ATLANTA—Father Fernando Molina Restrepo, a priest of the Archdiocese of Atlanta for more than 25 years, died Jan. 9. He was 63 years old.  

Father Molina Restrepo was born in December 1961 in Anserma, Caldas, Colombia, to Maria Enoe Restrepo and Gildardo Luis Molina. He studied at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1999, by Archbishop John F. Donoghue. 

Father Fernando Molina Restrepo

He began his ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta at Holy Trinity Church in Peachtree City. He also was a parochial vicar at St. Michael Church, Gainesville, and St. Joseph Church, Marietta. Father Molina Restrepo was administrator at Our Lady of the Americas Mission, Lilburn, and pastor at Christ Our King and Savior Church, Greensboro; St. Theresa Church, Douglasville; Transfiguration Church, Marietta; and most recently at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, Alpharetta. His longest pastorate was at Transfiguration Church, where he served as the community’s spiritual leader for more than seven years. 

As a priest, he enjoyed helping people solve problems, especially married couples, and visiting the sick. “It is really touching,” he said about ministering to the sick and those in nursing homes. A bilingual priest, he loved being able to celebrate sacraments in two languages. Father Molina Restrepo’s hobbies included travel, movies, exercise, reading, parties and “all activities that build community.”   

He is predeceased by his father Gildardo Luis Molina Echavarria. Father Molina Restrepo is survived by his mother, Maria Enoe Restrepo de Molina; and family members Fanny Molina Restrepo (Jose Oscar Parra); Nelcy Molina Restrepo, Eunice Molina Restrepo (Efrain Ramirez), Tiberio Molina Restrepo, Luis Gerardo Molina Restrepo, Gildardo Antonio Molina Restrepo and Sandra Milena Molina Restrepo (Juan Carlos Moran), as well as many cousins, aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. 

The visitation will be Thursday, Jan. 16, from 4-7 p.m. with a vigil service beginning at 7 p.m. at Transfiguration Church, 1815 Blackwell Rd, Marietta. A funeral Mass will be celebrated Friday, Jan. 17 at 11 a.m. at Transfiguration. The burial will be at 3 p.m. at Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs.