The Rt. Rev. Dr. Leonardo "Leo" Falcón, Ph.D., D.D., was born and raised in Havana, Cuba where he entered the Order of Preachers (Dominicans) and began his religious education at the Seminary San Carlos y San Ambrosio. After some international assignments, Bishop Leo moved to the United States and was stationed first in Florida, and later in Texas.

After much discernment, then Brother Leo left the Roman Catholic Church and joined the Old Catholic (or Independent Sacramental Movement), through the American Catholic Church in the United States (ACCUS). He was ordained a priest in Tallahassee, FL., by the late Bishop Lawrence Harms, on September 11, 2004 and named pastor of St. Catherine of Siena, the community he founded and led for several years. In 2006 he was elevated to the rank of Monsignor and placed in charge of the Latin American communities of ACCUS.

In 2011, some organizational and leadership changes in ACCUS, led him to request incardination in our diocese under the leadership of our recently deceased founding Bishop Charles F. Braun, D.D.. His continued commitment to his priesthood and support for our ministries led to him to being elected Vicar of the Diocese in 2025 and was consecrated bishop by the Rt. Rev. Charles F. Braun, Most Rev. Gerald Miller, and Most Rev. Thomas J. Wieczorek on June 14, 2025 of that year in Washington DC.

Besides his religious education, Bishop Leo holds a B.A. in Anthropology, an M.A. in Latin American Studies, and a Ph.D. in History. He is an Assistant Professor of History and Latin American Studies at Nassau Community College, in NY. Bishop Leo resides in New York City with his husband, Mr. Oscar Atehortua and their dog, Muñeco.

Bishop Leo considers teaching and the work he does with students "the greatest gift and ministry God could give me." In addition to his priesthood duties and leading our diocese, he is actively engaged in several ministries in Colombia, South America.

Bishop Leo can be reached at falconop@yahoo.com

Meet our Presiding Bishop