Mariano Simon Garriga
Encyclopedia
Mariano Simon Garriga was an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Corpus Christi
from 1949 until his death in 1965.
, Texas
, to Frank and Elizabeth (née Baker) Garriga. He studied at St. Mary College in Kansas City
, Kansas
, and at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee
, Wisconsin
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
on July 2, 1911. He then served as assistant chancellor
of the Archdiocese of San Antonio
until 1912, when he became a curate
in Marfa
.
In 1915 he was named vice-rector
of St. John Seminary in San Antonio
. He served as a chaplain
to the National Guard during World War I
, training with the 36th Infantry Division. From 1919 to 1936, he was pastor
of St. Cecilia Church in San Antonio. He also served as president of Incarnate Word College
. He was a professor
at St. John Seminary from 1921 to 1936, and became historian
of the San Antonio Archdiocese in 1926. He was raised to the rank of Papal Chamberlain
in October 1934, and a Domestic Prelate
in September 1935.
On June 20, 1936, Garriga was appointed Coadjutor Bishop
of Corpus Christi
and Titular Bishop
of Syene
by Pope Pius XI
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following September 21 from Archbishop Arthur Jerome Drossaerts
, with Bishops Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina
and Aloisius Joseph Muench
serving as co-consecrators
. He was the first Catholic bishop of a Texas diocese to be born in the state. In addition to his episcopal duties, he served as pastor of St. Peter Church in Laredo
(1936-1948). Upon the resignation of Bishop Ledvina, Garriga succeed him as the third Bishop of Corpus Christi
on March 15, 1949. During his 16-year-long tenure, he founded a minor seminary
in 1960 and established several parochial school
s.
Garriga later died at age 78. He is buried in the crypt
of Corpus Christi Cathedral.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on March 23, 1912.The past bishops of the diocese are:*Dominic Manucy *Peter Verdaguer y Prat...
from 1949 until his death in 1965.
Biography
Mariano Garriga was born in Port IsabelPort Isabel, Texas
Port Isabel is a city in Cameron County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Brownsville–Harlingen–Raymondville and the Matamoros–Brownsville metropolitan areas...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, to Frank and Elizabeth (née Baker) Garriga. He studied at St. Mary College in Kansas City
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, and at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
on July 2, 1911. He then served as assistant chancellor
Chancellor (ecclesiastical)
Two quite distinct officials of some Christian churches have the title Chancellor.*In some churches, the Chancellor of a diocese is a lawyer who represents the church in legal matters....
of the Archdiocese of San Antonio
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio encompasses in Texas.The archdiocese includes the city of San Antonio and the following counties: Val Verde, Edwards, Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Uvalde, Kinney, Medina, Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, Frio, Atascosa, and McMullen.On...
until 1912, when he became a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
in Marfa
Marfa, Texas
Marfa is a town in the high desert of far West Texas in the Southwestern United States. Located between the Davis Mountains and Big Bend National Park, it is also the county seat of Presidio County. The population was 1,981 at the 2010 census....
.
In 1915 he was named vice-rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. John Seminary in San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
. He served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to the National Guard during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, training with the 36th Infantry Division. From 1919 to 1936, he was pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of St. Cecilia Church in San Antonio. He also served as president of Incarnate Word College
University of the Incarnate Word
The University of the Incarnate Word is a private Catholic university located within the cities of San Antonio and Alamo Heights in Texas, United States....
. He was a professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
at St. John Seminary from 1921 to 1936, and became historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
of the San Antonio Archdiocese in 1926. He was raised to the rank of Papal Chamberlain
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in October 1934, and a Domestic Prelate
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
in September 1935.
On June 20, 1936, Garriga was appointed Coadjutor Bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
of Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on March 23, 1912.The past bishops of the diocese are:*Dominic Manucy *Peter Verdaguer y Prat...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Syene
Aswan
Aswan , formerly spelled Assuan, is a city in the south of Egypt, the capital of the Aswan Governorate.It stands on the east bank of the Nile at the first cataract and is a busy market and tourist centre...
by Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI
Pope Pius XI , born Ambrogio Damiano Achille Ratti, was Pope from 6 February 1922, and sovereign of Vatican City from its creation as an independent state on 11 February 1929 until his death on 10 February 1939...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following September 21 from Archbishop Arthur Jerome Drossaerts
Arthur Jerome Drossaerts
Arthur Jerome Drossaerts was a Dutch-born American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of San Antonio from 1918 until his death.-Biography:...
, with Bishops Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina
Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina
Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Corpus Christi from 1921 to 1949.-Biography:...
and Aloisius Joseph Muench
Aloisius Joseph Muench
Aloisius Joseph Muench was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Fargo from 1935 to 1959, and as Apostolic Nuncio to Germany from 1951 to 1959...
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He was the first Catholic bishop of a Texas diocese to be born in the state. In addition to his episcopal duties, he served as pastor of St. Peter Church in Laredo
Laredo, Texas
Laredo is the county seat of Webb County, Texas, United States, located on the north bank of the Rio Grande in South Texas, across from Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 236,091 making it the 3rd largest on the United States-Mexican border,...
(1936-1948). Upon the resignation of Bishop Ledvina, Garriga succeed him as the third Bishop of Corpus Christi
Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Corpus Christi is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on March 23, 1912.The past bishops of the diocese are:*Dominic Manucy *Peter Verdaguer y Prat...
on March 15, 1949. During his 16-year-long tenure, he founded a minor seminary
Minor seminary
A minor seminary is a secondary boarding school created for the specific purpose of enrolling teenage boys who have expressed interest in becoming priests. They are generally Roman Catholic institutions, and designed to prepare boys both academically and spiritually for vocations to the priesthood...
in 1960 and established several parochial school
Parochial school
A parochial school is a school that provides religious education in addition to conventional education. In a narrower sense, a parochial school is a Christian grammar school or high school which is part of, and run by, a parish.-United Kingdom:...
s.
Garriga later died at age 78. He is buried in the crypt
Crypt
In architecture, a crypt is a stone chamber or vault beneath the floor of a burial vault possibly containing sarcophagi, coffins or relics....
of Corpus Christi Cathedral.