Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler
Diocese of Tyler Dioecesis Tylerensis | |
---|---|
Location | |
Country | United States |
Territory | 33 counties in Eastern Texas |
Ecclesiastical province | Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston |
Population - Catholics | 55,934 (4.7%) |
Information | |
Denomination | Catholic |
Sui iuris church | Latin Church |
Rite | Roman Rite |
Established | February 24, 1987 |
Cathedral | Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception |
Patron saint | Immaculate Conception[1] |
Current leadership | |
Pope | Francis |
Bishop | Joseph Strickland |
Metropolitan Archbishop | Daniel DiNardo Archbishop of Galveston-Houston |
Map | |
Website | |
dioceseoftyler.org |
The Diocese of Tyler (Latin: Dioecesis Tylerensis) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in eastern Texas in the United States. The episcopal see is Tyler, and the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler is its mother church.
The Diocese of Tyler is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
History
1690 to 1986
The first Catholic mission in Texas, then part of the Spanish Empire, was San Francisco de los Tejas. It was founded by Franciscan Father Damián Massanet in 1690 in the Weches area. The priests left the mission after three years, then established a second mission, Nuestro Padre San Francisco de los Tejas. near present-day Alto in 1716.[2]
In 1839, after the 1836 founding of the Texas Republic, Pope Gregory XVI erected the prefecture apostolic of Texas, covering its present-day area. By the 1840s, missionaries were visiting Clarksville and Nacogdoches. The prefecture was elevated to a vicariate apostolic in 1846, the year that Texas became an American state. On May 4, 1847, Pope Pius IX elevated the vicariate into the Diocese of Galveston.[3] Marshall received its first missionary visit in 1853. The Tyler area would remain part of several Texas dioceses for the next 139 years.
1986 to present
Pope John Paul II founded the Diocese of Tyler on December 12, 1986, and erected on February 24, 1987.[2] He appointed Reverend Charles Herzig of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston as its first bishop. Herzig died in 1991. In 1992, John Paul II appointed Auxiliary Bishop Edmond Carmody as bishop of Tyler.[4] The pope named Carmondy as bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 2000.
Auxiliary Bishop Álvaro Corrada del Río from the Archdiocese of Washington was named bishop of Tyler by John Paul II in 2001. Pope Benedict XVI appointed del Rio as bishop of the Diocese of Mayagüez in 2011.
Monsignor Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Dallas was named bishop of Tyler by Benedict XVI in 2011. Strickland is the first native East Texan to head the diocese.[5]
In June 2023, it was revealed that the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome had completed an apostolic visitation to the diocese. It was conducted by Bishop Emeritus Gerald Kicanas and Bishop Dennis Sullivan. Visitations are frequently a prelude to disciplinary action by the Vatican against a bishop.[6]
Pope Francis relieved Bishop Strickland from the pastoral governance of the diocese on November 11, 2023.[7]
Sex abuse
Reverend Gustavo Cuello was arrested in 1997 on charges of raping a 13-year-old altar girl. The victim said that he attacked her once or twice a week for six months. After posting bail, Cuello fled to his native Ecuador. In 2003, Ecuador extradited him back to the United States. At trial, Cuello pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.[8] He was laicized by the Vatican in 2006.[9]
In February 2019, the diocese published a list of three priests associated with the diocese that had credible accusations of sexual abuse of minors. Only one priest, Cuello, had allegations reported within the diocese.[10]
Bishops
Bishops of Tyler
- Charles Edwin Herzig (1986–1991)
- Edmond Carmody (1992–2000), appointed Bishop of Corpus Christi
- Álvaro Corrada del Río, S.J. (2000–2011), appointed Bishop of Mayagüez in Puerto Rico
- Joseph E. Strickland (2012–2023)
- Joe S. Vásquez, administrator (2023)
Other diocesan priest who became bishop
- Eduardo Alanis Nevares, appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Phoenix in 2010
Geography
The Diocese of Tyler comprises the following 33 counties in east and northeast Texas:
Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Lamar, Leon, Madison, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.
The parishes are grouped into six deaneries for administrative purposes: Northwest, West Central, Southwest, Northeast, Southeast, East Central.
Education
High schools
- Bishop T. K. Gorman High School, Tyler
- St. Mary's Catholic School, Longview
- St. Boniface Catholic Classical High School, Nacogdoches
See also
- Catholic Church by country
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Ecclesiastical Province of Galveston-Houston
- Global organisation of the Catholic Church
- List of Roman Catholic archdioceses (by country and continent)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (alphabetical) (including archdioceses)
- List of Roman Catholic dioceses (structured view) (including archdioceses)
- List of the Catholic dioceses of the United States
References
- ^ https://www.dioceseoftyler.org/images/documents/constitution-pdf.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b Texas Almanac-Diocese of Tyler
- ^ "History". Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston. Archived from the original on 2012-04-15. Retrieved 2016-03-23.
- ^ "Bishop Edmond Carmody". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2010-04-16.
- ^ Hoeffner, Rebecca. "First East Texas native to oversee diocese". Tyler Morning Telegraph. Retrieved 5 December 2012.
- ^ CNA. "UPDATE: Vatican-ordered investigation targets Bishop Strickland of Tyler, Texas". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ "Pope Francis Relieves Bishop Joseph Strickland from Pastoral Governance of the Diocese of Tyler and Appoints Bishop Joe Vásquez as Apostolic Administrator Sede Vacante | USCCB". www.usccb.org. Retrieved 2023-11-11.
- ^ "GUSTAVO CUELLO: Ex-Tyler priest serving life sentence for sex abuse". cbs19.tv. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ "Permanently Dismissed Diocese Removes Former Priest, Tyler Morning Telegraph, November 18, 2006". www.bishop-accountability.org. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
- ^ CAMPBELLlcampbell@tylerpaper.com, LOUANNA (2019-02-01). "3 priests who served Tyler diocese on list of accused". TylerPaper.com. Retrieved 2023-07-18.