Dioceses of Brownsville And Dallas Celebrate Milestone Anniversaries

Although their founding dates are separated by 75 years, the Diocese of Brownsville and Dallas are both celebrating landmark birthdays this month.  On July 15, 1890, Pope Leo XIII issued a Papal Bull to erect the Diocese of Dallas.  As a relative newcomer, Pope Paul VI established the Diocese of Brownsville on July 10, 1965. Both dioceses are marking these significant anniversaries with a variety of celebrations.

Dallas became the third diocese in Texas, following Galveston in 1847 and San Antonio in 1874.  To mark its Quasquicentennial, every pastor in the diocese has set a date to observe the milestone in his local parish. Bishop Kevin J. Farrell will also celebrate a diocesan 125th Anniversary Mass on Saturday, October 3rd, at 4:00 p.m. in downtown Dallas’ Cathedral Guadalupe.

In addition,Prologue to the Future, an eBook history of the Diocese of Dallas, was released online on July 15th.  This brief chronicle of the Catholic Church in North Texas features engaging stories from across the diocese and dozens of historic photographs.Prologue to the Futurecan be downloaded for computer or tablet atwww.cathdal.org/prologue.

As the ninth diocese in Texas, Brownsville was formed by detaching four counties from the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1965.  Bishop Daniel E. Flores will observe this Golden Anniversary by celebrating an open air Mass at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 2nd, in front of the mosaic at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle-National Shrine in San Juan.  Vespers for clergy and religious will be also prayed at 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 18th, at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville.

The Diocese of Brownsville is also celebrating its 50th Anniversary with pilgrimage tours across South Texas.  On August 1st and October 24th, a chartered bus will take pilgrims to a variety of historic religious sites, including Our Lady of Refuge and Grotto in Lourdes, La Lomita and Toluca Ranch Chapel, and other locales in the Texas Valley.  To learn more and reserve your seat on one of the 50th Anniversary pilgrimage bus tours, visithttp://bit.ly/1Gzpaf1.

Despite their geographic separation at opposite ends of the Lone Star State, the Dioceses of Brownsville and Dallas have both had a significant impact on the historical development of the Catholic Church in the United States.  The Bishops of Texas and the staff of the Texas Catholic Conference congratulate their parishioners on these milestone anniversaries and pray for their future blessings.