Province of Galveston-houston
Pope John Paul II created the Province of Galveston-Houston
in 2004. The Province consists of the
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and six dioceses in eastern Texas
Map of the Province
Catholic History of Texas
Spanish and French explorers, usually accompanied by
Catholic missionaries, visited the area that is now Texas
in the early 16th Century, but European colonization did not begin
until 1682, when Spanish Franciscan missionaries built a mission near what is
now El Paso San Antonio , and in the area between Victoria
and Corpus Christi Nacogdoches Alamo .
There were few settlers of European
descent in Texas Texas
became part of newly-independent Mexico
and in that same year, a few hundred Americans settled in Texas Texas Mexico in 1836 and became the Republic of Texas Texas
joined the Union and became the 28th
State.
Most of the Texans of Spanish and
Mexican descent were Catholic, as were some who settled in Texas in the 1830s
and 1840s. Irish Catholics settled near
Refugio around 1830 and German Catholics in the Texas Hill Country in the
1840s. Father John Timon, a Vincentian
priest, was appointed by Pope Gregory XVI to be the Prefect Apostolic of Texas
in 1840, and was given jurisdiction over the Church in Texas Missouri
and asked Father Jean-Marie Odin, also a Vincentian, to be his deputy in Texas Texas Texas Galveston , with a population of just over 4,000, was Texas Texas El Paso
Central Texas has some of the oldest Catholic settlements in
Texas San Antonio —then
Texas ’ largest city—was raised to an Archdiocese
in 1926 and its Province included all of Texas
The Diocese of Dallas covered all of northern Texas (and
most of west Texas) when it was established 1890, but there were few Catholics
in northern Texas until around that time.
The Diocese was called Dallas-Fort Worth from 1953 until 1969, when a
separate Diocese of Fort Worth was created.
The Diocese of Tyler was established in 1986.
West Texas, with the exception of El
Paso , is the least Catholic part of Texas El Paso
dating to the 17th Century, but the first parishes did not open in El Paso
At the beginning of the 21st Century, Texas (the
Province of San Antonio) had 15 dioceses—the most of any state. Pope John Paul II split the state into two
provinces in 2004 by raising Galveston-Houston to an Archdiocese. The new Province of Galveston-Houston
included the Archdiocese and the Dioceses of Austin, Beaumont ,
Brownsville , Corpus Christi ,
Tyler , and Victoria Province of San Antonio to the Archdiocese of San Antonio and the
Dioceses of Amarillo, Dallas , El
Paso , Fort Worth , Laredo ,
Lubbock , and San Angelo
Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston consists of 10 counties
in southeastern Texas. The archdiocese has 1.7 million Catholics (26 percent of
the total population) in 147 parishes.
Bishops of Galveston
John M. Odin, C.M. (1800-1870), Vice Prefect Apostolic of
Texas (1840-1842), Vicar Apostolic of Texas (1842-1847), and first Bishop of
Galveston (1847-1861).
- Born in France and ordained a Vincentian priest in 1823.
- Also served as Archbishop of New Orleans (1861-1870).
The newly established Diocese of Galveston included all of
Texas and parts of what are now five other states. There were about 20,000 Catholics in the
Diocese, including about 12,000 in Texas Canada and Europe to procure resources and religious personnel for
the Diocese. As bishop, he was able to
increase the number of churches from about 10 to 50 and was able to bring in
priests and nuns to administer churches and schools. Odin was named Archbishop of New Orleans in 1861.
Claude M. Dubuis (1817-1895), Bishop of Galveston
(1862-1892).
- Born in France and ordained a priest in France in 1844.
Bishop Dubuis was recruited by
Bishop Odin to work in Texas. After
arriving in 1847, Dubuis served several churches north of San Antonio (and was
captured four times by hostile Comanches) before being assigned to parishes in
San Antonio and Galveston. As Bishop, he
was able to bring several religious orders to Texas France
Nicholas A. Gallagher (1846-1918), Bishop of Galveston
(1892-1918).
·
Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Columbus, Ohio, in 1868.
·
Also served as coadjutor bishop of Galveston
(1882-1892).
After Bishop Dubuis left for France, Pope Leo XIII put
Nicholas Gallagher in charge of the Diocese in 1882, although he did not become
Bishop of Galveston until Bishop Dubuis retired in 1892. Gallagher was Galveston’s first bishop born
in the United States and the first priest ordained for the Diocese of Columbus,
Ohio, his home diocese. As Bishop,
Gallagher established a ministry for African-Americans, which included the
first Catholic school for African-Americans in Texas
(in Galveston ), four parishes for
African-Americans, and a trade school in Independence
Christopher E. Byrne (1867-1950), Bishop of Galveston
(1918-1950).
·
Born in Missouri and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese
of St. Louis in 1891.
The population of the Diocese more than tripled during
Bishop Byrne’s time as bishop and he built more than 50 schools and many new
churches to keep up with the growth, which occurred mostly in Houston. He also ordained dozens of priests, one-third
of whom were Texans. He supported a
Knights of Columbus effort to write a history of the Church in Texas and he
helped establish the Catholic Archives of Texas. Byrne expanded ministries for Mexican-Americans
and African-Americans in the Diocese. He was noted for his public-speaking abilities. Bishop Byrne died in 1950.
Bishops of
Galveston-Houston
Wendelin J. Nold (1900-1981), Bishop of Galveston
(1950-1959) and first Bishop of Galveston-Houston (1959-1975).
- Born in Bonham, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas in 1925.
- Also served as coadjutor bishop of Galveston (1948-1950).
Bishop Nold, the first Texas native to become Bishop of
Galveston, built about 60 new churches and several schools, including four new
high schools, and also built a new St. Mary’s Seminary. He also racially integrated Catholic schools
in 1961. Pope John XXIII approved the
renaming of the Diocese to that of Galveston-Houston in 1959, and in 1963, Nold
moved himself and the Diocesan administrative offices to Houston. Bishop Nold became progressively blind and
gave up administration of the Diocese in 1963, but remained Bishop until 1975.
John L. Morkovsky (1909-1990), Bishop of
Galveston-Houston (1975-1984).
·
Born in Praha, Texas and ordained a priest for
the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1933.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Amarillo
(1956-1958), Bishop of Amarillo (1958-1963), and coadjutor bishop and apostolic
administrator of Galveston-Houston (1963-1975).
Morkovsky was named coadjutor bishop and apostolic
administrator of Galveston-Houston in 1963 and became the second Bishop of
Galveston-Houston in 1975. While leading
the Diocese, Morkovsky implemented the changes brought about by the Second
Vatican Council and provided Diocesan Services to keep pace with population
growth. He also started a Diocesan
newspaper and had the Diocese take charge of a mission
in Guatemala. He expanded ministries for
Mexican-Americans, African-Americans, and Vietnamese-Americans. The Diocese was reduced in size while
Morkovsky served as Bishop with the creation of the Dioceses of Beaumont and
Victoria. He retired in 1984.
