Dear Father: I have a question regarding godparents. It seems mandatory that a godparent be a Catholic. I could have a Catholic be a godparent and move three years after the baptism to another state. The child would only rarely see them, possibly only on holidays. I could ask a non-catholic …

Archdiocese of Cincinnati priest, Fr. Earl Fernandes will be consecrated and installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Columbus tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.

For many dioceses, a new bishop means a transfer: the bishop moves from one diocese to another. But for others, like the Diocese of Columbus, their new bishop is a priest who must first be ordained to the episcopacy. That is the case for Bishop-elect Earl K. Fernandes, whose episcopal …

“Everyone who knows Father Earl Fernandes has a Father Fernandes story.” Admitting that he is one of hundreds privileged to have associated with Father Fernandes before he was assigned as the Bishop of Columbus, Father Ethan Moore said his connection to Father Fernandes began when he was only a teenager. …

Bishop-elect Earl K. Fernandes, the son of immigrant parents from India, speaks about his childhood with reverence and a healthy dose of good humor. “My father came to the United States in January of 1970. The Vietnam War was on and there was a shortage of physicians in this country …

Fr. Earl Fernandes planned to follow in his older brothers’ footsteps in becoming a doctor. But the call to the priesthood was present from an early point in his life.

After working for dioceses for more than 14 years, I’ve seen my fair share of bishops come and go. Twice, I’ve been on the receiving end, part of the flurry of communications, joy and anticipation that comes with a new bishop for my diocese. I’ve gotten caught up in the …

My Dear Friends in Christ, When I was about 11-years-old, the television show MASH had its series finale, entitled, “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen.” Jessica Rinaudo, the editor of The Catholic Telegraph, graciously allowed me to write one last column – without a word limit. Those of you who know me …

Bishop-elect Earl K. Fernandes earned his spot leading the Diocese of Columbus by being a competent, intelligent and compassionate priest for 20 years. To the people who knew him right out of seminary, those qualities were already evident. After his 2002 ordination, Father Fernandes was assigned as associate pastor of …

Ten years ago, my friend was preparing to move to Baltimore. Before the move, she made a request: “Mom is getting a little forgetful. Could you look in on her and bring her Communion?” I agreed and each Friday I met with a remarkable mother of eight who raised her …