Bishop Felipe J. Estévez
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Bishop Estévez was born Feb. 5, 1946, in Havana. "The liturgical calendar used then had as the saint of the day Felipe de Jesus," so that is his given name. He is the second of three children (two boys and a girl) who grew up in the area of Pedro Betancourt, in the province of Matanzas. In July 1961, the future bishop arrived in Miami as one of more than 14,000 unaccompanied children smuggled out of Cuba through the Pedro Pan program. A month later, he was relocated to St. Vincent Villa Orphanage in Fort Wayne, Ind., where he lived while attending Central Catholic High School. His brother joined him six months later, and they were reunited with his parents and sister a year after that. The future bishop attended seminaries in Montreal and was ordained May 30, 1970, in Fort Wayne for his home Diocese of Matanzas.
Having been refused permission to return, he went to Honduras, where he served as a parish priest and member of the faculty in two seminaries. In 1975, he joined the faculty at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach. After obtaining a doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome in 1980, he was named president/rector of St. Vincent de Paul, where he remained until 1986. In 1987, he was appointed pastor of St. Agatha Parish in Miami and director of campus ministry at nearby Florida International University. In 2001, he returned to St. Vincent de Paul as dean of spiritual formation, and in November 2003 was appointed auxiliary bishop of Miami. He was appointed bishop of St. Augustine on April 27, 2011, and installed June 1.
When he knew he wanted to be a priest:
"From early on in high school I kept the idea only to myself as an amazing dream."
Person or event that triggered his vocation:
"I was very blessed as an adolescent to know 'Padre Aleido,' a very zealous and holy priest. One day he took my hands and said, 'These hands could consecrate the body of Christ.' I remained in shock and bewildered, not really understanding his words — it was a very sacred moment. Undoubtedly the seeds were then sown." That priest was Miami's retired Auxiliary Bishop Agustín Román, who has remained his friend and mentor for more than 40 years.
Persons most surprised by his vocation:
"My father. When I broke the news he felt let down, as I would feel if a son of mine would join the Hare Krishna. Within a year I could feel he was happy over the idea of becoming the father of a priest, an idea he had never considered."
What the seminary did not prepare him for:
"I was trained immediately after the Council of Vatican II. It certainly did not prepare me to deal with the very subtle crisis that came simultaneously with the great work of renewal of the Holy Spirit. I have a great gratitude for the great pontificate of John Paul II. His courageous leadership brought clarity and a vision which the whole Church needed at the end of the '70s."
' A pastor of a parish (is) the best job in the Catholic Church.'
What he would be doing if he had not become a priest:
"Signs point to being an educator, a university professor perhaps; also I would have chosen to contribute in the field of international development and world peace."
Favorite priestly assignment:
"A pastor of a parish, the best job in the Catholic Church."
Most difficult aspect of being a priest:
"To live immersed in a living paradox or in an immense gap: on one side being a channel of God's mystery, on the other side at the same time being a very limited fragile individual who is also a sinner. … St. Paul expressed it perfectly: 'We carry the treasure in earthen vessels that the all-surpassing power may be of God and not from us' (2 Cor 4:7)."
The future Bishop Estévez is shown here as a 4-year-old, playing with a goat in his native Matanzas, Cuba.
Most rewarding aspect of being a priest:
"The celebration of the Eucharist."
His description of the ideal priest:
"The ideal priest is really the holy, totally self-giving priest. The example is John Paul II — hard to match."
Hobbies:
He loves music, long walks during which he prays the rosary, tennis and baseball. His favorite team is the Florida Marlins.
What he does on his day off:
"I usually do personal reading and correspondence; usually see a movie; have a beer with a friend, a couple of friends or family. It's a day in which I take care more of my personal items."
Last movie watched:
"Poetry" (a South Korean film).
His favorite book:
"I love to read theology."
His greatest joy:
"Seeing with my own eyes the growth that Christ makes possible in people."
His greatest fear:
"I fear attacks, to be attacked, misunderstood; when your integrity is challenged or when your intentions are not well understood."
His greatest disappointment:
"My lack of holiness."
Person he most admires:
"St. John the Evangelist — the breadth of his writing, the breadth of his understanding of the event Jesus is truly overwhelming."
Priestly stereotype that he thinks should be discarded:
"That we are unhappy. Recent statistics point out that more than 94 percent, 95 percent of priests are happy and satisfied in what they do."
