Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Encyclopedia
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, USA, was established August 9, 1969, after being part of the Diocese of Dallas
for 79 years. At present, the Diocese has more than 560,000 Catholics in 89 parishes and missions, served by 123 priests, 110 deacons, 24 sisters, and 5 brothers. It is made up of 28 counties of North Central Texas
: Archer
, Baylor
, Bosque
, Clay
, Comanche
, Cooke
, Denton
, Eastland
, Erath
, Foard
, Hardeman
, Hill, Hood, Jack
, Johnson
, Knox
, Montague
, Palo Pinto
, Parker
, Shackelford
, Somervell
, Stephens
, Tarrant
, Throckmorton
, Wichita
, Wilbarger
, Wise
, and Young
with a total of 23,950 mi².
and Trinity
rivers had grown large enough that Pope Leo XIII
established the Diocese of Dallas
. As early as 1870 Claude Marie Dubuis
, the second bishop of Galveston (which diocese encompassed all of Texas at that time), had begun sending Father Vincent Perrier twice a year to visit Fort Worth
. At that time several Catholic families were meeting in the Carrico home. Fort Worth’s first parish church was a frame structure built at 1212 Throckmorton Street and called St. Stanislaus Church. It stood until 1907. The cornerstone of St. Patrick’s Church, which eventually became St. Patrick Cathedral, was laid in 1888; the church was built just north of St. Stanislaus Church and dedicated in 1892. When Dallas was made a diocese the region that eventually became the Diocese of Fort Worth had seven parishes – Fort Worth, Cleburne
, Gainesville
, Henrietta
, Hillsboro
, Muenster
, and Weatherford
.
The decade of the 1870s witnessed the earliest Catholic education in the area. In 1879 Father Thomas Loughrey, pastor of St. Stanislaus Church, opened a boy’s school that operated in the church until 1907. In 1885 the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur established Saint Ignatius Academy in Fort Worth and Xavier Academy in Denison
. In 1910 the same order of nuns founded Fort Worth’s first Catholic college, Our Lady of Victory College. Other Catholic schools opened in Denton
(1874) Weatherford (1880), Muenster (1890 and 1895), Gainesville (1892), Pilot Point
(1893), and Cleburne (1896). St. Joseph’s Infirmary (now St. Joseph's Hospital) opened in 1885 in Fort Worth.
In 1953 Pope Pius XII
changed the name of the Diocese of Dallas to Diocese of Dallas–Fort Worth, and Saint Patrick’s Church in Fort Worth was elevated to the status of a co-cathedral. In 1985 St. Patrick Cathedral, St. Ignatius Church, and the St. Ignatius rectory were added to the National Register of Historic Places
.
On August 22, 1969, Pope Paul VI
separated 28 counties of north central Texas from the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and established it as the Diocese of Fort Worth. Two months later, on October 21, Bishop John J. Cassatta, a native of Galveston
, was installed in St. Patrick Cathedral as Fort Worth’s first ordinary. From 1969, when the Diocese of Fort Worth was established, to 1986 the Catholic population increased from 67,000 to 120,000. Meanwhile, in 1981 Bishop Cassata retired, and Pope John Paul II
named as his successor a native of Massachusetts
who had previously worked in Brownsville
, Bishop Joseph P. Delaney.
Under Bishop Delaney the diocese continued to mature. In 1986, it had fourteen primary schools, three secondary schools, the Cassata Learning Center (dedicated in 1975 as an institution offering nontraditional, personalized instruction to the underprivileged of Fort Worth), and a new Catholic Center. The center, a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) edifice, brought together under one roof all of the pastoral and administrative offices of the diocese. Guided by Bishop Delaney, the diocese continued to underscore the principles of the Second Vatican Council
, especially a commitment to the poor, to ecumenism
, and to an increased role in the church for the laity. In May 2005, Pope Benedict XVI
appointed Msgr. Kevin Vann as coadjutor bishop. A coadjutor bishop has right of succession upon the death or retirement of a bishop. On July 12, 2005, Bishop Delaney was found dead at his home, apparently passing away in his sleep. On July 13, 2005, Kevin Vann was ordained bishop as previously scheduled and, because of Bishop Delaney's death, immediately assumed the cathedra of the Diocese.
for 35 years, and as vicar general.
He was appointed by Pope Paul VI
as Auxiliary to Bishop Thomas K. Gorman of the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth on March 12, 1968, and ordained a bishop at St. Michael's Church in Houston on June 5, 1968. Bishop Cassata served, as auxiliary bishop, for one year as pastor of St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral in Fort Worth. On August 9, 1969, the new Diocese of Fort Worth was created and he was appointed its first bishop.
