Patrick Pinder

Coat of arms of Patrick Christopher Pinder

Patrick Christopher Pinder, S.T.D., C.M.G. (born November 1, 1953) is a Roman Catholic archbishop. He was installed as Archbishop of Nassau in the Bahamas on May 4, 2004.

Archbishop Pinder was born November 1, 1953 in Nassau, Bahamas. He was baptized December 13, 1953 at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Nassau. He attended St. Francis Catholic Primary School then attached to the Cathedral and during this time received the Sacraments of Holy Communion and Confirmation. He attended St. Augustine's College (Nassau), graduating in 1971. That same year he entered the seminary at St. Meinrad in Indiana, U.S.A. He completed his undergraduate studies at Saint Meinrad and obtained the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree in Philosophy in 1975. In the fall of 1975 he entered the theology program at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium. He completed S.T.B./M.A. in 1978.

On July 20, 1978 he was ordained deacon by Bishop Paul Leonard Hagarty O.S.B. The deacon returned to Louvain. He completed the Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) earning his degree in June 1980. He returned to Nassau. He was ordained a priest on August 15, 1980. The ordaining prelate was the Most Rev. Samuel E. Carter, S.J., then, Archbishop of Kingston-in-Jamaica. Fr. Pinder’s first pastoral assignment was Associate Pastor at Our Lady of the Holy Souls Parish. He remained there for one year.

In August 1981, he became a full-time faculty member at Aquinas College. In addition to this, he was responsible for weekend Masses at the newly established Church of the Resurrection Parish. He remained in this assignment from mid-1981 to mid-1984. In the Fall of 1984 he began doctoral studies at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. He completed those studies and was conferred the Doctor of Sacred Theology (S.T.D.) degree in May 1988. His area of specialization at the doctorate level was sacramental theology.

On September 1, 1988, he was appointed Rector of St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. He remained in this assignment until April 1, 1997 when he was appointed Moderator of the curia and Vicar for Pastoral Affairs. He was invested as a Chaplain of His Holiness with the title ‘Monsignor’ on December 15, 1999. On September 2, 2002, he was appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese. In addition to his main responsibilities he was Priest Consultor for the Archbishop, a member of the Archdiocesan Finance Committee, Chairman of the Archdiocesan Liturgical Commission and Judicial Vicar of the Marriage Tribunal. He also served as Co-Secretary for the Anglican/Roman Catholic Ecumenical Dialogue for the Caribbean. He also enjoys tennis and photography.^[1]

References

• Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau - Archbishop Patrick Pinder
• Catholic Hierarchy - Archbishop Patrick Christopher Pinder, Archbishop of Nassau, Bahamas