[Diocese of Central Florida] The Rt. Rev. Justin S. Holcomb, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, recently appointed the Rt. Rev. María Griselda Delgado del Carpio, retired bishop of Cuba, as assisting bishop for Latino Ministries. She was the first woman to serve as a diocesan bishop in Cuba and in Latin America, and she was one of the co-consecrating bishops in Holcomb’s June 10, 2023, consecration.
After leading the Diocese of Cuba for more than 12 years, Delgado retired in 2023 and now lives in Fort Myers, Florida. This year, she also has begun serving as assisting bishop in residence alongside the Rt. Rev. Douglas Scharf in the Episcopal Diocese of Southwest Florida, where she is working to unify and expand Hispanic ministry efforts amid growing challenges for immigrant communities.
“This is the first time the diocese has had an assisting bishop dedicated specifically to the Hispanic community,” Delgado said of her role in Southwest Florida. “It creates a new opportunity to provide pastoral support and strengthen the Episcopal presence among Latinos.” As assisting bishop in residence, she will oversee pastoral visits, Spanish-language confirmations and leadership development programs for Latino clergy and laity, carrying out similar functions in Central Florida, where she will be available for five visitations per year and also serve the Latino Ministries Commission with regard to ministry and leadership development.
“The new presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Sean W. Rowe, is reorienting the churchwide structure to support dioceses and congregations on the ground where ministry happens, and that’s exactly what’s happening with the Diocese of Southwest Florida and me,” Holcomb said. “Bishop Doug Scharf and I have been exploring what it would look like for Bishop Griselda to have shared episcopal ministry in two dioceses – Southwest Florida, where she lives, and Central Florida, where she has good relationships and connections. We’re both heartened by the ministry opportunities Bishop Griselda will provide for our dioceses, and we’re thankful for the vision of our presiding bishop.”
Delgado emphasized the importance of providing faith spaces for Latino immigrants. “Even if they live in a different country and speak a different language, Latinos need a place where they can nurture their faith in their native tongue,” she said.
More information about Delgado’s work in Central Florida is available in English and Spanish.