During his 13 years of episcopal ministry, Bishop Cassata brought financial stability to the new diocese, established twelve parishes and encouraged lay and priestly ministry. He retired from active ministry on September 12, 1981, and died September 8, 1989.
on August 29, 1934. He studied for the priesthood in seminaries in Boston, Washington
, and Rome
, and was ordained a priest on December 18, 1960 for the Diocese of Fall River.
After serving six years as associate pastor, high school teacher, and assistant superintendent of schools in Taunton, Massachusetts
, he received permission of his bishop to work in the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas. He served in that diocese as an associate pastor, the pastor of two parishes, superintendent of schools, editor of the diocesan newspaper, judicial vicar, and co-chancellor.
Bishop Delaney was named the second bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth by Pope John Paul II
on July 10, 1981, and was ordained to the episcopacy in the Tarrant County Convention Center
on September 13, 1981.
He led the Diocese of Fort Worth for many years and greatly expanded diocesan services offered to Catholics. He died on July 12, 2005. After his death, documents were released by state District Judge
Len Wade which revealed that Delaney had been aware of sex abuse
in the Fort Worth Diocese.
, was ordained a priest of that diocese in 1981. He served as the vicar for priests of the diocese, served as the bishop’s contact for Hispanic Ministry and on the diocesan Committee for Hispanic Ministry, the Commission for the Care of Infirm and Retired Priests, the Priests’ Personnel Board, and on the Presbyteral Council. He was ordained Bishop on Wednesday July 13 of 2005 at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum at Texas Christian University by Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez
of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, Bishop George Joseph Lucas
of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, and Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis; he was to have been coadjutor, but because of Bishop Delaney's death the previous day, he became bishop of the diocese immediately.
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
for 79 years. At present, the Diocese has more than 560,000 Catholics in 89 parishes and missions, served by 123 priests, 110 deacons, 24 sisters, and 5 brothers. It is made up of 28 counties of North Central Texas
North Texas
North Texas is a distinct cultural and geographic area forming the central-northeastern section of the U.S. state of Texas. North Texas is generally considered to include the area south of Oklahoma, east of Abilene, and north of Waco...
: Archer
Archer County, Texas
Archer County is a county located in the US state of Texas, and was formed in 1858 from Fannin County. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2005, the population estimate is 9,095, up from 8,854 in 2000. Its county seat is Archer City. Archer is named for...
, Baylor
Baylor County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,093 people, 1,791 households, and 1,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile . There were 2,820 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
, Bosque
Bosque County, Texas
Bosque County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population is 17,204. Its county seat is Meridian. Clifton, however, is the largest city and the cultural/financial center of the county. Bosque is named for the Bosque River, which runs through...
, Clay
Clay County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,006 people, 4,323 households, and 3,181 families residing in the county. The population density was 10 people per square mile . There were 4,992 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile...
, Comanche
Comanche County, Texas
Comanche County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in Central Texas. In 2000, its population was 14,026. Comanche was founded in 1856. Comanche is named for the Comanche Native American tribe...
, Cooke
Cooke County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,363 people, 13,643 households, and 10,000 families residing in the county. The population density was 42 people per square mile . There were 15,061 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
, Denton
Denton County, Texas
Denton County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 432,976; in 2009 the estimated population had reached 628,300. Part of the Dallas – Fort Worth Metroplex, it is one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States. The county seat is Denton. The county...
, Eastland
Eastland County, Texas
*Carbon*Cisco*Desdemona, a ghost town*Eastland*Gorman*Mangum*Olden*Ranger*Rising Star*Romney-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Eastland County, Texas*Santa Claus Bank Robbery-External links:** at the University of Texas*...
, Erath
Erath County, Texas
Erath County is a county located on the Edwards Plateau in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 33,001. It is named for George Bernard Erath, an early surveyor and a soldier at the Battle of San Jacinto. The seat of the county is Stephenville....
, Foard
Foard County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,622 people, 664 households, and 438 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 850 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
, Hardeman
Hardeman County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,724 people, 1,943 households, and 1,319 families residing in the county. The population density was 7 people per square mile . There were 2,358 housing units at an average density of 3 per square mile...
, Hill, Hood, Jack
Jack County, Texas
*Bryson*Jacksboro*Jermyn *Joplin *Perrin *Gibtown-See also:*National Register of Historic Places listings in Jack County, Texas-External links:*...
, Johnson
Johnson County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 126,811 people, 43,636 households, and 34,428 families residing in the county. The population density was 174 people per square mile . There were 46,269 housing units at an average density of 63 per square mile...
