Appointments: Bishop Joe Strickland to Tyler, Texas

(Vatican Radio) – On the same day Pope Benedict XVI announced that his next message for World Communications Day would focus on social networks as fresh ground for evangelisation, he also appointed one of North America’s new generation of blogging priests, Bishop of the long vacant diocese of Tyler, Texas.

53 year-old, Mons. Joseph Strickland had previously served as chaplain at the Bishop Gorman Middle and High School in Tyler and as Apostolic Delegate to the diocese. He was born October 31, 1958 in Fredericksburg, Archdiocese of San Antonio (Texas). He completed his ecclesiastical studies at Holy Trinity Seminary and the University of Dallas. Later, he obtained a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC (1992-1994).

Ordained a priest on 1 July 1985 for the Diocese of Dallas was the Parochial Vicar at Immaculate Conception Parish Tyler (1985-1987). Incardinated into the new diocese of Tyler, erected in 1986, has carried out the following tasks: Director of priestly vocations (1987-1989); diocesan Notary (1987-1992); diocesan chaplain for Scouts (1988), assistant pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Nacogdoches and Saint Jude Parish in Henderson (1989), and pastor of St. Michael Church in Mount Pleasant (1989-1992), rector of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral (1994-2010), Defender of the Bond (1994-1995), Judicial Vicar (1995 -2010), diocesan administrator (2000-2001), Vicar General (2010-2011) and chaplain of Bishop Gorman Middle and High School (2010-present). In 1995 he was appointed Prelate of Honor of His Holiness.
Besides English, he also speaks Spanish.