Pope Leo accepts resignation of Bishop Mulvey of Corpus Christi; names Bishop Avilés as successor

WASHINGTON (OSV News) -- Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop W. Michael Mulvey from the Diocese of Corpus Christi, Texas, and named Bishop Mario A. Avilés of Brownsville, Texas, as his successor. The announcement came Dec. 1 from Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop Avilés, 56, comes from Mexico City and is a member of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri. He holds degrees from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome and Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Connecticut. Ordained in 1998, he served nearly two decades in parish ministry in Pharr and Hidalgo, Texas, and later held leadership roles within the Oratory, including procurator general. Pope Francis appointed him auxiliary bishop of Brownsville in 2017, and he was ordained a bishop the following year. The Diocese of Corpus Christi covers nearly 11,000 square miles and serves about 210,000 Catholics out of a population of roughly 583,000.​