Overview
- The Vatican named Capuchin Fr. Emilio Biosca Agüero to lead the Diocese of Venice in southwest Florida, succeeding Bishop Frank Dewane after nearly 20 years, with installation set for July 11 at Epiphany Cathedral.
- Biosca has pastored Washington’s Shrine of the Sacred Heart since 2019, where AP counted more than 40 parishioners detained or deported and NBC reported a roughly 20% drop in Mass attendance due to fear of raids.
- The Venice diocese spans Naples, Fort Myers, and Sarasota, serves about 240,000 Catholics, and sits in a Republican stronghold with a fast‑growing Hispanic population.
- His appointment continues recent moves placing leaders with migrant ties in high‑profile posts, including Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez in Palm Beach and Evelio Menjivar‑Ayala in West Virginia.
- At his introduction, the 61‑year‑old missionary priest said he will begin by listening and visiting parishes, drawing on years in Papua New Guinea and Cuba as the diocese seeks more multilingual clergy.