A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Thunder possible. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%..
A steady rain this evening. Showers continuing overnight. Thunder possible. Low near 55F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 100%.
Updated: December 24, 2024 @ 9:43 pm
Rev. Gregory J. Kelly, Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas, the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, speaks to local media and community members Friday morning at the Diocese of Tyler headquarters in Tyler. (CBS19/Contributed Photo)
Rev. Gregory J. Kelly, Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas, the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Tyler, speaks to local media and community members Friday morning at the Diocese of Tyler headquarters in Tyler. (CBS19/Contributed Photo)
A new bishop has appointed to lead the Diocese of Tyler.
Pope Francis on Friday morning appointed the Most Rev. Gregory J. Kelly, Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas, as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.
Kelly will be installed as the Bishop of Tyler on Monday, Feb. 24. Additional details about the installation mass will follow.
Kelly, who was born in Iowa, was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Dallas on May 15, 1982. He became an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Dallas on Feb. 11, 2016 at the Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe in Dallas, according to the diocese. He has a bachelor of arts in philosophy from the University of Dallas in 1978 and received a Master of Divinity degree from there in 1982.
“I’m very grateful to the Holy Father Pope Francis for this appointment … I did not have new diocese on my Christmas list, nonetheless I’m very grateful for this new opportunity to be among you,” Kelly said during a press conference Friday morning at the Diocese of Tyler.
Kelly feels a mix of emotions leaving his post in Dallas but is looking forward to getting to know the new diocese. He has a connection to the Rose City.
“My first assignment was actually here in Tyler, I came out here on June 18, 1981 as a transitional deacon for two months,” Kelly said. “I remember from my months in Tyler … this great generosity of people who love Christ and seek to follow Him.”
He noted the mission is “not ours” but of “Jesus Christ.” Being called to do work is part of the role of those who follow Jesus, Kelly added.
Kelly will oversee the administration of the diocese’s 25 parish churches and serve the more than 120,000 Catholic East Texans.
Kelly’s appointment comes after Bishop Joe S. Vásquez, of Austin, served in the interim as apostolic administrator after former longtime Bishop Joseph Strickland’s removal in November 2023. Pope Francis removed Strickland from his position as bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.
Strickland had emerged as a critic of Francis, accusing him in a tweet earlier in 2023 of “undermining the deposit of faith.”
The Vatican in 2023 sent in investigators to look into his governance of the diocese, amid reports he was making doctrinally unorthodox claims.
It is rare for the pope to forcibly remove a bishop from office. Bishops are required to offer to resign when they reach 75. When the Vatican uncovers issues with governance or other problems that require a bishop to leave office before then, the Vatican usually seeks to pressure him to resign for the good of his diocese and the church.
But with Strickland, the Vatican statement made clear he had not offered to resign, and that Francis had instead “relieved” him from his job.
— Santana Wood can be reached at santana@mrobertsmedia.com.
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