Pope Names Austin, Texas Vicar General Garcia Auxiliary Bishop of Austin Diocese

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Father Daniel E. Garcia, a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, auxiliary bishop of Austin. Father Garcia, 54, is currently the vicar general of the diocese and moderator of the curia.

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Father Daniel E. Garcia, a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, auxiliary bishop of Austin. Father Garcia, 54, is currently the vicar general of the diocese and moderator of the curia.

The appointment was publicized in Washington, January 21, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Daniel Elias Garcia was born in Cameron, Texas, in 1960. He earned an associate of arts degree from the Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas (1982) and a bachelor’s degree in philosophy (1984) and a master of divinity (1988) from St. Mary’s Seminary at the University of St. Thomas in Houston. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 28, 1988.

Following ordination, his pastoral assignments included parochial vicar of St. Catherine of Sienna Parish (1988-1990), Cristo Rey Church (1990-1991) and St. Louis Parish (1991-1992), all in Austin; parochial vicar of St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Humble, Texas (1992-1995); and pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Austin (1995-2014).

His responsibilities for the Diocese of Austin have included master of ceremonies for the bishop, member of the vocation team, vocation director, member of the diocesan liturgical committee, member of the diaconal advisory committee and chair of the pastoral practices committee of the presbyteral council. He served as dean of the Austin North Deanery, a member of the interim presbyteral council and presbyteral council, and a member of the college of consultors.

In 2007, He earned a master’s in liturgical studies from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.

Bishop-elect Garcia has been a member of the priests’ personnel board since 2011. In March 2014, he became vicar general and moderator of the curia.

The Diocese of Austin comprises 21,066 square miles in the state of Texas. It has a total population of 2,974,659 people of which 549,420, or 18 percent, are Catholic. The bishop of Austin since 2010 is Bishop Joe S. Vásquez.
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Keywords: Pope Francis, bishop appointment, Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, auxiliary bishop, Diocese of Austin, Texas, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, vicar general, moderator of curia

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