It was a magnificent day! Yesterday was a day of special blessing for the Church of Dallas. The Cathedral was overflowing for the inspiring liturgy that culminated in the ordinations of Bishop J. Douglas Deshsotel and Bishop Mark Seitz.

Please be sure to read the wonderful coverage in the Texas Catholic this week and view the video and other features at www.TexasCatholictv.com. Blogs are brief and my thoughts on the event are more fully expressed in my homily at the ordination Mass. (Link at bottom of page) Excellent coverage with fine pictures was also provided by the Dallas Morning News.

Two cardinals honored the event by their presence, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus of Washington D.C., and Daniel Cardinal Dinardo of Galveston-Houston. Archbishop José Gomez of San Antonio (soon to be Co-adjutor Archbishop of Los Angeles), Archbishop Michael Sheehan of Santa Fe., who was rector of Holy Trinity Seminary when the ordinands were seminarians, Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza, Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston were present as was Cistercian Abbot Denis Farkasfalvy.

In addition to about 30 other bishops and several hundred priests and deacons, hundreds of friends and relatives filled the cathedral and overflowed into a tent outside. The event was especially meaningful for the families of Bishop Deshotel and Bishop Seitz, who came in large numbers to witness the ordination and celebrate with pride having their very own bishop.

To the scores who worked to make the day such a success, I am particularly grateful. For the Pastoral Center staff, the Catholic Foundation, Knights of Columbus, Council of Catholic Women and the staff of the Cathedral, months of hard work paid off with a spectacular day. It was very happy ending to their efforts.

For the two new bishops, it was not the end but just the beginning. As I noted at the ceremony, to be ordained a bishop means that your life is irrevocably changed – indeed changed forever – changed in ways that you do not yet know but in ways that are all according to God’s divine will and often paradoxical providence.

They have been good priests, they will be good bishops, as shepherds their Episcopal ministry will be to lead, not goad, inspire, not shame, encourage, not rebuke the sheep that comprise the pilgrim church on earth.

Our hearts and our prayers are with them both.

Click Here for Full text of Bishop Homily