tour Archives - Diocese of Venice

Bishop tour nears end

Posted on September 1, 2026September 1, 2026 by Bob Reddy

Bob Reddy, Staff Report

As the tour of Bishop Emilio E. Biosca, O.F.M. Cap. to each of the Diocese of Venice parishes continues, the admiration and respect for the new Shepherd of the Diocese has been palpable, and inspiring.

After Mass on Aug. 23, 2026, at Our Lady of Light Parish, Fort Myers, Bishop Emilio spent about an hour greeting the faithful, something that has regularly occurred during parish visits, either following a Mass or at a reception.

Many offered their congratulations and prayers to the new bishop. For some, the interaction with Bishop Emilio is quick, often with a photo taken, while others ask about possible connections, including: the chance the new bishop knows a particular Franciscan priest, mutual acquaintance, or family members; inquiries about parishes in Pennsylvania (home of the Capuchin Province the bishop is part of), Northern Virginia (where he grew up), Washington, D.C. (where his most recent assignment was), as well as Cuba (where he served for 12 years); and more. In addition, some seek prayers or words of comfort from Bishop Emilio, while others ask him to bless religious articles.

All who have interacted with Bishop Emilio leave with a smile and a cherished memory.

At Our Lady of Light, as well as at many other parishes, the bishop met with and had a meal with the staff and key volunteers. During these times, the bishop shares some thoughts about his life as a Capuchin missionary as well as experiences from previous parish visits. He also encourages questions of any type, jokingly saying that none have been trick questions, while offering honest answers. He also admits that he is still learning about the Diocese, its people, its priests, its religious, and its parishes.

Between Aug. 21 and 27, Bishop Emilio visited nine parishes bringing the total to 57 since his Episcopal Ordination on July 11.

Due to the timing of each visit, either a weekday or weekend morning or afternoon, each parish visit has been unique, some including the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and parish celebrations, while others have been less formal visits with priests and parish staff.

Bishop Emilio has stressed that more formal visits will take place at a later time, with more advanced notice so more people can participate.

The new bishop’s intention for this tour of the diocese is to visit the priests, deacons, religious and faithful at their parishes to get to know them in their own place, before traveling to Rome for a new bishops’ formation course and retreat in early September.

Bishop Emilio said he will take the prayers and hopes of the people of the Diocese to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul at that time.

The tour is a quick way for the bishop to get a “lay of the land,” and a first missionary orientation to the Diocese. A visit to each school will follow in late September and October.

Upcoming parish visits include the following: (Aug. 28), St. Leo the Great, Bonita Springs, and St. Cecilia, Fort Myers; and (Aug. 30), St. Finbarr and St. Agnes, Naples.

Please check with the local parish for a schedule of public events.

Bishop parish tour heading toward conclusion – for now

Posted on August 25, 2026August 25, 2026 by Bob Reddy

Bob Reddy, Staff Report

The sweltering heat of August has not slowed Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, O.F.M. Cap. as he tirelessly continues his tour of Diocese of Venice parishes.

Through Aug. 19, 2026, Bishop Emilio has visited 48 of 61 parishes in the Diocese. Due to the timing of each visit, either a weekday or weekend morning or afternoon, each parish visit has been unique, some including the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and parish celebrations, while others have been less formal visits with priests and parish staff.

Bishop Emilio has stressed that more formal visits will take place at a later time, with more advanced notice so more people can participate.

“It has been wonderful to see the priests and the parishes and to come to know and love the Diocese more each day,” Bishop Emilio said. “First thing that has struck me is almost every parish has told me that their parish is the best one. Many people have told me that they have searched all different kinds of Catholic churches in the area, and the one they found is definitely the best.”

The other common theme has been a plea from parishioners not to remove their priests. “That tells me a lot. The people of this Diocese really love their priests. That is important.”

Between Aug. 14 and Aug. 19, Bishop Emilio visited 11 parishes.

