Vatican City, 22 December 2015 (VIS) –
The Holy Father has appointed:
- Bishop Ruben Antonio Gonzalez Medina,
C.M.F., of Caguas, Puerto Rico, as bishop of Ponce (area 2,045,
population 628,300, Catholics 489,500, priests 112, permanent deacons
102, religious 257), Puerto Rico. He succeeds Bishop Felix Lazaro
Martinez, Sch. P., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the
same diocese upon reaching the age limit was accepted by the Holy
Father.
- Fr. Gerard County, C.S.Sp., as bishop
of Kingstown (area 388, population 118,060, Catholics 102,000,
priests 6, permanent deacons 7, religious 10), Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines. The bishop-elect was born in Trinidad and Tobago in 1960,
gave his religious vows in 1994 and was ordained a priest in 1996. He
has served in a number of offices within his Congregation in Mexico,
including bursar and director of youth pastoral care, parish priest
of St. David Roldan Lara in the diocese of Tampico, superior
provincial of Mexico. He is currently a member of the community of
Spiritan Fathers in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.
- Fr. Claude Hamelin as auxiliary of
the diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil (area 2,075, population 735,941,
Catholics 625,500, priests 103, permanent deacons 4, religious 387),
Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Sherington, Canada in 1952 and
was ordained a priest in 1977. He holds a bachelor's degree in
theology and a master's degree in pastoral theology from the
University of Montreal, Canada, and a licentiate in moral theology
from the Pontifical Alphonsianum Academy, Rome. He has served as
chaplain in a private school, parish priest of St. Mark in Candiac,
episcopal vicar for the central, northern and western region of the
diocese of Saint-Jean-Longueuil, and head of the diocesan office for
the clergy. He is currently vicar general of the same diocese.