Listen to the press conference here.
Or watch here:
From the Diocese of Columbus announcement:
“Grateful to Almighty God and to the Blessed Virgin Mary for my vocation and recognizing my own unworthiness, I accepted, with fear and trepidation but also with joy, the appointment by Pope Francis to serve as the 13th bishop of the Diocese of Columbus,” Bishop-elect Fernandes said. “I thank His Holiness, as well His Excellency Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio, for giving me the opportunity to proclaim the joy of the Gospel in the Diocese of Columbus, the capital of our beloved state of Ohio.
“I look forward to meeting the People of God – the priests, deacons, religious, and lay faithful of the Diocese of Columbus – and to collaborating with them in announcing the joyful Good News and building the Kingdom of God. I ask for your prayers, not only for me but also for our Diocese, that the Holy Spirit may enkindle in all of us the fire of His Divine Love. May God grant me the grace to serve His people well and to be an ardent yet gentle shepherd, whose heart is formed after the Heart of Jesus.”
Read the full news release from the Diocese here.
Go to Diocese web pages here.