Father António Jorge Tchingui

Rev. Antonio Jorge Tchingui has been Parish Administrator of Our Lady of Fatima Church in Hartford, Connecticut, since September 1, 2005. He was elevated to this position by The Most Reverend Henry Joseph Mansell, Archbishop. On June 25, 2003, the Most Reverend Daniel Cronin had bestowed on him the position of Parochial Vicar. Since that time, the Rev. Tchingui has served the community of over 1,000 households, or over 5,000 Portuguese-speaking parishioners. The Reverend is in charge of overseeing all of the Church's activities, including the Portuguese School, the Our Lady of Fatima Day Care, the Church's CCD program, and all other functions. EDUCATION: After graduating High School in 1986, he entered the Minor Seminary of Bom Pastor in Benguela, where he majored in Philosophy. He graduated in 1991. He further studied at the Cristo Rei Major Seminary of Theology, graduating in 1996. He was born December 3, 1967 in the Province of Benguela-Angola. Rev. Tchingui was ordained a Deacon on August 4, 1996, by the Most Reverend Oscar Lino Lopes Fernandes Braga, Bishop of the Diocese of Benguela. On August 31, 1997 he was ordained a Priest in Benguela by Bishop Braga. He was assigned as Pastor to a small rural town called Balombo, 140 miles east of Benguela. In addition to the parish responsibilities, he administered to an orphanage that sheltered over 150 children. From June 27, 1999, until September 6, 2000, Rev. Tchingui was assigned by Bishop Braga as Pastor to the Divino Espírito Santo parish. He was then selected to come to the United States where he would pursue a Masters degree in Philosophy at De Paul University in Chicago. While pursuing his studies, he was a resident priest at Maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish, where he ministered to a mostly Spanish-speaking community. Also, he served as chaplain at Saint Elizabeth, Saint Anthony, and Holy Cross Hospitals, all in the Chicago area. Rev. Tchingui is fluent in Portuguese, Umbundu (mother tongue), English and Spanish. He is also knowledgeable in French and Italian languages. He is now studying Greek. PERSONAL HISTORY: He is the fifth of nine children. His older brother Mario Lukunde was ordained Bishop of the Diocese of Menongue in Angola on October 9, 2005. One of his sisters, Conceição, also serves in a religious community in Angola.

Father António Jorge Tchingui