Stanley Roman is an Indian prelate of the Catholic Church. He was Bishop of Quilon, India, from 2001 to 2018. He also chaired the education committee of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council.
Biography
Stanley Roman was born on 4 June 1941 at Punalur in Kollam district. He is the 10th of the eleven children of Roman Fernandez and Elizabeth. After Roman's primary education at St. John’s L.P. School and Government U.P. School, Akkara at Punalur, he joined St. Raphael’s Minor Seminary at Kollam, where he was later to be vice rector, for religious studies and simultaneously completed his schooling from St. Aloysius School, Kollam. In 1959, Roman commenced philosophy studies at St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary, Aluva. After 2 years, he was chosen to pursue priestly studies at the Pontifical Urban University, Rome, where he received a Master's Degree in Philosophy and Theology. He was ordained priest by Cardinal Agagiani, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples at St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome on 16 December 1966. When Roman returned to Kollam, he was initially appointed as the prefect of St. Raphael's Seminary. He continued his studies and received a Master of Arts in English language and literature from the University of Kerala. He then joined Fatima Mata National College, Kollam as an English instructor and the bursar, and later became its principal. After holding various posts in the diocese, he was appointed the first rector of Carmel Giri Major Seminary, Latin rite, when St. Joseph’s Pontifical Seminary was re-organized on the basis of rites. Roman was appointed as the 13th Bishop of Kollam on 29 October 2001, while he was serving as the rector of Carmelgiri Seminary. Roman was ordained on 16 December 2001. In 2004, Roman founded the Pradhibhodayam education program, for scholastically gifted, but financially challenged members of the diocese. In 2007, Roman inaugurated Jagat Jyoti Mandir, which is a Christian church incorporating Hindu cultural elements. Pope Francis accepted his resignation on 18 April 2018.
