AUSTIN, Texas — Major changes will come to the Austin archdiocese in the next few months.
Bishop Joe S. Vásquez has been appointed the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, replacing retiring Cardinal Daniel DiNardo.
Pope Francis appointed Vásquez on Monday after he was appointed the fifth Bishop of Austin in 2010. Vásquez had been a priest for more than 40 years before being ordained a bishop in 2002.
A West Texas native, Vásquez will return to Houston, where he attended the University of St. Thomas in 1976. He also served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston between 2002 and 2010.
Archbishop-Designate Vásquez shared the following statement, in part, following the announcement:
“I am grateful to Pope Francis who has named me the 9th bishop of the archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and the third archbishop … I am also profoundly grateful to our Holy Father for allowing me to serve the faithful of the Diocese of Austin for 15 years. The opportunity to serve this diocese, in collaboration with the priests, deacons, women and men religious, and lay faithful across the twenty-five counties of Central Texas, helping others encounter Christ in his Church, has been a journey I will always cherish.”
Vásquez cited three priorities as he takes over:
- Taking care of families in the church
- Focusing on younger members, in part through campus ministries at Texas A&M, the University of Texas, Baylor and Texas State University
- Adding additional priests
In the meantime, Vásquez will remain in Austin for the next few months before starting his new role on March 25, 2025, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in downtown Houston.
If a new bishop has not been named for Austin before Vásquez departs, a Diocesan Administrator will be chosen to govern the diocese until a new bishop is selected.