Province of san antonio

Pope Pius XI created the Province of San Antonio in 1926.  The Province consists of the Archdiocese of San Antonio and seven dioceses in northern and western Texas—Dallas, El Paso, Amarillo, San Angelo, Fort Worth, Lubbock, and Laredo.  The Province has 4.0 million Catholics, 31 percent of the total population, as of 2015.  In 2000, the Province consisted of all of Texas, but in 2004 the Province of Galveston-Houston was created.  So the numbers may not be exact, but what is now the Province of San Antonio is estimated to have had 2.2 million Catholics in 2000, or 23 percent of the total population.

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 16^th Century, but European colonization did not begin until 1682, when Spanish Franciscan missionaries built a mission near what is now El Paso.  Between 1682 and 1793, the Franciscans would build more than 30 missions, mostly in East Texas, in the area around San Antonio, and in the area between Victoria and Corpus Christi.  The missions often had settlements grow up around them (for example, San Antonio and Nacogdoches).  The most famous of these missions is the Mission San Antonio de Valero founded in 1718, but today it is better known as the Alamo.

There were few settlers of European descent in Texas at the beginning of the 19^th Century.  In 1821, Texas became part of newly-independent Mexico and in that same year, a few hundred Americans settled in Texas.  By the mid-1830s, there were as many as 30,000 Americans living in Texas.  They gained their independence from Mexico in 1836 and became the Republic of Texas.  In 1845, Texas joined the Union and became the 28^th State.

Most of the Texans of Spanish and Mexican descent were Catholic, as were some those 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.  Timon had other responsibilities in Missouri and asked Father Jean-Marie Odin, also a Vincentian, to be his deputy in Texas.  The next year, Pope Gregory created the Vicariate Apostolic (a missionary diocese) of Texas and appointed Father Odin as the first bishop.  Pope Pius IX created the Diocese of Galveston in 1847, Texas’ first, and appointed Odin as Bishop.  (Galveston, with a population of just over 4,000, was Texas’ largest town at that time.)  The Diocese, which had about a dozen priests, included all of Texas.  Pius IX created two new dioceses in 1874, the Diocese of San Antonio and the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville.  Over the next 40 years, three new diocese were formed:  Dallas in 1890, Corpus Christi (formerly the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville) in 1912, and El Paso in 1914.

Central Texas has some of the oldest Catholic settlements in Texas—almost 80 parishes were established there prior to 1900.  San Antonio—then Texas’ largest city—was raised to an Archdiocese in 1926 and its Province included all of Texas.  The Diocese of Austin was created in 1947—102 years after it became the state capital.

The Diocese of Dallas covered all of northern Texas (and most of west Texas) when it was established, but there were few Catholics in northern Texas until the later part of the 19^th Century.  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.  There were Spanish missions near El Paso dating to the 17^th Century, but the first parishes did not open in El Paso until around the time the railroad came in 1881.  The first Catholic church in the Panhandle was not built until 1892.  The Diocese of Amarillo was established in 1926, the Diocese of San Angelo in 1961, and the Diocese of Lubbock in 1983.

Southern Texas also has several parishes dating back to the days before Statehood.  It is now the most Catholic region of Texas—about three-fourths of the population is Catholic.  Most of the area was the Diocese of Corpus Christi until the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, was established in 1965.  The Diocese of Victoria, Texas, was created in 1982 and the Diocese of Laredo in 2000.

Southeastern Texas Catholics have long been served by the state’s oldest diocese, which became the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1959.  A portion of the senior diocese became the Diocese of Beaumont in 1966.  At the beginning of the 21^st 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.  This reduced the 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 San Antonio

The Archdiocese of San Antonio consists of 18 counties plus part of McMullen County in south central Texas. The Archdiocese has 753,000 Catholics (29 percent of the total population) in 139 parishes, as of 2015.  The Diocese of San Antonio was established in 1874 and it was raised to a metropolitan archdiocese in 1926.

Bishops of San Antonio

Anthony D. Pellicer (1824-1880)  

• Born in Florida and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Mobile, Alabama, in 1850.
• First Bishop of San Antonio (1874-1880).  

Bishop Pellicer’s new Diocese had 40,000 Catholics and covered 90,000 square miles.  Bishop Pellicer built new churches and schools—at least two dozen of each.  He lived a simple life, giving away most of his income to charitable causes.  His cousin, Dominic Manucy, served as Vicar Apostolic Bishop of Brownsville.  Pellicer served as a Confederate chaplain during the Civil War.  Bishop Pellicer died in 1880.

John C. Neraz (1828-1894)  

• Born in France and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston in 1853.
• Bishop of San Antonio (1881-1894).  

Bishop Neraz had served as pastor of San Fernando Cathedral and as vicar general of the Diocese prior to becoming bishop.  He established an orphanage, a parish for African-Americans, a diocesan newspaper, and helped establish St. Mary’s University.  He built a chancery building for the Diocese with funds received from selling the Alamo to the State of Texas.  Neraz attended the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore.  He also administered the Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville from 1885 to 1890).  Bishop Neraz died in 1894.

John A. Forest (1838-1911)

·         Born in France and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston in 1863.

·         Bishop of San Antonio (1895-1911).  

Bishop Forest learned to speak both English and Czech as a priest in Texas.  As Bishop, he encouraged religious orders to establish a number of institutions to care for the poor, the aged, and the sick, as well as to establish schools.  He also helped establish Our Lady of the Lake University.  He also attended to the administrative needs of the growing Diocese and hosted the Diocese’s first synod in 1906.  Bishop Forest died in 1911 at which time there were 100,000 Catholics in the Diocese.

John W. Shaw (1861-1934)  

·         Born in Alabama and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Mobile, Alabama, in 1888.

·         Served as coadjutor bishop of San Antonio (1910-1911).

·         Bishop of San Antonio (1911-1918).  

·         Later served as Archbishop of New Orleans (1918-1934).

Bishop Shaw reopened for liturgical use most of the old Spanish missions surrounding San Antonio.  He also established St. John’s Seminary.  He traveled throughout the Diocese, sometimes in a covered wagon.  He also gave refuge to many priests and religious fleeing religious persecution in Mexico.  Bishop Shaw was named Archbishop of New Orleans in 1918.

