Staff

 

 

 

The Reverend Richard J. Aguilar
4934 Lakeway Drive
Brownsville, Texas 78520
Church: (956) 542-4123
E-mail: raguilar104@sbcglobal.net

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."
Psalm 118:24

Richard was born in San Antonio, Texas on November 2 1956. He was reared in the west side barrio of this city. Richard is one of eight children of Fela and Raphael Aguilar. He attended Father Antonio Margil Elementary and Fidel Tafolla Junior High School. Richard came ti the Episcopal Church when he was in the 9th grade and a friend, Richard Ramos invited him to a youth gathering. Since that time over forty family members have been baptized, confirmed, and married in the Episcopal Church. A nephew, James Murguia is rector of Saint David's in San Antonio.   

 

In 1975 Richard graduated from TMI, the Episcopal School of Texas.
At TMI he was Student Council President, Battalion Staff Officer
in the Corp of Cadets, National Honor Society and varsity football
player. He received a B>A> from the University of the South in
Sewanee, Tennessee. Richard was a double-major in Economics
and Spanish Literature and member of the order of Gownsmen, the
campus scholastic honor society. After working at Frost Bank in
San Antonio for four years he discerned a call to the ordained
ministry. In 1986 Richard graduated from the Episcopal Theological
Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. He has served Episcopal
parishes in Eagle Pass, Brownsville, San Antonio, and Seguin in the
Diocese of West Texas. Also, Richard was Latino Missioner for
the Diocese of Southern Ohio and lived in Columbus, Ohio. He has
been Rector of Church of the Advent and the Episcopal Day School
in Brownsville, Texas since February 2004. Richard has served the
Diocese of West Texas on several commissions including Long
Range Planning on Spirituality, Executive Board, Congressional
Development, Commission on Ministry, Hispanic Commission,
Central American Refugee Resettlement Ministry, and World
Mission. He has served on the Boards of TMI, the Episcopal
School of Texas and Morningside Ministries. Richard is currently
a trustee of the Episcopal Seminary in Austin and on the Board of
the Good Samaritan Community Services. He has been a trainer
in Sewanee's theological education program, Education for
Ministry. In 1994, 1997, 2000, and 2003 Richard was elected
deputy to the General Convention. Also, he has served the Episcopal Church-USA on the Executive Council's Commission on Racism,
Joint Standing Committee on Nominations for Church Bodies,
Joint Standing Committee to elect the Presiding Bishop, and the
Standing Commission of Stewardship and development. At this
time Richard also serves on the Standing Commission on National
Concerns, the board of Forward Movement Publications and
Council of Advise for the Latino/Hispanic missioner of the Episcopal
Church.

Richard was married to Janet Figueroa on December 22, 1984 at
Santa Fe Episcopal Church in San Antonio. Janet is originally from
Managua, Nicaragua. She has an uncle who is an Episcopal priest
who after years of ministry in Central America serves a parish in the
Diocese of Massachusetts. Janet has talents in culinary skills of
several international cuisines. Also, she is a quilter and cross-stitcher.
Janet and Richard have one daughter named MICHELLE, who is
15 years old and in tenth grade at Saint Joseph Academy. As a
family, they like to spend time together in sports, traveling, and
exploring. Their home is decorated with a collection of folk art from
Texas, Mexico, and Central America. Richard's hobbies include
reading, baseball, San Antonio Spurs basketball team, movies,
walking, and trying to keep up with energy of Janet and
MICHELLE. Also, is an avid reader of Latino/Hispanic history and
culture. Richard's personal mission is "life-long learning in Christ."
 

 

 

 

The Reverend Leonardo Cespedes, D.D.
Assistant Rector

Father Leonardo Cespedes was born in Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico and subsequently lived and began his education in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico. He then moved to Guadalajara, where he attended St. Andrews school for boys, an Episcopal institution, for five years. There he received the foundation which would eventually lead to his theological education.

He was granted a scholarship to Church Divinity School of the Pacific in Berkeley, California, and was ordained a Deacon at the chapel of the seminary in 1946 by Rt. Rev. Karl Morgan Black, Bishop of California.
In 1947, he was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Cathedral in Mexico City by the Rt. Rev> Efrain Salinas Velasco, Bishop of Mexico. On April 17, 1955, Father Cespedes married Romy Pizana, who has been his faithful companion, sharing the joys and pains of a ministry of serving the Lord. They were blessed with a son, who is now a medical doctor in Matamoros, and two grandchildren.

Father Cespedes was deputy to six General Conventions of the Episcopal Church. Also, he was a member of the Executive Council of the Episcopal Church, representing the Ninth Province from 1976-1979.
In 1986, he retired as priest in charge of La Ascension in Matamoros. At the invitation of the Rev. James E. Folts (now retired bishop of the Diocese of West Texas), Father Cespedes joined the staff of Church of the Advent in Brownsville to assist in this parish and serve the Hispanic community. Leonardo and Tomy remain here today, by the grace of God.
 

Family and Youth Minister

Mark Rentfro, son of Anne and Daniel Rentfro, Jr. was born in Brownsville on December 31, 1985. He attended Episcopal Day School and St. Joseph’s Academy, lettering in track, cross country, basketball, baseball, was a peer mentor, a Christian Life Community leader, and a member of the National Honor Society. A life-long active member of the Church of the Advent, Mark attended the diocesan Camp Capers, was an acolyte, and regularly attended Sunday school and youth group functions. During the summer of 2005, he was a counselor at Camp Capers. In 2006, Mark spent a semester at the University of London, Queen Mary College. During the summer of 2007 and 2008, he was on staff at Camp Capers as Lead Counselor. During his senior year at Trinity University in San Antonio, Mark volunteered at St. David’s Episcopal Church as a leader for their junior high youth group. Mark received his B.A. degree in English from Trinity University in May 2008, where he was member of the varsity baseball team and Sports Editor of the campus newspaper. He joined the staff at Church of the Advent on September 1, 2008 as the Family and Youth Minister.

 

 

 


Parish Musician

Vickey Conner
Parish Secretary

Jack Fullerton
Sexton

Imelda Gunnoe
 Nursery Coordinator