Edgar Moreira da Cunha, S.D.V. (August 21, 1953) is a Brazilian-born American

prelate A prelate () is a high-ranking member of the Christian clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin , the past participle of , which means 'carry before', 'be set above or over' or 'pref ...

of the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

who has served as the Bishop of Fall River since 2014. He is a member of the

Vocationist Fathers The Society of Divine Vocations ( la, Societas Divinarum Vocationum) abbreviated S.D.V., also commonly known as the Vocationists, is a Roman Catholic clerical religious congregation of Pontifical Right for men (Priests and Brothers) founded by ...

Biography

Early life

Edgar M. da Cunha was born on August 21, 1953, in Nova Fátima, Bahia State, in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. He attended a minor seminary in Riachão do Jacuípe, Brazil, run by the Society of Divine Vocations. After joining their order, da Cunha studied philosophy at the Catholic University of Salvador in Salvador, Brazil. He then moved to the United States to study theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, graduating with a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...

degree.

Priesthood

Da Cunha was ordained into the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Newark in the Church of St. Michael in

Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Joseph Francis Joseph Francis (March 12, 1801 – May 10, 1893) was a 19th-century American inventor who devoted his life to improving shipping, maritime equipment, especially life-saving tools. His most famous invention, the metallic life-car, rescued tho ...

. Da Cunha then served as the

parochial vicar A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pre ...

and director of vocations for St. Michael Parish. In 1983, da Cunha moved to Saint Nicholas Parish in

Palisades Park, New Jersey Palisades Park is a borough in Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 20,292, an increase of 670 (+3.4%) from the 2010 census count of 19,622,

to serve as parochial vicar and director of vocations there. De Cunha started a

Portuguese language Portuguese ( or, in full, ) is a western Romance language of the Indo-European language family, originating in the Iberian Peninsula of Europe. It is an official language of Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and ...

mass at St. Michael's for Brazilian immigrants in the area.

Auxiliary Bishop of Newark

Da Cunha was appointed as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Newark as well as titular bishop of Ucres, on June 27, 2003 by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

. Da Cunha was consecrated at the

Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart The Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, the fifth-largest cathedral in North America, is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark. It is located at 89 Ridge Street in the Lower Broadway neighborhood of Newark, New Jersey. ...

in Newark on September 3, 2003 by Archbishop John J Myers. Da Cunha became the first Brazilian-born Catholic bishop in the United States. Da Cunha served as a member of the archdiocesan Board of Consultors, the

Presbyteral Council A presbyteral council or council of priests is a group of priests chosen to assist the local ordinary in an advisory capacity in the governance of a Roman Catholic diocese. Canon 495 of the Code of Canon Law lays down that every diocese must have ...

, the Clergy Personnel Board, and the New Jersey Catholic Conference (NJCC) board of bishops. In October 2003, da Cunha became the regional bishop for

Essex County, New Jersey Essex County is located in the northeastern part of New Jersey. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was 863,728, making it the state's second-most populous county, behind Bergen and Middlesex Counties.

. In 2005, he was named the archdiocesan vicar for evangelization and in 2013 the

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ...

for the archdiocese

Bishop of Fall River

On July 3, 2014, da Cunha was appointed by

Pope Francis Pope Francis ( la, Franciscus; it, Francesco; es, link=, Francisco; born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, 17 December 1936) is the head of the Catholic Church. He has been the bishop of Rome and sovereign of the Vatican City State since 13 March 2013. ...

as the eighth bishop of the Diocese of Fall River; da Cunha was installed on September 24, 2014. In May 2019, da Cunha suspended Bruce Neylon, pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in

Fall River, Massachusetts Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...

, based on credible accusations of

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

of a minor during the 1980s. On January 7, 2021, the diocese released a list of 75 priests who had been credibly accused or publicly accused of

sexual abuse of minors Child sexual abuse (CSA), also called child molestation, is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include engaging in sexual activities with a child (whet ...

and vulnerable adults. Da Cunha made this statement:

As your bishop, I am deeply and profoundly sorry for the abuse that was perpetrated by priests within this diocese and have recommitted myself to do everything in my power to ensure this never happens again.”

References

Biography of His Excellenc

Retrieved July 5, 2014

External links

Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall RiverRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark

Episcopal succession

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cunha, Edgar Moreira da 1953 births Living people 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States Roman Catholic bishops of Fall River Catholic Church in Massachusetts Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Newark Brazilian emigrants to the United States People from Bahia Religious leaders from New Jersey