New bishops

The Holy Father today named Father Shelton J. Fabre, 43, a priest of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and pastor of Sacred Heart parish in that city, as Auxiliary Bishop of New Orleans (accepting at the same time the retirement of the current Auxiliary, Bishop Dominic Carmon). Bishop-elect Fabre was born in Baton Rouge and studied at St. Joseph Seminary College in St. Benedict, Louisiana, before obtaining a Master’s degree in Religious Studies at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1989. He has served in several parishes while also serving in diocesan positions (Director of the Center for African-American Catholics from 1991-2004 and Defender of the Bond since 1997).

The Holy Father has also accepted the resignation of Bishop Carlos Suárez Cázares as Bishop of Zamora, Mexico, for reasons other than age.

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation of Bishop Carlos Jesús Patricio Baladrón Valdés as Bishop of Guantánamo-Baracoa, Cuba, for reasons other than age and has named as the new Bishop Father Wilfredo Pino Estévez, 56, a priest and native of the Archdiocese of Camagüey. Bishop-elect Estévez was educated in Cuba and has served in several parochial and archdiocesan positions.

The Holy Father has also accepted the retirement of Bishop José Siro González Bacallao as Bishop of Pinar del Río, Cuba, and has named as the new Bishop Monsignor Jorge Enrique Serpa Pérez, 56, up to now Rector of the Major Seminary in Havana. Born in Sanata Clara, Bishop-elect Pérez studied theology in Belgium where he was ordained a priest in 1968 for the Archdiocese of San Cristóbal de La Habana. However, he was unable to return to Cuba, whereupon he was transferred to the Archdiocese of Bogotá, Colombia, where he served in parishes and schools until he was finally able to return in 1999. He then served in parochial and Archdiocesan positions prior to being named seminary rector in 2003.

The Holy Father has also accepted the resignation of the Ukrainian Eparch of São João Batista in Curitiba, Brazil, who is succeeded by the Coadjutor Valdomiro Koubetch, O.S.B.M.