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News 5.6.2013

Bishop Seitz to Lead Diocese of El Paso: Installation Set for July 9th

UPDATE (7/9): News articles and link to Livestream of ordination now included within this article.

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UPDATE (7/9)

To learn more about Bishop Seitz and his journey towards ordination, please see these features in the El Paso news:

 


 

UPDATE (7/8):

The live stream for the ordination Mass of Bishop Mark Seitz can be found at this URL, and will begin streaming at 7:00 PM MDT (8:00 PM CDT):

http://new.livestream.com/BishopMarkJSeitz


UPDATE (5/22): Bishop Seitz will be installed as the Bishop of El Paso by His Excellency, Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, M.Sp.S., Archbishop of San Antonio on Tuesday, July 9th at 7 p.m. at the El Paso Civic Center at 1 Civic Center Plaza in El Paso, TX 79901. The Most Reverend Kevin J. Farrell, Bishop of Dallas, and the Most Reverend J. Douglas Deshotel, Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas, will join other bishops and priests from around the country in concelebrating the Installation Mass.

 

(Dallas)  Pope Francis has named Diocese of Dallas auxiliary bishop, the Most Reverend Mark J. Seitz, to serve as the new Bishop of El Paso.  The appointment was announced on May 6th in Washington, D.C. by the papal nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó, followed by the announcement in the Diocese of El Paso.

 With the appointment, Most Reverend Seitz will become the seventh bishop of the Diocese of El Paso.  He says he was surprised by the news but grateful to the Holy Father. He looks forward to serving El Paso but says he will always cherish his time in Dallas.  “Since I entered the seminary here in Dallas as a young 18-year old boy, I have loved Dallas and the Church of Dallas.  You have become my family. Dallas has become my home.  But when I presented myself for ordination as a deacon, I gave my life to God’s service and I promised to be at the disposal of the Church.  I accept this call as a new opportunity to follow the Good Shepherd and, with His help, to be one.”

Expressing his support, Bishop Kevin J. Farrell of the Diocese of Dallas said, “I happily congratulate Bishop Mark Seitz and applaud the decision of our Holy Father to appoint him to lead the Catholic faithful in this important border diocese.  Bishop Seitz’ ability to speak Spanish will be a tremendous asset but he also possesses a prayerful, pastoral manner, keen theological insight and deep devotion to our Church.   His years as a hard-working pastor in the Diocese of Dallas will serve him well as he leads his new diocese and I wish him many blessings in this new chapter of his ministry.  I know he will be a tremendous blessing to the people of the Diocese of El Paso.”

Bishop Seitz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 10, 1954.  He has lived in the Diocese of Dallas since 1972 when he began his priestly formation at Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving.  He was ordained to the priesthood on May 17, 1980. In 1985, he received a Master’s Degree in Liturgical Studies from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.  He also holds a Master’s in Divinity and a Master’s in Theology from the University of Dallas.  He was named a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in December 2004. He was ordained a bishop on April 27, 2010 and assigned to serve as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Dallas. He has served on the diocesan Liturgical Commission and the Committee for Continuing Education of Priests. He is a member of the Presbyteral Council and the College of Consultors in the Diocese of Dallas.  Bishop Seitz currently serves as Pastoral Administrator at All Saints Catholic Church in Dallas.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso, established in 1914, includes 10 counties in far West Texas covering 26,686 square miles. The diocese serves 656,035 Catholics (of 811,739) and is made up of 55 parishes, 20 missions, and 17 ministries which serve the multicultural, multilingual community.

 

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