Bishop Felipe J. Estévez, S.T.D. (emeritus)

Biography

Bishop Felipe J. Estévez, S.T.D. (emeritus) was born February 5, 1946, in Havana, Cuba and arrived in the United States on an Operation Pedro Pan flight as a teenager. Bishop Felipe J. Estévez, S.T.D. (emeritus) is the second of three children (Carlos and Marty) of the late Adriano and Estrella Estévez.

He was ordained in 1970 and has done extensive studies in spiritual theology, earning a doctorate from Gregorian University in Rome. He is fluent in English, Spanish, French and Italian.

From 2001 to 2003, Bishop Felipe J. Estévez, S.T.D. (emeritus) served as spiritual director of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach, Fla. where he served as rector from 1980 to 1986. He was the pastor of St. Agatha Parish in Miami for 14 years, while also directing campus ministry at Florida International University.

Appointed Auxiliary Bishop on November 21, 2003, and ordained January 7, 2004, he oversaw the archdiocese’s Ministry of Pastoral Services including family life, youth, campus, prison and respect life ministries, as well as all church movements and new communities.

In 2010, he was appointed Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Miami.

On April 27, 2011, Pope Benedict XVI named Auxiliary Bishop Felipe J. Estévez, S.T.D. (emeritus) the tenth Bishop of St. Augustine. He was installed on June 2, 2011, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jacksonville.

Ordinations

• To the priesthood, May 30, 1970, Fort Wayne, Ind.
• Incardinated into the Archdiocese of Miami, Feb. 9, 1979
• Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami, Nov. 21, 2003
• Episcopal Ordination Jan. 7, 2004 in Miami, Fla.
• Installed Bishop of St. Augustine, June 2, 2011, in Jacksonville, Fla.

Education

• Montreal University, Montreal, Canada (1970), Licentiate in Theology
• Barry University, Miami Shores, Fla. (1977), Master’s in Art
• Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, Italy (1980), Doctorate in Sacred Theology
• Additional courses at The Warren H. Deem Institute for Theological Education Management (1982); University of Creighton (seminar for spiritual directors, 2001); Institute for the Study of Human Sexuality, Chicago (2001) and St. Luke Institute (psycho-sexual integration workshop, 2002)

Priestly Ministry

• Associate pastor, Guascoran Parish, Honduras (1970-71)
• Faculty, St. Joseph Seminary, Honduras (1971-72)
• Faculty, Our Lady of Suyapa Seminary, Honduras (1972-75)
• Faculty, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, Fla. (1975-77)
• President/Rector, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, Fla. (1980-86)
• Campus Minister, Florida International University, Miami, Fla. (1987-2001)
• Pastor, St. Agatha Catholic Church, Miami, Fla. (1987-2001)Dean of Spiritual Formation, St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, Boynton Beach, Fla. (2001-03)

Memberships and Past Roles

• U.S. Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities 
• U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Cultural Diversity in the Church – Hispanic Affairs 
• Operation Pedro Pan, Inc., founding member 1960
• USA Jesus Caritas Fraternities 
• Federation of Spiritual Directors 
• Catholic Theological Society of America 
• Board of Directors of Catholic Relief Services

Pastoral Letters

• Come, Live in the Light (March 2013)
• Abandoning Ourselves to His Hands (September 2014)
• One Faith, One Family: A Pastoral Letter on Stewardship (May 2017)
• So That They May All Be One: A Pastoral Letter on the Strategic Vision and Mission of the Diocese of St. Augustine (August 2017)
• Standing Up for the Dignity of All Human Life: A Pastoral Letter on Capital Punishment in Florida (April 2020)