Bishop Felipe J. Estévez was born on February 5, 1946, in Havana, Cuba and arrived in the United States on an Operation Pedro Pan flight as a teenager.
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 Estévez 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 the tenth Bishop of St. Augustine. He was installed on June 2, 2011, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Jacksonville.
Bishop Estévez is the second of three children (Carlos and Marty) of the late Adriano and Estrella Estévez.
Follow Bishop Estévez on the Diocese of St. Augustine’s website and Twitter.
