Miguel González

Miguel González was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where parish life shaped him from an early age. As a child, he played Mass in his bedroom with Ritz crackers and Hawaiian Punch, and neighborhood children served as the congregation. His family's deep involvement in the Cursillo movement, and later their move to Miami, grounded him in a faith that held steady across cultures and cities. After studying at St. John Vianney College Seminary and St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, he was ordained on May 23, 1998, at St. James Cathedral in Orlando. He now serves as Rector of that same cathedral, leading a diverse parish community while also serving as Vicar for Clergy for the Diocese of Orlando. A bilingual minister fluent in Spanish and English, much of his priesthood has been shaped by Hispanic ministry, Spanish-language media, and a consistent willingness to meet people where they are, whether at the pulpit, on the radio, or in the parking lot of a hotel during one of Orlando's darkest moments. Those who know him describe a priest who is approachable, steady, and deeply present, especially when people need him most.

Fr. Miguel González was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where parish life became part of his identity from an early age. As a child, he would play Mass in his bedroom using Ritz crackers as hosts and Hawaiian Punch as wine, while neighborhood children joined him as the congregation. When his mother worried the game might be inappropriate, their parish priest encouraged her to let him continue, believing it could be the beginning of a vocation. Years later, Father González would look back on those early experiences as part of what first shaped his love for the Mass and the priesthood. His family’s involvement in the Catholic movement Cursillo also played an important role in his formation. Through parish life, youth ministry, and service as an altar server and lector, the Church became a steady part of daily life for the González family. That connection became especially meaningful when they later moved from Puerto Rico to Miami. In a completely different environment, the Church remained the place that felt familiar and grounding to them. Father González has spoken openly about how that transition shaped him. While adapting to a new city and culture, he found continuity through the Catholic faith, describing how “church was church, and Mass was Mass.” That experience appears to have deeply influenced the way he later approached ministry within culturally diverse communities, particularly Hispanic and immigrant communities throughout Florida. Much of his priesthood has remained closely connected to Hispanic ministry. He has led Spanish-language media programs, served as spiritual director for the Spanish Cursillo movement, and ministered within multilingual parish communities for decades. His background as a Puerto Rican priest who personally experienced migration, cultural adjustment, and community through the Church continues to shape the way he relates to many of the people he serves today.

Fr. Miguel González has spent much of his priesthood helping people encounter the Catholic faith through communication. Over the years, that has taken many forms, preaching at the cathedral, leading Spanish-language ministries, hosting programs on Radio Paz and Buena Nueva FM, and helping lead the Diocese of Orlando’s Spanish TV Mass ministry. Whether speaking through radio, television, or from the pulpit, his approach has consistently centered on making the faith accessible and understandable to the people listening. That ability appears rooted not only in formal ministry but also in his own life experience. After graduating high school, he entered seminary formation at St. John Vianney College Seminary, though he later stepped away for a period to work in Spanish radio before eventually returning to continue his path toward the priesthood. Even then, communication remained part of his life. Years later, it would become one of the defining characteristics of his ministry. His communication style is marked by clarity, warmth, and an ability to connect spiritual ideas to everyday life. During interviews and public talks, including regular appearances on Orlando’s Morning News on WDBO, his tone remains direct and conversational, even when speaking about difficult or complex subjects. Whether discussing Holy Week, suffering, vocations, or the growing number of young people returning to the Church, he approaches communication in a way that feels pastoral and approachable. That same instinct became especially visible during the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016, when he was called to minister to grieving Hispanic families at a nearby hotel. In those moments, communication became less about public speaking and more about presence listening, praying, and helping people process grief during one of Orlando’s darkest moments. Across radio, parish life, diocesan ministry, and crisis response, communication has remained central to how Father González serves.

Fr. Miguel González has spent much of his priesthood accompanying people through some of the hardest moments of their lives. Over the years at St. James Cathedral in Orlando, many families have encountered him not only during celebrations and milestones but also during moments of loss, tragedy, and uncertainty. His ministry has gradually become associated with a kind of pastoral presence that feels steady, approachable, and emotionally grounded during difficult times. That became especially visible in the aftermath of the 2016 Pulse nightclub tragedy, when grief spread far beyond the families directly affected. As rector of the cathedral, Fr. González helped lead prayer services, memorial gatherings, and spaces where people could mourn together. But the role he stepped into was not simply organizational. For many people, he became someone they felt comfortable approaching during a deeply painful period, whether for prayer, conversation, or simply quiet presence. That same pastoral closeness has continued beyond one event. Throughout his ministry, he has regularly accompanied grieving families through funerals, memorial Masses, and personal loss. Rather than approaching grief from a distance, he tends to meet people within it, calmly, personally, and without drawing attention to himself. Over time, that consistency has shaped the way many people experience him as a priest: not only as a leader of a cathedral community, but as someone willing to remain present when people are carrying sorrow.