Archbishop DiNardo now leads diocese of 1.3 million Catholics

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Oct. 18, 2007

Many in the Diocese of Sioux City have been wondering how Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo, former bishop of this diocese, is doing in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. He said life for him is "busy."

"The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is between 1.3 and 1.5 million Catholics," said Archbishop DiNardo, who is now a cardinal-elect. "The reason we don't know everyone is because there are so many that are undocumented. Forty percent of our population is Spanish speaking. It is a huge archdiocese."

He said that Mass is celebrated in 14 to 16 different languages every weekend.

"The one obvious difference from Iowa is the vastness of this local church," said the archbishop. We have people from everywhere that are here in the archdiocese. It is a real rainbow and very multi-ethnic diocese."

The first cathedral in the archdiocese is in Galveston. Another cathedral is currently being built in Houston and will be dedicated in April, he said.

There are 160 parishes in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and at least four of the parishes have 7,000 families.

"We have huge parishes, particularly in parts of west Houston and a couple of the towns like Sugarland and the Woodlands, areas north and south of Houston proper," he said.

Archbishop DiNardo was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City on Aug. 19, 1997 and was ordained bishop on Oct.7, 1997. He became diocesan ordinary on Nov. 28, 1998.

He said that there are beautiful churches in the Diocese of Sioux City. His former diocese was "a little more quiet." He added that when he visited parishes it was a beautiful ride.

"I always loved riding the county blacktops and riding them going to various places," said Archbishop DiNardo.

One struggle he had in the Diocese of Sioux City that is still relevant in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is the shortage of priests.

"Down here we are in great need of priests because with about 1.3 million Catholics and about 380 or 390 priests it is still a stretch to deal with ministering and shepherding people," said Archbishop DiNardo. "There are similar issues in every diocese."

Since the Diocese of Sioux City is smaller, he was involved more personally in a lot of different aspects of the diocese.

"It prepared me when I came here to know what goes on when I can't be as personally involved. When I have other vicars who are in charge of things I have some understanding of what is going on, even though I would not be as personally, intensely involved day by day," said Archbishop DiNardo. "That is good to know because Sioux City helped train me in what goes on with those things."

He added that he had a good learning experience dealing with clergy in the Diocese of Sioux City.

"Sioux City is a wonderful diocese," said the archbishop. "The people were pretty well-grounded in their faith. I certainly enjoyed, for the size of the diocese, the large number of Catholic schools, Catholic high schools. I thought all of that was a great positive character of the Sioux City Diocese. The people were always friendly."

Archbishop DiNardo became coadjutor bishop in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in March of 2004. When Galveston-Houston was designated an archdiocese by Pope John Paul II in December of 2004, Bishop DiNardo was also elevated to archbishop coadjutor.

Archbishop DiNardo became the ordinary or chief shepherd of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston on Feb. 28, 2006, when Pope Benedict XVI officially approved the retirement of Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza.

Because the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is larger than the Diocese of Sioux City, Archbishop DiNardo has noticed some obvious differences.

"There is just much more to do in keeping up with what is happening in parishes," said Archbishop DiNardo. "Appointments and meetings are all more frequent because of the nature of the archdiocese. I also have a larger staff here in the chancery, too. I count on the good work that the various heads of our offices do to allow our Catholic faith to grow and increase."

He presided at about 60 confirmations this year. He has a retired auxiliary bishop and a retired archbishop that help him with confirmations.

"With 160 parishes, that is a lot of the confirmations," said Archbishop DiNardo. "At some of the parishes we have to do two ceremonies because there might be 220 to be confirmed from just one parish for one year."

The duties he had as bishop of Sioux City still apply but with the larger diocese things are more complicated.

There are close to 400 priests - religious and diocesan - in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. He said that dealing with them and their appointments takes time.

About 300 permanent deacons have also been ordained for his diocese.

"Meeting with them a couple of times a year and their assignments takes time, too," said Archbishop DiNardo. "I just ordained 35 or so new permanent deacons about six months ago."

A major seminary is located in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. It is a theology seminary.

"Some of my time is also spent meeting with the board or the students - my own and students from other dioceses," said the archbishop.

The territory of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston is about half the size of the territory of the Diocese of Sioux City.

"I can still spend lots of time on the road. It is not because of distance, but because of traffic," said Archbishop DiNardo.

Houston has the largest single port in the United States with 25,000 barges and 8,000 ships that came through last year.

"We have a whole ministry to the ports of Houston," said the archbishop. "With all the visiting sailors who come through, it is a very remarkable ministry."

He added that NASA is also within the territory of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. There are three growing parishes within the area of NASA.

The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston keeps him busy, but archbishop said he continues to think of the Diocese of Sioux City often.

Archbishop DiNardo was one of 23 new cardinals named on Oct. 17 by Pope

Benedict XVI. The pope will formally install the new cardinals at the Vatican on Nov. 24.