Reverend Earl Fernandes, who grew up in and went to high school and college in Toledo, was announced as the 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus on Saturday.
Bishop-Elect Fernandes, 49, who has most recently served as a parish priest in Cincinnati, takes over for the Most Reverend Robert Brennan who left to become the Bishop of Brooklyn.
Fernandes, the son of Indian immigrants, will be the first Indian-American to head a U.S. Roman Catholic diocese according to a Catholic News Agency article.
He will be consecrated and installed as Bishop of Columbus at the end of May.
In an interview after the announcement, Fernandes acknowledged the challenge he will face in his new role.
"I feel excited yet terrified. It's an overwhelming responsibility, yet it also fills me with joy." said the Bishop-Elect. "I think I've received like 300 text messages and emails already. So many people are so happy and I hope I can be the type of shepherd that the church needs today."
A priest for nearly 20 years, Fernandes has served as a dean, pastor, associate professor, high school religion teacher, retreat leader and more according to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.
He speaks four languages – English, Italian, Spanish, and French – reads Latin, and holds a doctoral degree in moral theology.
Fernandes had been serving as pastor at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Cincinnati since late 2019.
Fernandes, is originally from Toledo and graduated from St. Francis de Sales High School in 1990, where he graduated with Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz. He later went to the University of Toledo where he earned a bachelor’s degree in biology.
He went to seminary in Cincinnati and later studied in Rome.
His brother, Trevor Fernandes, is a Deacon in the Catholic church.
There are 207,041 Catholics in the Diocese of Columbus.
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