ST. VINCENT DE PAUL REGIONAL SEMINARY OFFICE OF THE RECTOR 10701 South Military Trail ~ Boynton Beach, 33436-4899 Tel: 561.732.4424, ext. 170 www.svdp.edu

February 5, 2021 Memorial of St. Agatha

Dear SVDP Community, Board, and Friends,

The entire SVDP family joins today in honoring Felipe de Jesús Estévez on his 75th birthday. How appropriate that it coincides with the Feast of St. Agatha, patroness of the parish where he served as Pastor for 14 years! The name Agatha comes from the Greek word for good. We thank God today for this good priest and bishop who has given so much of his life for the good of the Church of Florida and for the success of our seminary

We thank God for Bishop Estévez’s 50 years of priestly ministry and for the great gift he has been to St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. He was first a faculty member and spiritual director from 1975–1977. After completing his doctoral studies in , he returned to serve as Rector from 1980–1987. After 14 years as Pastor of St. Agatha Parish in , he returned as Dean of Spiritual Formation from 2001 until his appointment as of Miami in 2003. In the last 10 years, as Bishop of St. Augustine and most recently as Chair of the Board of Trustees, Bishop Estévez has always shown tremendous love for all of us at SVDP and has constantly supported our mission,

Bishop Estévez’s relationship to SVDP is appropriately summed up in his episcopal motto: “In Finem Delexit Eos” (“He loved them to the end”). This reflects his commitment to SVDP — “He loved us to the end” as Rector, Pastor, and Shepherd, and he continues to love us! We thank Bishop Estevez for his unflinching support. We also pray that his vision of St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary may continue to be come to fruition!

As he celebrates his birthday and as he begins to prepare for retirement (many of us hope it will take the Holy Father a good while to accept it), let us all pray for Bishop Estévez. May Our Lady of La Leche intercede for him and shed her blessing upon her faithful son on this his 75th birthday!

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Very Rev. Alfredo I. Hernández, Ph.D., S.T.L. Rector/President