The Diocese of Corpus Christi is led by a bishop who has pastoral care of the particular Church entrusted to him and shares responsibility with the other bishops for the apostolic mission of the Church. In the Roman Catholic Church, bishops are Christ's representative, serving as teacher, shepherd, and priest.
As Christ's vicars, each bishop has the pastoral care of the particular Church entrusted to him, and is responsible, with the other bishops, for the apostolic mission of the Church. The bishop of Corpus Christi also serves on the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops' Board of Directors.
The Diocese of Corpus Christi within the Catholic Church in Texas
The 15 dioceses and one ordinariate in Texas are each led by a bishop, who serves on the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops' Board of Directors. There are also six auxiliary bishops who serve in dioceses with specific pastoral needs.
The state is divided into two ecclesiastical provinces, which allow for organization of the administrative functions of the Church. The province of Galveston-Houston includes the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese and the dioceses of Austin, Beaumont, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Tyler and Victoria in Texas.
| Ecclesiastical province | Diocese of Corpus Christi |
|---|---|
| Province of Galveston-Houston | Included among the dioceses of the province |
The bishop’s role
In the Roman Catholic Church, bishops are Christ's representative, serving as teacher, shepherd, and priest. This ministry combines responsibility for teaching the faith, guiding the Catholic community, and carrying out the priestly work of the Church.
As Christ's vicars, each bishop has the pastoral care of the particular Church entrusted to him, and is responsible, with the other bishops, for the apostolic mission of the Church. These responsibilities place the bishop at the center of the diocese’s pastoral and ecclesial life.
Ecclesiastical organization in Texas
The province of Galveston-Houston includes the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese and the dioceses of Austin, Beaumont, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Tyler and Victoria in Texas. The province of San Antonio includes the San Antonio Archdiocese and the dioceses of Amarillo, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Laredo, Lubbock and San Angelo.
The two ecclesiastical provinces allow for organization of the administrative functions of the Church. The Diocese of Corpus Christi belongs to the province of Galveston-Houston, while the Diocese of San Antonio heads the other ecclesiastical province as an archdiocese.
Pastoral leadership and auxiliary bishops
There are also six auxiliary bishops who serve in dioceses with specific pastoral needs. Auxiliary bishops support diocesan leadership in situations where additional episcopal ministry is required.
The bishop of Corpus Christi carries out this ministry within the wider structure of the Catholic Church in Texas. He serves both the particular Church entrusted to him and the broader apostolic mission shared with the other bishops.
