Pope Names Auxiliary Bishop Joe S. Vasquez as Bishop of Austin, Texas

WASHINGTON—Pope Benedict XVI has named Auxiliary Bishop Joe S. Vasquez of Galveston-Houston, 52, as bishop of Austin, Texas, succeeding Archbishop Gregory Aymond, who was named archbishop of New Orleans, June 12, 2009.

The appointment was made public in Washington, January 26, by Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Joe S. Vasquez was born in Stamford, Texas, July 9, 1957. He attended the University of St. Thomas in Houston, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in theology, and the Gregorian University, Rome, where he earned a licentiate in sacred theology. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of San Angelo, Texas in 1984.

After ordination to the priesthood, Bishop Vasquez served for 12 years, 1985-1997, at St. Joseph Church in Fort Stockton, Texas, the first two years as parochial vicar and the last 10 as pastor. In 1997, he was named pastor of St. Joseph Church, San Angelo.

In 2001, he was named auxiliary bishop of Galveston-Houston.

The Diocese of Austin has 19,511 square miles. It has a population of 2,629,192 people, with 458,612, or 18 per cent, of them Catholic.