The Diocese of Southwest Florida is deeply saddened to inform you of the death of the Right Reverend Telésforo Alexander Isaac, retired Bishop of the Diocese of the Dominican Republic and Assisting Bishop to the Diocese of Southwest Florida (1991 to 1996). Bishop Issac was 96.
“A man full of wisdom and grace, Bishop Isaac faithfully served the church for almost seven decades,” shared The Right Reverend Douglas F. Scharf. “He will always have a special place in my heart as the bishop who confirmed me and continued to support me throughout my ministry. I am grateful to have known him and to be inspired by his deep and abiding faith.”
Bishop Issac was born on January 5, 1929, in San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic. He studied at the Episcopal Theological Seminary of Haiti, the Caribbean Seminary in Puerto Rico, the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD), and the Pontifical University of Salamanca, Spain.
He was ordained a deacon in June 1958 and a priest in December of the same year. He served as a priest for 33 years and 19 years as Bishop of the Diocese of the Dominican Episcopal Church. He was the Assisting Bishop of the Diocese of Southwest Florida from 1991 to 1996, during which time he confirmed Bishop Douglas Scharf.
He was Interim Bishop twice in the Virgin Islands (1996 and 2003) and also served as Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Province of the Caribbean in Formation (of the dioceses of Cuba, Puerto Rico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic).
During his ministry, Bishop Issac instituted two schools, the San Gabriel in the Ingenio Consuelo and the Jesús Nazareno in San Francisco de Maoris. He also established the Centro de Estudios Teológicos (Center for Theological Studies) in Santo. He is also the author of Consejería Pastoral Noutética, an anthology of articles in Spanish on spiritual counseling, and on December 12, 2024, he was recognized by the Roundtable for Dialogue and Christian Representation for “a privileged and faithful pen, whose legacy in the themes of faith has illuminated generations. His writing, deeply rooted in truth, remains a beacon of inspiration and wisdom.”
Please join us in praying for Bishop Issac’s family and also for the congregations and dioceses where Bishop Issac exercised his ministry, and for all who are grieving.
O God, whose mercies cannot be numbered: Accept our prayers on behalf of your servant Telesforo, and grant him an entrance into the land of light and joy, in the fellowship of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Information regarding Bishop Issac’s Requiem Eucharist will be forthcoming.
Photographed above, Bishop Issac attends the Consecration of Bishop Douglas Scharf on September 24, 2024.