As we celebrate Independence Day, we praise God for the freedom we enjoy in this nation. May we always give due honor for the liberties secured by countless others who have come before—and for the true freedom won for us by Christ on the cross. We also hold in our thoughts and prayers those in our world for whom freedom remains an unfulfilled aspiration and especially for those for whom the freedom of religion is not possible where they live.

With profound thanksgiving and gratitude, the Diocese of Austin announces that on Wednesday July 2, 2025, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, named the Most Reverend Daniel E. Garcia the 6th Bishop of the Diocese of Austin.

Today, we celebrate Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day,” — marking a pivotal moment in our nation’s history 160 years ago, when enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed, two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. While the news was painfully delayed, the impact was monumental.

This Sunday, we celebrate Father’s Day—a special time to give thanks for all fathers, those still with us and those who have gone to the Lord.

June brings us to a beautiful place on our faith journey, with three liturgical celebrations that offer rich theological insights into the presence of God in our lives... the Ascension of the Lord, Pentecost and the Solemnity of Corpus Christi.

Tomorrow, we celebrate Mother’s Day; a day to give thanks to God for all mothers, those who continue to care for us and mothers who have passed from this life into God. We also give thanks to God for mothers of adopted children and those who stand-in for mothers when we need to know the kindness and presence of a mother.

Our hearts are filled with joy and gratitude for our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. In God’s good providence and with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the Cardinals have provided the Church with a new shepherd. We ask God to fill him with grace and wisdom to sanctify the Church in unity, teach with truth and mercy, and lead us to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ by our lives.

I ask the people of the Diocese of Austin to join in prayer with the Universal Church and all people of goodwill to express our gratitude to God for the life of Pope Francis.

The resurrection of Jesus is his merciful example to us that no tomb will hold us either – that we too can emerge from the darkness of sin and leave the things that tie up our thoughts and feelings for a newfound freedom in the Risen Christ.

"Now is a very acceptable time to walk with our Lord into this sacred week."

Very Rev. James Misko appointed Diocesan Administrator during this time of "Sede Vacante"

May this Lent be a time to quiet our minds and open our hearts to God’s holy word.

Pope Francis appoints Most Reverend Joe S. Vásquez as the Archbishop of Galveston-Houston

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez shares a Thanksgiving and Advent message with us, inviting us to remain grateful and prepare for the coming of Christ.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin expresses his heartfelt gratitude to Sara Ramirez for her eleven years of outstanding service as Executive Director of Catholic Charities of Central Texas (CCCTX). Sara has accepted the position of President and CEO of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada in the Archdiocese of Las Vegas. Her tenure in Austin will conclude in early December.

I hereby dispense the faithful of the Diocese of Austin from the obligation of attending Mass on December 9, 2024, the feast of the Immaculate Conception.