“I Want to Finish the Construction of the Bishop Office”: Cuba’s Episcopal Church Plans for Its Next Leader

• Puerto Rico’s Bishop Rafael Morales Maldonado became provisional bishop of Cuba in June 2023
• He named finishing the bishop’s office and residence as a priority
• The Cuban church rejoined the Episcopal Church in 2020 after 60 years apart
• US partners were helping parishes facing food and fuel shortages

When Bishop Griselda Delgado del Carpio retired in March 2023 after leading the Episcopal Church of Cuba since 2010, the diocese turned to Puerto Rico’s Bishop Rafael Morales Maldonado, who became provisional bishop on 24 June 2023. Episcopal News Service reported in October 2023 on his priorities.

High on his list was property. “I want to finish the construction of the bishop office,” Morales said, explaining that he wanted to provide “the house and the offices” for the permanent bishop who would eventually succeed him. He also expected a new priest to be ordained by the end of the year and wanted deacons empowered to help priests run congregations. “We need all hands possible,” he said.

The Cuban church has a long history on the island, with an Anglican presence dating to 1871 and status as an Episcopal missionary district from 1901. It was separated from the US-based church for about 60 years after the revolution and reunited with the Episcopal Church in 2020, joining Province II alongside Puerto Rico.

Its parishes were operating under heavy economic pressure. Friends of the Episcopal Church of Cuba, a US-based nonprofit, and Episcopal Relief & Development were helping congregations cope with food and fuel shortages.

Finishing a bishop’s house and office before a new leader arrives may sound like housekeeping, but it is the sort of stewardship decision that shapes a church for decades. Many Jamaican denominations own manses, rectories and diocesan offices, some half-finished and some in need of repair. Having a secure, completed home and workplace for clergy makes it easier to attract and keep leaders, and protects the church’s property from the decay that sets in when buildings stand incomplete.

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