Father Joe Harris appointed Archbishop of Port of Spain

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father Benedict XVI appointed Archbishop Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago), Rev. Fr. Joseph Harris, C.S.Sp., on 8 July, 2011. He has been Pastor and judicial Vicar for the clergy in the same Metropolitan See.

Rev. Fr. Joseph Harris, C.S.Sp., was born in Trinidad on March 19, 1942. In 1969 he was accepted into the novitiate of the Spiritans Fathers in Quebec, Canada.

After the novitiate, he professed his temporary vows and was sent to Ireland to study philosophy in Dublin.

He then returned to Trinidad to study theology, which he did at the Holy Ghost Missionary College and at the Seminary of St. John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs in Trinidad. He professed his perpetual vows on November 3, 1967 and was ordained a priest on July 14, 1968.

After the Ordination he was sent to Paraguay as a missionary and in 1984 to the United States for further studies. He graduated in "Church Administration" at the Chicago Theological Union in 1991. In 2003 he went to Canada to study canon law (in Ottawa), obtaining a licentiate in 2005.

After Ordination he has held the following positions:
1968 - 1982: Missionary in Paraguay;
1969 - 1971: assistant priest of Santa Catalina in Asunción;
1971 - 1981: Parish Priest at San Jose Obrero, Vila Morra, Asuncion;
1973 - 1981: Superior of Spiritan Fathers in Paraguay;
1973 - 1974: Teacher of religion in the College of Christo Rey, in Asunción;
1974 - 1980: National Chaplain of the youth movement in Paraguay; Spiritual Director of the Cursillo Movement de Cristiandad;
1978 - 1980: Professor of religious studies at the ' University of Privada, in Colombia,
1978 - 1981: Director of the Pre-novitiate of the Spiritan Fathers in Paraguay;
1982 - 1987: Professor of Spirituality, Co-Director and then Director of the training in the Scholasticate of PP. Spiritans in Chicago, in the United States;
1987 - 1993: Director of the formation of PP. Spiritans in Trinidad, in Arouca;
1993 - 1999: Rector of the Regional Seminary of St. John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs in Trinidad.
1997 - 2003: Provincial Superior of the PP. Spiritans in Trinidad;
1999 - 2003: Parish Priest of Saint Anthony in Petit Valley, in Trinidad;
2003 - 2005: Studies for the Licentiate in Canon Law at St. Paul University in Ottawa, Canada;
2005 - 2006: Deputy Judicial Vicar of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain; since
2006 - until now. Judicial Vicar and Vicar for the clergy of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Pastor of St. Anne.

The territory of the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, built in 1850, includes both the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, including about 20 smaller islands. The territory covers about 5,128 sq. km., and has about 1,262,400 inhabitants, of which 289,460 Catholics (ca. 26%), distributed in 61 parishes and 181 Mass centers, where often the laity and the religious preside the celebration of the Word. There are 107 priests in the Archdiocese, 46 are religious. However, only 57 are active. There is only one major seminarian and 141 religious women. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 08/07/2011)