Archbishops of Galveston-Houston
Joseph A. Fiorenza (1931- ), Bishop of Galveston-Houston (1984-2004)
and first Archbishop of Galveston-Houston (2004-2006).
·
Born in Beaumont and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1954.
·
Also served as Bishop of San Angelo, Texas
(1979-1984).
Fiorenza was the first native of the Diocese to become its
Bishop. Archbishop Fiorenza advocated
for social justice and stronger ecumenical relationships. He also began construction of the new
Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. Bishop
Fiorenza served as president of what is now the U.S. Conference of Catholic
Bishops from 1998 to 2001. Pope John
Paul II created the Province of Galveston-Houston in 2004, which made Fiorenza
the first Archbishop of Galveston-Houston.
He retired in 2006.
Current Archbishop
Daniel N. DiNardo was appointed coadjutor Archbishop of
Galveston-Houston by Pope John Paul II in 2004 and became Archbishop in 2006. He was born in Ohio Sioux
City , Iowa
The Cathedrals
St. Mary’s Cathedral
Basilica
2011 Church St.
2011 Church St.
The Cathedral is dedicated to the Blessed Mother as the
Immaculate Conception and as Patroness of Galveston, Star of the Sea. Many Christians believe that humans are born
into sin—known as original sin. This sin
is erased through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Mary, through the
grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate
Conception. She was given the honor
because of her role as the Mother of God.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8. Star of the Sea is an ancient title for our
Blessed Mother.
O Blessed Virgin Mary, glory of the Christian people, joy of
the universal Church and Mother of Our Lord, speak for us to the Heart of
Jesus, who is your Son and our brother. O Mary, who by your holy Immaculate
Conception did enter the world free from stain, in your mercy obtain for us
from Jesus the special favor which we now so earnestly seek... (State your
intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ,
you had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same
influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of
my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
John Odin, not yet a bishop, began construction of a small
frame church in Galveston Belgium allowed Odin to build the current
Cathedral, Texas
Although the Cathedral survived the infamous 1900 hurricane,
it was severely damaged by a hurricane in 2008 and only recently reopened. In 2009, all the parishes in Galveston were
combined to form Holy Family parish. The
new parish serves 2,300 families with 11 weekend masses, including two in
Spanish, which are celebrated at six different churches. One of the English masses is celebrated at
the Cathedral. The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic
Places. Pope John Paul II made the
Cathedral a minor basilica in 1979. Basilica
is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s
antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of
worship.
The Cathedral-Basilica
is made of gray plaster over those half-a-million bricks. It was designed in Gothic Revival style by
Charles Bryant and is modeled on King’s College Chapel in Cambridge,
England. The church is in the form of a
cross 130 feet long and 75 feet wide. It
has three 80-foot high spires and seats more than 400. The rear bell tower is topped with a 15-foot
cast-iron statue of Mary, Star of the Sea.
The lighted crown used to be used by mariners to make their way into
port.
The top picture is from the parish website and the bottom picture is from Wikipedia.
The interior is very
open due to wooden columns and a truss system.
The sanctuary floor is made of mosaic tiling and the main altar and two side
altars, as well as the communion rail, are made of marble. The stained-glass windows were made in
Germany and the pipe organ has 3,000 pipes with four manuals, an echo organ,
and a full set of twenty-five chimes. A
round stained-glass window of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is behind the
altar. The Cathedral-Basilica also
features a life-sized statue of the Crucified Savior and a large Pietá statue. Outside is an obelisk topped with a cross
commemorating the victims of a yellow fever epidemic in 1853.
Additional
information can be found on the parish website at holyfamilygb.org and on the
Archdiocesan website at archgh.org.
Sacred Heart
Co-Cathedral
1111 St. Joseph Parkway
Houston , Texas 77002
1111 St. Joseph Parkway
O my Jesus, you have said: "Truly I say to you, ask and
you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to
you." Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of (here name your
request). Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place
all my trust in you.
Sacred Heart parish
was established in 1896 as Houston
Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral was
designed by Ziegler Cooper Architects of Houston and is made of Indiana
limestone and marble. The building
contains 37,000 square feet of space and can seat over 1,800 people. The dome rises to a height of 117 feet and
the Campanile to 140 feet. The campanile
contains 23 bells cast in the Netherlands and is topped with a 17-foot
gold-leafed cross.
One enters the Co-Cathedral through
mahogany doors. Above the main doors is
a three-paneled tympanum, made of white Italian Carrara marble. The tympanum depicts Christ the King, Saints
Peter and Paul, Bishop Jean Marie Odin (first bishop of the Diocese of
Galveston), and Fray Antonio Margil (an early 18th century Spanish Franciscan
missionary to what is now Texas).
The main altar is carved of red
Ethiopian marble and has 12 columns representing the Apostles. Above the altar is a 20-foot crucifix made of
linden wood and carved by the Italian artist, Edmun Rabanser. Behind the sanctuary is a rose window
depicting Christ. The ambo is made of
the same red marble as the altar and its four columns represent the
Evangelists. The baptismal font in the
center of the nave is also made of the red Ethiopian marble. The font has eight gold-plated bronze images,
made in Italy, that represent the Sacrament of Baptism. The Cathedral’s dome has an image of the Holy
Spirit. Its windows depict the
Apostles. The Stations of the Cross are
cast in bronze and were made by Victoria and Julian Christiana of Romania.
The stained glass windows in the
nave and transept were designed by Rohn and Associates Liturgical Designers of
Pittsburgh and made by Mellini Studio in Italy.
The nave windows depict the angelic procession of praise described in
Psalm 150. The transept windows depict
angels on the north side and the evangelists on the south side. Over the Co-Cathedral’s entrance is the
Resurrection Window, 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It shows the Resurrected Christ above the
City of Houston. The opalescent and
hand-blown glass window was designed by the Italian artist, Romano Cosci, and
executed by Mellini Studio in Italy.
The Co-Cathedral has two major
shrines. The Sacred Heart shrine in the
east transept has a statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that is 12 feet tall
and weighs over 1,200 pounds. Italian
sculptor Roberto Padrini carved the statue from the single block of white
Carrara marble. The Mary Immaculate
shrine in the west transept has a statue of marble also made of white Carrara
marble. Six minor shrines are dedicated
to St. Joseph, St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Anthony, St. Juan Diego, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, and St. Martin de Porres.
