We announce with great joy that Pope Francis has appointed Holy Cross Father Bill Wack, pastor of St. Ignatius Martyr Parish in Austin, as the sixth Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida.

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) is disappointed by the Texas House’s vote to pass SB 4, which will punish local police officers if they do not fully cooperate with detainer requests issued by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). SB 4 would also allow local peace officers to inquire into the legal status of people who are arrested or detained.

— A coalition of faith-based organizations, including the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops, the Texas Baptist Christian Life Comission, Austin Interfaith and the Texas Industrial Areas Foundation, are stepping up the pressure for the Texas Legislature to reject so-called “anti-sanctuary city” bills.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez of the Diocese of Austin issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s Executive Order “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States”:

We announce with great joy that Pope Francis has appointed Father David Konderla, pastor of St. Mary Catholic Center in College Station, as the fourth Bishop of Tulsa, Okla. He succeeds retiring Bishop Edward Slattery, who will be 76 in August and who was appointed Bishop of Tulsa in 1994.

Bishop Joe S. Vásquez and Auxiliary Bishop Daniel E. Garcia will host a press conference on Monday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. at Bishop’s Hall on the campus of St. Mary Cathedral in downtown Austin.

I am deeply saddened by the Supreme Court’s decision to require States to recognize same-sex marriages, because the opinion is based on the court’s belief that the culture has changed its views of marriage. This causes confusion among those who are faithful to the Gospel and erodes rights of persons in each State.

I, like many of you, was completely shocked by the act of violence in Charleston, S.C., at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Houses of worship should be places of comfort and peace.

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide in which 1.5 million people perished and millions more were displaced and subjected to deportation, torture, starvation and massacre. In remembrance of this atrocity, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on April 12, 2015. Likewise, in the Diocese of Austin, Bishop Joe Vásquez will celebrate the 9:30 a.m. Mass at St. Mary Cathedral in Austin on Sunday, April 12, 2015.

Today we received great news from Holy Father Pope Francis: he has appointed Vicar General Daniel E. Garcia as auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Austin. This is the first time in the 67-year history of the Diocese of Austin that an auxiliary bishop has been appointed to serve in the diocese.

As part of a process in developing a Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Austin, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez announced the opening of a survey intended to capture information to help the diocese plan for the next five years.

- His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, issued the following statement on the tragic shootings yesterday at Fort Hood:

Texas' Catholic Bishops applauded today's implementation of one of the nation's strongest prolife laws for protecting the unborn and ensuring the health of Texas women, despite a last-minute U.S. District Court ruling that affected only a portion of the law.

We announce to you a great joy: Msgr. Michael Sis, Vicar General of the Diocese of Austin, was appointed today by Pope Francis as the sixth Bishop of San Angelo. He will replace retiring Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, OMI, DD, who was appointed Bishop of San Angelo by Pope John Paul II in 1985.

NEW HAVEN, Conn., July 9, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Knights of Columbus announced today that it will distribute an additional $170,000 for relief efforts to assist families in the community of West, Texas — the town of 2,800 inhabitants was devastated by the April 17 fertilizer plant explosion that killed 15 people, injured 160 and damaged or destroyed 150 local buildings.

The Texas Catholic Conference is disappointed that the disruptions in the Senate chamber thwarted the Texas Senate from passing Senate Bill 5 before the midnight deadline. The Senate votes record shows that with 19 yeas and 10 nays, the measure had received more than enough votes necessary to pass. As a result, measures to protect unborn life and to increase the health and safety of Texas women have been delayed. Given this and other essential issues that are awaiting legislative action, the TCC urges Governor Perry to call a second special session quickly to address this and the other issues that were not resolved before time ran out on the first special session.

Through the efforts of the Unified Catholic Response for West, a collaborative effort of the Diocese of Austin, Catholic Charities of Central Texas, the Ladies of Charity of Austin, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, 100 vouchers for the House in a Box program have been issued. On Saturday, the decision was made to increase the number of available vouchers to a total of 200.

On Thursday, April 25, Bishop Joe S. Vásquez was invited to give the Benediction at the memorial service for those who perished in fire and explosion at the West Fertilizer Company on April 17. The service was attended by more than 10,000 people including President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama and representatives from fire and EMS units across the state of Texas.

– On Wednesday evening, April 17, there was a massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Plant in West, which is in the Catholic Diocese of Austin.

On behalf of the priests, deacons, men and women religious, and the lay faithful of the Diocese of Austin, TX, USA, we congratulate you on your recent election as the Successor of Peter.