Most Reverend Emilio Biosca Agüero O.F.M. Cap.!
Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, O.F.M. Cap. was born December 15, 1964, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Emilio Rodolfo Biosca and Maria del Carmen Agüero who were recent immigrants from Cuba. The third of seven children, his two older sisters were born in Cuba.
He was baptized on December 25, at St. Patrick’s Church in Pueblo, Colorado. The family first resided in Pueblo, Colorado, then Kansas City, Missouri, where his father, already a practicing dentist in Cuba, worked and studied, graduating from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Dentistry. The family relocated near relatives in Virginia, where his father opened a practice. Bishop Emilio attended St. Anthony and St. Leo Catholic schools, and then Bishop O’Connell High School.
Bishop Emilio studied briefly at George Mason University then entered the Capuchin Franciscans in 1984 transferring to Borromeo College of Ohio in Wickliffe and earning a B.A. in philosophy in 1987. He made first profession of vows in Pittsburgh on July 16, 1988. He continued Capuchin Formation and theological studies at Oblate College in Washington D.C., making solemn vows on August 17, 1991, and earning an M.A. and M.Div. in theology. He was ordained to the diaconate on May 1, 1993, and served at St. John the Evangelist in Center City Philadelphia. On May 21, 1994, at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, he was ordained to the priesthood by then-Bishop Sean O’Malley, O.F.M. Cap., volunteered and was sent to serve in the Capuchin mission in Papua New Guinea. From 1994 to 2004 he served predominantly the Kewa and Wiri speaking peoples in the Kagua, Ialibu and Pangia areas of the Southern Highlands and became fluent in Melanesian Tok Pisin. During this period, he worked closely with lay leaders and catechists. From 2002-2004 he served as the Director of Novices for the Capuchin Novitiate in Pangia.
In preparation for the mission in Cuba, Bishop Emilio returned to the United States in 2005 and studied at the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family at Catholic University in Washington, earning his STL degree (Licentiate in Sacred Theology), Magna Cum Laude.
In 2007, Bishop Emilio entered Cuba and served there for 12 years. He spent his first year in Havana, then three years as Pastor of La Pastora Parish in Santa Clara, and the last eight years in Cuba on the eastern side of the country in the Diocese of Bayamo-Manzanillo, where he was Pastor of La Purisima Concepcion de Manzanillo. Bishop Emilio was appointed Pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, DC on March 1, 2019. The Shrine of the Sacred Heart has 5,000 families and is culturally diverse, offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in five languages each weekend (English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Vietnamese, and Portuguese).
For the Capuchin Franciscans of the Province of St. Augustine, Bishop Emilio was elected as Third Councilor in 2022, and then as Provincial Vicar, First Councilor in 2025. He is fluent in English, Spanish and Melanesian Tok Pisin.
New Bishop for the Diocese of Venice in Florida! The Bishop-elect arrives in Venice!
May 13, 2026
@BishopPalmBeach
Solemn Vespers
Relive the moment
TIMELINE
- Born: December 15, 1964, Colorado Springs, Colorado
- 1st Profession Capuchin Franciscan Brother – St. Conrad Novitiate, Pittsburgh, Pa. July 16, 1988, Capuchin Province of St. Augustine, Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Diaconate Ordination – Basilica Immaculate Conception Wash. DC, May 1, 1993
- Priesthood Ordination – Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Wash. DC, May 21, 1994
HOBBIES
- Grew-up playing many outdoor sports: Baseball, Basketball, Football, especially Soccer on organized teams from the age of 5-6 until entrance into the Capuchins Franciscans at 19.
- Enjoy reading, especially the Scriptures, various Catechisms, Spirituality and History.
- Enjoy participating in Pilgrimages on foot.
- As a missionary priest, especially interested in the spiritual formation of men and women as they enter the Catholic Church and renew their faith through creative OCIA programs that include marriage preparation.
LANGUAGES
- Fluency in three (3) languages. Served as Pastor in: English, Melanesian Tok Pisin, Spanish
Bishop’s Crest
