New Vicar General appointed

GUYANA

Fr Ronnie Fernandes SJ has been named Vicar General of the Georgetown Diocese by Bishop Francis Alleyne OSB. He replaces Fr John Persaud who was appointed Bishop of Mandeville, Jamaica, by Pope Francis in July.

The appointment of the new Vicar General took effect from Sunday, August 9.

Fr Ronnie, a Jesuit originally from India, first came to Guyana in 2005. Catholic Standard said that Fr Ronnie, who is now Guyanese, has been serving in the South Rupununi—mainly in Aishalton and Lethem—since 2010.

In announcing his appointment Bishop Alleyne said “Fr Ronnie is parish priest of St Ignatius where he will continue to reside and minister. His oversight of the faith communities in Regions 8 and 9, will be of great value in the process of governance of the Diocese.”

The diocesan weekly explained that a vicar general is a priest who is appointed by the diocesan bishop to assist in the governance of the whole diocese. He is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority.

The vicar general exercises the bishop’s ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese after the diocesan bishop or his equivalent in Canon Law.