Gabriel Mendy | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Banjul | |
| Church | Roman Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Banjul |
| See | Banjul |
| Appointed | 30 November 2017 |
| Installed | 4 February 2018 |
| Predecessor | Robert Patrick Ellison |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 15 November 1997 by Michael Joseph Cleary |
| Consecration | 3 February 2018 by Edward Tamba Charles |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gabriel Mendy (1967-04-09)9 April 1967 (age 58) |
| Alma mater | Duquesne University |
Gabriel Mendy (born 9 April 1967) is aGambianRoman Catholicprelate and professed member from theSpiritans who is the currentBishop of Banjul in theGambia since his appointment on 30 November 2017.[1][2] He is the first Gambian national to be appointed to the diocese and the first Gambian to be made a bishop.[2][3]
Gabriel Mendy was born on 9 April 1967 inLamin in theGambia. He has four brothers and two sisters who all live in Banjul.[3]
He completed his studies in 1985 at the Saint Peter's Technical and Senior School in Lamin before commencing hisnovitiate with theSpiritans; this lasted until 1987.[2] He continued with his philosophical studies atNsukka inNigeria before hisordination and then doing pastoral work inKenema inSierra Leone from 1990 until 1991.
It was around this time that he attended theDuquesne college inPittsburgh where he graduated from the philosophical department in 1998. He continued his formation in the Spiritans after this at the Spiritan International Theological School atEnugu in Nigeria from 1993 until his ordination which was celebrated on 15 November 1997 in Banjul. Mendy made his solemn religious profession as a Spiritan on 31 August 1996 while still aseminarian.[3] From 1997 until 1998 he did pastoral work in the Saint Peter and Saint Therese parishes while also working as an aide at the Saint Martin of Porres parish inFreetown in Sierra Leone.[2]
From 1999 until 2002 he served as a teacher back in Kenema before working as a parish priest in the Santa Maria parish from 2002 to 2004 inPendembu, which was also in Sierra Leone. Mendy returned to Pittsburgh to the college from 2004 to 2009 where he graduated with adoctorate in 2009.[2] Until his episcopal appointment, he served as both the professor (from 2010) and vice-rector (from 2011) of the Spiritan International Theological School at Enugu.[1]
Throughout 2009 until 2010 he served as a parochial vicar inNew York while he did summer work in New York from 2006 until a decade later in 2016. One such task while in New York was to encourage parishioners to attendEucharistic Adoration held in the parish chapel.[3]
He was still in New York atStaten Island (since September 2017 on asabbatical at Saint Christopher's parish church) on 30 November 2017 whenPope Francis appointed him as the newestBishop of Banjul.[1] The announcement proved historic for he became the first Gambian national to lead the see and the first Gambian in general to be appointed as a bishop. Mendy received hisepiscopal consecration on 3 February 2018 inBakau at theIndependence Stadium from Archbishop Edward Tamba Charles.[3]
In December 2017 he met with the CardinalArchbishop of New YorkTimothy Michael Dolan at the latter's residence inManhattan. The cardinal gifted Mendy withmitre and acassock as well as a ring andpastoral staff in preparation for Mendy's consecration and enthronement in his new see.[3]