Additional information can be found
on the Co-Cathedral’s website at sacredhearthouston.org. Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral is located in
downtown Houston and serves a parish of 3,100 families with eight weekend
masses—including two in Vietnamese and one in Spanish.
The first picture is from flickr, the second from pinterest, and the last two from Wikipedia.
Diocese of Corpus Christi
The diocese consists of 11 counties plus part of McMullen
County in southern Texas. The diocese
has 409,000 Catholics (69 percent of the total population) in 69 parishes.
Vicars Apostolic of Brownsville
Dominic Manucy (1823-1885), first Vicar Apostolic of
Brownsville (1874-1885).
·
Born in Florida and ordained a priest in 1850
for the Diocese of Mobile.
·
Also served as Bishop of Mobile, Alabama (1884).
Bishop Manucy’s Vicariate Apostolic consisted of that part
of Texas between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande with a Catholic population
of slightly more than 40,000. Manucy
moved from Brownsville to Corpus Christi Corpus Christi Brownsville Brownsville
Peter Verdaguer (1835-1911), Vicar Apostolic of
Brownsville (1890-1911).
- Born in Spain and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles, California, in 1862.
Father Claude Jalliet governed the Vicariate until Peter
Verdaguer was appointed the second Vicar Apostolic of Brownsville in 1890. Bishop Verdaguer moved his residence to
Laredo. As Bishop, he opened several new
churches and invited religious orders to establish schools and hospitals. After Spohn
Hospital opened in Corpus Christi
Bishops of Corpus Christi
Paul J. Nussbaum, C.P. (1870-1935), first Bishop of
Corpus Christi (1913-1920).
- Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a Passionist priest in 1894.
- Also served as Bishop of Sault Ste. Marie-Marquette, Michigan (1922-1935).
The Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville became the Diocese of
Corpus Christi in 1912 and Paul Nussbaum was appointed the first Bishop of Corpus
Christi the next year. Bishop Nussbaum
led a Diocese with 83,000 Catholics—over half the total population. Over 80 percent of the Catholics were
Hispanic. Nussbaum organized and
encouraged several lay organizations, including the Sodality of the Blessed
Virgin, and he also encouraged devotionals, such as Forty Hours, and religious
retreats. He doubled the number of
Catholic schools. He sheltered priests
and nuns fleeing religious persecution in Mexico, but Nussbaum struggled to financially
support them—many of whom did not speak English. The Bishop never had enough priests, and two
prominent priests died during the influenza epidemic
of 1919. The people of the Diocese also
suffered hardship as a result of a prolonged drought and two hurricanes. All of these problems, compounded by injuries
he received in a train accident, led the bishop to resign in 1920. He later served as Bishop of Sault
Ste. Marie-Marquette, Michigan.
Emmanuel B. Ledvina (1868-1952), Bishop of Corpus Christi
(1921-1949).
- Born in Indiana and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana, in 1893.
Bishop Ledvina was a great builder of churches and
schools—some of which were built by the Catholic Church Extension Society, of
which he had previously been an administrator.
One of the churches that he built was the Corpus Christi Cathedral. He was also successful at bringing priests to
the Diocese to serve at the new parishes he established. He invited Benedictine monks to open a
community and to establish a high school for boys. He retired in 1949.
Mariano S. Garriga (1886-1965), Bishop of Corpus Christi
(1949-1965).
- Born in Point Isabel, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville in 1911.
- Also served as coadjutor bishop of Corpus Christi (1936-1949).
Bishop Garriga was the first native Texan to become a
Catholic bishop. As bishop, he built several
Catholic schools, including a seminary in Corpus
Christi San
Juan
Thomas J. Drury (1908-1992), Bishop of Corpus Christi
(1965-1983).
·
Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Amarillo in 1935.
·
Also served as the first Bishop of San Angelo
(1962-1965).
Bishop Drury was responsible for implementing the decrees of
the Second Vatican Council. As such, he
established a diocesan parish council (consisting of priests, religious, and
laity), a permanent diaconate program, councils for priests and religious, an
Hispanic affairs ministry, a family life bureau, as well as many other
organizations. He also established a
diocesan newspaper and built a home for the elderly. He also had to support the people of the
Diocese in the aftermath of Hurricane Celia in 1970. Bishop Drury retired in 1983.
Rene H. Gracida (1923-
), Bishop of Corpus Christi (1983-1997).
- Born in New Orleans and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Miami, Florida, in 1959.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Miami (1971-1975) and first Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida (1975-1983).
Prior to becoming a priest, Gracida flew 32 missions as a
B-17 flight engineer during World War II and later worked as an architect. As bishop, Gracida developed programs for
adult education and faith formation, established a diocesan television station
and two radio stations, built two retreat centers and a camp for young
people. He paid special attention to the
needs of Hispanics living in poverty.
Bishop Gracida also finalized the operation of the Kenedy Memorial
Foundation—a non-profit corporation for religious, educational, and charitable
purposes. Gracida retired in 1997.
Roberto O. Gonzalez Nieves, O.F.M. (1950- ), Bishop of Corpus Christi (1997-1999).
- Born in New Jersey and ordained a Franciscan priest in 1977.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Boston (1988-1995), coadjutor bishop of Corpus Christi (1995-1997), and serves as Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico (since 1999).
Bishop Gonzalez solved a serious financial problem through
consolidation of various Diocesan organizations. He also met frequently with priests,
religious, and laity, to promote unity and to prepare them for the Great
Jubilee Year 2000. He was also a well-known
commentator on the Church in Cuba. He
was named Archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1999.
Edmond Carmody (1934-
), Bishop of Corpus Christi (2000-2010).
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1957.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1988-1992) and Bishop of Tyler (1992-2000).
Bishop Carmody served as a missionary in Ecuador from 1983
to 1988. As Bishop, Carmody established
John Paul II High School and worked to keep teens from dropping out of
school. He also established programs to
serve the homeless, including the establishment of the Mother Teresa Day
Shelter. He was an advocate for
education concerning diabetes, a problem for many in the Diocese. He retired in 2010.
Current Bishop
W. Michael Mulvey was appointed Bishop of Corpus Christi by
Pope Benedict XVI in 2010. He was born
in Houston in 1949 and ordained a priest in for the Diocese of Austin in
1975. He previously served in several
capacities with the Diocese of Austin, including chancellor and vicar general.
The Cathedral
The Cathedral is dedicated to the Corpus Christi Liege , Belgium United
States
Let us pray for the willingness to make present in our world
the love of Christ shown to us in the Eucharist, Lord Jesus Christ, we worship
you living among us in the sacrament of your body and blood. May we offer to
our Father in heaven a solemn pledge of undivided love. May we offer to our
brothers and sisters a life poured out in loving service of that kingdom where
you live with the Father and the Holy Spirit one God for ever and ever. Amen.
