austin gets new bishop

Earlier this week the Catholic Diocese of my hometown, Austin, Texas, received a new shepherd: Bishop Joe Vasquez.

From the Austin American Statesman:

ROUND ROCK -- Bishop Joe S. Vásquez became the official leader of the Diocese of Austin on Monday afternoon in a two-hour Mass of installation at St. William Parish.

The ceremony attracted an estimated 2,000 guests, among them Gov. Rick Perry and Lt. Gov. David Dew­hurst.

"Above all today, I thank God the Father, our lord Jesus Christ, and I ask that you pray for me that I may be a good shepherd," said Vásquez, 52, who is the fifth bishop and the first Mexican American to lead the diocese. "As the new shepherd of the Diocese of Austin, I will do my best to follow the model of the good shepherd Jesus Christ."

Pope Benedict XVI selected Vásquez to lead the Austin Diocese, which serves more than 450,000 Catholics, in late January. Vásquez is a West Texas native who served as a priest for 17 years in the San Angelo Diocese and most recently worked for the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese, which serves about 1.3 million Catholics.

Bishop Vasquez comes to Austin from the Archdiocese of Galvestion-Houston, where he served as auxiliary bishop under Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. News 8 Austin reported that a group of Houston Catholics bussed up to Austin to bid Bishop Vasquez farewell.

Outside the St. William Catholic Church in Round Rock, just before the Mass of Installation began for new Austin Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, a crowd danced, sang, and played music.

The large painted signs they held read "Thank you for your support, Bishop Vasquez" and "We will miss you."

About 150 people had crowded onto three buses in Houston and traveled to Round Rock to honor Vasquez, who served as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston for eight years.