"What is the name of the girlfriend that Alberto Cutie said he would marry?"

''With God's help, I hope to continue priestly ministry and service in my new spiritual home,'' Cutié said in a statement.

It will take Cutié at least a year to become a priest. But Bishop Frade made Cutié a lay minister, meaning he can preach in Episcopal churches but not celebrate the Eucharist, the sharing of the body and blood of Christ. Cutie will give his first sermon as an Episcopalian 10 a.m. Sunday at the Church of The Resurrection in Biscayne Park.

CUTIE'S REPUTATION

Cutié will play a key role in revitalizing struggling Episcopal churches, Frade said.

''He has a successful history of rebuilding churches'' said Frade, alluding to Cutié's success at turning around several troubled Catholic parishes, including his most recent church, St. Francis de Sales in Miami Beach. John Villafuerte, a member of that church, reacted with shock to the news about Cutié but said he was still behind the priest.

''I wish him the best. I will definitely miss him. A lot of us will miss him,'' said Villafuerte, 41.

Frade publicly invited Cutié to join the Episcopal church after scandal embroiled ''Padre Alberto'' -- as he is known to millions of Spanish-speaking followers -- for breaking his vow of celibacy. Frade said at the time that Episcopalians would have no problem with a single clergy member having a date on the beach.

The more-liberal Episcopal church considers itself the ''middle way'' between Protestantism and

The bishop who welcomed Father Alberto Cutie into the Episcopalian Church is defending the celebrity, now-former Roman Catholic priest widely known as "Father Oprah" and "Padre Oprah."

Cutié, a handsome, charismatic TV talk show host, radio personality, newspaper columnist and author was caught in photos and on video kissing a woman. The Catholic church relieved him of his duties and took him off the air and, on Thursday, Cutie formally became an Episcopalian.

The photos almost single-handedly reignited the debate over the celibacy required of priests by the Catholic Church and that church's refusal to allow priests to marry. Episcopal clergy are allowed to marry.

Earlier this month, in an exclusive interview with Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez, Cutie revealed that a longtime friendship with the woman (Ruhama Buni Canellis) he was spotted with became romantic about two years ago, and added that they're in love.

Conceding he'd become "kind of a poster boy" for the debate over priests being celibate, Cutié said priestly celibacy is good, but should be optional. Overall, he said he's "deeply sorry" about all that had happened. "I don't want to be the anti-celibacy priest," Cutie said at the time. "I think that's unfortunate."

Source: CBSnews