”
The nuncio, Archbishop Christophe Pierre, will join other bishops in ordaining Father Fernandes as a bishop on Tuesday, May 31. There also will be a Vespers service welcoming the new bishop on the evening of Memorial Day, Monday, May 30.
Bishop-designate Fernandes’ enthusiasm for his new job was evident in a news conference at the diocese offices on Saturday, April 2, following announcement of his appointment.
After expressing thanks to the pope, the nuncio, former Bishop Robert Brennan, his other predecessors as bishop of Columbus, diocesan administrator Msgr. Stephan Moloney and others, Bishop-designate Fernandes said, “People often ask me why I smile so much, and it is because of the joy I experience in being a priest and serving the people of God.
“When I returned from my studies in Rome or when I returned from my service in the (Apostolic) nunciature (in Washington), I relished the moments of fraternity I could have with my brother priests in Cincinnati. I have been sustained not only by them but by the permanent deacons and especially by the lay faithful. The companionship we share in Christ has been a real blessing in my life.”
Bishop-elect Fernandes spoke rapidly, saying that his parishioners “have affectionately nicknamed me Father Speedy. … I talk so fast because I don’t like to waste people’s time.” He became visibly emotional when talking about his parents, particularly his deceased father, who emigrated to the United States with the bishop-designate’s mother and the two oldest of his four brothers.
“After Almighty God and the Holy Virgin, the people to whom I owe the greatest debt of gratitude are my parents,” he said. “I wish my father were here to see this day. Perhaps he sees it from heaven. Although my mother is frail, I am grateful she is still with us, devout and proud as any mother would be.” He also has 15 nieces and nephews, six of whom live in the Columbus area.
The bishop-designate said his dying father asked him to do four things: Remember the faith; be humble; protect and defend the Church and cherish life; and never humiliate anyone. “Dad said to me on his deathbed, ‘I don’t know what the future holds, but I want you to do whatever the Holy Father asks of you,’’’ he said, adding that this message came to mind when the nuncio called him.
“I learned more about life and faith from watching my parents pray than I ever did in the seminary or anywhere else,” he said. “My brothers and I used to try to say our prayers as quickly as possible, but Dad would say, ‘Slow down. We need not to say words, but to pray from our heart.’”
He said the first things he sees when he wakes up every day are a picture of his parents from their 50th wedding anniversary on his dressing table and a mirror reflecting the Sacred Heart image.
Bishop-designate Fernandes said he has been to a few parishes in the Diocese of Columbus. His brother Ashley is a member of Columbus St. Andrew Church, and other churches he has visited include the cathedral, Hilliard St. Brendan the Navigator, Westerville St. Paul and Columbus St. Mary in German Village, St. Catharine, St. Patrick and St. Leo the Great Oratory.
He is on the board of trustees of the Pontifical College Josephinum and will become the college’s vice chancellor as part of his responsibilities as bishop. The nuncio serves as chancellor.
The bishop-designate anticipates putting considerable mileage on his 2016 Volkswagen Tiguan as he familiarizes himself with the diocese. He also will be continuing work on the diocese’s Real Presence Real Future initiative, which began under Bishop Brennan and aims to determine how to maintain a strong Catholic presence in the diocese’s 23 counties and make the best use of its resources.
“I haven’t had a chance to study the initiative in depth, but the Cincinnati archdiocese is in the final phases of a similar initiative titled Beacons of Light, and I’m on the study committee for that,” he said. “The nuncio wants me to carry on with Real Presence Real Future. Bishop Brennan told me to take time and study it, and that’s my intention before moving forward with anything.”
Bishop Brennan is fluent in Spanish. Bishop-designate Fernandes said, “I mix Spanish and Italian all the time, but I can’t speak it as well as Bishop Brennan. Reading the language is easy, but I need a text in front of me to speak it.”
The bishop-designate said he thinks he is the Roman Catholic Church’s first bishop of Indian origin in the United States. The Church’s Syro-Malabar rite, which includes a congregation in Columbus, is based in India and also has bishops in this country who are of Indian heritage.
“Sometimes you encounter prejudice (as a person of color), but you make the most of what God has given you and don’t let people get you down,” he said. “My parents have a great appreciation for the freedom they found in this country and what it has offered them, and that was inculcated to their children,” he said. “My father was so proud of being here that he memorized the entire Constitution.”
Bishop-designate Fernandes said the violent protest in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 that resulted in the death of one woman and injury to 19 others was “an eye-opener” to him.
Referring to racial discrimination, he said, “I expected this at certain points, but I came to realize that others face this every day. … I see myself as a man created in God’s image and likeness worthy of respect. And I see every man and woman as my brother and sister. Every time we raise our arms against a brother or sister, we are diminished.”
The bishop-designate said that if it receives Vatican approval, his episcopal motto will be Veni Per Mariam (Latin for “Come Through Mary”).
