On June 23, Robert Anthony Llanos- who is now Bishop Llanos was ordained a priest at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain, Trinidad. He credits his time at the Fatima College for helping to bring his Catholic Faith to maturation. He recalls that while still a young man, he had the experience of deep call to the priesthood during a “youth lime” in in the Cumana, Toco and following a long period of discernment, entered the entered the Regional Seminary in September 1984.
The early years of his priesthood was spent in Arima, Trinidad ministering in the Santa Rosa Parish. He also had the privilege of serving other parishes to include Gran Couva/Tabaquite, Holy Cross, Princes Town and St. Peter’s Carenage. His formation journey led him to Maryland, USA where he studies for his Master’s Degree in Pastoral Counselling Psychology specializing in Family Therapy. While there, he worked as a Priest-in-Residence at the Church of the Resurrection, Laurel, Maryland, USA. Once he returned to his homeland of Trinidad and Tobago, he joined the permanent staff at the Regional Seminary of St. John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs as Vice-Rector, Formator and Lecturer where he remained until the closing of the Regional Seminary in 2010.
Throughout his journey, Fr. Llanos remained humble and committed to the mission of Christ. In 2005 he was made Episcopal Vicar/Chair of the Family Life Commission. In 2008, he authored an “Advent Prayer and Reflection” Booklet and in 2010 authored the “Catholic Family Become What You Are“ Booklet for the first Synod Priority and most recently, A Pastoral Exhortation titled “A Call to Missionary Discipleship.”
In 2009, he was appointed a Monsignor in the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Benedict XVI, and in 2010, Administrator of the St. John Vianney and the Ugandan Martyrs Retreat and Workshop Centre by Archbishop Edward Gilbert. These appointments were soon followed by appointments as Vicar Genral in the the Archdiocese of Port of Spain by Archbishop Joseph Harris (2012), Auxiliary Bishop Elect by Pope Francis (2013) and eventual ordination as Bishop at the Fatima R.C. Church, Curepe on Saturday September 14th, 2013. With a vacancy in the Diocese of St. John’s Basseterre, he was appointed Apostolic Administrator of that diocese (2016) residing in Antigua and Barbuda, and was later appointed Bishop of the Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre on 18th December,2018.
Bishop LLanos continues to be guided the motto emblazoned in his crest- “Do whatever He Tells You”. The Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre extends congratulations to Bishop Llanos on the occasion of his 32nd Anniversary of priestly Ordination, and pray that he may always be disposed to hearing the voice of God and doing His will.
