Tyler, Texas, Oct 1, 2012 / 12:08 pm
In a rare move, Pope Benedict XVI has named Monsignor Joseph E. Strickland, the vicar general of the Diocese of Tyler, as the next bishop of the same east Texas diocese he has served as a priest for over 25 years.
"I know it's a tremendous task that I'm given. But I'm here with family," Bishop-designate Strickland told a Sept. 29 press conference in Tyler.
He thanked God for his "wondrous blessings" and thanked the Pope "for his expression of confidence." He also expressed his gratitude to his parents and his siblings, who were not present.
"I thank God for my Catholic faith that I was baptized into as an infant," he added.