Among recent highlights, Bishop Emilio presided over his first baptism as a bishop on Aug. 16, at the Church of St. Patrick in Sarasota, during the regular 9:30 a.m. Mass. Coming from a parish in Washington, D.C. with lots of families, and having many nieces, nephews, grand-nieces and grand-nephews of his own, the bishop was very comfortable performing the Sacrament of Baptism. Baby Cecilia was quiet throughout the entire ceremony until Bishop Emilio leaned too close to his microphone and said “Cecilia” a little too loud and startled the child. But no tears were shed and the proud parents and godparents were overjoyed by the moment.

Later that same day, Bishop Emilio was presented to the Holy Cross Parish community in Palmetto with a particular flourish. There, dancers dressed in Mayan and Aztec garb performed traditional songs welcoming the new shepherd. Each dance concluded with the performers kneeling in honor of the bishop.

Visits to St. Jude Parish, Sarasota, on Aug. 14, and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish, Parrish, included learning about ongoing efforts to raise money for the construction of new churches for the growing communities in those areas.

On the morning of Aug. 15, Bishop Emilio celebrated Mass for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary at St. Thomas More, Sarasota. He also returned to the location of his July 11 episcopal ordination, celebrating Mass on Aug. 17 at St. John XXIII, Fort Myers.

In addition, Bishop Emilio celebrated his first Catholic school Mass on Aug. 18, for the students and faculty at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Fort Myers. (See SCHOOL story on Page X for more details.)

Bishop Emilio said he will take the prayers and hopes of the people of the Diocese to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul at that time.

The tour is a quick way for the bishop to get a “lay of the land,” and a first missionary orientation to the Diocese. A visit to each school will follow in late September and October.

Upcoming parish visits include the following: (Aug. 21) St. Therese, North Fort Myers, and St. Isabel, Sanibel; (Aug. 22) St. Francis of Assisi, Grove City; (Aug. 23) Our Lady of Light, Fort Myers; (Aug. 25) Ss. Peter and Paul the Apostles, Bradenton; (Aug. 26) St. Katharine Drexel, Cape Coral, and St. Maximilian Kobe, Port Charlotte; (Aug. 27) Our Lady of Mercy, Boca Grande, and Our Lady of Miraculous Medal, Bokeelia; (Aug. 28) St. Leo the Great, Bonita Springs, and St. Cecilia, Fort Myers; and (Aug. 30) St. Finbarr and St. Agnes, Naples.

Please check with the local parish for a schedule of public events.

Prayers uplifting for new bishop

Posted on August 20, 2026August 20, 2026 by Bob Reddy

Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, O.F.M. Cap., has been the Shepherd of the Diocese of Venice for little more than one month. In that time, he has visited three dozen parishes and many missions.

As the rigorous schedule continues through the end of August, Bishop Emilio said the one thing that has surprised him about being a bishop is that so many people are praying for him.

“At each stop, people come up to me and say they are praying for me,” Bishop Emilio said during an Aug. 12, 2026, visit to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Venice. “I feel those prayers. They mean so much to me. It is hard to describe the effect and strength those prayers are giving me as I move forward in my duties as the shepherd of the diocese.”

Between Aug. 6 and 12, Bishop Emilio visited 10 parishes, and five missions, primarily in the eastern part of the Diocese. Visits have included the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as well as small meetings with parish staff and volunteers, and often personal time with the priests.

The intention of this tour of the diocese is to visit the priests, deacons, religious and faithful at their parishes to get to know them in their own place, before Bishop Emilio goes to Rome for a new bishops’ formation course and retreat in early September.

Bishop Emilio said he will take the prayers and hopes of the people of the Diocese to the tombs of St. Peter and St. Paul in early September.

The tour is a quick way for the bishop to get a “lay of the land,” and a first missionary orientation to the Diocese. A visit to each school will follow in late September and October.

During a stop at St. Michael Parish in Wauchula, Bishop Emilio said that in all of his assignments as a Capuchin priest, first in Papua New Guinea, then Cuba, and at a parish in Washington, D.C., he entered each with goal of giving himself completely to the place.

