Bishop Francisco Gonzalez, S.F. was born on May 22, 1939 in Arcos de Jalon (Soria), Spain. One of five children, he entered the Seminario Misional de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 1951. He took his final vows in the Congregation of the Sons of the Holy Family in 1960. He then came to the United States to study theology at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, where he also received an M.A. in comparative international education in 1967. On May 1, 1964, he was ordained a priest for the Sons of the Holy Family by The Most Reverend John J. Russell in Richmond, VA. A priest for more than 40 years, Bishop Gonzalez has served as a teacher and chaplain in high schools and has held a number of parish assignments in the Archdiocese of Washington, New Mexico and Colorado. His community elected him on three occasions as a delegate to their General Chapters. He also has served as rector of Holy Family Seminary in Silver Spring, MD and was Vice Provincial Superior for the Sons of the Holy Family in the United States until December 28, 2001 when he was named a bishop by Pope John Paul II. He is the first member of the Sons of the Holy Family to be appointed a bishop. Bishop Gonzalez has served as the spiritual advisor to the Hispanic Charismatic Prayer Groups and the Cursillo Movement in the Archdiocese of Washington. From 1987-1989, he was the national chaplain for Cursillo. In 1992, he was named Coordinator of the Hispanic Family Life Office for the Archdiocese of Washington. He also has served as Interim Secretary for Parish Life and Worship and, since 1993, has written a weekly award-winning column for El Pregonero newspaper. Since 1997, when Cardinal James A. Hickey, then-Archbishop of Washington, appointed him Episcopal Vicar for Hispanic Catholics, Bishop Gonzalez has served as the primary liaison between the Archbishop of Washington and the region´s large Hispanic community. Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick re-appointed him to the position in 2001. Bishop Gonzalez recently coordinated the preparation of the Hispanic Pastoral Plan for the Archdiocese of Washington. This plan provides a vision for the Hispanic community and address pastoral, social and educational needs throughout the Archdiocese. He was ordained as a bishop in Washington, DC on February 11, 2002. Bishop Gonzalez has a brother and sister who are in religious life in Spain.