Archbishops of San Antonio

Arthur J. Drossaerts (1862-1940)  

• Born in the Netherlands, ordained a priest in Europe in 1889, and served as a priest in Louisiana starting in 1889.
• Bishop of San Antonio (1918-1926) and first Archbishop of San Antonio (1926-1940).  

Archbishop Drossaerts was a great builder of churches and schools—he dedicated over 130 buildings during his time as Bishop and Archbishop.  Like Bishop Shaw, Drossaerts gave special attention to Mexican religious refugees and to the repair of the old Spanish missions.  He was noted for his charitable activities—he gave up his salary to assist poor parishes in the Archdiocese.  Bishop Drossaerts died in 1940.

Robert E. Lucey (1891-1977)  

·         Born in California and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1916.

·         Served as Bishop of Amarillo (1934-1941).

·         Archbishop of San Antonio (1941-1969).  

Archbishop Lucey completed over 400 building projects—trying to keep pace with post-War population growth.  He also established the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine in the Archdiocese to train Catholic students attending public schools, but also invited non-Catholics to attend—an ecumenical step taken well before the Second Vatican Council encouraged such activities.  He also integrated archdiocesan schools a year before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that segregation by race was illegal.  Lucey was a champion of the poor—serving on President Harry Truman’s Commission on Migratory Labor and supporting President Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty.  He supported workers’ rights (especially Mexican farm workers), but punished some priests for supporting a farm workers strike.  He supported President Johnson’s escalation of the Vietnam War despite the opposition of Pope Paul VI.  Bishop Lucey retired in 1969.

Francis J. Furey (1905-1979)

• Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in 1930.
• Served as auxiliary bishop of Philadelphia (1960-1963), coadjutor bishop and apostolic administrator of San Diego, California (1963-1966), and Bishop of San Diego (1966-1969).
• Archbishop of San Antonio (1969-1979).  

Archbishop Furey was a noted public speaker and was outspoken on many issues including the rights of workers (he supported some notable labor strikes and boycotts), the role of the laity (he sought to expand it), the death penalty (he favored it), and Sunday closing laws (he favored them).  He established the Commission for Mexican American Affairs—the first such diocesan agency in the United States.  Furey also was an able administrator—he dealt with the Archdiocese’s debt issues and established an Archdiocesan archives.  He also established a pension plan for priests and lay finance boards.  He also established an Archdiocesan television station.  Archbishop Furey died in 1979.

Patrick F. Flores (1929-2017)

• Born in Ganado, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1956.
• Served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1970-1978) and Bishop of El Paso (1978-1979).
• Archbishop of San Antonio (1979-2004).  

Flores became the first Mexican-American to be ordained a bishop in 1970.  As Archbishop, he created a fundraising program to provide support for the educational and charitable needs of the Archdiocese.  Flores established the first diocesan television station in 1980 and supported the Cursillo movement.  He worked to strengthen the Archdiocese’s outreach to Mexican-Americans and supported Cesar Chavez’s United Farm Workers Union.  Flores visited Cuba in 1985 and urged Fidel Castro to grant the people more religious freedom.  He also hosted Pope John Paul II during his visit to San Antonio in 1987.  Flores and his secretary were held hostage for nine hours in his office by a mentally unstable man.  Archbishop Flores retired in 2004.

Jose H. Gomez (born 1951), Archbishop of San Antonio (2004-2010).  

• Born in Mexico, ordained a priest for the Opus Dei Prelature in 1978, and became an American citizen in 1995.
• Served as auxiliary bishop of Denver (2001-2004).
• Archbishop of San Antonio (2004-2010). 
• Served as coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles (2010-2011), and serves as Archbishop of Los Angeles (since 2011).

Archbishop Gomez established a development foundation for the Archdiocese in 2006 and helped bring together Hispanic leaders and Catholic bishops in 2007 to create the Catholic Association of Latino Leaders.  He strongly supported traditional marriage and expressed concern when Catholic colleges in the Archdiocese invited speakers who opposed Church teachings.   Archbishop Gomez was appointed coadjutor archbishop of Los Angeles in 2010 and serves as Archbishop of Los Angeles.

Current Archbishop

Gustavo Garcia-Siller was appointed Archbishop of San Antonio by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010.  He was born in Mexico in 1956, ordained a priest for the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in 1984, and became an American citizen in 1998.  He previously served as provincial superior for the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit (2002-2003) and auxiliary bishop of Chicago (2003-2010).

The Cathedral

San Fernando Cathedral
115 West Main Plaza
San Antonio, Texas 78205

St. Fernando (1199-1252) was the King of Castile (1217-1252) and later King of Leon.  As King, he conquered most of the Spanish territory held by the Moors.  He was noted as a good and just ruler, devoted to the Blessed Mother.  He built several churches and cathedrals, including the Cathedral of Burgos and the Cathedral of Seville.  He established hospitals and monasteries and was buried, not as a king, but as a member of the Franciscan Third Order.  His feast day is May 30.  He is the patron of engineers, governors, the poor, and prisoners.

Christ, my Lord, I am in Your hands, the same way this sword is in mine. Show me, my King, what You want of this Your knight. [Prayer of St. Fernando]

Spanish missionaries established a mission—San Antonio de Valero (now known as the Alamo)—in 1718 at the location of a Coahuiltecan Indian village.  Spain sent settlers from the Canary Islands to the village in 1731 and they established a parish church which is now San Fernando Cathedral.  Construction on the first church began in 1738 and was completed in 1755.  The current French Gothic building was completed in 1873, one year before it became the cathedral for the new Diocese of San Antonio.  The walls of the original church form part of the current Cathedral’s sanctuary and are the oldest standing structure in Texas.  The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

From Panaramio and Wikipedia.

The Cathedral’s Early American stained glass windows were installed in 1920 and the carved Stations of the Cross were installed in 1874.  The pipe organ was built by George Kilgen in 1884 and is the oldest in the city.  The baptismal font was a gift from King Charles III of Spain and dates back to the 18^th Century.  The Cathedral contains several noteworthy statues and paintings including “Las Tres Marias,” a painting by Angel Rodriguez-Diaz honoring Mary Magdalene, Mary, the Mother of James, and Mary Salome; a wooden pieta carved in the late 1800s; a painted bronze statue honoring San Fernando that is the oldest statue in the cathedral; a replica of the Black Christ from Guatemala; and a painting of the Virgin of Candelaria, the patroness of the Canary Islands.

