In the sun-drenched northeastern Caribbean, the Catholic Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre has come together this week to honor a milestone of faith and service: the 13th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of its leader, Bishop Robert A. Llanos. The occasion celebrates more than 13 years of Llanos’ commitment to shepherding Catholic communities across the region, a journey that began with a formal consecration ceremony nearly a decade and a half ago.
Llanos’ path to the episcopate started on September 14, 2013, when he was ordained as a bishop at Fatima Roman Catholic Church in Curepe, Trinidad and Tobago, following his appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Port of Spain diocese. It would be three years before his connection to the Caribbean’s eastern island nations took root: in 2016, he was tapped to serve as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre, and he relocated to Antigua to take up the post.
In December 2018, Llanos received formal appointment as the full bishop of the diocese, and his installation ceremony was held at Holy Family Cathedral in St. John’s, Antigua, in February 2019. To mark the 13th anniversary of his ordination, diocesan leaders gathered once again at Holy Family Cathedral for a special Mass of Thanksgiving, where attendees reflected on Llanos’ decades of pastoral ministry, steady leadership, and dedicated service to the local church and its parishioners.
Spanning multiple small island nations across the northeastern Caribbean, the Diocese of St. John’s-Basseterre framed the anniversary as more than just a ceremonial milestone. For local Catholics, it is a moment to collectively offer gratitude for Llanos’ guidance over the years, and to lift up prayers for the health and continuation of his ministerial work. Notably, the anniversary fell on the same date as one of the Catholic Church’s ancient liturgical observances: the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, adding an extra layer of spiritual significance to the celebratory occasion.