Álvaro Corrada del Rio
Encyclopedia
Álvaro Corrada del Rio, S.J.
(born May 13, 1942) is an Puerto Rican-American prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the second and current Bishop of Mayagüez
, Puerto Rico. Before he served as the third Bishop of Tyler
.
, Puerto Rico
; he has an older brother, Baltasar Corrada del Río
, who served as Mayor of San Juan, Associate Justice
of the Supreme Court
, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
. After attending public schools in Morovis
, he entered the minor seminary
in 1955. In 1960, he joined the Society of Jesus
, more commonly known as the Jesuits, in Poughkeepsie, New York
. He then studied at Fordham University
and Woodstock College
.
Corrada was ordained
to the priesthood
by Bishop
Miguel Rodriguez Rodriguez, C.Ss.R.
, on July 6, 1974. He then furthered his studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris
in France
and, returning to Puerto Rico, served as director of spiritual retreats at the Jesuit House in Manresa
. He was also assistant pastor
at Nativity Parish in New York City
(1980-1983) and director of the Northeast Pastoral Center (1983-1985).
On May 31, 1985, Corrada was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of Washington
and Titular Bishop
of Rusticiana by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following August 4 from Archbishop James Hickey, with Bishops Thomas Lyons and Eugene Marino
, S.S.J.
, serving as co-consecrators
, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: "Neminem Nisi Iesum."
Corrada was later named Apostolic Administrator
of Caguas
, Puerto Rico, on July 5, 1997. He was appointed the third Bishop of Tyler
, Texas
, on December 5, 2000, and was installed
as such on January 30, 2001.
He was appointed Bishop of Mayagüez
on July 6, 2011 by Pope Benedict XVI
.
. Before Summorum Pontificum
, Bishop Corrada was singled out in an article in The Wanderer as one of the few U.S. bishops "...who have been generous in the Ecclesia Dei
indult application, as requested and emphasized repeatedly by the late Pope John Paul II." The others being Archbishop Raymond Burke
of St. Louis, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz
of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, Illinois.
Under his tutelage, the Diocese of Tyler has become a vocation powerhouse making vocation ministry the top priority for the diocese.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
(born May 13, 1942) is an Puerto Rican-American 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 is the second and current Bishop of Mayagüez
Roman Catholic Diocese of Mayagüez
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mayagüez is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and consists of the western part of the island of Puerto Rico, an American commonwealth...
, Puerto Rico. Before he served as the third Bishop of Tyler
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on December 12, 1986.The Diocese of Tyler was created December 12, 1986 and erected on February 24, 1987.It comprises 33 counties:* Anderson* Angelina* Bowie...
.
Biography
Álvaro Corrada del Rio was born in SanturceSanturce, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Santurce is a district of San Juan, Puerto Rico.-Summary:Santurce is one of the top ten most populated areas of the island holding Miramar, Loíza, Isla Grande, Barrio Obrero, and Condado as main cultural hot spots for art, music, cuisine, fashion, hotels, technology, multimedia, film, textile and...
, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
; he has an older brother, Baltasar Corrada del Río
Baltasar Corrada del Río
Baltasar Corrada del Río is a former politician from Puerto Rico. He held various high political offices in the island, including President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, Resident Commissioner , Mayor of the capital city of San Juan , Puerto Rico's 15th Secretary of State and...
, who served as Mayor of San Juan, Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
of the Supreme Court
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
, and a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. After attending public schools in Morovis
Morovis, Puerto Rico
Morovis is a municipality of Puerto Rico located in the central region of the island, north of Orocovis, south of Manatí, Vega Baja and Vega Alta; east of Ciales, and west of Corozal. Morovis is spread over 13 wards and Morovis Pueblo...
, he entered the 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 1955. In 1960, he joined the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
, more commonly known as the Jesuits, in Poughkeepsie, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He then studied at Fordham University
Fordham University
Fordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and Woodstock College
Woodstock College
Woodstock College was a Jesuit seminary that existed from 1869 to 1974. It was the oldest Jesuit seminary in the United States. The school was located in Woodstock, Maryland, west of Baltimore, from its establishment until 1969, when it moved to New York City, where it operated in cooperation with...
.
Corrada 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....
by Bishop
Roman Catholic Diocese of Arecibo
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Arecibo is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in Puerto Rico and consists of the northern part of the island of Puerto Rico, an American commonwealth. It is led by Bishop Daniel Fernández Torres...
Miguel Rodriguez Rodriguez, C.Ss.R.
Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer
The Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer is a Roman Catholic missionary Congregation founded by Saint Alphonsus Liguori at Scala, near Amalfi, Italy for the purpose of labouring among the neglected country people in the neighbourhood of Naples.Members of the Congregation, priests and brothers,...
, on July 6, 1974. He then furthered his studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris
Institut Catholique de Paris
The Institut Catholique de Paris, or the Catholic University of Paris, is a private university located in Paris, France. The institute was founded in 1875, under the name Université Catholique de Paris, by Maurice Le Sage d'Hauteroche d'Hulst....
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and, returning to Puerto Rico, served as director of spiritual retreats at the Jesuit House in Manresa
Manresa
Manresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
. He was also assistant pastor
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...
at Nativity Parish in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(1980-1983) and director of the Northeast Pastoral Center (1983-1985).
On May 31, 1985, Corrada was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Washington
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is a particular church of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. It comprises the District of Columbia and Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George's and Saint Mary's counties in the state of Maryland....
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 Rusticiana 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 ...
. He received his episcopal consecration
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....
on the following August 4 from Archbishop James Hickey, with Bishops Thomas Lyons and Eugene Marino
Eugene Antonio Marino
Eugene Antonio Marino was an American Catholic prelate who served as Archbishop of Atlanta, Georgia from 1988 until 1990, becoming the first African American archbishop in United States of America. He was of both African American and Puerto Rican descent.He was also the fourth African American to...
, S.S.J.
Josephite Fathers
The Josephite Fathers and Brothers or, more properly, Saint Joseph's Society of the Sacred Heart, Inc. are a society of Catholic priests and brothers, based in the United States. It was formed in 1871 by a group of priests from the English Foreign Mission Society of Saint Joseph, also known as...
, 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...
, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is a prominent Latin Rite Catholic basilica located in Washington, D.C., honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary as Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, the Patroness of the United States...
. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: "Neminem Nisi Iesum."
Corrada was later named Apostolic Administrator
Apostolic Administrator
An apostolic administrator in the Roman Catholic Church is a prelate appointed by the Pope to serve as the ordinary for an apostolic administration...
of Caguas
Roman Catholic Diocese of Caguas
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Caguas is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Caribbean and consists of the east and southeast part of the island of Puerto Rico, an American commonwealth. The diocese is led by a Bishop Ruben González Medina, C.M.F...
, Puerto Rico, on July 5, 1997. He was appointed the third Bishop of Tyler
Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tyler is a Roman Catholic diocese in Texas. It was founded on December 12, 1986.The Diocese of Tyler was created December 12, 1986 and erected on February 24, 1987.It comprises 33 counties:* Anderson* Angelina* Bowie...
, 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...
, on December 5, 2000, and was installed
Enthronement
An enthronement is a ceremony of inauguration, involving a person—usually a monarch or religious leader—being formally seated for the first time upon their throne. This ritual is generally distinguished from a coronation because there is no crown or other regalia that is physically...
as such on January 30, 2001.
He was appointed Bishop of Mayagüez
Roman Catholic Diocese of Mayagüez
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mayagüez is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States and consists of the western part of the island of Puerto Rico, an American commonwealth...
on July 6, 2011 by 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...
.
Positions
Bishop Corrada was one of the earliest proponents of the Tridentine MassTridentine Mass
The Tridentine Mass is the form of the Roman Rite Mass contained in the typical editions of the Roman Missal that were published from 1570 to 1962. It was the most widely celebrated Mass liturgy in the world until the introduction of the Mass of Paul VI in December 1969...
. Before Summorum Pontificum
Summorum Pontificum
Summorum Pontificum is an Apostolic Letter of Pope Benedict XVI, issued "motu proprio" . The document specified the rules, for the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church, for celebrating Mass according to the "Missal promulgated by John XXIII in 1962" , and for administering most of the sacraments in...
, Bishop Corrada was singled out in an article in The Wanderer as one of the few U.S. bishops "...who have been generous in the Ecclesia Dei
Indult Catholic
Indult Catholic was a term used to denote a traditionalist Catholic who preferred to attend the older Tridentine form of Mass instead of the ordinary present-day form of the Roman-rite liturgy, the Mass of Paul VI, but who attended only those celebrations that had the explicit approval of the...
indult application, as requested and emphasized repeatedly by the late Pope John Paul II." The others being Archbishop Raymond Burke
Raymond Burke
Raymond Burke may refer to:*Raymond Burke , a New Orleans jazz clarinetist*Raymond H. Burke, United States politician from Ohio...
of St. Louis, Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz
Fabian Bruskewitz
Fabian Wendelin Bruskewitz is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He is the eighth and current Bishop of Lincoln, Nebraska.-Early life and ministry:...
of Lincoln, Nebraska; and Bishop Thomas Doran of Rockford, Illinois.
Under his tutelage, the Diocese of Tyler has become a vocation powerhouse making vocation ministry the top priority for the diocese.