The city of Corpus Christi was incorporated in 1852 and had
a population of 500. The following year,
the Diocese of Galveston assigned Father Bernard O’Reilly as the first resident
pastor in Corpus Christi Corpus Christi St.
Patrick’s became the Cathedral for the Diocese of Corpus Christi after its
creation in 1912 by Pope Pius X. Because
of a fire at St. Patrick’s and the need for a larger building, the current
Corpus Christi Cathedral was constructed in 1940 at a cost of $425,000. Old St.
Patrick’s was demolished in 1951, but many parts of the building and its
furnishings and decorations are now at Our Lady, Star of the Sea parish.
The Cathedral was designed by Oklahoma architect, Charles
Monot, in a Spanish Mission style. The
roof is made of red Spanish clay tile and has two domed towers, one 125 feet
tall and the other 97 feet tall (and each has an 8-foot cross on top). The Cathedral is made of concrete, steel, and
18-inch thick brick masonry walls. The
domes are made of glazed terra-cotta.
The Cathedral is 176 feet long and 90 feet wide. The Cathedral’s bells are in the smaller
tower and were originally in Old St. Patrick’s.
The larger tower contains a carillon of 32 bells. The Church has a capacity of 2,000.
The narthex has Italian Carrara marble statues of the
Sorrowful Mother and St. Anthony of Padua. The ceiling above the nave employs heavy
oak beams and around the nave is a 4-foot high wainscot of cream-colored
Tavernelle Clair marble from Missouri, capped and based with verde antique
marble from Maryland. The floor is cream-colored terrazzo, bordered with
ecclesiastical-design Spanish tile. Left of the main aisle are a shrine to Our
Lady of Guadalupe and the Blessed Sacrament Chapel. Twelve Corinthian columns
represent the twelve apostles. A communion rail of hand-wrought iron and white
Alabama marble separates the nave from the sanctuary. At the north end of the rail is the pulpit,
with body of cream Tavernelle and base and cap of verde antique. At the
opposite end is the baptismal font of green marble, ringed with clover leaves—a
tribute to the church's Irish history. The right-side altar is dedicated to St.
Joseph, the left to the Virgin Mary. Statues of St. Patrick and St. Thérèse of
Lisieux stand in the upper rear of the sanctuary. Artist Emil Frei executed the
stained-glass windows (the upper row portraying Eucharistic motifs, the lower
depicting devotional acts) and the glass Stations of the Cross along the nave
walls. [Most of this paragraph came from
an article in the Texas State Historical Association’s Handbook of Texas—a good
source for all things Texas.]
The sanctuary also contains the main marble altar and
pulpit. Stained glass windows above and behind
the altar depict Christ the High Priest and King of Kings, surrounded by His
Mother; St. Joseph, St. John the Apostle, St. Peter, St. Margaret Alacoque, St.
Thomas of Aquinas, St. Pascal Baylon, and the little martyr and saint of the
Blessed Sacrament, St. Tarsicius (an early Christian who was martyred while
carrying the Blessed Sacrament).
The Blessed Sacrament Chapel contains the tabernacle and can
seat 24 people for Eucharistic adoration.
It was designed by James Rome.
The Emmanuel, or Crypt, Chapel contains the earthly remains of four
Bishops of Corpus Christi and is used for daily Mass.
For additional information, see cccathedral.com and diocesecc.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Corpus Christi and serves a parish of 1,000 families. There are five weekend masses—including one in Spanish.
For additional information, see cccathedral.com and diocesecc.org. The Cathedral is located in downtown Corpus Christi and serves a parish of 1,000 families. There are five weekend masses—including one in Spanish.
Diocese of Austin
The diocese consists of 24 counties plus part of Fayette
County in central Texas. The diocese has
558,000 Catholics (18 percent of the total population) in 102 parishes.
Bishops of Austin
Louis J. Reicher (1890-1984),
first Bishop of Austin (1947-1971).
- Born in Ohio and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston in 1918.
Bishop Reicher increased the number
of parishes in the Diocese from 50 to 85 and built many schools and other
buildings needed to carry out the mission of the Church, including a chancery
building for the Diocese, five Newman Centers on college campuses, and housing
projects for the poor. He established a
Diocesan newspaper and held the first Diocesan synod in 1960. He attended the Second Vatican Council and
was a contributor to a document on religious freedom. He strongly opposed communism and advocated
for civil rights for African-Americans.
Personally wealthy, he set up a fund to provide low-interest loans for
Diocesan building programs and to provide financial assistance to the elderly,
the poor, and the disabled. He retired
in 1971.
Vincent M. Harris (1913-1988),
Bishop of Austin (1971-1985).
·
Born in Conroe, Texas, and ordained a priest for
the Diocese of Galveston in 1938.
·
Also served as the first Bishop of Beaumont
(1966-1971) and coadjutor bishop of Austin (1971).
Bishop Harris successfully dealt with some difficult
Diocesan financial issues that involved Bishop Reicher (involving ownership of
trust funds) and also emphasized ministries to Hispanic Catholics in the
Diocese. He testified at the Texas
legislature against the death penalty and in favor of greater protections for
migrant workers. He retired in 1995
after suffering a stroke.
John E. McCarthy (1930-
), Bishop of Austin (1985-2001).
- Born in Houston and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston in 1956.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Galveston-Houston (1979-1985).
Bishop McCarthy began a development program for the Diocese,
a foreign missionary program, and a legal aid program for the
disadvantaged. He also began a parish
social ministry program aimed at helping and providing support to the poor and
disadvantaged. He also started a
Diocesan Gabriel Project to help women with undesired pregnancies. Bishop McCarthy retired in 2001.
Gregory M. Aymond (1949- ), Bishop of Austin (2001-2009).
- Born in New Orleans and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans in 1975.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of New Orleans (1997-2000), coadjutor bishop of Austin (2000-2001), and serves as Archbishop of New Orleans (since 2009).
The Diocese continued to grow under Bishop Aymond. Aymond greatly increased the number of
seminarians, built a high school for students with financial needs, and started
a program in theology for lay people. He
started a program to help ecclesiastical ministers do their work and a program
to ensure those working for the Diocese and its institutions have passed
background checks and understand the signs of abuse. Aymond was appointed Archbishop of New
Orleans in 2009.
Current Bishop
Joe S. Vásquez was appointed Bishop of Austin by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2010. He was born in
Stamford, Texas, in 1957 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Angelo in
1984. He previously served as auxiliary
bishop of Galveston-Houston (2002-2010).
