Giovanni Zerbini

Giovanni Zerbini, S.D.B. (born 29 December 1927), known in Portuguese as João Zerbini, is an Italian-born Roman Catholic bishop who served as Bishop of Guarapuava in Brazil from 1995 to 2003. A member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, he spent most of his priestly and episcopal ministry in Brazil.

Early life and priesthood

Giovanni Zerbini was born on 29 December 1927 in Chiari, in the region of Lombardy, Italy. He joined the Salesians of Don Bosco, a Roman Catholic religious congregation dedicated to education and missionary work.

He was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1956. Shortly thereafter, he was sent as a missionary to Brazil, where he carried out pastoral, educational, and ecclesial work for several decades. He received episcopal consecration on 19 February 1995. The principal consecrator was Archbishop Bruno Foresti, with Bishop Vigilio Mario Olmi and Archbishop Pedro Antônio Marchetti Fedalto serving as co-consecrators.

Having reached the canonical age of retirement, he resigned from office on 2 July 2003 and was granted the title Bishop Emeritus of Guarapuava.

Later life

After his resignation, Zerbini remained in Guarapuava, where he continued to live as bishop emeritus, maintaining a pastoral presence and participating in the spiritual life of the local Catholic community.