The main altar is made of stone from Spain, Turkey, and Israel.  The three retablos were done in an 18^th Century style by Leonardo Soto Recendiz in Mexico City and installed in 2002 and 2003.  The Archbishop’s cathedra is made of white oak.  The Cathedral also has a grave possibly containing the remains of some of the Defenders of the Alamo.  A marker commemorates the 1987 visit to the Cathedral by Pope John Paul II.

Additional detail can be found on the Cathedral’s website at sfcathedral.org and on the Archdiocesan website at archsa.org.  The Cathedral is located in downtown San Antonio and has seven weekend masses—three in English, three in Spanish, and one bilingual—attended by 5,000 people.

From Wikipedia

Also located in the Archdiocese

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower is in San Antonio.  Discalced Carmelite friars established this parish church in 1926 to serve Mexican-Americans living in San Antonio’s west side and to honor St. Therese of the Little Flower, who was canonized the previous year.  It was the first national shrine dedicated to St. Therese.  The current limestone church was completed in 1931.  The Basilica is noted for its beauty—hand carved Stations of the Cross, mosaic covered marble altars, beautiful stained-glass windows.  The Basilica also displays a painting of St. Therese, done, at least in part, by her sister Celine.  Pope John Paul II designated the church as a minor basilica in 1998. 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 is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The Basilica’s website is littleflowerbasilica.org.

The first two pictures are from the basilica's website and the last is from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Dallas

The diocese consists of 9 counties in northeastern Texas.  The Diocese has 1.3 million Catholics (32 percent of the total population) in 69 parishes, as of 2015.  The Diocese of Dallas was created in 1890 at which time it covered all of northern Texas and most of west Texas.  The Diocese was called Dallas-Fort Worth from 1953 until 1969, when a separate Diocese of Fort Worth was created.  

Bishops of Dallas

Thomas F. Brennan (1855-1916)

·         Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, in 1880.

·         First Bishop of Dallas (1891-1892).  

·         Later served as auxiliary bishop of St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada (1893-1905).

Thomas Brennan was only 35 when Pope Leo XIII appointed him the first Bishop of Dallas in 1891—a Diocese that then included all of north and west Texas.  He traveled throughout his Diocese and established several churches, increased the number of priests, and brought in religious orders to serve the Diocese.  Brennan also established a diocesan newspaper—the first in Texas.  Bishop Brennan was a noted preacher and writer, but his ambition (to be an archbishop) alienated him from many, including the other priests of the Diocese.  After Brennan had served less than two years as Bishop, Pope Leo took the extraordinary step of dismissing him as bishop and sending him to Canada to serve as an auxiliary bishop.  

Edward J. Dunne (1848-1910)

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Chicago in 1871.
• Bishop of Dallas (1893-1910).  

Bishop Dunne built the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe and helped establish what are now the St. Paul Medical Center and the University of Dallas.  He also established a trade school for African-American children.  He established many new churches and schools to keep up with a Catholic population that had grown from 20,000 to over 60,000 during his time as Bishop.  He died of a heart attack in 1910.

Bishops of Dallas-Fort Worth

Joseph P. Lynch (1872-1954)

• Born in Michigan and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas in 1900.
• Bishop of Dallas (1911-1953) and first Bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth (1953-1954).

Bishop Lynch served as Bishop of Dallas for 43 years—the seventh longest tenure of a U.S. bishop in a single diocese.  Lynch was noted for his preaching abilities and was often asked to speak at civic events.  He established churches in more than 100 towns that previously did not have a Catholic church.  He also established the Diocese’s first parish for Mexican-Americans in Dallas (1915)—many Mexicans fled their country because of the civil war there—and for African-Americans in Fort Worth (1929) and he built charitable institutions including hospitals and orphanages.  He became the first Bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth in 1953 and he died in 1954.  

Thomas K. Gorman (1892-1980)

• Born in California and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1917.
• Also served as the first Bishop of Reno, Nevada (1931-1952) and coadjutor bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth (1952-1954).
• Bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth (1954-1969).

Bishop Gorman established over 20 new parishes, 25 new elementary schools, and four new high schools.  He also established Holy Trinity Seminary and reestablished the University of Dallas and the diocesan newspaper—his column in the newspaper was very popular.  He attended the Second Vatican Council and he built new hospitals and the Montserrat Retreat House and the Cursillo Center.  Gorman also invited Cistercian monks to build an abbey in Irving.  Bishop Gorman retired in 1969.

Bishops of Dallas

Thomas Tschoepe (1915-2009)

• Born in Pilot Point, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas in 1943.
• Also served as Bishop of San Angelo (1966-1969).
• Bishop of Dallas (1969-1990).

With the creation of the Diocese of Fort Worth, Bishop Tschoepe led a smaller Diocese of Dallas.  Bishop Tschoepe established several new diocesan programs, including ministries for Hispanics, African-Americans, the deaf, and young people, as well as a Justice and Peace Commission.  He also instituted the permanent diaconate program and the Dallas Catholic Television Network.  Tschoepe built almost 20 new parishes, mostly in suburbs and areas outside of Dallas.  He lived a simple lifestyle—choosing to live in a small apartment in the chancery.  Bishop Tschoepe retired in 1990.

Charles V. Grahmann (1931-2018)  

• 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), first Bishop of Victoria, Texas (1982-1989), and coadjutor bishop of Dallas (1989-1990).
• Bishop of Dallas (1990-2007).

The number of Catholics in the Diocese increased from 200,000 to a million during Bishop Grahmann’s time as Bishop.  Many of these new Catholics were Hispanic and Grahmann started ministries for them.  Grahmann also opened John Paul II High School and a new chancery building.  Grahmann and Bishop Tschoepe were accused of allowing Father Rudy Kos to stay in his ministry long after allegations of sexual abuse by Kos were brought to their attention.  Kos was later defrocked and imprisoned for his actions and the Diocese paid $23 million to nine victims.  Grahmann apologized to the victims and their families.  He retired in 2007.

Kevin J. Farrell (born 1947), Bishop of Dallas (2007-2016).  

