BRAINTREE -- The episcopal ordination of Bishop-elect Cristiano Barbosa will take place at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on Saturday, Feb. 3, at 10 a.m. Mass will begin at 10 a.m., but the procession will begin at 9:30 a.m. The ordination is open to the public and all are welcome to attend.

The ceremony will take place regardless of weather conditions. Following the ordination, there will be a reception at neighboring Cathedral High School. More information on the ordination, including parking details, are available at bostoncatholic.org/ordination. Questions may be directed to ordination@rcab.org.

Pope Francis named Bishop-elect Barbosa, 47, to be the new auxiliary bishop of the Central Region of the Archdiocese of Boston on Dec. 9. He currently serves as the episcopal vicar of the Central Region, which contains Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Somerville, and Winthrop.

Bishop-elect Barbosa was born in Brazil in 1976. Upon his ordination, he will not only be one of the youngest bishops in the U.S., but one of only two bishops of Brazilian descent in the U.S. The first Brazilian-American bishop was Bishop Edgar Moreira da Cunha, who currently serves as the Bishop of Fall River. There are currently 100,000 people of Brazilian descent in Massachusetts. The Brazilian population of Massachusetts has increased by 30 percent in the last 10 years, making them the fastest-growing ethnic group in the state. In a Dec. 9 press conference with Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, Bishop-elect Barbosa said that he was committed to reaching out to the Brazilian community to ensure that younger generations retain the Catholic faith for their whole lives.

Bishop-elect Barbosa was ordained in 2007 and moved to Boston in 2008. While working toward his doctorate in sacred theology from Boston College, he served in parishes in Cambridge and Lowell. This experience convinced him to remain in the Archdiocese of Boston. He also has a licentiate of philosophy from the Universidade de Sagrado Coracao and a master's degree in psychology from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Minas Gerais, both in Brazil.