Appointment of bishop of Balsas, Brazil
The Holy Father has appointed as bishop of the diocese of Balsas, Brazil, the Reverend Fr. Valentim Fagundes de Meneses, M.S.C., until now provincial superior of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of the Province of Rio de Janeiro, based in Juiz de Fora-MG.
Curriculum vitae
Bishop-elect Valentim Fagundes Meneses, M.S.C., was born on 22 July 1953 in Agualva, on the island of Açores, diocese of Angra, Portugal. He carried out his studies in philosophy at the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas and in theology at the Nossa Senhora da Assunção Pontifical Faculty of Theology in São Paulo.
On 2 February 1979 he gave his religious vows in the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and on 2 July 1982 he was ordained a priest.
During his ministry he has held the following offices: parish vicar (1983-1985) and then parish priest (1986-1988) of Pai Eterno e São José in the Cidade de Deus quarter of Rio de Janeiro-RJ; parish priest in El Salvador (1989-1991); parish priest of Imaculada Conceição in Nova Iguaçu-RJ (1992-1996); parish priest of Nossa Senhora das Dores in Floresta do Araguaia-PA (1997-2001); parish priest of Buen Pastor de Turubamba in Quito, Ecuador (2002-2007); parish vicar of Nossa Senhora do Sagrado Coração in Contagem-MG (2008); parish priest of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda in Monte Formoso-MG (2009-2011); and parish priest of Nossa Senhora do Sagrado Coração in Praça Seca-RJ (2012-2014).
Within his Congregation he has served as formator of students of philosophy in Belford Roxo-RJ (1992-1996) and in the minor seminary in Santíssima Conceição do Araguaia-PA (1997-2001), vice provincial (2012-2014) and then provincial (2014-2020) of the province of Rio de Janeiro.
In addition, he has served as supervisor of the Conference of Men Religious of Brazil in Brasília-DF (1984-1988) and professor of pastoral theology at the Paul VI Philosophical and Theological Institute in Nova Iguaçu-RJ (1992-1996). He is currently provincial superior of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of the Province of Rio de Janeiro, based in Juiz de Fora-MG.