• Born in Ireland and ordained a priest in Rome in 1978.
• Served as auxiliary bishop of Washington, DC (2002-2007).
• Bishop of Dallas (2007-2016). 
• Serves as the Vatican’s Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Families and Life (since 2016).  Pope Francis named him a Cardinal in 2016.

Bishop Farrell worked to unite Hispanic and non-Hispanic Catholics.  Farrell was also successful in increasing the number of vocations to the priesthood and in initiating a fundraising campaign for the Diocese.  He provided assistance to migrant children and has advocated for stronger controls on guns.  Bishop Farrell’s brother, Brian, is also a Catholic bishop.  Bishop Farrell speaks fluent Spanish and Italian.  Farrell was appointed by Pope Frances in 2016 as the Vatican’s Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Families and Life.

Current Bishop

Edward J. Burns was appointed Bishop of Dallas by Pope Francis in 2016.  He was born in Pennsylvania in 1957 and was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1983.  He previously served as Bishop of Juneau, Alaska (2009-2016).

The Cathedral

Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe
2215 Ross Avenue
Dallas, Texas  75201

In December 1531, our Blessed Mother appeared to a Mexican peasant named Juan Diego and told him that she wanted a church built on that spot (Tepeyac hill).  Juan Diego went to the local bishop and delivered Our Lady’s message, but the bishop did not believe him and asked for a sign.  When Juan Diego told Our Lady of the bishop’s request, she told him to gather some nearby roses (which bloomed despite the rocky soil and the winter season) and wrap them in his cloak.  Our Lady rearranged the roses and told Juan Diego to take them to the bishop.  When he met with the bishop, he unfurled his cloak and a picture of our Blessed Mother appeared—as a pregnant teenaged Mexican girl.  The bishop and his aides were the first to venerate this miraculous picture, and millions continue to do so today at the basilica built on Tepeyac hill and around the world.  The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated on December 12.

Hear me and understand well, my little son, that nothing should frighten or grieve you. Let not your heart be disturbed. Do not fear that sickness, nor any other sickness or anguish. Am I not here, who am your Mother? Are you not under my protection? Am I not your health? Are you not happily within my fold? What else do you wish? Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything. [Our Lady to Juan Diego] 

Sacred Heart parish was established in 1872 as the first Catholic church in Dallas.  The original building, completed in 1873 and located at the site of today’s main post office, became the first Cathedral for the new Diocese of Dallas in 1890.  Plans were soon made for a new Cathedral and the current cathedral was dedicated in 1902.  By the 1970s, few people attended weekend masses at the Cathedral’s downtown location.  A neighboring parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe, had the opposite problem.  Its Mexican American parishioners had outgrown their church.  Bishop Thomas Tschoepe merged the two parishes, and in 1977, Sacred Heart Cathedral was renamed the Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe or Cathedral Santuario de Guadalupe.

The High Victorian Gothic Cathedral was designed by Nicholas Clayton, the leading Texas architect of his day.  This style features gabled roofs, pointed arches, tracery and heavy stone and brickwork of contrasting colors.

From the Cathedral's website.

The Cathedral’s altar was carved in Italy.  Each of the four pedestals has three columns (representing the Trinity) and together these represent the 12 Apostles.  The main altar, sanctuary lamp, tabernacle, and the Stations of the Cross all date to 1902.  The coffered ceiling has an original Victorian snowflake stencil underneath the paint in every square.  The Sacred Heart Window, which is one of the 101 windows original to the Cathedral, was a gift of the clergy.  The crown above the statue of the Virgin Mary is 24 karat gold-plated and encrusted with jewels donated by parishioners.  The pipe organ was built in 1871 in New York. The Archbishop of Boston presented the organ as a gift to the Bishop of Dallas in 1902.  The Cathedral was renovated in 2000 and in 2005, the building’s original design was realized with the addition of a 224-foot bell tower and 49-bell carillon, both part of the original Nicholas J. Clayton architectural drawings.

For additional information, see the Cathedral website at cathedralguadalupe.org or the Diocesan website at cathdal.org.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Dallas and has eight weekend masses—five in Spanish and three in English.  The Cathedral parish serves 25,000 families—it is the nation’s second largest cathedral parish and largest Latino parish.

From the Cathedral's website and from Flickr.

Diocese of El Paso

The diocese consists of 10 counties in west Texas.  The Diocese has 691,000 Catholics (79 percent of the total population) in 57 parishes, as of 2015.  The Diocese of El Paso was formed in 1914. 

Bishops of El Paso

Pope Benedict XV appointed John J. Brown, S.J., to be the first Bishop of El Paso in January 1915, but Brown, due to poor health, resigned in June of that year prior to being consecrated as Bishop.

Anthony J. Schuler, S.J. (1869-1944)

• Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a Jesuit priest in 1901.
• First consecrated Bishop of El Paso (1915-1942).

During Schuler’s first years as bishop, Catholics fled Mexico due to persecution by the Mexican government.  Bishop Schuler provided spiritual and material aid to these refugees, many of whom were priests and religious.  (The material aid almost bankrupted the Diocese.)  Some returned to Mexico despite the persecution and a few were martyred.  Schuler invited several religious orders to establish ministries in the Diocese.  He also oversaw the completion of St. Patrick Cathedral and created over twenty new parishes and several new schools.  He retired in 1942.

Sidney M. Metzger (1902-1986)

·         Born in Fredericksburg, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1926.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Santa Fe (1940-1941) and coadjutor bishop of El Paso (1941-1942).

·         Bishop of El Paso (1942-1978).  

Bishop Metzger built many new churches and schools, including St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, to keep up with population growth following World War II.  He was able to do this while at the same time keeping the Diocese financially stable.  Bishop Metzger also advocated for the rights of working people to fair working conditions, especially for miners and garment industry workers.  He also ministered to undocumented immigrants.  He attended the Second Vatican Council.  Bishop Metzger retired in 1978.

Patrick F. Flores (1929-2017)

• Born in Ganado, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1956.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1970-1978).
• Bishop of El Paso (1978-1979). 
• Later served as Archbishop of San Antonio (1979-2004).

Bishop Flores was the first Mexican-American to be ordained a bishop, but he served briefly in El Paso.  He was appointed Archbishop of San Antonio in 1979.

