On Sept. 18, His Holiness Pope Francis appointed the Reverend Juan Miguel Betancourt Torres, SEMV, as Auxiliary Bishop of Hartford, Connecticut. Exactly one month later, the seminary’s Vice Rector of Formation was ordained at the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in his new diocese. In addition to his role as Vice Rector, Bishop Betancourt served on the faculty of The Saint Paul Seminary School of Divinity in various roles since 2008, including Associate Academic Dean and Assistant Professor of Sacred Scripture. He was also serving as Pastor of the Church of St. Francis de Sales in St. Paul when he received the call from the Papal Nuncio about his new appointment.
“I am honored and grateful to be entrusted with this mission of service in the Lord’s Church,” Bishop Betancourt said. “My prayers are for my seminary family, for my parish family, and for my new family in the Archdiocese of Hartford.”
Born in Ponce, Puerto Rico, in 1970, Bishop Betancourt received his undergraduate degree at the University of Puerto Rico and a Masters of Divinity degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico. Following his priestly ordination in 2001, he earned a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture (S.S.L.) from the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Fluent in English, Spanish and Italian, he has proficiency in other languages as well.
Bishop Betancourt has served on the Presbyteral Council of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, and as a board member of the National Conference for Seminarians in Hispanic Ministry. His professional experience also includes teaching at the University of St. Thomas, for the Institute for Diaconate Formation, and at the major seminary in Ponce.
Of Bishop Betancourt’s appointment, Bishop Andrew Cozzens, interim rector of The Saint Paul Seminary, said, “I have known Fr. Juan Miguel Betancourt for almost 15 years to be a man of deep prayer and a joyful servant. His love for the study of Sacred Scripture and his gifts for teaching will be a great blessing for his new episcopal ministry. He is a man who desires to be a servant in all he does, as is reflected in the name of his religious community the Servants of the Eucharist and Mary. We will miss the dedication, his wisdom in formation of men, and his joyful Puerto Rican spirit!”
