FRESNO CA (KMJ) – Father Bert Mello, the former parochial vicar at St. Anthony of Padua in Fresno died Tuesday morning.
Pastor Mello was known for telling his congregation in both Fresno and Bakersfield about his life of sin before he joined the priesthood.
He was raised Catholic but turned away from the church. He once was married, and living what he called the high life, smoking three packs of cigarettes daily, and working as a beer salesman.
When the Catholic church and prayer re-entered his life he changed his ways.
Father Bert attended his first mass on April Fools’ Day 2001, calling God’s sense of humor,”great,” then he began going to confession.
Father Bert was ordained in 2013, his first assignment was as a parochial vicar at St. Anthony’s.
In February of 2016, he joined the northeast Bakersfield parish as pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church.
Father Bert passed away in his sleep on March 20th, 2018. No word yet on the cause of his death.
Our Lady of Perpetual Help is currently working on planning services to be held in Bakersfield.
