Michael Brooks
The Catholic Church in Texas is made up of 15 Latin Church dioceses and one personal ordinariate, each led by a bishop. The 15 Latin dioceses are divided into two ecclesiastical provinces, with each province led by an archbishop. The Diocese of Austin, for example, has 127 parishes in 25 counties in Central Texas.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of Catholic Dioceses in Texas | 15 Latin Church Dioceses and 1 Personal Ordinariate |
| Number of Ecclesiastical Provinces | 2 |
| Number of Suffragan Dioceses in Galveston-Houston | 6 |
| Number of Suffragan Dioceses in San Antonio | 7 |
| Number of Parishes in the Diocese of Austin | 127 |
| Number of Counties in the Diocese of Austin | 25 |
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What You'll Learn
The Texas Catholic Church has 15 Latin Church dioceses
The Texas Catholic Church is comprised of 15 Latin Church dioceses and one personal ordinariate, each led by a bishop. The 15 Latin dioceses are divided into two ecclesiastical provinces, each of which has a metropolitan archdiocese led by an archbishop. The metropolitan archdioceses are Galveston-Houston and San Antonio, the latter of which has an additional suffragan diocese.
In most archdioceses and some large dioceses, one or more auxiliary bishops serve in association with the diocesan bishop. As of May 2016, one of these metropolitans was a cardinal: Galveston-Houston's Daniel Cardinal DiNardo. All active and retired bishops in Texas—diocesan, coadjutor, and auxiliary—are members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).
The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter is a structure similar to a diocese that was created by the Vatican in 2012 for former Anglican communities and clergy seeking to become Catholic. Once Catholic, these communities retain many aspects of their Anglican heritage, liturgy, and traditions. The ordinariate is based in Houston, Texas, with the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham as its principal church. It includes 42 parishes throughout the United States and Canada.
The Diocese of Austin, one of the 15 Latin Church dioceses in Texas, has 127 parishes in 25 counties in Central Texas.
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There are 6 suffragan dioceses in Galveston-Houston
The Texas Catholic Church is comprised of 15 Latin Church dioceses and one personal ordinariate led by a bishop. These 15 Latin dioceses are divided into two ecclesiastical provinces, each with a metropolitan archdiocese led by an archbishop. The ecclesiastical province of Galveston-Houston is one of these, and it contains six suffragan dioceses in south and east Texas.
The history of the Catholic Church in the Galveston-Houston area dates back to 1756 with the founding of the Spanish Mission Nuestra Señora de la Luz on Galveston Bay. In 1847, Pope Pius IX elevated the Vicariate Apostolic of Texas to the Diocese of Galveston, designating it as a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of Baltimore. St. Mary's Church in Galveston was chosen as the cathedral, with Jean-Marie Odin as the first bishop.
Over time, the Diocese of Galveston underwent several changes, including being transferred to different archdioceses and witnessing the establishment of various parishes and institutions. In 1959, the name was changed to the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, and in 2004, it was elevated to an archdiocese. Today, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston covers 8,880 square miles in southeastern Texas, serving a significant Catholic population in the region.
The six suffragan dioceses within the ecclesiastical province of Galveston-Houston encompass a large geographic area and serve a diverse range of Catholic communities in south and east Texas. Each of these dioceses has its own bishop and administrative structure, working in conjunction with the archdiocese to serve the spiritual needs of their respective regions. The specific details of each suffragan diocese, including their names and locations, were not readily available. However, it is clear that the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, along with its suffragan dioceses, plays a crucial role in the spiritual life of a significant portion of Texas's Catholic population.
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The Diocese of Austin has 127 parishes
The Diocese of Austin, a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, is a Catholic Church diocese comprising 25 counties in Central Texas. It was erected in 1947 by Pope Pius XII and has had a total of seven bishops since. The most recent bishop, Joe Steve Vásquez, served from 2010 until 2025. As of March 2025, the position of bishop of Austin is vacant.
