Archbishop of Santiago de los Caballeros
Héctor Rafael Rodríguez Rodríguez, M.S.C., was born on January 13, 1961, in Sánchez, in the Diocese of San Francisco de Macorís. In 1976, he entered the Vocational Center of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. He made his solemn profession in 1984 and was ordained a priest in 1989. He obtained a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He held the following positions: Parochial Vicar (1991–1992); Director of the Aspirancy at his religious congregation's Vocational Center (1992–1994); Director of the Post-Novitiate (1994–2000); Novice Master (2001–2006); Provincial Superior (2006–2012); member of the Governing Board of the Dominican Conference of Religious; and First Councilor of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Rome (2012–2015). On February 23, 2015, he was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of La Vega and received episcopal ordination on May 9 of that year. In 2017, he was elected Vice President of the Dominican Episcopal Conference, becoming its President in 2023. Héctor Rafael Rodríguez Rodríguez, M.S.C., was born on January 13, 1961, in Sánchez, in the Diocese of San Francisco de Macorís. In 1976, he entered the Vocational Center of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. He made his solemn profession in 1984 and was ordained a priest in 1989. Sent to Rome for his studies, he obtained a Licentiate in Spiritual Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University (1989–1991). Upon returning to his home country, he exercised his ministry as a parochial vicar (1991–1992). Within his religious congregation, he served as Director of the Aspirancy at the Vocational Center (1992–1994) and Director of the Post-Novitiate (1994–2000). After completing a six-month course for formators, he was appointed Novice Master (2001–2006) and subsequently Provincial (2006–2012); during his tenure as Provincial, he also served as a member of the governing body of the Dominican Conference of Religious. Since 2012, he has served as First Councilor of the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.