Bishop Vann named Bishop of Diocese of Orange, California

September 21, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Fort Worth Bishop Kevin W. Vann as the new bishop of the of the Catholic Diocese of Orange, California. The announcement was made in Washington, DC Friday Sept. 21 by the Holy See’s apostolic nuncio to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano.

"Bishop Vann has been an integral part of guiding and supporting the Texas Catholic Conference in faithful advocacy for the people of our state.  We wish him the best, but he will be missed.  The people of Orange County California are indeed fortunate to have him as their shepherd," said Jeffery Patterson, Texas Catholic Conference Executive Director. 

Bishop Vann will become the fourth bishop of the Orange Diocese when he is installed in December. He succeeds Bishop Tod D. Brown, who is retiring after leading the California diocese for 15 year. For more information on Bishop Vann's appointment, visit the North Texas Catholic web site.

Read the Diocese of Fort Worth Press release regarding the assignment below or online here:

Pope Names Fort Worth Bishop Kevin W. Vann as Bishop of the Diocese of Orange, California

Pope Benedict XVI has named Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth Bishop Kevin W. Vann, 61, as the new bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, California.

The announcement was made Friday, September 21, 2012 in Washington, D.C. by the Holy See’s apostolic nuncio to the Untied Stated, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano.

Bishop Vann will conclude his 7-year tenure as the shepherd of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth on December 10, 2012 when he is installed as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Orange since its establishment in 1976.

Bishop Vann became the third bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth on July 13, 2005 after the unexpected death of the late Bishop Joseph P. Delaney.

During his tenure as bishop, Bishop Vann won the hearts of North Texas Catholics and non-Catholics alike.  Bishop Vann is known for his outgoing personality, compassion and love for every person he meets. He brought spiritual uplifting as he traveled the 28-county Diocese and its 90 parishes. His enthusiastic piano playing endeared him to all.

Bishop Vann, who is in Orange Friday for the announcement, has the following message for the faithful of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth and North Texas:

“I am humbled by Pope Benedict XVI’s appointment as the Fourth Bishop of Orange, California.  As I anticipate this next chapter of my life and ministry, I turn to Psalm 116 which prays "How can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me?"  I believe that was the responsorial psalm that was used for the Mass of my ordination as Bishop of Fort Worth on July 13, 2005 I have been very proud to say these last seven years that "I am the Catholic Bishop of Fort Worth". The growth and expansion of the Diocese, its missionary spirit, and the involvement of so many people  - priests, religious, and lay faithful -  in every way in the life of the local Church and beyond is well known all over the United States, and in the mission outreach of our Diocese to so many parts of the world.  For that and more, I humbly thank you and ask your prayers now.   My life has been changed for the better, in the Providence of God, by all of us praying and working together to further the Kingdom of God in North Texas.  Your welcome, kindness and faith have shaped my life.   I have recently experienced this so powerfully in the response of so many people upon the death of my mother. She, too, loved the Diocese and its people. Please continue to pray for me as I do for you each day.”

Bishop Vann’s complete statement is on the Diocese of Fort Worth web site: www.fwdioc.org.

Bishop Vann will be the apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Fort Worth until he is installed as Bishop of the Diocese of Orange on December 10, 2012.

A native of Springfield, Ill. where he was a pastor, Vicar for Priests and a Canon lawyer, Pope Benedict named Bishop Vann the coadjutor bishop of the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese in Spring 2005. Bishop Delaney died on July 12, 2005, the day before Bishop Vann was installed as the third bishop of the Fort Worth Diocese on July 13, 2005.

Bishop Vann took the helm of one of the fastest growing Catholic dioceses in the United States. In 2005, the Diocese’s Catholic population was an estimated 400,000. Today, the estimated Catholic population in the Diocese is 710,000. Under Bishop Vann’s leadership the Diocese’s growth was accomplished primarily by expansion of existing parishes and the creation of one new parish, Blessed John Paul II parish that serves the Denton university communities.  An estimated $135 million in capital improvements have occurred at diocesan parishes and ministries during the last seven years.

Other Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth milestones during Bishop Vann’s tenure include:

• The construction and dedication one of the largest Vietnamese churches in the United States, the Arlington Vietnamese Martyrs Church
• The establishment of a  new Catholic school with the opening in August 2012 of the Holy Cross Catholic School in Frisco
• Expanding the number of seminarians to 30 in 2012, the largest number of seminarians in the Diocese’s history
• The ordination of 21priests during the last seven years
• The increase in the number of priests and sisters from various religious orders and other dioceses to serve the growing diversity of Catholics in the Diocese.
• Creation of the Blessed John Paul II Institute  to better foster the New Evangelization envisioned by Pope Benedict XVI
• The successful All Things Possible capital campaign to address the many needs of the Diocese and its’ parishes by exceeding its $40 million goal by 21 percent
• The restructuring of the diocesan Catholic school system to a cost-based tuition system to ensure the financial viability of schools.
• Successful stabilizing and enhancing of five Center City Catholic schools
• Creation of the Bishop’s Scholars Fund to assist families who demonstrate a need for financial assistance with school tuition by awarding  millions in tuition assistance since 2006
• The restoration of  the historic St. Patrick Cathedral Rectory and the construction of the first St. Patrick Pastoral Center
• The reconstitution of the Diocesan Pastoral Council as a consultative body to the Bishop
• Assisted in the formation of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter and ordained six former Episcopalian  priests into the Catholic priesthood
• Financing and opening of a new Catholic Charities facility to accommodate the growing ministry of the organization
• The continued success of the 30-year-old Sharing in Ministry program, an appeal which raises approximately $3 million annually to assist Center City and rural Catholic communities and ministries