Bishop Mendes is dead

Bishop Mendes died at the home of his sister Philomena Rezenda after a prolonged illness around 2 pm yesterday, a few hours after celebrating Holy Mass at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception — part of his daily routine.

According to a church release, Mendes died peacefully on the feast of the birth of St John the Baptist.

He was born on November 25, 1926.

The late Bishop Mendes was one of the first three priests to be ordained as the first graduate seminarian from the Seminary of St John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs at Mt St Benedict, together with the late Fr Fred Patience deceased and Msgr Urban Peschier in 1953.

He was ordained as a Bishop in Rome by the late Pope John Paul II on January 6, 1989 and was named Auxiliary Bishop to the late Archbishop Anthony Pantin.

Bishop Mendes was born in Siparia, the son of a shopkeeper, John Mendes and Rosa Mendes. He was the first of 11 children. He attended St Benedicts College in San Fernando which later became Presentation College.

Bishop Mendes was appointed as official exorcist of the Roman Catholic Church in 1988 . He had earlier assisted as assistant exorcist to the late Fr Sebastien Weber and Fr Leo.

After his ordination he was appointed to La Brea Parish to assist the late Canon Mc Namara. And from 1970 he served as Parish Priest of San Fernando succeeding the later Fr Marus Maingot. While in San Fernando, he was appointed Vicar General. He was later appointed Rector of the Seminary. He also served as Spiritual Advisor to the Family Life Commission, was part of the Antilles Episcopal Conference and served on a couple of the commissions at the conference.

A release from the Archdiocese yesterday confirming his death noted that in addition to his Episcopal duties, Mendes served as Parish Priest of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception ,and also parish priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Maraval and San Juan. He suffered a stroke in December 1998 and was sent abroad for treatment and, on his return, some of his duties were curtailed.

After his partial recovery, he served for a short time at the cathedral and continued to concelebrate mass there until his death

According to the statement from the church, with the blessing of the Archdiocese he spent his retirement years at the home of his sister Philomena Rezende, from where he continued to provide regular priestly ministry as a professor and counsellor.

Mendes is survived by Philomena, Mathilda, Anthony, Joseph, Emmanuel, Theresa, Carmina, Cecilia, and Bernadette. Two of his brothers Francis and Arnold, a former national table tennis champion, are deceased. He is the uncle of 45 and great uncle of 52.

Following the requirements of Canon 401 (1), of the Code of Canon Law, Bishop Mendes handed in his letter of resignation as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of PoS to His Holiness, Pope John Paul II on January 7, 2002.

Mendes has been described as an outstanding preacher, exorcist confessor and builder of the Catholic Church. Funeral arrangemenets are to be finalised.