Texas Catholic Voice December 2025

During the season of Advent, we reflect on the themes of each week: Hope, Love, Joy and Peace. We pray that we live these virtues both in our work and in our daily lives. May we each look for opportunities to bring hope, love, joy and peace to our brothers and sisters. 

In the recent meeting of the USCCB, several Texas bishops were elevated to leadership positions. The bishops elected Archbishop Paul S. Coakley of Oklahoma City as president of their conference, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville as vice president. Their terms began immediately at the adjournment of the plenary and run through November 2028.  

Bishop Brendan Cahill of Victoria succeeded Bishop Mark Seitz as chair of the Committee on Migration. The committee’s mandate includes supporting local Church and regional efforts to respond to the unique needs of newcomers and people on the move. The Committee advocates for public policies toward immigrants, migrants, and refugees that conform with Church teachings, and it administers programs designed to assist in the resettlement of refugees, human trafficking victims, and other forced migrants. 

Bishop Danny Garcia of Austin was appointed as the inaugural chairman of the newly established Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, which commenced its work on Nov. 13. The subcommittee’s work falls under the mandate of the domestic justice and human development committee, which includes Catholic social teaching on issues of domestic concern such as poverty, housing, the environment, criminal justice, and other challenges that often have a disproportionate impact on communities of color. 

On Dec 1, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Bishop Michael Mulvey from the pastoral governance of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, and appointed Bishop Mario A. Avilés, CO, currently auxiliary bishop of Brownsville, as his successor. We welcome Bishop Aviles to his new role and look forward to his continued advocacy for the people of Texas. 

DACA Amicus Brief

On November 20, the bishops of Texas filed an amicus brief in a federal court decision which is imminently expected to change nearly 90,000 Texans’ presence in our country from lawful to unlawful. 

This decision will only impact people in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program residing in Texas (and not any other state). The bishops wrote, “This action further undermines each of these persons’ basic human right to seek work and to support a family. It is contrary to the facts to claim that our state is harmed by DACA recipients lawfully working here. Instead, this kind of unprecedented and disruptive action by our government will harm our communities by fomenting fear, severing relationships, disrupting business and removing some of the most upstanding individuals from our community.” 

For the full statement and more information on the current status of DACA in relation to Texas v. United States, visit our website. 

In a rarely used procedure, the USCCB issued their own nearly unanimous Special Message deploring the current immigration crisis and calling for change. "Human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of good will work together," they wrote.