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Today we honor the brave men and women who have served our nation with faithful courage. May we hold their pain and wounds in sacred trust knowing they are living witnesses of their commitment and sacrifice to defend our country.

It has been a blessed month since my installation, and I write with a heart full of gratitude and joy as I begin my ministry as Bishop of Austin. From the moment of my appointment, I have felt your prayers, support, and warm welcome and am deeply moved by the faith and generosity of the people of this diocese.

As I begin my service as the Bishop of Austin, I am humbled by the faith and generosity I have witnessed in our diocese. In that spirit, I invite you to participate in the upcoming Catholic Services Appeal (CSA), which begins the weekend of October 25-26. Your prayers and financial support are vital for providing programs and services to thousands of people across Central Texas.

Many scholars have suggested that today's gospel from Luke is arguably the most controversial of Jesus's parables. I would like to offer us three themes for us to consider.

The shield is ensigned with external elements that identify the bearer as a bishop. A gold processional cross, known as the Jerusalem cross, appears behind and above the shield. The galero, or "pilgrim's hat," is used heraldically in various colors and with specific numbers of tassels to indicate the rank of a bearer of a coat of arms. A bishop uses a green galero with three rows of green tassels on each side totaling 12.

On behalf of the several million people, including 700,000 Catholics, who live in the 25 counties of the Diocese of Austin, welcome home, Bishop Daniel Garcia!

As I stand here before you today, I'm truly moved by your presence, both here in this church, but also to those who are joining us via our livestream feed. Words cannot adequately express the feelings and emotions that I carry within me at this moment. I am humbled by Pope Leo XIV’s appointment of me as the sixth bishop of the Diocese in Austin.

Our new shepherd has long lived by the words of his episcopal motto “Walk humbly with God,” a guiding principle he embraced even before his priestly ordination in 1988.

With great joy and gratitude for God’s good providence, tomorrow we begin two days of liturgies and celebrations marking the arrival of Bishop Daniel E. Garcia as the sixth bishop of the Diocese of Austin.

“Daniel called me on a Tuesday and said, ‘I have to fly into Austin tomorrow. Can I stay at your house?’” Lydia Garcia, sister of Bishop Daniel Garcia, lives in North Austin. She thought it was weird that her brother who lived in Monterey, California, suddenly needed to come to Texas.

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.