The Cathedral
203 E. 10th Street
Austin, Texas 78701
The Cathedral is dedicated to Mary, the Mother of God, and
specifically to her Immaculate Conception.
Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known as original
sin. This sin is erased through baptism
and the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Catholics believe that Mary, through the grace of God, was conceived
without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate Conception. She was given the honor because of her role
as the Mother of God. The Feast of the
Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.
O Mary, Mother of God, endowed in your glorious Immaculate
Conception with the fullness of grace; unique among women in that you are both
mother and virgin; Mother of Christ and Virgin of Christ, we ask you to look
down with a tender heart from your throne and listen to our prayers as we earnestly
ask that you obtain for us the favor for which we now plead... (State your
intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you
had influence with your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same
influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of
my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Austin had a population of about 600 when a group of
Catholics founded St. Patrick’s parish in 1852.
St. Patrick’s church was a small stone
church located at the northeast corner of 9th and Brazos Streets
(behind the current building). The
parish, since renamed St. Mary’s, started construction on the current church in
1872 and it was completed two years later.
St. Mary’s became the Cathedral for the
Diocese of Austin when it was established in 1948. The Cathedral is listed on
the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cathedral was designed by Nicholas Clayton, an architect
and a Catholic. This was one of his
first buildings and he went on to become a prominent architect in Texas. The Cathedral is made of limestone (quarried
locally) and designed in a Gothic style.
The main altar and baldachin are made of marble and have
carved cactus and bluebonnets to represent Texas. The Cathedral’s 2,000 pound bell was made by
the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore in 1886.
The five sanctuary stained glass windows were made in France and the
nave windows were made by F.X. Zettler of Munich, Germany. The windows were installed in the 1890s. The Barckhof pipe organ was made in Germany
in the 1890s.
This may be a good time to explain Catholic symbolism in
Cathedral architecture. The following
two paragraphs come from the Cathedral website.
St.
Mary’s design repeatedly evokes natural places where men encounter the divine.
The tree-like columns with their foliage carved on capitals, the tracery of
vines and leaves in the murals, and in the floral topped finials are like the
forest. The pointed arches on doors and windows and the spires remind us of mountains.
The elevated ceiling and the blue dome spangled with stars reflect the sky and
the heavens. Each detail of the façade alludes to Catholic doctrine: the
triangles express the Holy Trinity; the lily, the purity of the Blessed Virgin
whose statue surmounting the door welcomes all who approach. Behind her, the
rose window with its elegant tracery and stained glass reminds believers of the
incarnation penetrating all matter with energy and light. The bell tower
recalls the psalmist exulting “Thou art my refuge, a strong tower against the
enemy.” (Ps. 61:3) The bells themselves, one from the first church, the other,
given in 1886, “shout with joy to God.” (Ps.65:1) The cross-topped spire
announces the victory of the resurrection to all who see it in the urban
skyline. Those who open the massive wooden doors cross the threshold from the
distracting world into a space where everything speaks of the Body of Christ.
The sanctuary itself is shaped like a nave, a ship, a favorite image for the
church. Full of worshippers at mass, it resembles the boat full of fish which
the apostles caught after they obeyed the Risen Lord’s command to place their
nets in the water. The sanctuary also mirrors the human body with its vertical
axis. The double windows near the altar suggest a transept which in a medieval
church would have made a cruciform floor plan. Liturgical processions approach
the altar whose central location says that this is the heart of the church. “I
will go to the altar of God, the God of my joy.” (Ps. 43:4) And the altar
symbolizes the human heart for here the worshippers give their gifts to be
transformed into the Body of Christ. Centrally placed upon the High Altar, the
tabernacle where the Eucharist is reserved radiates His Presence. The crucifix
suspended above it reminds us of the paradise that Jesus created by dying on
the Tree of the Cross and rising from the grave. But the dominant image of this
building is the garden. Within the enclosed garden of the church, surrounded by
the round trifoliate barrel vaulting, the flowering capitals, the fences behind
the evangelists within the garden, the believer is in the new Eden, in
paradise. The church makes visible the Heavenly Jerusalem, the City of God
inhabited by the angels and the saints. Originally the baptismal font stood at
the entrance, symbolic of the role this sacrament has for entering the New
Jerusalem. Now re-located to the area in front of the Immaculate Conception
altar, the font is decorated with images of the seven sacraments, the means of
uniting the believer with the divine, as well as bas reliefs of the four
evangelists, and a sculpture of the Lord’s baptism.
In
this structure we see the contribution of many cultures to the catholicity of
the church. Above the altar hang lamps with the first and last letters of the
Greek alphabet, alpha and omega, referring to Christ who, in the last book of
Holy Scripture, Revelation, is named the Source and Culmination of all things.
The four side windows nearest the altar show the four evangelists whose gospels
illumine the life of Jesus: St. John with the eagle, St. Matthew with the
angel, St. Luke with the ox, and St. Mark with the lion. The custom of
representing each evangelist with a creature came into the church from the
Byzantine east. This continues the tradition of associating each of the
evangelists with Elijah’s mystical vision of God in the Old Testament. The five
elevated windows above the apse are from a Carmelite stained glass factory in
LeMans, France, dated 1893. The first of all the saints, Mary the Mother of
God, is the focus of the high central window above the altar. Here she is shown
as the Immaculate Conception, a title which refers to her conception without
sin. Since her purity defeats evil, she crushes the serpent with her heel, as
prophesied in Genesis. Here she is shown as Queen of the Angels who crowd the
window around her, and the rush of their wings, their diagonal lines, repeat
the whirl of her gown as she spins ecstatically. Beside her are four Jewish saints: St. John
the Baptist, greatest of all in the Kingdom of Heaven, St. Joseph her husband,
St. Peter, head of the church, and St. Paul who brought the gospel to the
gentiles. Their elevated position expresses their preeminence among the saints.