Raymundo J. Pena (born 1934) 

·         Born in Robstown, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1957.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1976-1980).

·         Bishop of El Paso (1980-1995).  

·         Later served as Bishop of Brownsville (1995-2009).

Bishop Pena established the Tepeyac Institute to teach lay people to perform many of the Church’s ministries throughout the Diocese.  He also focused on the many issues involving undocumented immigrants.  Bishop Pena was named Bishop of Brownsville in 1995.

Armando X. Ochoa (born 1943)

·         Born in California and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 1970.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles (1986-1996).

·         Bishop of El Paso (1996-2011).  

·         Serves as Bishop of Fresno, California (since 2011).

Bishop Ochoa encouraged vocations to the priesthood and religious life and he also established annual gatherings to help Catholics deepen their Faith.  Ochoa was named Bishop of Fresno, California, in 2011.

Current Bishop

Mark Seitz was appointed Bishop of El Paso by Pope Francis in 2013.  He was born in Wisconsin in 1954 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas in 1980.  He previously served as auxiliary bishop of Dallas (2010-2013).

The Cathedral

St. Patrick Cathedral
1118 North Mesa Street

El Paso, Texas  79902

St. Patrick (5^th Century) was from a privileged family in Britain—his grandfather was a priest and his father a deacon.  As a teenager, he was captured by pirates and forced into slavery in Ireland.  He escaped, made his way home, and became a priest.  He was appointed to be the second Bishop of Ireland and went there in about 432.  He had great success in bringing the Irish people to the Catholic faith.  He is one of the patron saints of Ireland.  His feast day is, of course, March 17.

O God, Who sent Thy Confessor and Bishop, Blessed Patrick, to preach your glory to the nations, grant, through his merits and intercession, that what you command us to do, we may, by your mercy, be enabled to perform. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.

El Paso had about half a dozen Catholic parishes when plans were made to build St. Patrick’s.  Ground was broken in February 1914 for the church.  Pope Pius X created the Diocese of El Paso a few days later and the first Bishop of El Paso, Anthony Schuler, selected the still-under-construction St. Patrick’s to be his Cathedral.  Immaculate Conception Church served briefly as Schuler’s pro-cathedral until St. Patrick’s was completed in 1915.  It was dedicated to St. Patrick because most El Paso Catholics at that time were Irish.

The red-brick Cathedral was designed by Barnett, Haynes, and Barnett, of St. Louis, in a blend of Byzantine and Romanesque architectural styles.  The cost to build the Cathedral was $170,000.  A major renovation was done following a 1988 lightning strike that caused a fire.  The renovation cost $660,000.

From the Cathedral website.

The main altar is covered by a baldachin using six different marbles:   Numidian red, Brown Sienna, Champville yellow, white, black, gold, and Sylvan green. The altar’s mosaic is Venetian red and gold. The altar railing is Numidian red, Sylvan green and Champville yellow.  Above the altar is a large statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The stained glass windows—installed in 1929—were made by the Emil Frei Art Glass Company of St. Louis and depict scenes from the life of Jesus.  The painting of Our Lady of Guadalupe located on the west side of the church is over 300 years old and was painted by a Mexican artist.  The Stations of the Cross are carved in bas-relief.  The Eucharistic Chapel has windows depicting the Seven Sacraments that were designed by Griffin Studios of Ruidoso, Texas.  The church seats about 800 people.

Additional information can be found on the Diocesan website, elpasodiocese.org, and on the Cathedral website, saintpatrickcathedral.org.

St. Patrick’s has seven weekend masses, including two in Spanish.  Located near downtown El Paso (northwest of downtown across I-10), the Cathedral has an elementary school with about 275 students and a high school with about 500 students.

The first picture is from pinterest and the others are from Wikipedia.

Diocese of Amarillo

The diocese consists of 26 counties in northwestern Texas.  The Diocese has 49,000 Catholics (12 percent of the total population) in 38 parishes, as of 2015.  The Diocese of Amarillo was established in 1926.

Bishops of Amarillo

Rudolph A. Gerken (1887-1943)

• Born in Iowa and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas in 1917.
• First Bishop of Amarillo (1927-1933). 
• Later served as Archbishop of Santa Fe (1933-1943).

Bishop Gerken’s new Diocese covered 80,000 square miles and had 14 parishes and over 40 missions served by 24 priests.  Bishop Gerken built twenty churches and several schools, hospitals, a college, and other Catholic institutions.  He also established a diocesan Catholic Charities in 1932.  Bishop Gerken was named Archbishop of Santa Fe in 1933.  

Robert E. Lucey (1891-1977)

·         Born in California and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Monterey-Los Angeles in 1916.

·         Bishop of Amarillo (1934-1941).  

·         Later served as Archbishop of San Antonio (1941-1969).

Bishop Lucey worked to achieve social justice for the Mexican-Americans of the Diocese and supported the rights of workers and the formation of labor unions.  He also established a diocesan newspaper and a mission to serve African-American Catholics. Bishop Lucey promoted the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, lay ministry, and the role of women in the Church.  Lucey was named Archbishop of San Antonio in 1941.

Laurence J. Fitzsimon (1895-1958)

·         Born in San Antonio and ordained a priest in 1921 for the Diocese of San Antonio.

·         Bishop of Amarillo (1941-1958).  

Bishop Fitzsimon built churches and other Catholic buildings needed to keep up with the large population growth following World War II.  In the case of the Diocese, this meant a large influx of Hispanics who came to work in area farms.  Forty parishes were established between 1945 and 1965 to primarily serve new Hispanic residents.  He was also noted as an historian and archivist.  Bishop Fitzsimon had an excellent collection of books on Texas, which was donated to the Amarillo Public Library after his death in 1958.  

John L. Morkovsky (1909-1990)

·         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).  

·         Later served as coadjutor bishop of Galveston-Houston (1963-1975), and Bishop of Galveston-Houston (1975-1984).

Bishop Morkovsky built a nursing home was appointed coadjutor bishop of Galveston-Houston in 1963 and later became Bishop of Galveston-Houston.

Lawrence M. DeFalco (1915-1979)

·         Born in Pennsylvania and ordained a priest in 1942 for the Diocese of Dallas.

·         Bishop of Amarillo (1963-1979). 