“At each stop, I went to go to stay forever,” he explained. “So, this is a fact-finding tour as I try to learn everything I can about each parish, which I am finding are all unique, as well as getting to know the priests. I do this because I am giving myself completely to the Diocese, in my heart and in my soul.”

Upcoming parish visits include the following: (Aug. 14) Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, and St. Jude; (Aug. 15) St. Thomas More, Sarasota, and St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, Parrish; (Aug. 16), Church of St. Patrick, Sarasota, and Holy Cross, Palmetto; (Aug. 17) St. John XXIII, Fort Myers; (Aug. 18) St. Francis Xavier, Fort Myers, and St. Raphael, Lehigh Acres; and (Aug. 19) St. Charles Borromeo and San Antonio, Port Charlotte.

Please check with the local parish for a schedule of public events.

Parish visits continue to be a priority for new bishop

Posted on August 11, 2026August 11, 2026 by Bob Reddy

Bob Reddy, Florida Catholic

In the first three weeks of the episcopal rule of Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, O.F.M. Cap., he has managed to visit 25 parishes and other entities while learning about the Diocese of Venice, its priests and its people.

At each stop, Bishop Emilio, who spent 22 years in missionary service and most recently as the head of a poor immigrant parish in the nation’s capital, tells the faithful that he was as surprised as anyone at being named bishop of the Diocese of Venice.

“Perhaps if I had served for 30 years in a parish it might have been more believable, but as a Capuchin this was definitely unexpected,” Bishop Emilio said during a homily Aug. 2, 2026, at St. John the Evangelist Parish, Naples.

The bishop admits that in such a short period of time, there is still much he must learn about the diocese. “I am doing what I have done in each new place I have been assigned; going around to learn the history and background of a place and getting to know the people where they are.”

Before the conclusion of Mass at St. John the Evangelist Parish in Naples, Bishop Emilio joined the concelebrating priests in blessing the youngest children who have not yet received their first Holy Communion. The bishop then offered a prayer of sending forth for four Diocese of Venice seminarians, John Crowley, Jesse Gomez, Jasper Hartley, and Jacob Weipert, who were altar servers during the Mass. Gomez is returning to seminary, while the other three are entering formation in the coming days. Gomez and Weipert are parishioners at St. John the Evangelist, while Crowley is from St. Katharine Drexel Parish in Cape Coral, and Hartley is from St. Andrew Parish in Cape Coral. A parish family picnic followed, with Bishop Emilio greeting many at the reception.

At Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Immokalee, during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on July 30, Bishop Emilio shared more of his immigrant family history, being the first born in the U.S. to immigrant parents from Cuba. He also told the large immigrant community that he is aware of their struggles and concerns and explained how his parish in D.C. handled the immigration crisis through a system of direct accompaniment, helping in any way possible: spiritually, financial and legally.

Bishop Emilio later took questions from the faithful about a variety of topics before everyone gathered in the parish hall for a celebration that included a variety of food, lively music, and opportunities for the faithful to speak with the new bishop and take a photo to capture the moment.

“It is so wonderful to have Bishop Emilio here with us,” said Father Teofilo Ramirez, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “We welcome you and we pray for you as you take on your role as our shepherd.”

Earlier that same day, following a Mass at Ave Maria Parish in Ave Maria, Bishop Emilio shook hands with well-wishers for about 90 minutes as each person patiently waited their turn to greet the new bishop. He later received a brief tour of neighboring Ave Maria University.

Parishes visited between July 30 and Aug. 2, included: Ave Maria, Ave Maria; Our Lady of Guadalupe Immokalee; and St. Ann, Corpus Christi, St. Peter the Apostle and St. John the Evangelist, all in Naples.

Bishop Emilio plans to visit each parish in the Diocese of Venice by the end of August, to better serve in his role as bishop. He is also looking forward to a September trip to the Vatican for a special gathering of new bishops. The August schedule also will allow for more expeditious travel throughout the large diocese, before the Season, and an influx of snowbirds, begins. A more formal pastoral visit to parishes will take place in the following year or so when there is less urgency.

