HOUSTON — There’s a big change at the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo and appointed his successor.
Reverend Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, was tapped to be the ninth person to hold that position. Both the resignation and appointment were announced on Monday morning.
Archbishop-Designate Vásquez, 67, was ordained for the Diocese of San Angelo in 1984. He has served as a priest for more than four decades. According to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, back in 2002, he became the nation’s youngest active bishop when he was ordained an Auxiliary Bishop for Galveston-Houston at the age of 44. He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Austin in 2010, where he spent the last 15 years until this latest appointment.
“I am delighted by the appointment of Bishop Vásquez as the next Archbishop of Galveston-Houston,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo in a release sent out Monday morning. “I give gratitude to the Holy Father for naming an experienced, prayerful, and humble Shepherd to lead this local Church.”
“I am grateful to God for bestowing this responsibility on me and I am humbled by this appointment,” Archbishop-Designate Vásquez said. “With God’s grace, I pledge to serve the needs of this local church to the best of my ability.”
Cardinal DiNardo was named coadjutor bishop of Galveston-Houston in January of 2004 according to his online bio and succeeded Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza in February of 2006. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals in November of 2007 at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.