Archbishop Daniel Nicholas DiNardo / X (Left), Diocese of Austin / Facebook (Right)
CV NEWS FEED // Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of Austin to be the new archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Texas, according to a Jan. 20 press release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The Pope has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, 75, apostolic nuncio to the United States Cardinal Christophe Pierre announced in the release.
“I am delighted by the appointment of Bishop Vásquez as the next Archbishop of Galveston-Houston,” Cardinal DiNardo said, according to KHOU 11, a Houston affiliate of CBS. “I give gratitude to the Holy Father for naming an experienced, prayerful, and humble Shepherd to lead this local Church.”
Bishops step down upon reaching the age of 75, according to standard practice. Cardinal DiNardo has held the position of archbishop of Galveston-Houston, the largest diocese in the state, since 2007. He also served as the president of the USCCB from 2016 to 2019.
“I am grateful to God for bestowing this responsibility on me and I am humbled by this appointment,” Bishop Vásquez said, according to KHOU 11. “With God’s grace, I pledge to serve the needs of this local church to the best of my ability.”
Bishop Vásquez currently serves as a consultant to the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities and as lead bishop for Region X for the V National Encounter for Hispanic/Latino Ministry (V Encuentro).
The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston spans 8,880 square miles in Texas and serves a total population of approximately 7,562,448, which includes about 1.7 million Catholics.