Bishop DeFalco attended the Second Vatican Council and was responsible for implementing the Council’s decrees within the Diocese.  He established senates for priests and nuns, a Diocesan pastoral council, and a permanent diaconate program.  He built a retirement home for priests, but had to close some schools and other institutions due to economic conditions.  He died in 1979 of pancreatic cancer.

Leroy T. Matthiesen (1921-2010)

·         Born in Olfen, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Amarillo in 1946.

·         Bishop of Amarillo (1980-1997).  

Bishop Matthiesen built a retreat center and a seminary.  He spoke out against the death penalty and encouraged Catholics not to work at a plant that makes nuclear weapons, which won praise from Pax Christi (an international peace organization).  He also continued to pay pensions to former priests defrocked for sexual misconduct.  Bishop Matthiesen retired in 1997.

John W. Yanta (born 1931)

·         Born in Runge, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of San Antonio in 1956.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1994-1997).

·         Bishop of Amarillo (1997-2008).  

Bishop Yanta has been an outspoken opponent of abortion to the point of offering Planned Parenthood employees help in finding other jobs.  Bishop Yanta retired in 2008.

Current Bishop

Patrick J. Zurek was appointed Bishop of Amarillo by Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.  He was born in Sealy, Texas, in 1948 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Austin in 1975.  He previously served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1998-2008).  Bishop Zurek speaks English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Czech.

The Cathedral

St. Mary's Cathedral
1200 S. Washington St.
Amarillo, Texas 79102

The Cathedral is named for Mary, the Mother of God.

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother. To you I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but, in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.

The first Sacred Heart Church was built in 1903 at Fourth and North Polk.  This 1200 square foot building—the first Catholic church in Amarillo—was soon deemed inadequate and a second church of the same name was completed in 1917.  This red brick, Romanesque church was located at the northeast corner of Tyler Street and Ninth Avenue and could seat 350 people.  The church became the first Cathedral for the Diocese of Amarillo in 1926.  Unfortunately, parish membership had fallen to under 25 families by 1974 and the Cathedral was sold the next year (and has since been torn down).  St. Laurence church, located at 2300 North Spring Street in northeast Amarillo, was selected as the Diocese’s Cathedral in 1974.  St. Laurence parish was established in 1955 and the current church was built in 1959.  St. Laurence Cathedral could seat 500 and it was renovated into a noteworthy contemporary church.  In March, 2011, St. Mary’s became the third Cathedral for the Diocese.  St. Mary’s began in 1947 as a chapel of convenience for Sacred Heart Cathedral.  A new church was completed in 1981, but burned to the ground in 2007.  The current modern, brick church was completed in 2010.

Former cathedral of St. Laurence from the parish website.

St. Mary's Cathedral from the parish website.

Before the old Sacred Heart Cathedral was sold, much of its artwork and furnishings were brought to St. Mary’s.  These items include two carved wood angels that are now in the Adoration Chapel, altar stones from Sacred Heart’s three altars, and stained glass windows crafted by the Conrad Schmidt Studios of Milwaukee in 1918. These windows include the Sacred Heart of Jesus window in the internal wall of the bell tower, flanked by the circular windows of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary; the sanctuary windows; the Bethlehem angel window and Easter Sunday Resurrection angel window in the north gathering area; and the Garden of Gethsemane window in the Adoration Chapel.  The rose window in the ceiling over the tabernacle was made and put together from the remaining pieces of glass from other windows damaged prior to the demolition of Sacred Heart.

The Cathedral also has hand-stitched religious tapestries made in New Mexico, a bronze baptismal pool, a pipe organ with 1,200 pipes, and a brick sculpture of the Virgin and Child by a Nebraska artist.

Additional information can be found on the Cathedral’s website, stmarysamarillo.com, and on the Diocesan website, amarillodiocese.org.  The Cathedral is located about a mile southwest of downtown Amarillo and has four weekend masses.                

The first two pictures are from the cathedral's website and the last is from the diocesan website.

Diocese of San Angelo

The diocese consists of 29 counties in southwestern Texas.  The Diocese has 75,000 Catholics (10 percent of the total population) in 45 parishes, as of 2015.  The Diocese of San Angelo was established in 1961.

Bishops of San Angelo

Thomas J. Drury (1908-1992)

·         Born in Ireland and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Amarillo in 1935.

·         First Bishop of San Angelo (1962-1965).  

·         Later served as Bishop of Corpus Christi (1965-1983).

Bishop Drury served briefly in San Angelo before being named Bishop of Corpus Christi in 1965.

Thomas Tschoepe (1915-2009) 

• Born in Pilot Point, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas in 1943.
• Bishop of San Angelo (1966-1969). 
• Later served as Bishop of Dallas (1969-1990).

Bishop Tschoepe served briefly in San Angelo before being named Bishop of Dallas in 1969.

Stephen A. Leven (1905-1983) 

·         Born in Oklahoma and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Oklahoma in 1928.

·         Also served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio (1956-1969).

·         Bishop of San Angelo (1969-1979).  

As a priest in Oklahoma, Leven would preach in public places—public parks, courthouse lawns, or anywhere else—for anyone who would listen.  He also spoke at least six languages.  As bishop, he established the permanent diaconate program in the Diocese (ordaining more than 60 deacons), sought to improve the Diocese’s financial situation and worked to improve religious education at the parish level.  Bishop Leven retired in 1979 due to poor health.

Joseph A. Fiorenza (born 1931)

·         Born in Beaumont, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1954.

·         Bishop of San Angelo (1979-1984).  

·         Later served as Bishop of Galveston-Houston (1984-2004), and first Archbishop of Galveston-Houston (2004-2006).  He also served as president of what is now the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (1998-2001).

Bishop Fiorenza built a retreat center and started a Diocesan newspaper.  He was named Bishop of Galveston-Houston in 1984.

Michael D. Pfeifer, O.M.I. (born 1937)  

·         Born in Alamo, Texas, and ordained a priest for the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1964.

·         Also served as Provincial of the Southern Province of the Oblates (1981-1985).

·         Bishop of San Angelo (1985-2013).

Bishop Pfeifer greatly reduced the number of Diocesan schools due to financial reasons.  He also spoke out against the use of embryonic stem cells.  Bishop Pfeifer retired in 2013.