Each holds his emblem: St. John the Baptist who said of Jesus “Behold the Lamb
of God” carries the lamb. St. Joseph holds the flowering rod of Aaron, a sign
of divine favor. St. Peter clasps the keys with which he opens the gates to the
New Jerusalem, the heavenly city, and St. Paul wields the two-edged sword of
the Word of God. The side altars are traditional. On one side, St. Joseph
offers the Holy Child to the delight and veneration of those who love him, and
on the other side, St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception prays. Because she’s the
Queen of Heaven she wears a crown and this one was fashioned from silver medals
given by children at the cathedral school during the early 1900s. The bishop’s
and papal heraldry are above each of these altars. On the walls of the
sanctuary process the saints who come from antiquity to the baroque era, from
east and west, peasant to king, new world and old: Spain, France, Germany,
Syria, and Peru. These windows also tell us of the devotions of the central
Texas Catholics who commissioned them from a stained glass institute in Munich
in the 1890’s and carefully identified each one by name. Each would repay
attention to his history and the details in his window: palms for martyrs,
swords and stones for those who loved the Lord more than life itself, a harp for
the patron of those who sing new songs to the Lord. The exquisite balance of
the rich colors of the glass, the imaginative geometric shapes which recall the
lancet arches and niches of medieval chapels open the walls of this sanctuary
to express the joy and harmony of life in heaven. Their large scale suggests
the importance holiness has in the church. The eight-pointed stars on the
ceiling of the cathedral remind us that Mary was also called Stella Maris, Star
of the Sea, a favorite title of Nicholas Clayton who added this image to the
cathedral in Galveston. The number eight signifies her role as the New Eve in
restoring perfection. Each of these stars bears an image and name of Mary
rooted in the church’s understanding of her as the faithful Daughter Zion of
the Old Testament, the beloved of the Song of Songs. She is also the Rose in
the great window at the northern end of the church, the most celebrated flower
in the enclosed garden of the church, who petal by petal unfolds the love of
God.
For more information see the Cathedral’s website at
smcaustin.org and the Diocesan website at austindiocese.org. St. Mary’s is located in downtown Austin and
serves a parish of 2,000 families with seven weekend masses—including one in
Spanish and one in Latin. The parish
supports an elementary school with 200 students.
Diocese of Brownsville
The diocese consists of 4 counties in southern Texas. The diocese has 1.1 million Catholics (85
percent of the total population) in 80 parishes.
Bishops of Brownsville
Adolph Marx (1915-1965), first Bishop of Brownsville
(1965).
- Born in Germany and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1940.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Corpus Christi (1956-1965).
Adolph Marx was consecrated as the first Bishop of
Brownsville on September 2, 1965, and died on November 1, 1965, while in
Europe.
Humberto S. Medeiros (1915-1983), Bishop of Brownsville
(1966-1970).
·
Born in the Azores and ordained a priest for the
Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts in 1946.
·
Also served as Archbishop of Boston (1970-1983).
Bishop Medeiros advocated strong educational programs and
pushed for greater human and civil rights.
He advocated for the rights of migrant farm workers, many of whom were
members of his Diocese. He built housing
projects for the needy and opened 18 parishes.
He often spent part of Christmas and Easter visiting prisoners. He lived a simple life as Bishop—he lived in
one room of the Bishop’s residence and used the bedrooms to house visiting
priests. After a hurricane, he had 11
displaced families move into his home. Medeiros
was appointed Archbishop of Boston in 1970 and was named a Cardinal by Pope
Paul VI in 1973.
John J. Fitzpatrick (1918-2006), Bishop of Brownsville (1971-1991).
·
Born in Canada and ordained a priest in 1942 for
the Diocese of Buffalo, New York.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of Miami
(1968-1971).
Bishop Fitzpatrick advocated strongly for social justice for
the poor and disadvantaged, especially migrant farm workers. He also co-founded Casa Romero to shelter and
feed refugees from Central America. Fitzpatrick
started Valley Interfaith to improve the standard of living for many
desperately poor workers. He also
supported greater roles for women in the Church and appointed a woman as
Diocesan chancellor. Bishop Fitzpatrick
retired in 1991.
Enrique San Pedro, S.J. (1926-1994), Bishop of
Brownsville (1991-1994).
·
Born in Cuba and ordained a Jesuit priest in
1957.
·
Also served as auxiliary bishop of
Galveston-Houston (1986-1991) and coadjutor bishop of Brownsville (1991).
Bishop San Pedro supported education in general and faith
formation in particular. He directed the
development of a Diocesan catechist formation program. In 1993, he was part of a bishops’ delegation
to the United Nations to address refugee concerns. He died of cancer in 1994.
Raymundo J. Pena (1934-
), Bishop of Brownsville (1995-2009).
·
Born in Robstown, Texas, and ordained a priest
for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1957.
Bishop
Peña was successful in increasing the number of priestly vocations in the
Diocese—there were 8 seminarians in 1995 and over 20 in 2009. He also established a ministry to train
permanent deacons and lay ministers.
Pena began a mission that sent 500 Catholics to proclaim the Gospel
door-to-door. He also placed women in
leadership positions in the Diocese. Bishop
Pena retired in 2009.
Current Bishop
Daniel E. Flores was appointed Bishop of Brownsville by
Pope Benedict XVI in 2009. He was born
in Palacios, Texas, in 1961 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Corpus
Christi in 1988. He previously served as
auxiliary bishop of Detroit (2006-2009).
The Cathedral
Immaculate
Conception Cathedral
1218 E. Jefferson St.
Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known
as original sin. This sin is erased
through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Mary, through the
grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate
Conception. She was given the honor
because of her role as the Mother of God.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.
O Lord, who, by the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin
Mary, did prepare a fitting dwelling for your Son, we beseech you that as by
the foreseen death of your Son, you did preserve her from all stain of sin,
grant that through her intercession, we may be favored with the granting of the
grace that we seek for at this time... (State your intention here...) O
Mary of the Immaculate Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with
your Divine Son while upon this earth; you have the same influence now in
heaven. Pray for us and obtain for us from him the granting of my petition if
it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Brownsville grew up around an 1846 American fort. Priests belonging to the Missionary Oblates
of Mary Immaculate came to Brownsville and established Immaculate Conception
parish in 1849. They built a small
wooden church the following year—the first church in Brownsville Brownsville
The Greek Revival Cathedral was
designed by Oblate Father Pierre Keralum, who was an architect in France prior
to becoming a priest. The Cathedral is
constructed with over a quarter of a million bricks and is listed on the
National Register of Historic Places.
The Cathedral has a blue arched
vaulted ceiling and chandeliers from France. (The original chandeliers were
from France, but I am not sure if the current ones are.) The single bell tower has three bronze
bells. In the 1960s, the Cathedral was
given a painting of the Madonna and Child.
It was damaged in 1971 by a firebomb and was replaced with a replica. Many of the sanctuary pieces date to the
1800s, but were purchased during a recent renovation. The renovation also restored statues of Our
Lady of Grace and Our Lady of Guadalupe.
The Cathedral has a 1935 Kilgen pipe organ.
Additional information can be
found on the Diocesan website, cdob.org, and on the Cathedral’s website, immaculateconceptioncathedral.org. Immaculate Conception Cathedral is
located in downtown Brownsville and has five weekend masses (four in
Spanish). The Cathedral also has two
mission churches with two additional weekend masses (one in Spanish).
The top two pictures are from the Cathedral website, the third is from flickr and the fourth is from pinterest.
