Francisco Ozoria Acosta is a Dominican prelate of the Catholic Church who has served as the Archbishop of Santo Domingo since 2016 and as Military Ordinary of the Dominican Republic since 2017. Born in the small town of Nagua on the country’s north-eastern coast, he rose through decades of parish and seminary work to lead the largest archdiocese in the Caribbean, shepherding a Catholic community of around five million people. His appointment by Pope Francis in 2016 surprised many observers, moving him from a diocese of half a million to one ten times larger, yet his reputation as a pastor, teacher and builder of priestly vocations had been quietly growing for years.
This Francisco Ozoria Acosta biography brings together the verified facts about his age, early life and education, priestly and episcopal career, and his role in the Church today, along with the questions readers ask most. From his ordination in 1978 to his consecration as a bishop in 1997 and his installation in Santo Domingo in 2016, his story is one of steady service, deep roots in Dominican parish life, and a commitment to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.
Francisco Ozoria Acosta Wiki and Biography
| Full Name | Francisco Ozoria Acosta |
| Date of Birth | 10 October 1951 |
| Age (as of October 2026) | 75 years old |
| Birthplace | Nagua, Dominican Republic |
| Nationality | Dominican |
| Ethnicity | Hispanic Caribbean |
| Zodiac Sign | Libra |
| Profession | Catholic Archbishop, Military Ordinary |
| Years Active | 1978–present |
| Relationship Status | Celibate clergy (Catholic priest, unmarried by vocation) |
Francisco Ozoria Acosta Height, Weight and Body Stats
| Height | Not publicly disclosed |
| Weight | Not publicly disclosed |
| Body Measurements | Not publicly disclosed |
| Eye Color | Not publicly disclosed |
| Hair Color | Grey (in later years) |
| Shoe Size | Not publicly disclosed |
| Distinctive Features | Episcopal vestments, pectoral cross, episcopal motto “Dios proveerá” (God will provide) |
As a senior churchman, Ozoria Acosta’s public profile rests on his ministry rather than his physical appearance, and no credible source publishes verified height or weight figures for him. His episcopal coat of arms carries his motto, “Dios proveerá” — God will provide — a phrase that has become closely associated with his pastoral style.
Francisco Ozoria Acosta Career
| Profession | Catholic priest, bishop, archbishop |
| Ordained Priest | 2 September 1978 |
| Consecrated Bishop | 15 March 1997 |
| Bishop of San Pedro de Macorís | 1997–2016 |
| Archbishop of Santo Domingo | 2016–present (appointed 4 July 2016, installed 10 September 2016) |
| Military Ordinary | 2017–present |
| Known For | Leading the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo; developing priestly vocations; commissions on the laity, youth and migrants |
| Education | Pontifical Seminary Saint Thomas Aquinas; Pontifical Lateran University (licentiate in pastoral theology, 1988) |
Early Life and Education
Francisco Ozoria Acosta was born on 10 October 1951 in Nagua, in the María Trinidad Sánchez province of the Dominican Republic. His basic education took place at Escuela Primaria de Payita and at Mercedes Bello in Nagua, and his secondary education at the Seminario Menor San Pío X in Licey al Medio, Santiago de los Caballeros, which he entered on 30 September 1967. He went on to study philosophy at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in Santiago de los Caballeros and theology at the Pontifical Seminary Saint Thomas Aquinas in Santo Domingo.
On 2 September 1978, he was ordained a priest and assigned to pastoral work in San Francisco de Macorís. His early postings included diocesan director for priestly vocations, vice-rector and director of spiritual formation at Seminario Menor Santo Cura de Ars in La Vega (1978–1981), pastor of María Madre de la Iglesia in San Francisco de Macorís (1981–1988), and Pastoral Vicar. He also served as pastor of San José de La Bomba de Cenoví, San Juan Bautista de Pimentel, and the Cathedral Santa Ana. In 1988 he earned his licentiate in pastoral theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome, and from 1990 he taught pastoral theology and oversaw spiritual formation at the Pontifical Seminary Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 1992 he was named pastor of the parishes of Santísima Trinidad and San Francisco de Asís in the El Factor neighbourhood of Nagua and of Santiago Apóstol de Arroyo.
Bishop of San Pedro de Macorís
On 1 February 1997, at the creation of the Diocese of San Pedro de Macorís, Pope John Paul II named Ozoria Acosta its first bishop. He received his episcopal consecration on 15 March 1997 from Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez, Archbishop of Santo Domingo. As bishop he built a strong reputation for developing vocations for the priesthood, a theme that would run through his whole ministry. In 2006, in an action that attracted press attention and political controversy, he ordered Christopher Hartley, a New York priest whose activism among Haitian immigrants he had long defended, to leave the diocese, reportedly because Hartley had attempted to interfere in the process of episcopal appointments.
