Miami, Fla., Apr 13, 2012 / 08:37 am
Catholics worldwide are grieving the death of retired Bishop Agustin A. Román of Miami, considered the leader of the Cuban community in exile, who passed away on the evening of April 11 at the age of 83.
According to the Archdiocese of Miami, Bishop Román suffered a heart attack outside the local Shrine of Our Lady of Charity. He was taken to Mercy Hospital nearby and after various attempts to resuscitate him, he was pronounced dead at 8:45 p.m.
Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski said the U.S. Church “has lost a great evangelizer who tirelessly preached the Gospel to all” and that “the Cuban nation has lost a great patriot.”
Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) called his passing “not just a loss for the Catholic faithful in South Florida but for all in our community who have fled oppressive regimes or have sought refuge and comfort in the words and support of this gentle man.”