Father Robert Marva O.F.M. Cap., Provincial Minister of the St. Augustine Province in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has known Bishop-elect Emilio Biosca Agüero, O.F.M. Cap., for 40 years.
Only two years apart in the minor seminary, Borromeo College of Ohio, in Wickliffe, Father Marva shared some insight into his brother Franciscan and dear friend.
While the announcement of Bishop Emilio’s appointment as a Bishop came as a surprise to many, Father Marva said in a statement to the Province, “it is for others a confirmation of the pastoral zeal, commitment to the poor, and care for the stranger and alien that have marked Bishop-elect Biosca’s ministry as pastor to the people of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C., as well as to the friars and people of Cuba and Papua New Guinea where he also labored for a number of years.”
Father Marva and the bishop-elect have worked closely in recent years, with Bishop Emilio elected as Third Councilor of the Capuchin Franciscans in 2022, and then as Provincial Vicar, First Councilor in 2025. This leadership role included visitations to canonical chapters.
“Bishop-elect Emilio brings to the service of the Church of Venice thoughtful wisdom, and a faith filled disposition marked by prayer and fidelity to the Rule of St. Francis and the Constitutions of our family of Capuchin Franciscans,” Father Marva said.
On a personal note, Father Marva said Bishop Emilio was a gifted athlete (soccer and basketball), but a more serious student while in seminary. He also has a dry sense of humor and a humility paired with a self-confidence that allows him to laugh at himself.
“He also has a strong sense of calm and thoughtfulness in any situation which has allowed him to succeed in his work wherever he has been assigned,” Father Marva said. “This is seen in his pastoral service, where he can appreciate both the humanity and seriousness of situations while having the ability to sort through any challenge.”
While the promotion of Bishop Emilio to the Diocese of Venice leaves a gap in the Capuchin order in leadership and at the parish in D.C., Father Marva said he knows his friend will always be a Capuchin in his heart.
“He still serves the Church and the Capuchins, but in a different way,” Father Marva said. “He is following the call of God and the Holy Father to his next posting.”