Current Bishop

Michael J. Sis was appointed Bishop of San Angelo by Pope Francis in 2013.   He was born in New Jersey in 1960 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Austin in 1986.  He previously served as vicar general and moderator of the curia for the Diocese of Austin (2010-2013).

The Cathedral

Cathedral of the Sacred Heart
19 S. Oakes Street
San Angelo, Texas 76903

St. John Eudes was a 17^th Century French priest who preached the loving nature of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  Later in the same century, a French nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque had visions of Jesus revealing that his Sacred Heart was filled with love and mercy for all people.  The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is celebrated on the Friday after the second Sunday after Pentecost.  Many Catholics also show devotion to the Sacred Heart by attending Mass and receiving the Body and Blood of Christ on the first Friday of each month.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of you, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, your tender Mother and ours. 

Sacred Heart parish was established in 1884—the first in San Angelo.  The first church was a red sandstone building dedicated to the Immaculate Conception of Mary.  The current building was built in the first decade of the 20^th Century and is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

From Wikipedia.

Sacred Heart Cathedral is a modern brick building with one spire.  Some additional information can be found on the Cathedral website at sacredheartcathedralsanangelo.org and on the Diocesan website at sanangelodiocese.org.

The Cathedral is located in downtown San Angelo and has four weekend masses, including one in Spanish.

Diocese of Fort Worth

The diocese consists of 28 counties in north central Texas.  The Diocese has 710,000 Catholics (20 percent of the total population) in 89 parishes, as of 2015.  Fort Worth was originally part of the Diocese of Dallas.  In 1953, the name of the diocese was changed to the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth.  Fort Worth became a separate diocese in 1969.

Bishops of Fort Worth

John J. Cassata (1908-1989)

• Born in Galveston and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1932—the second Italian-American to be ordained a priest in Texas.
• Also served as auxiliary bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth (1968-1969).
• First Bishop of Fort Worth (1969-1980). 

Cassata served at Holy Name parish in Houston for 35 years prior to becoming a bishop—12 years as an associate pastor and 23 years as pastor.  As the first Bishop of Fort Worth, Cassata saw the Diocesan population grow from 68,000 to 120,000, and he built a dozen new parishes to meet the growth while maintaining financial stability.  He also was a strong advocate of lay involvement in the Diocese—he established parish councils and an elected Diocesan school board.  He also encouraged his priests to learn to speak Spanish.  He also served as a lieutenant colonel in the Texas State Guard.  He retired in 1980.

Joseph P. Delaney (1934-2005)

·         Born in Massachusetts and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fall River, Massachusetts, in 1960.  About six years later, he became a priest for the Diocese of Brownsville.

·         Bishop of Fort Worth (1981-2005).

Bishop Delaney emphasized the principles of the Second Vatican Council, especially a commitment to the poor, to ecumenism, and to an increased role of the laity in the Church. He also consolidated the diocesan offices and ministries of the Diocese with the opening of the Catholic Center.  Delaney sought to improve pastoral care of Hispanics.  Bishop Delaney died in 2005.

Kevin W. Vann (born 1951)

·         Born in Illinois and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, in 1981.

·         Bishop of Fort Worth (2005-2012).

·         Serves as the Bishop of Orange, California (since 2012).

Bishop Vann ordained ten men to the priesthood in seven years and increased the number of seminarians to thirty.  He established diocesan offices for life issues and for lay ministry.  Vann was appointed Bishop of Orange, California, in 2012.

Current Bishop

Michael Olson was appointed Bishop of Fort Worth by Pope Francis in 2013.  He was born in Illinois in 1966 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Fort Worth in 1994.  He previously served in several positions with the Diocese, including vicar general and as rector for Holy Trinity Seminary at the University of Dallas.

The Cathedral

St. Patrick Cathedral
1206 Throckmorton St.
Fort Worth, Texas  76102

St. Patrick (5^th Century) was from a privileged family in Britain—his grandfather was a priest and his father a deacon.  As a teenager, he was captured by pirates and forced into slavery in Ireland.  He escaped, made his way home, and became a priest.  He was appointed to be the second Bishop of Ireland and went there in about 432.  He had great success in bringing the Irish people to the Catholic faith.  He is one of the patron saints of Ireland.  His feast day is, of course, March 17.

God our Father, you sent Saint Patrick to preach your glory to the people of Ireland. By the help of his prayers, may all Christians proclaim your love to all people. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Fort Worth’s first Catholic parish was established in 1870 and a small frame church dedicated to Saint Stanislaus Kostka was constructed in 1876.  This church was replaced by the current building when it was dedicated to St. Patrick in 1892.  St. Patrick’s became the co-Cathedral of the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth in 1953 and the Cathedral of the Diocese of Fort Worth in 1969.  The Cathedral was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

St. Patrick’s was designed by architect James J. Kane of Fort Worth and constructed of native limestone and modeled after churches in France.  It is the oldest continuously used church building in Fort Worth.  The Cathedral has twin towers that were designed for steeples that were never built.

From Wikipedia.

The Cathedral has hand-painted stained glass windows that were crafted in Germany in 1889.  The Stations of the Cross were installed in 1928 and were carved in Gothic Revival design by an Italian artist.  The Marian altar has a statue of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels, which was carved out of cedar wood by a Mexican artist around 1950.  Our Blessed Mother wears a gold plated crown and an aureola of silver.  She stands upon the angels and the clouds, and her heel crushes the serpent, which holds in his fangs an apple. 

The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a Texas Historic Landmark.  Additional information can be found on the Diocesan website, fwdioc.org, and on the Cathedral website, stpatrickcathedral.org.

St. Patrick is located in downtown Fort Worth and has six weekend masses, including one in Spanish, to serve 2,900 parish families.

From Snipview

Diocese of Lubbock

The diocese consists of 25 counties in northwestern Texas.  The Diocese has 137,000 Catholics (28 percent of the total population) in 65 parishes, as of 2015.  The Diocese of Lubbock was established in 1983.

Bishops of Lubbock

Michael J. Sheehan (born 1939)

• Born in Kansas and ordained a priest in 1964 for the Diocese of Dallas.
• First Bishop of Lubbock (1983-1993). 
• Later served as the Archbishop of Santa Fe (1993-2015). 

