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Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father has erected the diocese of Alto Molócuè, Mozambique, with territory taken from the dioceses of Gurúè and Quelimane, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan archdiocese of Nampula.
The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Estêvão Ângelo Fernando of the clergy of Quelimane as first bishop of the diocese of Alto Molócuè, Mozambique.
Msgr. Estêvão Ângelo Fernando was born on 17 June 1974, in Inhassunge, in the diocese of Quelimane. After attending the Santo Agostinho Preparatory Seminary of Quelimane, he entered the Santo Agostinho Philosophical Seminary of Matola and then the Saint Pius X Theological Seminary of Maputo, obtaining a bachelor’s degree.
He was ordained a priest on 24 June 2001.
After ordination, he held the roles of parish vicar and then parish priest of Mocuba (2001-2006), member of the Commission of Southern Africa for Refugees (2002-2006), spiritual director of the Xaverian Apostolic Movement (2003-2010), rector of the Santo Agostinho Preparatory Seminary of Quelimane (2007-2010), chair of the Communication Commission of Quelimane (2010-2011), and collaborator in the parish of Santa Maria Maggiore di Cordenons, diocese of Concordia-Pordenone, Italy (2011-2014). He was awarded a licentiate in pastoral theology from the Theological Faculty of Triveneto in Padua (2014), and went on to serve as collaborator in the parish of San Francesco d’Assisi in Pordenone, diocese of Concordia-Pordenone, Italy (2015-2019) and formator in the Santo Agostinho Philosophical Seminary of Matola (2020-2021). He obtained a doctorate in pastoral theology from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
Since 2022 he has been formator and bursar of the Seminário Filosófico São Carlos Lwanga in Nampula. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 23/1/2025)
