Bob Reddy – Florida Catholic
Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, O.F.M. Cap., continues his travels as he strives to visit each parish in Diocese of Venice by the end of August.
The visits between July 17 and 30, 2026, included the following parishes: Christ the King, Sarasota; Sacred Heart, Punta Gorda; St. Andrew, Cape Coral; St. Vincent de Paul, Resurrection of Our Lord, and Jesus the Worker, Fort Myers; St. Elizabeth Seton, Naples; San Marco, Marco Island; Ave Maria, Ave Maria; and Our Lady of Guadalupe, Immokalee.
Whether the visit includes hundreds of parishioners gathering for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, or smaller chats with the staff, Bishop Emilio is learning much about the Diocese of Venice, its parishes and its people.
The timing of the visits has some urgency as Bishop Emilio will travel to Rome to visit the Vatican for a gathering of new bishops in September. A second more formal pastoral visit to parishes will follow next year.
Bishop Emilio celebrated Mass at Sacred Heart in Punta Gorda on July 25, the feast of St. James the Apostle, and said he was amazed to see a half-full church on an early Saturday morning. Including sharing some of his personal history, Bishop Emilio said he had a special connection to the parish as he is coming from the Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Washington, D.C. He encouraged the parishioners to learn and grown in their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
As part of the feast celebration for St. James, Bishop Emilio blessed shells, the symbol of the saint, which were later distributed to each family following Mass. A breakfast in the parish hall included an informal question and answer session.
At Jesus the Worker Parish in Fort Myers on July 28, Bishop Emilio prayed the Liturgy of the Hours with the parish staff, which included Franciscan Sisters of the Mary Immaculate. A reception and dinner followed in the parish hall and included leadership in the various ministries from the parish and San Jose Mission, which serves the Hispanic community in south Fort Myers.
During the parish visits, Bishop Emilio is taking time to also get to know the individual priests better, often spending the night in the rectory. He is also learning how the parishes work, as well as what each needs from him, and the diocese, in the coming months so that each he can help them to succeed in their mission in to spreading the Good News of the Lord in southwest Florida!