The first Catholic church in Austin, St. Patrick's, was constructed in the 1850s. The Austin area would remain part of several Texas dioceses for the next 139 years. During his tenure, the first bishop of Austin, Reverend Louis Reicher, built or restored over 200 churches and facilities. These included a chancery office, Holy Cross Hospital in East Austin, Newman Centres on five college campuses, and six church-sponsored, low-rent housing projects.
In 1964, Reicher transferred all of his personal wealth, approximately $5 million, to a trust fund providing direct assistance to the poor and sick, along with low-interest loans to church institutions. In 1971, Pope Paul VI named Bishop Vincent Harris of the Diocese of Beaumont as coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Austin to assist Reicher.
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The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter is based in Houston
The Catholic Church in Texas comprises 15 Latin Church dioceses and one personal ordinariate, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, which is based in Houston. The ordinariate was created by the Vatican in 2012 for former Anglican communities and clergy seeking to become Catholic. It is a structure similar to a diocese, with the Vatican decree designating the Church of Our Lady of Walsingham in Houston as its principal church.
The Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter is led by His Excellency Steven J. Lopes, who was appointed by Pope Francis as the first bishop of the ordinariate on November 24, 2015. He was ordained as a bishop on February 2, 2016, succeeding the ordinariate's first ordinary, Jeffrey N. Steenson. With the appointment of Bishop Lopes, the principal church was elevated to a cathedral, the third in Houston.
The ordinariate includes more than 40 Roman Catholic parishes and communities across the United States and Canada. These parishes maintain elements of their Anglican heritage, liturgy, and traditions in their worship services, such as Evensong. The principal church of the ordinariate, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Walsingham, is located in Houston, Texas. Other large communities within the ordinariate include St. Luke in Bladensburg, Maryland; Christ the King in Towson, Maryland; the Church of the Incarnation in Orlando, Florida; and St. Thomas More in Scranton, Pennsylvania.
The establishment of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter was a response to inquiries made by Anglican individuals and groups in the United States and Canada who identified the Catholic Church as their home. Those joining the ordinariate are fully Catholic while retaining their distinct Anglican heritage and traditions within the Roman Catholic Church. The liturgy of the ordinariate, known as the Divine Worship: The Missal, is a variation of the Roman Rite that incorporates aspects of the Anglican liturgical tradition.
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The US has over 2,200 Catholic dioceses
The United States is home to a large Catholic community, with over 2,200 Catholic dioceses spread across the country. Each diocese is led by a bishop and encompasses several parishes. The number of dioceses varies from state to state, with some states having as few as one diocese, while others have a much higher number.
For example, Texas, a state with a significant Catholic population, has 15 Latin Church dioceses and one personal ordinariate, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter, which is similar to a diocese. This ordinariate, based in Houston, has 42 parishes across the United States and Canada. The 15 Latin dioceses in Texas are divided into two ecclesiastical provinces, each led by an archbishop, with six or seven suffragan dioceses.
The Diocese of Austin in Central Texas, for instance, covers 127 parishes across 25 counties. The Catholic Church in Texas, therefore, has a strong presence with a well-organized diocesan structure.
California, another large state, has 12 dioceses, six of which receive support from the Catholic Extension Society. This society works to build vibrant Catholic faith communities in America's poorest regions and currently supports 87 dioceses across the United States and its territories. The society utilizes U.S. Census data to understand population trends and challenges faced by Catholic dioceses, helping to visualize growth or decline over the past decade.
The Catholic Church in the United States, represented by its numerous dioceses, continues to play an important role in the lives of its followers, with each diocese serving as a center of spiritual guidance and community building.
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Frequently asked questions
There are 15 Latin Church dioceses in Texas.
A diocese is a geographical grouping of parishes, usually consisting of several counties.
The Diocese of Austin has 127 parishes in 25 counties in Central Texas.
