The Diocese of Corpus Christi announced the appointment of its ninth bishop.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Mario Alberto Avilés on Dec. 1, according to a news release from the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
Avilés succeeds Wm. Michael Mulvey, who led the diocese since 2010.
Avilés was ordained to the priesthood on July 21, 1998, at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine in San Juan, Texas. After his ordination, he was appointed parochial vicar at St. Jude Thaddeus Church in Pharr. He also served as a teacher and principal at his congregation’s school.
Pope Leo XIV appointed Mario Alberto Avilés as the ninth bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi.
“We welcome Bishop-designate Avilés with open hearts and deep prayer,” Mulvey said in the news release. “As we begin the holy season of Advent, a time of hope and joy, we are reminded that Christ continues to guide and shepherd His Church. This is a moment of grace for the Diocese of Corpus Christi.”
The new bishop hails from the Diocese of Brownsville, where he became auxiliary bishop in 2018 after Pope Francis appointed him to the position in 2017.
Born in Mexico City on Sept. 16, 1969, Avilés joined the Congregation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in 1986.
He began studying for the priesthood in Mexico City and continued in Rome, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and sacred theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum. He holds a master’s degree in education administration and supervision and is a certified teacher in Texas.
In 2002, he was appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Hidalgo, Texas. From 2000 to 2012, he served as a member of the Permanent Deputation of the Confederation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, and in 2012, he was elected Procurator General.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Mario Alberto Avilés is new bishop of Diocese of Corpus Christi