The diocese of Mauritius has elected a new bishop. Meeting at St Clement’s Church in Curepipe on 30 Nov 2019 delegates to the diocesan synod elected the Ven Joseph Sténio André to succeed the Most Rev. Ian Ernest, who stepped down after 18 years as bishop to become the head of the Anglican Centre in Rome.
A statement released by the diocese reports that Bishop-elect André was born on Rodrigues on 17 Aug 1960, and trained for the ministry at St Paul’s Theological College in Mauritius and at Westhill College Birmingham. He was ordained a deacon in Rodrigues in 1983 and priest by the Bishop of Southwark. He served in Rodrigues and the Seychelles until 1989 when he was appointed priest at St James Cathedral in Mauritius. In 2009 he was appointed Archdeacon of Mauritius while dean of the cathedral, and in 2016 he was transferred as priest in charge of Vacoas. He is married to Marie Laurance Agathe and they have a son. A date for his consecration has not yet been set.
The priority of the new bishop the diocesan statement said is the realization of the Emmaus project. Initiated by the former bishop, the “Together on the road to Emmaus” projects asks Christians “to embark on a journey, to walk with him, to engage with him on a pilgrimage.”
The diocesan website states the goal of the program is to enable the Diocese of Mauritius to become “A Welcoming Church; A Teaching & Proclaiming Church; A Loving Church”.
The program seeks to reinvigorate the church through a spiritual awakening through the power of the Spirit and devotion to Christ. “Our walk with God is not limited to knowledge of the Bible, but includes living a proactive life,” the diocesan said, and the “first description of the Christian according to the New Testament is of someone who follows the way.”