Also located in the Diocese is the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan Del Valle-National Shrine in San Juan. The people who lived near San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, began veneration of a statue of Mary after a miraculous cure in 1623. A priest placed a replica of the statue in the parish church in San Juan, Texas, in 1949. A shrine was built in 1954 because the number of pilgrims had increased. The shrine was destroyed by an airplane crash in 1970, but the statue survived. A new shrine was completed in 1980 that seats 3,500. The shrine features an exterior Italian mural and 14 outdoor life-size Stations of the Cross. Pope John Paul II designated the church as a minor basilica in 1999. Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a center of worship. The Basilica’s website is olsjbasilica.org.
Diocese of Beaumont
The diocese consists of 9 counties in southeastern
Texas. The diocese has 67,000 Catholics
(11 percent of the total population) in 44 parishes.
Bishops of Beaumont
Vincent M. Harris (1913-1988), first Bishop of Beaumont
(1966-1971).
·
Born in Conroe, Texas, and ordained a priest for
the Diocese of Galveston in 1938.
·
Also served as coadjutor bishop of Austin
(1971), and Bishop of Austin (1971-1985).
Bishop Harris was the first priest of the Diocese of
Galveston to be named a bishop. As
Bishop, he organized the new Diocese, which at the time had about 32 parishes,
and implemented the decrees of the Second Vatican Council. He became Bishop of Austin in 1971.
Warren L. Boudreaux (1918-1997), Bishop of Beaumont
(1971-1977).
- Born in Louisiana and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Lafayette, Louisiana, in 1942.
- Also served as auxiliary Bishop of Lafayette, Louisiana (1962-1971) and Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana (1977-1992).
Bishop Boudreaux established a highly-regarded resettlement
program for about 2,000 Vietnamese refugees who had fled their native land
after the end of the Vietnam War. Boudreaux was named Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux,
Louisiana, in 1977.
Bernard J. Ganter (1928-1993), Bishop of Beaumont
(1977-1993).
- Born in Galveston and ordained a priest in 1952 for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston.
- Also served as the first Bishop of Tulsa, Oklahoma (1972-1977).
Bishop Ganter established several programs in the Diocese,
including the permanent deaconate program, Catholic Charities, and the Renew
program (a program of lay spiritual growth).
He also built the Holy Family Retreat Center and created an adult bible
study program. He established five new parishes,
including the first parish in the United States for Vietnamese Americans (this last bit of information is from Wikipedia). He died from brain cancer in 1993.
Joseph A. Galante (1938- ), Bishop of Beaumont (1994-1999).
- Born in Philadelphia and ordained a priest in 1964 for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1992-1994), coadjutor bishop of Dallas (1999-2004) and served as Bishop of Camden, New Jersey (2004-2013).
Bishop Galante reorganized several Diocesan organizations and
created several new ministries, including one for Hispanics, one for
African-Americans, and one to serve those in jails and prisons. He also called the Diocese’s first synod to
gather information about the needs of the Diocese. He was appointed coadjutor bishop of Dallas
in 1999.
Current Bishop
Curtis J. Guillory, S.V.D., was appointed Bishop of Beaumont
by Pope John Paul II in 2000. He was
born in Louisiana
The Cathedral
St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica
700 Jefferson Street
700 Jefferson Street
St. Anthony of Padua
(1195-1231) was born in Lisbon ,
Portugal Assisi Italy France
Saint Anthony, perfect imitator of Jesus, who received from God the special power of restoring lost
things, grant that I may find {mention your petition} which has been lost. As
least restore to me peace and tranquility of mind, the loss of which has
afflicted me even more than my material loss. To this favor I ask another of
you: that I may always remain in possession of the true good that is God. Let me rather lose all
things than lose God, my supreme good. Let me never suffer the loss of my
greatest treasure, eternal life with God. Amen.
The first Catholic church in Beaumont was built in 1879 at
the corner of Bowie and Orleans Streets and was dedicated to St. Louis. This wooden church, which could seat 300, was
moved in 1894 to the block now occupied by the Cathedral Basilica. With Beaumont’s population growing rapidly
due to the discovery of oil, St. Louis Church needed to be replaced. Construction of the current church began in
1903 and was completed in 1907 at a cost of $50,000. This new brick church was dedicated to St.
Anthony of Padua St.
Anthony’s became the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Beaumont in 1966.
From Wikipedia
The interior of the Cathedral Basilica is
in the form of a cross. The doors
leading to the nave are sculptured glass with gold leaf with symbols of the
Holy Spirit. Above the door are symbols
of the Three Wise Men. Just inside the
nave is a circular baptismal font made of granite and gold leaf. The confessionals have statues of St. Joseph
and St. Anthony of Padua above them and on the face of the confessionals are
images of saints representing cultures within the Diocese including St. Frances
Xavier Cabrini (Italian American), St. Kateri Tekawitha (Native American), St. Andrew
Dung-Lac (Vietnamese), St. Rose Philippine Duchesne (French), St. Juan Diego (Mexican
Indian), and Venerable Pierre Toussaint (African Haitian). Inside the confessionals are icons blessed by
Pope Benedict XVI in 2007.
On floor of the main aisle are
mosaics representing the Seven Virtues (Humility, Prudence, Justice, Temperance,
Fortitude, Reverence, and Fear of the Lord) and the Theological Virtues of
Faith, Hope, and Love. At the transept
are arches on which are depicted angels, prophets (Isiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
and Daniel), and the Evangelists (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Above the transept is the dome asking that we
give “Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.”
Above the main altar is a
baldachin with a dove depicting the Holy Spirit. The altar contains relics of St. Anthony of
Padua and St. Katharine Drexel. The back
wall of the sanctuary depicts Jesus and Mary and the 11 Apostles (without
Judas), as well as other Christian themes.
Statues of Mary are above the doors on either side of the sanctuary.
There are dozens of stained glass
windows in the Cathedral Basilica. Most were made
in Munich and installed in 1937. They
depict Christ and the saints and other Christian themes including the four last
things (Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell), the Four Cardinal Virtues (Prudence,
Justice, Temperance, and Fortitude), the Five Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, the
Five glorious Mysteries of the Rosary, the Beatitudes, the Eastern Fathers of
the Church, and the Western Fathers of the Church. The Stations of the Cross are painted
porcelain. The Cathedral has a 2,500-pipe
Wicks pipe organ.
The Cathedral Basilica has three
chapels. The Chapel of the Blessed
Sacrament is where the Blessed Sacrament resides in the tabernacle. There is a mosaic of the Virtue of Faith and
one of the Divine Mercy of Jesus. One
stained glass window depicts St. Paul and the rest depict events from the life
of St. Anthony of Padua. The Chapel also
holds the umbrella that is a symbol of a basilica. Pope Benedict XVI designated the Cathedral as
a minor basilica in 2006.
