Bishop Antônio de Castro Mayer, titular bishop of Campos dos Goytacazes (state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) departed for the Father on April 25, 1991, 30 years ago. But who was he, and for what particular reason should one celebrate his memory?
Orphan at 6 years old
Born in 1904 in the city of Campinas (state of São Paulo), the son of a German immigrant and a Brazilian, he had a very poor childhood. Orphaned at the age of 6, he and his eleven brothers inherited only one valuable asset: the Catholic Faith. Two of his sisters became nuns and Antonio joined the seminary at the age of 12. A brilliant student, he was sent to Rome, to the Gregorian University, where he completed his studies. He was ordained a priest by Cardinal Basilio Pompilj in 1927, and the following year he received the title of Doctor of Theology by the same university. Returning to Brazil, he taught at the archdiocesan seminary of São Paulo for 13 years. In 1940 he was appointed canon and treasurer of São Paulo’s Metropolitan …More