Sheehan was named Archbishop of Santa Fe in 1993.

Placido Rodriguez, C.M.F. (born 1940)

• Born in Mexico, moved as a child to Chicago, and ordained a priest for the Order of Claretian Missionaries in 1968.
• Served as auxiliary bishop of Chicago (1983-1994).
• Bishop of Lubbock (1994-2016).   

Bishop Rodriguez responded to a large increase in the number of Catholics in the Diocese by creating two new parishes in Lubbock and expanding several other parishes in the Diocese.  He started a vocations team that resulting in increased vocations to the priesthood and religious life and to 22 new permanent deacons.  He brought additional religious orders to work in the Diocese, including the Dominicans.  Rodriguez focused on greater lay involvement through groups such as the ACTS Retreat Movement, a lay ecclesial ministry program, and RENEW.  He also greatly increased the number of Knights of Columbus councils.  He started a stewardship campaign and a development foundation for the Diocese.  He acquired a hospital, built a Catholic Student Center, and started a Catholic radio station.  Bishop Rodriguez retired in 2016.

Current Bishop

Robert M. Coerver was appointed Bishop of Lubbock by Pope Francis in 2016.  He was born in Dallas in 1954 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Dallas in 1980.  He previously served in several capacities, including pastor, for the Diocese of Dallas.  

The Cathedral

Christ the King Cathedral
4011 54^th Street
Lubbock, Texas  79413

The cathedral’s name refers to Jesus Christ as king of all creation.  As King, all people owe him honor, praise, and fidelity, in all aspects of our lives.  The Feast of Christ the King is celebrated on the last Sunday of the Church year.

O Jesus Christ, I acknowledge you as universal King. All that has been made has been created for You. Exercise all Your rights over me. I renew my Baptismal Vows. I renounce Satan, his pomps and his works; I promise to live as a good Christian. And, in particular do I pledge myself to labor, to the best of my ability, for the triumph of the rights of God and of Your Church. Divine Heart of Jesus, to You do I offer my poor services, laboring that all hearts may acknowledge Your sacred kingship, and that thus the reign of Your peace be established throughout the whole universe. Amen. 

Christ the King was established as Lubbock’s third parish in 1958—a time when the parish buildings were surrounded by cotton fields.  The church building was dedicated in 1968 and extensively remodeled in 1999.  Christ the King was chosen to be the Cathedral for the Diocese of Lubbock when it was created in 1983.

The Cathedral is a modern brick building.  The Stations of the Cross were crafted by Julie Lawrence in 2007 and the stained glass windows were made by Chuck Berg.  An adoration chapel and bell tower were built about 10 years ago.

Both are from the Cathedral's website.

The Cathedral website is ctkcathedral.org and the Diocesan website is catholiclubbock.org.  The Cathedral has four weekend masses to serve 1,300 Mass attendees each week and is located about two miles southwest of downtown Lubbock.  The parish’s school has about 450 students in grades pre-K through 12.

Both are from the Cathedral's website.

Diocese of Laredo

The diocese consists of 7 counties in south central Texas.  The Diocese has 321,000 Catholics (91 percent of the total population) in 32 parishes, as of 2015.  The Diocese of Laredo was established in 2000—it is the youngest diocese in the United States.

Current Bishop

James A. Tamayo was appointed the first Bishop of Laredo by Pope John Paul II in 2000.  He was born in Brownsville in 1949 and ordained a priest for the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1976.  He previously served as a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserve and as auxiliary bishop of Galveston-Houston (1993-2000).

The Cathedral

St. Agustin Cathedral

201 San Agustin Ave.

Laredo, Texas 78040

St. Agustin (or Augustine) of Hippo (354-430) was born a Catholic in what is now Algeria, but in his late teens joined the Manichees, a heretical sect, and about the same time, fathered a son out of wedlock.  He eventually returned to the Church, influenced in part by St. Ambrose, the Bishop of Milan in what is now Italy.  Augustine went on to become one of the greatest theologians—he is their patron saint—author of “Confessions” and “City of God”—books that are still widely read.  He became Bishop of Hippo, in northern Africa, in 395, and was declared one of the four original Doctors of the Church in 1298.  His feast day is August 28.

Glorious St. Augustine, look upon me with compassion, and pray for me to be a worthy child of God our loving Father.  Let me say with you:  too late have I known you, too late have I loved you, so that I may repair my past sinful life by the most ardent, generous love for my divine spouse.  Ask for me a share in your profound humility, that I may ever be little and humble in my eyes, preferring to be made little account of, in order to resemble him, who underwent such deep humiliations for the love of me.  Obtain also for me, unbounded courage and confidence, patience and kindness.  At the hour of death may I go home to my heavenly Father in your dear company and there may we praise almighty God for all eternity.  Amen.

San Agustin was established as a parish in 1762 and is the oldest parish in the Diocese.  The original mud-plastered church was replaced by a stone church in 1789.  Attempts were made to build a new church, but economic and political conditions kept this from happening until the current building was completed in 1872.  The church has been renovated and enlarged several time since then.  San Agustin became the cathedral of the Diocese of Laredo when it was established in 2000.

San Agustin had served briefly as a Cathedral prior to this time.  The Vicariate Apostolic of Brownsville—a missionary diocese—was established in 1874.  The first and second bishops of the vicariate apostolic chose to live in Corpus Christi, rather than Brownsville.  The third, Bishop Peter Verdaguer, moved to Laredo in 1890 and used San Agustin as his cathedral until his death in 1911.

The Cathedral is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The parish was administered by the Oblates of Mary Immaculate from 1922 to 1985.

San Agustin was designed by Father Pierre Yves Keralum in a Gothic Revival style with a 141-foot clock and bell tower.  All the windows have the traditional Gothic shape with stained glass located between structural bays of its masonry walls.  The church was enlarged with a new sanctuary in 1947, and a new baptistery and chapel were built as well.  From 1989 to 1994, the Church was repaired and restored and a new Blessed Sacrament Chapel was built.

From the Diocesan website.

The Diocesan website is dioceseoflaredo.org.  The Cathedral has four weekend masses—three in Spanish and one in English.  The Cathedral is located in downtown Laredo and has an elementary school with about 400 students and a high school with about 400 students.

From Flickr