Basilica is an honorary title bestowed on a church by the Pope because
of the church’s antiquity, dignity, historical importance, or significance as a
center of worship.
The Chapel of Our Lady of
Guadalupe has a mosaic of the Virtue of Hope on the floor. The portrait of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a
replica of the original in Mexico. The
altar contains relics of St. Mary Faustina and St. Therese of the Child Jesus. The Chapel of the Cross contains a small iron
cross cut from the ruins of the Twin Towers in New York destroyed by the
terrorist attack on our nation on September 11, 2001.
The parish website, stanthonycathedral.org, has an extensive
description of the Cathedral including the meaning and symbolism of many of the
features. Also see the Diocesan website
at dioceseofbmt.org.
St. Anthony’s, located in downtown Beaumont, has three
weekend masses and serves a parish of about 500 families. The parish has an elementary school that was
founded in 1895 and has 200 students.
Diocese of Victoria
The diocese consists of 9 counties plus part of Fayette
County in southern Texas. The diocese
has 103,000 Catholics (36 percent of the total population) in 50 parishes.
Bishops of Victoria
I have only basic information on
the Bishops of Victoria.
Charles V. Grahmann (1931- ), first Bishop of Victoria (1982-1989).
- Born in Hallettsville, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1956.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1981-1982), coadjutor bishop of Dallas (1989-1990), and Bishop of Dallas (1990-2007).
He was named coadjutor
bishop of Dallas in 1989 and became Bishop of Dallas the following year.
David E. Fellhauer (1939- ), Bishop of Victoria (1990-2015).
- Born in Missouri and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth in 1965.
Current Bishop
Brendan Cahill was appointed Bishop of Victoria by Pope Francis
in 2015. He was born in Florida in 1963
and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in 1990. He served as Vicar for Clergy for the
Archdiocese from 2010 to 2015. Cahill speaks
English, Spanish and Italian, and has a working knowledge of French and German.
The Cathedral
The Cathedral
Our Lady of Victory
Cathedral
1309 E. Mesquite Lane
Our Lady of Victory is one of many titles for Our Blessed
Mother, because of her victory over sin and death and her ability to help us
overcome the same enemies.
O Victorious Lady, Thou who has ever such powerful influence
with Thy Divine Son, in conquering the hardest of hearts, intercede for those
for whom we pray, that their hearts being softened by the ways of Divine Grace,
they may return to the unity of the true Faith, through Christ,
our Lord. Amen.
Construction on Our Lady of Victory church—the fourth oldest of Victoria’s five parishes—began in 1956 and was completed in 1958. It was the first parish built on the north side of downtown. Our Lady of Victory became the Cathedral for the new Diocese of Victoria in 1982.
The first top picture is from the Cathedral's Facebook page and the second from pinterest.
The Cathedral is a modern brick church with one spire. The Cathedral website is olvcathedral.org and
the Diocesan website is victoriadiocese.org.
Our Lady of Victoria is located about one mile north of downtown
Victoria and has five weekend masses. The
parish has an elementary school with about 450 students.
Diocese of Tyler
The diocese consists of 33 counties in northeastern
Texas. The diocese has 121,000 Catholics
(9 percent of the total population) in 54 parishes.
Bishops of Tyler
Charles E. Herzig (1929-1991), first Bishop of Tyler
(1987-1991).
- Born in San Antonio and ordained a priest in 1955 for the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
Edmond Carmody (1934-
), Bishop of Tyler (1992-2000).
- Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in 1957 for the Archdiocese of San Antonio.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1988-1992) and Bishop of Corpus Christi (2000-2011). He also spent time as a missionary in Ecuador.
Bishop Carmody increased the number of priests in the
Diocese from 46 to 88. He also opened 27
parishes and several missions, many located in county seats and small towns
that did not previously have a Catholic church.
Carmody ordained the first Hispanic priest for the Diocese in 1992. The following year, he led 350 young
Catholics to World Youth Day in Denver.
Bishop Carmody retired in 2000.
Alvaro Corrada del Rio, S.J. (1942- ), Bishop of Tyler (2000-2011).
- Born in Puerto Rico and ordained a Jesuit priest in 1974.
- Also served as auxiliary bishop of Washington D.C. (1985-1997), apostolic administrator of Caguas, Puerto Rico (1997-2000), and serves as Bishop of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico (since 2011).
Bishop Corrada continued the work of his predecessors in
ordaining many men to the priesthood.
There were 25 seminarians from the Diocese in 2006. Corrada also ordained 25 permanent deacons
for the Diocese. Bishop Corrada set in
place policies and procedures to responsibly respond to any cases of bias,
harassment, or abuse. He also reordered
the Sacrament of Confirmation so that it comes after Baptism, but before First
Holy Communion. Corrada established
Catholic Charities in the Diocese. He
was named Bishop of the Diocese of Mayaguez in Puerto Rico in 2011.
Current Bishop
Joseph E. Strickland was appointed Bishop of Tyler by Pope
Benedict XVI in 2012. He was born in
Fredericksburg, Texas, in 1958 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas
in 1985. He previously served as vicar
general for the Diocese of Tyler.
The Cathedral
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
423 South Broadway
423 South Broadway
Many Christians believe that humans are born into sin—known
as original sin. This sin is erased
through baptism and the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Catholics believe that Mary, through the
grace of God, was conceived without the stain of original sin—the Immaculate
Conception. She was given the honor
because of her role as the Mother of God.
The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated on December 8.
Glorious and immortal Queen of Heaven, we profess our firm
belief in your Immaculate Conception preordained for you in the merits of your
Divine Son. We rejoice with you in your Immaculate Conception. To the one
ever-reigning God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three in Person, one in
nature, we offer thanks for your blessed Immaculate Conception. O Mother of the
Word made Flesh, listen to our petition as we ask this special grace during
this novena... (State your intention here...) O Mary of the Immaculate
Conception, Mother of Christ, you had influence with your Divine Son while upon
this earth; you have the same influence now in heaven. Pray for us and obtain
for us from him the granting of my petition if it be the Divine Will. Amen.
Immaculate Conception parish was founded in 1878 as Tyler
The Cathedral is a light brick Spanish Mission style
building with one spire. The Cathedral
website is thecathedral.info and the Diocesan website is dioceseoftyler.org.
The Cathedral, located in downtown Tyler, has a congregation
of 2,600 families and has six weekend masses.
There are three other masses each weekend at the Chapel of Saints Peter
and Paul at the Bishop Gorman High School campus.
The top picture is from pinterest and the bottom from Wikipedia.
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