, Knox
Knox County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,253 people, 1,690 households, and 1,166 families residing in the county. The population density was 5 people per square mile . There were 2,129 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
, Montague
Montague County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 19,117 people, 7,770 households, and 5,485 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 9,862 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
, Palo Pinto
Palo Pinto County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 27,026 people, 10,594 households, and 7,447 families residing in the county. The population density was 28 people per square mile . There were 14,102 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile...
, Parker
Parker County, Texas
As of the census of 2003, there were 98,495 people, 31,131 households, and 24,313 families residing in the county. The population density was 98 people per square mile . There were 34,084 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, Shackelford
Shackelford County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,302 people, 1,300 households, and 941 families residing in the county. The population density was 4 people per square mile . There were 1,613 housing units at an average density of 2 per square mile...
, Somervell
Somervell County, Texas
There were 2,438 households out of which 37.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.70% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.50% were non-families. 21.30% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.20% had...
, Stephens
Stephens County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 9,674 people, 3,661 households, and 2,591 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile . There were 4,893 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile...
, Tarrant
Tarrant County, Texas
Tarrant County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, it had a population of 1,809,034. Its county seat is Fort Worth. Tarrant County is the sixteenth most populous county in the United States and the third most populous in Texas. The county is named in honor...
, Throckmorton
Throckmorton County, Texas
-2010 census:As of the census of 2010, there were 1,641 people. There were 1,079 housing units, 358 of which were vacant. The racial makeup of the county was 94.8% White , 0.1% Black or African American , 0.7% Native American , 0.4% Asian , 2.6% from other races , and 0.8% from two or more races...
, Wichita
Wichita County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 131,664 people, 48,441 households, and 32,891 families residing in the county. The population density was 210 people per square mile . There were 53,304 housing units at an average density of 85 per square mile...
, Wilbarger
Wilbarger County, Texas
*Harrold *Odell *Oklaunion *Vernon-Notable natives and residents:*Jack English Hightower, Memphis, Texas, native; former member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature, and former U.S...
, Wise
Wise County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 48,793 people, 17,178 households, and 13,467 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 19,242 housing units at an average density of 21 per square mile...
, and Young
Young County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,943 people, 7,167 households, and 5,081 families residing in the county. The population density was 20 people per square mile . There were 8,504 housing units at an average density of 9 per square mile...
with a total of 23,950 mi².
History
In 1890 Catholic population of the area of the BrazosBrazos River
The Brazos River, called the Rio de los Brazos de Dios by early Spanish explorers , is the longest river in Texas and the 11th longest river in the United States at from its source at the head of Blackwater Draw, Curry County, New Mexico to its mouth at the Gulf of Mexico with a drainage...
and Trinity
Trinity River (Texas)
The Trinity River is a long river that flows entirely within the U.S. state of Texas. It rises in extreme north Texas, a few miles south of the Red River. The headwaters are separated by the high bluffs on the south side of the Red River....
rivers had grown large enough that Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII , born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci to an Italian comital family, was the 256th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, reigning from 1878 to 1903...
established the Diocese of Dallas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on July 15, 1890 by Pope Leo XIII. The diocese's cathedral is the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe....
. As early as 1870 Claude Marie Dubuis
Claude Marie Dubuis
Claude Marie Dubuis was a French-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Galveston from 1862 to 1892....
, the second bishop of Galveston (which diocese encompassed all of Texas at that time), had begun sending Father Vincent Perrier twice a year to visit Fort Worth
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. At that time several Catholic families were meeting in the Carrico home. Fort Worth’s first parish church was a frame structure built at 1212 Throckmorton Street and called St. Stanislaus Church. It stood until 1907. The cornerstone of St. Patrick’s Church, which eventually became St. Patrick Cathedral, was laid in 1888; the church was built just north of St. Stanislaus Church and dedicated in 1892. When Dallas was made a diocese the region that eventually became the Diocese of Fort Worth had seven parishes – Fort Worth, Cleburne
Cleburne, Texas
Cleburne is a city in Johnson County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. According to 2007 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population is 29,050. It is the county seat of Johnson County. Cleburne is named for a Confederate General, Patrick Cleburne...
, Gainesville
Gainesville, Texas
Gainesville is a city in and the county seat of Cooke County, Texas, United States. The population was 15,538 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Henrietta
Henrietta, Texas
Henrietta is a city in and the county seat of Clay County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 3,264 at the 2000 census.-History:...