Archbishop of Santo Domingo
On 4 July 2016, Pope Francis named Ozoria Acosta Archbishop of Santo Domingo, succeeding Cardinal López Rodríguez, who had also consecrated him nearly twenty years earlier. His appointment was unexpected, moving him from a diocese of around half a million people to an archdiocese of some five million, and he was described at the time as “barely known to the media”. He described himself as a “passionate follower of the Second Vatican Council, above all of the ecclesiology of communion that underpins our national pastoral program”. He was installed in Santo Domingo on 10 September 2016, in a ceremony attended by President Danilo Medina and the First Lady. On 2 January 2017, Pope Francis also named him Military Ordinary of the Dominican Republic, and he received the pallium that represents his status as a metropolitan archbishop from Francis on 30 June 2017.
Within the Dominican Episcopal Conference, Ozoria Acosta served from 2008 to 2014 as president of the commissions on international Eucharistic Congresses, on the pastoral care of migrants, and on the Haitian pastorate. Since 2014 he has headed the commissions on the laity and on youth. He is also the Grand Prior of the Dominican Republic Magistral Delegation of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, established in 2024.
Francisco Ozoria Acosta Net Worth
| Estimated Net Worth | Not publicly disclosed (estimated modest clerical income only) |
| Income Sources | Church stipend and allowances as Archbishop and Military Ordinary; no commercial income |
Ozoria Acosta has never publicly disclosed his finances, and no credible source publishes a verified net worth figure for him. As a Catholic archbishop, his income comes from church stipends and allowances rather than commercial activity, and any specific net worth number circulating online for him should be treated as speculation rather than fact.
10 Interesting Facts About Francisco Ozoria Acosta
- Francisco Ozoria Acosta was born on 10 October 1951 in Nagua, Dominican Republic.
- He entered the minor seminary at Licey al Medio on 30 September 1967, at the age of fifteen.
- He was ordained a priest on 2 September 1978 and began pastoral work in San Francisco de Macorís.
- He earned a licentiate in pastoral theology at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome in 1988.
- He became the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of San Pedro de Macorís in 1997.
- He was consecrated a bishop by Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez, the same man he would later succeed in Santo Domingo.
- Pope Francis appointed him Archbishop of Santo Domingo on 4 July 2016, and he was installed on 10 September 2016.
- He has also served as Military Ordinary of the Dominican Republic since January 2017.
- His episcopal motto is “Dios proveerá”, meaning “God will provide”.
- He describes himself as a passionate follower of the Second Vatican Council and its ecclesiology of communion.
Conclusion
Francisco Ozoria Acosta’s journey from a schoolboy in Nagua to the Archbishop of Santo Domingo spans nearly five decades of priestly service. Through parish ministry, seminary teaching, two decades as a bishop, and now a decade leading the Dominican Republic’s principal archdiocese, he has remained defined by the same priorities: forming priests, serving migrants and young people, and building a Church of communion. At 75, he continues to lead one of the largest Catholic communities in the Caribbean.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Francisco Ozoria Acosta?
Francisco Ozoria Acosta is a Dominican Catholic prelate who has been Archbishop of Santo Domingo since 2016 and Military Ordinary of the Dominican Republic since 2017.
How old is Francisco Ozoria Acosta?
He was born on 10 October 1951, making him 75 years old as of October 2026.
Where was Francisco Ozoria Acosta born?
He was born in Nagua, Dominican Republic.
When did Francisco Ozoria Acosta become Archbishop of Santo Domingo?
Pope Francis appointed him on 4 July 2016, and he was installed on 10 September 2016.
What was his previous post?
He was Bishop of San Pedro de Macorís from 1997 to 2016, the diocese’s first bishop.
When was Francisco Ozoria Acosta ordained?
He was ordained a priest on 2 September 1978 and consecrated a bishop on 15 March 1997.
What is his motto?
His episcopal motto is “Dios proveerá”, meaning “God will provide”.
Is Francisco Ozoria Acosta married?
No. As a Catholic priest and bishop he lives a celibate life, as required of Latin Church clergy.
What is Francisco Ozoria Acosta’s net worth?
His net worth has not been publicly disclosed. His income comes from church stipends as Archbishop and Military Ordinary.
What other roles does he hold?
He heads the Dominican Episcopal Conference commissions on the laity and on youth, and is Grand Prior of the Dominican Republic delegation of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.
Last Updated: October 2026 | Fact-checked by the Xposed editorial team