Archbishop Eric Figueroa Reveals Diagnosis That Left Him Hospitalized

After Weeks Away, a Bishop Returns to Church With a Powerful Message of Gratitude, Recovery, and a Changed Perspective

The return was supposed to be a simple Wednesday night appearance, but it quickly became something much more personal.

After nearly three weeks away from his regular online ministry, the bishop appeared before his congregation again, openly discussing the health crisis that had forced him away. His voice and demeanor carried the unmistakable signs of someone still rebuilding his strength, but there was also relief in being back among familiar faces.

He explained that a recent bout of pancreatitis had become serious enough to require hospitalization, followed by time at home recovering and rehabilitating. What had initially seemed like something he had already overcome had returned when he pushed himself too hard.

That realization appeared to have changed his perspective.

He acknowledged that he could no longer do everything he once did and suggested that perhaps he should not be trying to. The physical limitations brought an uncomfortable but important lesson: recovery requires patience, and the body eventually demands attention regardless of how many responsibilities remain waiting.

For someone accustomed to church activities, conventions, convocations, and a demanding ministry schedule, the forced pause had been particularly difficult.

The bishop described being grateful simply to be outside his home, away from the hospital, and back at church. That statement transformed what might otherwise have been an ordinary livestream into something resembling a homecoming.

Throughout the broadcast, he repeatedly thanked the people who had prayed for him.

Names of friends, bishops, overseers, church members, and supporters appeared in his greetings. Their prayers, he said, had meant a great deal during the period when he was hospitalized and subsequently recovering at home.

His return was therefore not presented as a triumphant declaration that everything was immediately back to normal. Instead, it sounded more like the beginning of a gradual rebuilding process.

He was trying to get his strength back.

He was trying to regain his routine.

And he was trying to determine how much he could reasonably take on as upcoming ministry responsibilities approached.

One of the most revealing moments came when he discussed the importance of treating his health differently going forward.

He specifically mentioned Pepsi, explaining that he had decided to give it up because he did not want another pancreatic attack to send him back to the hospital. The declaration produced a lighter moment during an otherwise serious conversation.

A family member nearby reinforced the message, jokingly confirming that there would be no Pepsi.

The bishop then accepted a ginger ale instead.

The small exchange was surprisingly revealing. After spending weeks dealing with hospitalization and recovery, something as ordinary as a favorite soft drink had become part of a much larger decision to take his physical well-being more seriously.

Then the livestream became unexpectedly intimate.

The bishop’s son appeared at the church, apparently unaware that his father was already broadcasting online. Their brief conversation unfolded naturally, with questions about the family, a car, and whether everything was going well.

The son asked whether his father was online.

The answer was yes.

The moment produced laughter and warmth because the interaction was not polished for an audience. It was simply a family exchange that happened to occur while thousands of people were watching.

Even the conversation about the car carried a humorous undertone. The bishop compared the vehicle’s tendency to break down with his own physical condition, joking that he could also “break down” at any moment.

Behind the humor, however, remained the reality of his recovery.

He had spent more than two weeks dealing with the consequences of illness, and returning to church did not instantly restore the energy he had before. Moving around after hospitalization and recovering at home had taken a toll.

He openly admitted that he was still working to get his legs back under him.

That honesty gave his return a different character. Rather than presenting himself as completely restored, he appeared to recognize that recovery was still underway.

At the same time, his mind was already turning toward the future.

He spoke about wanting to gradually work himself back into his routine in case he was called upon for ministry responsibilities. Several upcoming events were already on his horizon, including conventions and convocations that would require his participation.

One particularly significant upcoming gathering involved his sister, Bishop Dolores Smalls, described as the presiding bishop of the St. Mark Holy Churches of America.

Her convocation was approaching the following week, and the bishop spoke about the event with obvious anticipation. The gathering was scheduled to take place at the historic St. Mark’s Church, adding another important milestone to his return.

The mention of family made the moment even more meaningful.

He also greeted David Wright, affectionately referring to him as his nephew. The connection carried emotional weight because David’s father had been one of the bishop’s closest friends.

Those greetings demonstrated how intertwined his ministry had become with personal relationships. His return was not simply about stepping back in front of a camera. It was about reconnecting with a community of people who knew him, prayed for him, loved him, and expected to see him again.

The most powerful element of the evening was therefore not a dramatic sermon or a major announcement.

It was the simple fact that he was there.

After weeks in which illness had separated him from the routine he knew, he was finally back in church, speaking with his congregation and expressing gratitude for another opportunity to participate in the work he valued.

His experience also appeared to have brought a new humility to his approach.

The bishop had spent years encouraging others, traveling, preaching, attending major gatherings, and fulfilling ministry responsibilities. But illness had forced him to stop.

Now, as he returned, he seemed determined not to confuse being back with being fully recovered.

He would move gradually.

He would pay greater attention to his health.

And he would allow his strength to return instead of demanding that his body immediately perform as it once had.

The evening ended with the unmistakable sense that his journey back was only beginning.

The hospital stay was behind him, but the lessons remained.

The prayers of his supporters had not been forgotten.

His family remained close.

His ministry calendar was filling again.

And the bishop, grateful simply to be present, was preparing to take the next steps carefully.

Sometimes a return to the pulpit is not about proving that nothing has changed.

Sometimes it is about recognizing that everything has.