Ohio bishop opens up about Catholic upbringing, Latin Mass in recent interview

Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, gave an interview this week to Catholic World Report (CWR), discussing his upbringing as an Indian Catholic living in America, the Latin Mass, and other topics.

Bishop Fernandes’ family immigrated from Mumbai, India, in 1970, and he was born two years later. His father practiced medicine in Toledo, Ohio, and his wife, Thelma, raised their five sons. 

“My mother realized early on that we had no extended family in America; all we had was the immediate family and the Church,” he told CWR. “She told us to work hard, pray hard, and study hard. She was a school teacher in India and emphasized education. Three of her sons would go on to be physicians, one a magistrate, and the fifth a Catholic bishop.”

In addition to attending Mass, the family prayed the Rosary, the Litany of Loreto, and the Perpetual Novena to the LIttle Flower together. Bishop Fernandes, the first bishop of Indian descent appointed in the US, said that throughout his childhood, his “imagination was filled with a beautiful Catholic culture.”

His family also had a devotion to the Latin Mass, which the bishop still celebrates.

“When I grew up in the 70s, the parishes had guitar Masses and liturgical dance. My father had a fondness for the Latin Mass,” he explained. “When I went to medical school, there was a Latin Indult Mass offered nearby. I liked the Gregorian chant, as well as its peace and quiet. I’d go to the English Mass as well, depending on what my schedule was.”

He added that when he was finishing his doctorate in 2007, Archbishop Pilarczyk, who was then the archbishop of Cincinnati, asked him to learn how to offer the Tridentine Rite. 

“There was nothing ideological about it; we wanted to offer the Mass to meet the pastoral need of the people,” he said. “It is a beautiful part of the Church’s tradition.”

According to the bishop, former papal nuncio Archbishop Carlo Vigano was a “meek and mild” supervisor.

“He welcomed me,” Bishop Fernandes stated. “I saw him pray for a half hour before Mass, say Mass devoutly, and pray afterward. I saw none of the strident language against Pope Francis that would later come out. When I knew him, he was a man who had offered great service to the Church.”

The interview also focused on Bishop Fernandes’ current work in his diocese, including his decision to change the age of confirmation from high school to fourth grade.

“Young people have a slew of negative influences on them today, much more so than in previous generations,” the bishop said. “These include drug and alcohol abuse, porn, and cyberbullying. They need the grace of the sacrament to live their baptismal calling. Also, at age 9 or 10, children are more docile to the Faith than they are in their teens.”

Bishop Fernandes also spoke about his support of the Religious Workforce Protection Act, which would protect priests’ and sisters’ immigration status.

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“Under current immigration law, if I have such a priest working here and his visa expires, but his green card has not yet been granted, he must return to his country of origin for a year,” he explained.

“Under the current system, I am at risk of losing 21 priests and religious sisters in my diocese, which would make it difficult for us to provide for the needs of our people. We will have to close parishes. I’ve worked with lawmakers of both political parties to create an easy fix.”

The bishop concluded the interview with advice for improving one’s prayer life. He recommends incorporating a rosary, morning offering, and group Bible study.

“Don’t make it complicated; just get going with something,” he concluded. “Of course, there’s Sunday Mass and visiting the Blessed Sacrament. Look around the Church at the art and let it draw you to God. Learn to speak familiarly to Him, as one friend speaks to another.”