Pope Names Texas Priest as Bishop of Tulsa, Accepts Resignation of Bishop Slattery

 WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Father David Konderla, 55, as bishop of Tulsa, Oklahoma, and accepted the resignation of Bishop Edward Slattery, 75, from the pastoral governance of that diocese. Father Konderla is a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Texas.  

The appointment was publicized in Washington, May 13, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

David Konderla was born June 3, 1960, in Bryan, Texas. He attended the Holy Trinity Seminary of the University of Dallas, where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in history. He also pursued studies at St. Mary's Seminary of St. Thomas University, Houston, earning a master's degree in divinity. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Austin on June 3, 1995.

Assignments after ordination included parochial vicar, St. Louis Catholic Church, Austin, Texas, 1995-1997; parochial vicar, St. Luke Catholic Church, Temple, Texas, 1997; parochial vicar, St. Mary's Catholic Center at Texas A"&M, College Station, Texas, 1997-2001; vocations director, Diocese of Austin, 2001-2005; pastor and director of Campus Ministry, St. Mary's Catholic Center at Texas A"&M University in College Station, Texas, 2005- present.

Other diocesan assignments include: member, priests' personnel board, 2004-2011; member, vocations team, 2006; member, presbyteral council (2008-present) and interim presbyteral council (2010); member, College of Consultors, Austin, Texas.

Bishop Edward J. Slattery was born August 11, 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, and was ordained a priest of Chicago, Illinois, on April 26, 1966. Pope John Paul II named him bishop of Tulsa on November 11, 1993. He was ordained a bishop on January 6, 1994 and was installed six days later.  

The Diocese of Tulsa covers 26,417 square miles in the state of Oklahoma. It has a total population of 1,650,000 of which 64,658 or four percent, are Catholic.
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