Bishop Fernandes Visits Saint Thomas Aquinas Church

ZANESVILLE, Ohio- The Bishop of Catholic Diocese of Columbus, Earl Fernandes, visited the Saint Thomas Aquinas Church Sunday. 

Bishop Fernandes was ordained and installed as the 13th Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus on May 31, 2022. 

He was serving as pastor of St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Cincinnati, Ohio before his ordination and installation. 

Fernandes said they have begun an initiative called real presence real future because there is a severe priest shortage. 

“Columbus itself as a diocese has about 278,000 Catholics. We have maybe 105 parishes and 90 priests but this year there were no ordinations of dioceses in Columbus next year only one so one priority would be to build a culture of vocations especially in the priest and religious life but even the marriage and family life because every vocation is born in the family,” Fernandes said.

Bishop Fernandes also said difficult decisions have been made. 

“We have churches in 23 counties, some counties only have one or two churches. And so if you merge that county then those churches and priests are going to have to drive. If you close those churches then people are going to have to drive further,” Fernandes said.  

Bishop Fernandes said there is an initiative to do a demographic study to see how many priests and people there are. 

He said there is a possibility of having only one priest for all of Muskingum County but hopes and prays for a solution to be found.