, Hillsboro
Hillsboro, Texas
Hillsboro is a city in and the county seat of Hill County in Central Texas. The population was 8,232 at the 2000 census.Hillsboro, located on Interstate 35 where I-35E and I-35W meet south of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, is the primary center for trade and commerce in Hill County...
, Muenster
Muenster, Texas
Muenster is a city in Cooke County, Texas, United States, along U.S. Route 82. The population was 1,556 at the 2000 census.-History:In 1887 the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad constructed a line from Gainesville to Henrietta that passed through the site that would become Muenster...
, and Weatherford
Weatherford, Texas
Weatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,000 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Parker County and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Geography:...
.
The decade of the 1870s witnessed the earliest Catholic education in the area. In 1879 Father Thomas Loughrey, pastor of St. Stanislaus Church, opened a boy’s school that operated in the church until 1907. In 1885 the Sisters of Saint Mary of Namur established Saint Ignatius Academy in Fort Worth and Xavier Academy in Denison
Denison, Texas
Denison is a city in Grayson County, Texas, United States. The population was 22,773 at the 2000 census; it is estimated to have grown to 24,127 in 2009. Denison is one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. In 1910 the same order of nuns founded Fort Worth’s first Catholic college, Our Lady of Victory College. Other Catholic schools opened in Denton
Denton, Texas
The city of Denton is the county seat of Denton County, Texas in the United States. Its population was 119,454 according to the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the eleventh largest city in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex...
(1874) Weatherford (1880), Muenster (1890 and 1895), Gainesville (1892), Pilot Point
Pilot Point, Texas
Pilot Point is a city in Denton County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,538 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Pilot Point is located at ....
(1893), and Cleburne (1896). St. Joseph’s Infirmary (now St. Joseph's Hospital) opened in 1885 in Fort Worth.
In 1953 Pope Pius XII
Pope Pius XII
The Venerable Pope Pius XII , born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli , reigned as Pope, head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of Vatican City State, from 2 March 1939 until his death in 1958....
changed the name of the Diocese of Dallas to Diocese of Dallas–Fort Worth, and Saint Patrick’s Church in Fort Worth was elevated to the status of a co-cathedral. In 1985 St. Patrick Cathedral, St. Ignatius Church, and the St. Ignatius rectory were added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
On August 22, 1969, Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
separated 28 counties of north central Texas from the Catholic Diocese of Dallas and established it as the Diocese of Fort Worth. Two months later, on October 21, Bishop John J. Cassatta, a native of Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
, was installed in St. Patrick Cathedral as Fort Worth’s first ordinary. From 1969, when the Diocese of Fort Worth was established, to 1986 the Catholic population increased from 67,000 to 120,000. Meanwhile, in 1981 Bishop Cassata retired, and Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
named as his successor a native of Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
who had previously worked in Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, Bishop Joseph P. Delaney.
Under Bishop Delaney the diocese continued to mature. In 1986, it had fourteen primary schools, three secondary schools, the Cassata Learning Center (dedicated in 1975 as an institution offering nontraditional, personalized instruction to the underprivileged of Fort Worth), and a new Catholic Center. The center, a 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) edifice, brought together under one roof all of the pastoral and administrative offices of the diocese. Guided by Bishop Delaney, the diocese continued to underscore the principles of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, especially a commitment to the poor, to ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
, and to an increased role in the church for the laity. In May 2005, Pope Benedict XVI
Pope Benedict XVI
Benedict XVI is the 265th and current Pope, by virtue of his office of Bishop of Rome, the Sovereign of the Vatican City State and the leader of the Catholic Church as well as the other 22 sui iuris Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with the Holy See...
appointed Msgr. Kevin Vann as coadjutor bishop. A coadjutor bishop has right of succession upon the death or retirement of a bishop. On July 12, 2005, Bishop Delaney was found dead at his home, apparently passing away in his sleep. On July 13, 2005, Kevin Vann was ordained bishop as previously scheduled and, because of Bishop Delaney's death, immediately assumed the cathedra of the Diocese.
John J. Cassata
The first bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth was the Most Reverend John J. Cassata, born in Galveston on November 8, 1908. He studied in the diocesan seminary, was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on December 8, 1932, and served as associate pastor and pastor of Holy Name Parish in the city of HoustonHouston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
for 35 years, and as vicar general.
He was appointed by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
as Auxiliary to Bishop Thomas K. Gorman of the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth on March 12, 1968, and ordained a bishop at St. Michael's Church in Houston on June 5, 1968. Bishop Cassata served, as auxiliary bishop, for one year as pastor of St. Patrick's Co-Cathedral in Fort Worth. On August 9, 1969, the new Diocese of Fort Worth was created and he was appointed its first bishop.
