Archbishop Daniel DiNardo resigns, Pope Francis appoints Joe S. Vásquez

The Brief

• Pope Francis has appointed Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, as the ninth Archbishop of Galveston-Houston.

• At the same time, Pope Frances announced his acceptance of Daniel Cardinal DiNardo’s resignation.

• Archbishop-Designate Vásquez will be installed as the ninth Archbishop of Galveston-Houston on March 25, 2025, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas.

HOUSTON - Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the eighth Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Daniel Nicholas DiNardo, on Monday, according to the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Office for Communications.

Archbishop Daniel Nicholas DiNardo resigns

What we know

DiNardo resigned from the pastoral governance of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

He has served as the archbishop of Galveston-Houston since 2006. Before that, he served as the bishop of Sioux City in Iowa from 1997 to 2004.

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What we don't know

There has been no information about why DiNardo submitted his resignation.

Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez

As Pope Francis announced the resignation of DiNardo, he announced his appointment of Joe S. Vásquez, Bishop of Austin, as the ninth Archbishop of Galveston-Houston.

About Archbishop Vásquez

Archbishop-Designate Vásquez, 67, was ordained for the Diocese of San Angelo in 1984. He has served as a priest for more than 40 years. On January 23, 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 served in this local church for eight years until his appointment in 2010 as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Austin.

Bishop Vásquez was the first priest of the Diocese of San Angelo to be named a bishop.

He was born to native Texans who descended from a line of migrant workers who picked cotton and vegetables around San Antonio, before following work migration to the Abilene area.

What's next

Archbishop-Designate Vásquez will be installed as the ninth Archbishop of Galveston-Houston on March 25, 2025, at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston, Texas.

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston serves 1.8 million Catholics in 10 counties. It is the largest Roman Catholic diocese in Texas and the 5th largest in the United States.

What they're saying

"I am delighted by the appointment of Bishop Vásquez as the next Archbishop of Galveston-Houston," said Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. "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 Vasquez said. "With God’s grace I pledge to serve the needs of this local church to the best of my ability."

The Source

Information in this article is from the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston Office for Communications.