Luis Rafael Zarama
Encyclopedia
Luis Rafael Zarama is a Colombian-American prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He currently serves as Auxiliary Bishop
of the Archdiocese of Atlanta
, Georgia
.
, Nariño
, the oldest of the six children of Rafael and Maria Zarama. He attended the seminary
of Pasto and the Universidad Mariana, where he studied philosophy
and theology
, from 1982 to 1987; during this time he also taught at high school
s. He began his studies in canon law
at the Pontifical Xavierian University
in Bogotá
in 1987, and earned his licentiate
in 1991. Emigrating to the United States
in 1991, he was ordained
a priest
for the Archdiocese of Atlanta
on November 27, 1993.
Zarama then served as parochial vicar
at Sacred Heart Parish in Atlanta
until 1996. From 1996 to 2006, he was administrator of St. Helena Mission in Clayton
and pastor
of St. Mark Parish in Clarkesville
. He became an American citizen
on July 4, 2000, saying, "I'm happy here, I choose to be here, and I feel like I'm part of the system as a citizen." Within the Court of Appeals
of the Ecclesiastical Province
of Atlanta, he was advocate
(1993–1997) and defender of the bond
(1997–present).
Zarama was named assistant director of the Vocations Office in 2000 and vicar general
in 2006. He also has been a member of the Committee for Continuing Education of Priests since 1996 and a member of the Priest Personnel Board since 2004. In 2007, he was raised to the rank of Chaplain of His Holiness
. In addition to his duties as vicar general, he became judicial vicar
in 2008 and serves as the Archbishop's delegate to North Georgia
's Hispanic
community.
On July 27, 2009, Zarama was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Atlanta and Titular Bishop
of Bararus by Pope Benedict XVI
. He received his episcopal consecration
on September 29 from Archbishop Wilton Gregory, at the Cathedral of Christ the King.
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He currently serves as Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of Atlanta
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southeastern United States. It is composed of the northern counties of the state of Georgia and is led by a prelate archbishop, who is also pastor of the mother church, the...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
Biography
Luis Zarama was born in PastoPasto
Pasto, officially San Juan de Pasto, is the capital of the department of Nariño, located in southwest Colombia. The city is located in the "Atriz Valley", on the Andes cordillera, at the foot of the Galeras volcano, at an altitude of 8,290 feet above sea level...
, Nariño
Nariño Department
Nariño is a department of Colombia named after Antonio Nariño. It is in the west of the country, bordering Ecuador and the Pacific Ocean.Its capital is Pasto, other important cities include Tumaco, Ipiales.-Municipalities:# Albán# Aldana# Ancuya...
, the oldest of the six children of Rafael and Maria Zarama. He attended the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
of Pasto and the Universidad Mariana, where he studied philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
and theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, from 1982 to 1987; during this time he also taught at high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s. He began his studies in canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
at the Pontifical Xavierian University
Pontifical Xavierian University
The Pontificia Universidad Javeriana is a private higher education institution founded in 1623. It is one of the oldest, most traditional, and prestigious Colombian universities, directed by the Society of Jesus, with its main facilities in Bogotá and a second campus in Cali...
in Bogotá
Bogotá
Bogotá, Distrito Capital , from 1991 to 2000 called Santa Fé de Bogotá, is the capital, and largest city, of Colombia. It is also designated by the national constitution as the capital of the department of Cundinamarca, even though the city of Bogotá now comprises an independent Capital district...
in 1987, and earned his licentiate
Licentiate of Canon Law
Licentiate of Canon Law is the title of an advanced graduate degree with canonical effects in the Roman Catholic Church offered by pontifical universities and ecclesiastical faculties of canon law...
in 1991. Emigrating to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1991, he was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
a priest
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
for the Archdiocese of Atlanta
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the southeastern United States. It is composed of the northern counties of the state of Georgia and is led by a prelate archbishop, who is also pastor of the mother church, the...
on November 27, 1993.
Zarama then served as parochial vicar
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Sacred Heart Parish in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
until 1996. From 1996 to 2006, he was administrator of St. Helena Mission in Clayton
Clayton, Georgia
Clayton is a city in Rabun County, Georgia, United States. The population was 2,019 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Rabun County and is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains.-History:...
and pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Mark Parish in Clarkesville
Clarkesville, Georgia
Clarkesville is a city located in the center of Habersham County, Georgia. It is also the county seat.-Geography:Clarkesville is located at ....
. He became an American citizen
United States nationality law
Article I, section 8, clause 4 of the United States Constitution expressly gives the United States Congress the power to establish a uniform rule of naturalization. The Immigration and Naturalization Act sets forth the legal requirements for the acquisition of, and divestiture from, citizenship of...
on July 4, 2000, saying, "I'm happy here, I choose to be here, and I feel like I'm part of the system as a citizen." Within the Court of Appeals
Ecclesiastical court
An ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
of the Ecclesiastical Province
Ecclesiastical Province
An ecclesiastical province is a large jurisdiction of religious government, so named by analogy with a secular province, existing in certain hierarchical Christian churches, especially in the Catholic Church and Orthodox Churches and in the Anglican Communion...
of Atlanta, he was advocate
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
(1993–1997) and defender of the bond
Defender of the Matrimonial Tie
The Defender of the Bond, or Defensor Matrimonii in Latin, is a Catholic church official whose duty is to defend the marriage-bond in the procedure prescribed for the hearing of matrimonial causes which involve the validity or nullity of a marriage already contracted.Benedict XIV, by his Bull "Dei...
(1997–present).
Zarama was named assistant director of the Vocations Office in 2000 and vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
in 2006. He also has been a member of the Committee for Continuing Education of Priests since 1996 and a member of the Priest Personnel Board since 2004. In 2007, he was raised to the rank of Chaplain of His Holiness
Chaplain of His Holiness
A Chaplain of His Holiness is a priest to whom the Pope has granted this title. They are addressed as Monsignor and have certain privileges, such as regards ecclesiastical dress....
. In addition to his duties as vicar general, he became judicial vicar
Judicial vicar
In the Roman Catholic Church, a judicial vicar is an officer of the diocese who has ordinary power to judge cases in the diocesan ecclesiastical court...
in 2008 and serves as the Archbishop's delegate to North Georgia
North Georgia
North Georgia is the hilly to mountainous northern region of the U.S. state of Georgia. At the time of the arrival of settlers from Europe, it was inhabited largely by the Cherokee. The counties of North Georgia were often scenes of important events in the history of Georgia...
's Hispanic
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
community.
On July 27, 2009, Zarama was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Atlanta and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Bararus by Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on September 29 from Archbishop Wilton Gregory, at the Cathedral of Christ the King.