The Holy Father has appointed:

Fr. Samuel Oton Sidin, O.F.M. Cap., as bishop of Sintang (area 62,193, population 979,300, Catholics 252,400, priests 67, religious 71), Indonesia. The bishop-elect was born in 1954 in Pontianak, Indonesia, gave his religious vows in 1982, and was ordained a priest in 1984. He completed his philosophical and theological studies in the interdiocesan major seminary of Pematangsiantar in Medan, Sumatra, and holds a licentiate in spirituality from the Pontifical University Antonianum, Rome. He has served as parish vicar, deputy master and master of novices, minister of the province of Capuchin Fathers in Pontianak, director of the Rumah Pelangi House and head of planning for forest conservationk, and minister of the Capuchin Province of Pontianak. He is currently pastor of the St. Francis of Assisi parish in Tebet, Jakarta.

Fr. Geovane Luís da Silva and Otacílio Ferreira de Lacerda as auxiliaries of the archdiocese of Belo Horizonte (area 7,222, population 4,866,000, Catholics 3,406,000, priests 729, permanent deacons 33, religious 2,511), Brazil.

Bishop-elect da Silva was born in 1971 in Carandaí, Brazil, and was ordained a priest in 1997. He completed his studies in philosophy and theology in the major seminary of St. José Mariana, and subsequently obtained a licentiate in dogmatic theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome in 2005. He also attended a specialist course in religious art and culture at the Federal University of Ouro Preto. In the course of his pastoral ministry he has served as parish vicar, parish priest, formator in the minor seminary, director of theology in the major seminary, and director of the archdiocesan museum of religious art. He is currently professor of sacramental theology and liturgy in the major seminary, episcopal vicar for the Southern Region, member of the episcopal council and the college of consulters, and pastor of the “Nossa Senhora da Piedade” parish in Barbacena.

Bishop-elect Ferreira de Lacerda was born in 1960 in Itapiruçu, Brazil, and was ordained a priest in 1988. He completed his studies in philosophy in the São Bento monastery in São Paulo, and theology in the Pontifical Faculty Nossa Senhora da Assunção in São Paulo. He also studied social sciences at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo and attended a course on the situation in Amazonia in Manaus. In his pastoral ministry he has served as parish vicar and pastor of the “Nossa Senhora do Bonsucesso” parish, supervisor for diocesan Caritas, administrator and subsequently pastor of the “Santo Alberto Magno” parish, ad intra pastoral coordinator, assessor for youth pastoral ministry, regional vicar, representative of presbyters of the South 1 Region, Episcopal vicar for the clergy, and vicar forane of Imaculada. For two years he worked as a priest fidei donum in the diocese of Ji- Paraná. He is currently pastor of the “Santo Antônio” parish and deputy bursar for the diocese.