The Rev. Mario Castro
Priest Associate for Hispanic Ministry
The Rev. Mario Castro began with Church of the Redeemer as a part-time priest on November 13, 2011, and is now a full-time priest and the leader of the church’s Hispanic Mission, which, as of 2012, has the largest Hispanic congregation in the Diocese of Southwest Florida.
Fr. Mario was born in La Joya de Guerra, a small town near Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. In 1971, his father, Jose Wessin, died in Santo Domingo, and his mother, Ramona Castro, supported the family by cultivating and selling vegetables with the help of her six sons and two daughters. Four years later, in search of a better life for her family, Fr. Mario’s mother moved the family to the outskirts of a populous neighborhood called “Los Mina.”
In 1978, upon finishing his Baccalaureate studies, Fr. Mario began to study sociology at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. But within a few months, he discovered his true vocation: serving God. For the next ten years at Saint Vincent De Paul Seminary, Fr. Mario completed a four-year course in philosophy, trained as a novice for two years (specializing in church history), and completed his priestly training by studying theology for four years, earning a degree in Religious Sciences. From 1987-1991, Fr. Mario fulfilled various priestly responsibilities. In 1991, he married Doña Lilly Zaiter, and they settled in Tampa, Florida.
In 1994, Fr. Mario and his family began attending St. Francis Episcopal Church. They eventually became very involved in parish life and evangelizing in the community. Fr. Mario served on the church’s Vestry and held the position of Senior Warden. He was received into the Episcopal Church on Feb. 27, 2011.