Joseph Fiorenza facts for kids
Quick facts for kids His Excellency, The Most Reverend Joseph Anthony Fiorenza |
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| Archbishop Emeritus of Galveston-Houston | |
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Fiorenza addressing Hurricane Katrina evacuees in 2005
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| Archdiocese | Galveston-Houston |
| Appointed | December 6, 1984 |
| Enthroned | February 18, 1985 |
| Reign ended | February 26, 2006 |
| Predecessor | John Louis Morkovsky |
| Successor | Daniel DiNardo |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 29, 1954 |
| Consecration | October 25, 1979 by Patrick Flores, John Louis Morkovsky, and John E. McCarthy |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 25, 1931 Beaumont, Texas |
| Died | September 19, 2022 (aged 91) |
| Previous post |
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| Motto | Thy kingdom come |
| Styles of Joseph Anthony Fiorenza |
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| Reference style |
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| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Archbishop |
Joseph Anthony Fiorenza (January 25, 1931 – September 19, 2022) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the seventh bishop and the first archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas, serving from 1985 to 2006. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of San Angelo in Texas from 1979 to 1984.
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Biography
Early life and education
Joseph Fiorenza was born in Beaumont, Texas, the second of four sons of Anthony and Grace (née Galiano) Fiorenza. His father immigrated from Sicily at age 10, while his mother was the daughter of Sicilian immigrants. He attended St. Anthony High School in Beaumont, where he was football team captain and senior class president. Fiorenza skipped a grade and graduated from high school at age 16 in 1947. He then studied at St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte, Texas.
Priesthood
Fiorenza was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1954. His first assignment was as assistant pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in Houston, where he remained for three years. In 1957, he became professor of medical ethics at Sacred Heart Dominican College and chaplain of St. Joseph Hospital, both in Houston. He served as administrator of Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral in Houston from 1959 to 1967. In 1965, Fiorenza participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches in Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement.
Fiorenza served as pastor of St. Augustine Parish (1967 to 1969) and of St. Benedict the Abbot Parish (1969 to 1972), both in Houston. From 1972 to 1973, he was both pastor of Assumption Parish in Houston and vice-chancellor of the diocese. Fiorenza was named honorary prelate of his holiness by Pope Paul VI on December 5, 1973, and served as diocesan chancellor from 1973 to 1979.
Bishop of San Angelo
On September 4, 1979, Fiorenza was appointed the fourth bishop of the Diocese of San Angelo by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on October 25, 1979, from Archbishop Patrick Flores, with Bishops John Morkovsky and John E. McCarthy serving as co-consecrators, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo.
Bishop and archbishop of Galveston-Houston
On December 18, 1984, Fiorenza was named bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston by Pope John Paul II. He was installed by Archbishop Patrick Flores in the presence of Archbishop Pio Laghi, the apostolic pro-nuncio. The Diocese of Galveston-Houston was elevated to the level of archdiocese by John Paul II on Dec. 29, 2004, at which point Fiorenza became an archbishop.
Retirement
Fiorenza submitted his letter of retirement as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to Pope Benedict XVI in February 2006 at the mandatory retirement age of 75. The pope accepted his resignation on February 28, 2006, and appointed former coadjutor archbishop Daniel DiNardo as Fiorenza's successor. Fiorenza has been living in retirement at the Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Priest Retirement Residence in Houston. The Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza Park in Harris County, Texas, is named after Fiorenza.
Appointments and board memberships
- Member of the administrative board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1995–present
- Former member of the Bishops' Committee for Black Catholics
- Vice-president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops – 1995–1998
- Board member of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association
- Trustee of the University of St. Thomas in Houston
- President of the board of trustees of Catholic Charities
- President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops – 1998–2001
See also
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
- Christianity in Houston
Episcopal succession
| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by Archdiocese created |
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston 2004–2006 |
Succeeded by Daniel DiNardo |
| Preceded by John Louis Morkovsky |
Bishop of Galveston-Houston 1984–2004 |
Succeeded by Diocese elevated |
| Preceded by Anthony Pilla |
President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops 1998–2001 |
Succeeded by Wilton Daniel Gregory |
| Preceded by Stephen Aloysius Leven |
Bishop of San Angelo 1979–1984 |
Succeeded by Michael David Pfeifer |
