Bishop Agustin Roman, May 5, 1928-April 11, 2012
Retired Auxiliary Bishop AGUSTIN A. ROMAN, has died at the age of 83. On Wed. April 11, 2012, he suffered cardiac arrest at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity he was pronounced dead at hospital a little while later. The Archdiocese of Miami made the announcement quoting Archbishop Wenski:
Archbishop Thomas Wenski stated, "The Archdiocese of Miami has lost a great evangelizer who tirelessly preached the Gospel to all. And the Cuban nation has lost a great patriot. Bishop Roman was the Felix Varela of our time."
Appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Miami in 1979, Bishop Román was the first Cuban to be appointed bishop in the U.S. He left Cuba in 1961 after being expelled by Fidel Castro's regime. Bishop Román came to Miami in 1966, where he founded the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity, Cuba's patroness. He oversaw its construction and remained active there even after retiring as its rector and as Miami auxiliary bishop, and up to the last days of his life.
An extensive biography of Bishop Román is available in English and Spanish - as well as a video. For up to the minute information, please visit www.miamiarch.org.
Bishop Román ministered in Chile for four years before coming to Miami in 1966, where he became identified, almost immediately, with the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity. His exhortations to fellow exiles to donate "kilos prietos" (tarnished pennies -- what little they could afford in those early days) over a seven-year period raised enough to pay for the construction of the Shrine on Biscayne Bay. Dedicated to Cuba's patroness, it has become a beacon for exiles from many nations, luring thousands of worshippers each year. After retirement, Bishop Román remained active at the Shrine, where he greeted visitors, taught catechesis, responded to letters from fellow Cuban exiles, answered the phone and heard confessions until the last day of his life.
(Edited from Archdiocese of Miami press release)
http://www.miamiarch.org/ip.asp?op=Agustin
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