HomeMy WebLinkAboutExhibit 1Auxiliary Bishop Agustin A. Roman Biography
Born:
May 5, 1928, San Antonio de Ios Banos, Havana, Cuba
Ordained:
• To the priesthood, July 5,1959, for the Diocese of
Matanzas, Cuba
• Titular Bishop of Sertei and Auxiliary to the Archbishop of
Miami, March 24,1979
Education:
• Philosophy: St. Albert the Great Seminary, Matanzas,
Cuba
• Theology: Seminary for Foreign Missions, Montreal,
Canada
• Master's in Religious Studies, Barry College (now
university), Miami, Florida
• Master's in Human Resources, Biscayne College (now St.
Thomas University), Opa-Locka, Florida
Priestly Ministry:
Diocese of Matanzas, Cuba, 1959 - 1961: Pastor of Coliseo-
Lagunillas and Pedro Betancourt parishes, and spiritual director
of Catholic Youth
Expelled from Cuba, September 17,1961, along with 132 fellow
priests and Bishop Eduardo Boza Masvidal
Diocese of Temuco, Chile, 1962 - 1966: Spiritual director and
professor of the Institute of Humanities; pastor of Holy Spirit
Parish, in Temuco; spiritual director of Cursillo
Archdiocese of Miami, 1966 to present:
• He served as Vicar General, Consultor, member of the
Archbishop's Executive Council, as well as Vicar for
Hispanics from 1976 to 2003
• From 1979 to 1997, he served as Executive Director of the
Ministry of Pastoral Service, which includes: Hispanic
movements; ministry to Haitians, Blacks and other cultural
groups; ministry to families, youth, young adults, the sick,
the handicapped, farmworkers, prisoners, and Respect
Life
• He served as director, Ministry of Persons, which includes
priests, religious and laity, from 1997 to 2003
• Director, Our Lady of Charity Shrine, since 1967; rector
emeritus since 2003
When he was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of
1 Miami in 1979, the Most Reverend Agustin Roman became the
first Cuban in 200 years to be appointed bishop in the United
States.
Bishop Roman came to South Florida after being expelled from
Cuba by Fidel Castro's regime. He and 132 other Cuban priests,
including Bishop Eduardo Boza Masvidal (deceased former
auxiliary bishop in Venezuela) were aboard the Spanish ship
"Covadonga" when it sailed from Havana on Sept. 17, 1961..
Bishop Roman ministered in Chile for four years before coming to
Miami in 1966, where he became identified, almost immediately,
with the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity. His exhortations to fellow
exiles to donate "kilos prietos" (tarnished pennies -- what little
they could afford in those early days) over a seven-year period
raised enough to pay for the construction of the Shrine on
Biscayne Bay. Dedicated to Cuba's patroness, it has become a
beacon for exiles from many nations, luring thousands of
worshippers each year. Bishop Roman is still director of the
Shrine, where he is often found greeting visitors, responding to
letters from fellow Cuban exiles, and answering the phone.
He is fluent in Latin, English, and French, and holds advanced
degrees in theology and human resources. He served on the
U.S. Bishops' Committee for Hispanic Affairs, and was a member
of the Committee on Migration and Tourism. Prior to becoming a
bishop, he worked as a hospital chaplain (1968-1973); director of
the Spanish-speaking Cursiilo Movement (1978-1979); spiritual
director of the Charismatic Movement (1977-1979); member of
the committee on Popular Piety; and episcopal vicar for the
Spanish-speaking people of the Archdiocese (1976 — 1984).
The son of humble Cuban peasants, Bishop Roman has never
forgotten his roots. His ministry in South Florida has been marked
by humility, tenacity and unceasing devotion to his work. He
tends to speak in parables, using stories full of everyday
symbolism to illustrate his point. Yet in his quiet, unassuming
way, he gets things done,
At no time was this more evident than in December, 1986, when
Cuban detainees rioted in federal prisons in Atlanta and Oakdale,
LA, to protest their indefinite incarceration and probable
deportation to Cuba. Seeking a mediator for their negotiations
with federal agents, the prisoners called on Bishop Roman, who
had been corresponding with many of them or their families since
their arrival on the 1980 Marie! boatlift. His role in ending the
crisis without loss of blood earned him recognition as ABC News'
Person of the Week, "a man of compassion, gentility and
commitment... a man with a strong personality and humble spirit."
When the press began calling him a hero, Bishop Roman
responded with characteristic humility: "A bishop, a priest, is a
servant, not a hero."