Pope Names Dallas Priest as Bishop of Lubbock, Texas; Accepts Resignation of Bishop Rodríguez
WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Msgr. Robert Coerver as bishop ofthe Diocese of Lubbock, Texas, and accepted the resignation of Bishop PlácidoRodríguez. Msgr. Coerver serves as a priest in the Diocese of Dallas.
Theappointment and resignation were publicized Tuesday, September 27, inWashington by Msgr. Walter Erbì, Chargé d'Affaires, at the Apostolic Nunciature to the United States.
A native ofDallas, Robert Coerver, 62, was born June 6, 1954. He earned a bachelor'sdegree in philosophy from the University of Dallas, and pursued post-graduatestudies at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), inRome. Bishop-elect Coerver also holds a licentiate in spiritual theology fromthe Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome and a master's degree in counselingand guidance from Texas A "& M University. He was ordained a priest inthe Diocese of Dallas in 1980.
Assignmentsafter ordination included: parochial vicar, St. Elizabeth of Hungary Parish,Dallas, 1981-1982; parochial vicar, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Plano,1982-1985; director of Spiritual Formation, Holy Trinity Seminary, 1985-1996;diocesan director, Spiritual Development of Priests, Dallas, 1996; diocesandirector, Committee for Ongoing Formation of Priests, Dallas 1996-2004; pastor,Our Lady of the Lake Parish, Rockwall, 2005-2010; and pastor of St. RitaParish, Dallas, 2010 to present.
In 2004, PopeJohn Paul II named him a prelate of honor with the title of monsignor.
Bishop-electCoerver also has served the Diocese of Dallas in other assigned appointmentsincluding: vicar forane from 2007-2013, member, College of Consultors,2007-present and member of the Presbyteral Council, Diocese of Dallas, 2008 topresent.
Bishop Rodríguez,who has headed the Diocese of Lubbock since 1994, is 75. Bishop Rodríguezwas born in Guanajuato, Mexico in 1940. He was ordained a priest on May 23,1968, and was appointed auxiliary bishop of Chicago in 1983. On April 5, 1994,he was appointed bishop of Lubbock and was installed on June 1, 1994.
The Diocese ofLubbock comprises 23,382 square miles in the state of Texas. It has apopulation of 494,458 people of whom 136,894, or 28 percent, areCatholic. ---Keywords:USCCB, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, Holy See, Diocese of Lubbock,Diocese of Dallas, Bishop Plácido Rodríguez, Bishop-elect Robert Coerver,Apostolic Nunciature, Pope Francis# # #MEDIA CONTACT:Judy KeaneO:202-541-3206