Corpus Christi, Texas, welcomes Bishop Mario Avilés, its new shepherd

(OSV News) -- A solemn installation Mass was held Jan. 28 at Most Precious Blood Church in Corpus Christi, which was filled to capacity to celebrate the installation of Bishop Mario A. Avilés as the ninth bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas.

Saying that his heart was filled with "a solemn sense of responsibility," Bishop Avilés asked for the prayers of his new flock and added that this was a role they would "embark upon together under the guidance of divine providence."

With great joy, members of the Catholic Church -- as well as religious leaders of different faiths, and representatives of Corpus Christi's civil authorities -- welcomed the new bishop to the diocese. According to the South Texas Catholic, the official publication of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, 25 bishops and over 100 priests from across the United States attended the celebration.

At the Mass, during the rite of canonical possession, Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez of Galveston-Houston read the apostolic letter of appointment from Pope Leo XIV and formally asked Bishop Avilés to accept this pastoral governance.

Upon accepting this responsibility and showing the papal bull to the faithful, Bishop Avilés was led by Archbishop Vásquez to the cathedra, or bishop's chair. After officially taking possession of the diocese, Bishop Avilés greeted various diocesan and ministry representatives before the bilingual Mass continued.

Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., could not attend because his flight was cancelled due to the massive winter storm that affected the country that week, according to the South Texas Catholic.

Bishop Avilés, 56, was previously auxiliary bishop of Brownsville, Texas, when he was selected by Pope Leo in December to succeed Bishop W. Michael Mulvey, 76, who led the diocese for nearly 16 years.

In his first homily as Corpus Christi's shepherd, Bishop Avilés assumed his ministry with humility, honoring the legacy of his predecessors.

"As I stand before you as your new bishop, this role in our particular church is entirely new to me, filling my heart with profound gratitude in a solemn sense of responsibility, he said.

"It marks the dawn of a new chapter in the life of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, a chapter we embark upon together under the guidance of divine providence. God calls and we are sent," he added.

"As St. Thomas Aquinas teaches, the shepherd's duty is to seek the lost, bind up the injured, heal the sick, and shepherd righteously, even destroying the sleep and the strong who oppresses the weak," said the bishop. "This means a solemn commitment to guard the deposit of faith, to nurture the vulnerable, and to lead you all toward the heavenly pastures, ever vigilant against the wolf that threatens the fold."

"(It) will compel me to serve you faithfully, guiding you along the paths where he leads, even if they be paths we will not choose ourselves," said Bishop Avilés, who pleaded to entrust the "efforts, prayer, sacrifices, aspirations, and dreams" to the Holy Spirit's divine care.

Covering over 10,900 square miles in the state of Texas, the Diocese of Corpus Christi has a total population of 582,684, of which 209,726 are Catholic.

In his homily, Bishop Avilés invited "every priest, deacon, and consecrated soul to unite with me in fostering vocations to the priesthood, religious life, and holy matrimony." And he prayed "that the Lord may send laborers into his vineyard, building a community radiant with his grace and truth."

The bishop also urged civil authorities to work for the common good with integrity, defending human dignity, justice, and peace in accordance with God's natural law. He also addressed families, asking them to be examples of virtue and faith, to cultivate prayer, catechesis, and sacramental life in the home, while encouraging young people to live their mission courageously and to use their talents to sanctify the world.

Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés was born in Mexico City on Sept. 16, 1969. The son of Rafael and María Guadalupe, he joined the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in 1986. He studied in Mexico City and later obtained a bachelor's degree in philosophy and theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome and a master of divinity from Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut.

He was ordained as a priest on July 21, 1998, at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle -- National Shrine, in San Juan, Texas.

Bishop Avilés served nearly two decades in parish ministry in Pharr and Hidalgo, Texas, and later held leadership roles within the Oratory Academy and Oratory Athenaeum in Pharr, and the Confederation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, where he was procurator general between 2012 and 2018.

Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Brownsville in 2017, and he was ordained a bishop the following year. After eight years of episcopal ministry in Brownsville, Pope Leo appointed him the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi Dec. 1.

Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, who was present at the Jan. 28 installation Mass, had said in a Dec. 1 statement that the faithful in Brownsville would "miss Bishop Mario's wise counsel and good judgment, his joyful presence in our parish communities, and his administrative skills in the service of our diocesan offices and Catholic Schools."

At the same time, he said that the diocese shared "in the special joy of the Diocese of Corpus Christi at the news of Bishop Mario's appointment."

During his installation Mass, Bishop Avilés expressed his gratitude to "the priests, religious brothers and sisters, deacons, and seminarians from the Diocese of Brownsville." Speaking in Spanish, Bishop Avilés also thanked the bishops, priests, and seminarians from the Diocese of Matamoros-Reynosa, Mexico, for their presence at the Mass.

He also thanked his parents, who had come from Mexico City, by saying, "Thank you, mom and dad, for everything you have given me, but above all for the gift of faith."

At the end of his homily, Bishop Avilés addressed the diocese's Spanish-speaking Catholic community, saying: "I eagerly await the moment when I can meet you, get to know you, and share with you to learn about your needs and understand how we can walk together to fulfill God's will and collaborate in the mission of the Church."