Upcoming visits include, St. Michael, Wauchula (Aug. 7), Our Lady Queen of Heaven, LaBelle (Aug. 7), St. Margaret, Clewiston (Aug. 8), St. Joseph the Worker, Moore Haven (Aug. 8), St. Catherine, Sebring (Aug. 9), Our Lady of the Angels, Lakewood Ranch (Aug. 10), Incarnation, Sarasota (Aug. 11); San Pedro, North Port (Aug. 12), Our Lady of Lourdes, Venice (Aug. 12), and St. Martha, Sarasota (Aug. 13). Please check with each parish for a schedule of public events.

New bishop continues diocesan tour

Posted on August 4, 2026August 4, 2026 by Bob Reddy

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!

Bishop encourages faithful to renew their commitment to the Lord

Posted on July 24, 2026 by Bob Reddy

In less than two weeks since his episcopal ordination, Bishop Emilio Biosca Agüero, O.F.M. Cap., has strived to learn as much about the workings of the diocese as possible while also bringing a message of renewal directly to the faithful.

Bishop Emilio said he is taking this approach, which has served him well in the past to understand what is currently being done, include to best assess the needs of each parish.

In an amazing display of determination and endurance, Bishop Emilio is scheduled to visit all 61 parishes by the end of August.

Naturally, the first visit was to Epiphany Cathedral in Venice on July 12 where the new bishop celebrated his first public Mass and met with the faithful at a reception and later with priests, deacons, staff, volunteers and parishioners, all to learn about the parish and its people.

Since that time, between July 16 and July 22, parish visits have taken place at St. Columbkille in Fort Myers, St. James and Santiago Mission in Lake Placid, Our Lady of Grace in Avon Park, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Osprey, St. Michael the Archangel in Sarasota, St. Joseph in Bradenton, St. Raphael in Englewood, St. William in Naples, Sacred Heart in Bradenton, St. Bernard in Holmes Beach and St. Mary, Star of the Sea in Longboat Key.

“I’m getting to know a little bit of the geography, the roads, the highways the churches, the people as the beginning of coming to know and love our diocese,” Bishop Emilio said.

During his visits to the parishes, Bishop Emilio has stressed that in addition to meeting those who were unable to attend his episcopal ordination on July 11, he prays the faithful of the diocese take this opportunity to renew their own commitment to the Lord. Visits have included Mass, receptions or talks by the bishop.

“At my ordination I was asked to respond to a series of questions and make promises to serve as bishop of the diocese, they were a commitment by me to serve as its shepherd,” Bishop Emilio said. “This is also an opportunity for everyone in the diocese to recommit themselves to their faith, their family, their parish and their diocese.”

Bishop Emilio explained how God works in so many different ways in our lives and that sometimes when we go to Mass on Sunday or for an event such as a baptism, wedding or funeral, “we think it means one thing, and it certainly does, but it means so much more.”

Using the example of attending the baptism of small child, Bishop Emilio said that the very act of participating, those who attend are following God’s will in their lives and when that happens so many unexpected things can occur.

“That is how the grace of God is working in our lives,” the bishop said. “Oftentimes when we go to a baptism of a child, we are just going accompanying the baptism, because they are family, or friends. In a similar way, attending or participating in the ordination to the episcopate (on July 11) is a very profound and simple opportunity to renew our commitment to the Lord.”

Bishop Emilio said that during the Promise of the Elect, the moment in the ordination when he answered a series of nine questions about faith, his commitment to preach the Gospel and his desire to follow Christ more closely through His passion, death and resurrection – were promises he made, but in a spiritual way those questions were also directed toward the entire diocese. (Note: this moment can be found at the 2:18:18 mark of the recorded video of the ordination at https://dioceseofvenice.org/livestream.)

“Each one of you, individually, and as a family, have the opportunity – the invitation – to consecrate yourselves again to the Lord,” Bishop Emilio said. “It’s a new time, a time to begin again, as if we are participating at the baptism of a child, sometimes the holy water splashes on us. Take the blessing of these first days of this new period to return to the church in a deeper way; to make a good confession and to take opportunity to consecrate yourself again to the Lord.”