Take one look at Bishop-elect Earl Fernandes’ bio, listen to him speak for a few minutes, watch him interact with people, and it’s easy to see why Pope Francis named the 49-year-old priest the 13th bishop of Columbus.
The bishop-designate checks all the boxes. He’s articulate, intelligent, energetic, humble, outgoing, down to earth, academically gifted, a product of Catholic schools, multilingual and has pastoral and administrative experience. And he joked that he often walks and talks fast.
But, most important, he’s a faithful servant of the Lord and His holy Catholic Church.
Those qualities shone brightly at a news conference on Saturday morning when he was introduced to the diocese and the local media as the successor to Bishop Robert Brennan, who left in November to lead the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York.
The bishop-elect and the diocese’s former bishop possess many of the same qualities. As Bishop-to-be Fernandes mentioned several times in interviews, he particularly loves people and wants to walk with the faithful, just as Bishop Brennan did during his 2 ½ years here.
Bishop-elect Fernandes does have one advantage over the New York-native Bishop Brennan. With his roots firmly planted in the Buckeye State and having close relatives in the Columbus area, he knows the territory.
The Toledo native even mentioned Saturday that he’s looking forward to being bishop of Columbus this fall when Ohio State University takes on the University of Michigan in the biggest rivalry in college football.
He understands that the Church faces challenges in a troubled society, where faith has become less relevant in the lives of so many people. The Church also finds itself in the midst of a vocations crisis – not just with a shortage of priests and religious but also with faithful marriages and couples’ openness to human life.
To address these daunting issues, “we can’t wait for people to come to us. We have to go to them,” Bishop-elect Fernandes said.
He used the phrase “spiritual entrepreneurs” to describe what the Church needs from the clergy, religious and the boots-on-the-ground Catholics. That expression meshes with the diocese’s Real Presence Real Future initiative, which emphasizes developing a culture of evangelization.
Everyone needs to ask, “‘What’s my responsibility? What can I do for the Lord?’” he said, “and strive to build a culture of virtue while living out one’s vocation.” He offered a gentle reminder that we’re all called to be saints.
One of the most striking takeaways from his news conference was the heartfelt affection he expressed for his parents. When he talked about them, you could see him choking up several times.
His father and mother emigrated from India to Toledo in 1970, and they brought with them a deep love for the Catholic faith that they passed on to their five sons. Three of them became doctors and one a judge.
His father, Sydney, who passed away in 2019 at age 82, practiced medicine as a highly respected physician on the east side of Toledo for 40 years and was a devout Catholic. Bishop-elect Fernandes mentioned the influence his dad had on his sons and reflected on the lessons he learned from him, and how his late father so much appreciated the freedom that Americans enjoy.
The bishop-elect thanked his devoted mother, Thelma, for her holiness and love, and for all of the family rosaries and litanies prayed together, which he said contributed to shaping his character.
That respect and gratitude for parents is something our youth need to see.
“I must admit that after Almighty God and the Holy Virgin, the people to whom I owe the greatest debt of gratitude are my parents, without whom I would be absolutely nothing,” he said. “I am grateful for the gift of life and faith that they imparted to my brothers and to me and for the many hidden sacrifices they made for us boys.
“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.”
On Saturday afternoon, he headed down I-71 to return to his parish in Cincinnati, but he will be making frequent visits to Columbus before he’s ordained and installed as bishop on Tuesday, May 31.
And you can bet, based on the zeal he exuded over the course of a few hours here, that you’ll see him at a parish near you sooner rather than later.