During his 13 years of episcopal ministry, Bishop Cassata brought financial stability to the new diocese, established twelve parishes and encouraged lay and priestly ministry. He retired from active ministry on September 12, 1981, and died September 8, 1989.
Joseph Patrick Delaney
The second bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth was the Most Reverend Joseph P. Delaney. He was born in Fall River, MassachusettsFall River, Massachusetts
Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It is located about south of Boston, southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, and west of New Bedford and south of Taunton. The city's population was 88,857 during the 2010 census, making it the tenth largest city in...
on August 29, 1934. He studied for the priesthood in seminaries in Boston, Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, and was ordained a priest on December 18, 1960 for the Diocese of Fall River.
After serving six years as associate pastor, high school teacher, and assistant superintendent of schools in Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
, he received permission of his bishop to work in the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas. He served in that diocese as an associate pastor, the pastor of two parishes, superintendent of schools, editor of the diocesan newspaper, judicial vicar, and co-chancellor.
Bishop Delaney was named the second bishop of the Diocese of Fort Worth by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
on July 10, 1981, and was ordained to the episcopacy in the Tarrant County Convention Center
Fort Worth Convention Center
The Fort Worth Convention Center , is a convention center and indoor arena in Fort Worth, Texas. It includes an 11,200-seat multi-purpose arena....
on September 13, 1981.
He led the Diocese of Fort Worth for many years and greatly expanded diocesan services offered to Catholics. He died on July 12, 2005. After his death, documents were released by state District Judge
Courts of Texas
Courts of Texas include:State courts of Texas*Texas Supreme Court *Texas Court of Criminal Appeals **Texas Courts of Appeals ***Texas District Courts ***Texas County Courts****Texas Justice Courts...
Len Wade which revealed that Delaney had been aware of sex abuse
Roman Catholic sex abuse cases
The Catholic sex abuse cases are a series of convictions, trials and ongoing investigations into allegations of sex crimes committed by Catholic priests and members of religious orders. These cases began receiving public attention beginning in the mid-1980s...
in the Fort Worth Diocese.
Bishop Kevin William Vann
Bishop Vann, who at the time he was initially appointed a bishop was the pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in the Diocese of Springfield, IllinoisSpringfield, Illinois
Springfield is the third and current capital of the US state of Illinois and the county seat of Sangamon County with a population of 117,400 , making it the sixth most populated city in the state and the second most populated Illinois city outside of the Chicago Metropolitan Area...
, was ordained a priest of that diocese in 1981. He served as the vicar for priests of the diocese, served as the bishop’s contact for Hispanic Ministry and on the diocesan Committee for Hispanic Ministry, the Commission for the Care of Infirm and Retired Priests, the Priests’ Personnel Board, and on the Presbyteral Council. He was ordained Bishop on Wednesday July 13 of 2005 at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum at Texas Christian University by Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez
José Horacio Gomez
José Horacio Gómez is a Mexican-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, currently serving as the Archbishop of Los Angeles. He previously served as Auxiliary Bishop of Denver from 2001–2004 and as Archbishop of San Antonio from 2004–2010.Born in Monterrey, Mexico, Gómez was...
of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Texas, Bishop George Joseph Lucas
George Joseph Lucas
George Joseph Lucas is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the fifth and current Archbishop of Omaha, having previously served as Bishop of Springfield in Illinois from 1999 to 2009.-Biography:...
of the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, and Archbishop Raymond L. Burke of the Archdiocese of St. Louis; he was to have been coadjutor, but because of Bishop Delaney's death the previous day, he became bishop of the diocese immediately.
Parishes
|
Spanish language Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the... ) |
|
High schools
- Cassata High SchoolCassata High SchoolCassata High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Fort Worth, Texas. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.-Background:...
, Fort Worth - Nolan Catholic High SchoolNolan Catholic High SchoolNolan Catholic High School is a private, coeducational, college preparatory school in the Marianist tradition, and is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas. It serves the mission of the Church by educating and forming youth in the Roman Catholic faith...
, Fort Worth - Notre Dame Catholic SchoolNotre Dame Catholic School (Wichita Falls, Texas)Notre Dame Catholic School is a private, Roman Catholic high school, middle school, and elementary school in Wichita Falls, Texas. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth....
, Wichita Falls - Sacred Heart Catholic High School, Muenster
University/College Community
- University Catholic Community (UTA)
- Midwestern State University
- The C at UNT
- The College of St. Thomas More
- Hill College Newman Center
- TX Christian Univ. Catholic Community