Dearest confreres,
Dearest members of the Vincentian Family, brothers and sisters in the Lord,
On June 3, I was informed that the Holy Father Leo XIV had appointed me Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Braga (Portugal). St. Vincent de Paul taught us to trust in Divine Providence, and it is precisely for that reason, with fear and trembling, that I accepted this new mission entrusted to me by the Church. From the very beginning, I desire to embrace this service with complete trust in God.
I thank the Holy Father for the trust he has placed not only in me personally, but also in the Congregation of the Mission, of which I am a member, by calling me to the episcopate and associating me with the College of the Apostles’ successors.
As I prepare to leave my role as Assistant General of the Congregation of the Mission, I would like to thank Father Tomaž, our Superior General, for his friendship and inspiring leadership. It has been an honor for me to be part of this team led by you, Father Tomaž. I also wish to thank the Assistant Generals, the Secretary General, the Treasurer General, as well as Father Sergio, the superior of this community, and Father Salvatore, Director of the Congregation’s Communications Office, for their support and friendship.
For my future pastoral work, I will draw inspiration from your dedication and the witness of many missionaries I had the privilege to meet in the Provinces I visited.
I greet His Excellency Msgr. José Cordeiro: it will be a joy for me to collaborate with him, with the priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, and with all the ecclesial realities of our Archdiocese, which is vibrant and rich in history, faith, and charity.
For my episcopal motto I have chosen Ut vitam habeant – John 10:10 – (“That they may have life”), as I believe one of the great challenges of our time is the promotion and defense of life.
The Good News of Jesus Christ is an offer of “life in abundance” for everyone, without exception. God became man to bring life to life. The religious experience—living faith in community—does not suppress life, but rather enhances it, makes it fruitful and meaningful. The Gospel message awakens the best in each human being, and for that reason, it is worth giving one’s life for this cause.
Dear members of the Vincentian Family, I entrust myself to your prayers so that I may always be welcoming and merciful, especially toward the poor—our Lords and Masters—and all those in need.
I entrust this new fiat to which I have been called to the intercession of St. Vincent de Paul and the Queen of the Apostles.
Msgr. Nélio Pereira Pita
