Mark J. Seitz

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Latin
: Paratum cor meum
(My heart is ready)
Styles of
Mark Joseph Seitz
Your Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Mark Joseph Seitz (born January 10, 1954) is an American

Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as the bishop of the Diocese of El Paso in Texas since July 9, 2013. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Dallas
in Texas from 2010 to 2013.

Early life and education

Mark Seitz was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on January 10, 1954, the eldest of ten siblings.[1] In 1972, he entered Holy Trinity Seminary at the University of Dallas in Texas.[2] He earned a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in 1976 and a Master of Divinity degree in 1980.[1]

Ordination and ministry

Seitz was

priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas by Bishop Thomas A. Tschoepe on May 17, 1980. He served as a parochial vicar at Good Shepherd Church in Garland, Texas from 1980 to 1985.[3] Seitz earned a Master of Theology degree from the University of Dallas in 1982 and a Master of Liturgical Studies degree from Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, in 1985.[1] Seitz also took summer courses at the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, Indiana, and Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania[1]

Seitz served as an adjunct professor at the University of Dallas from 1985 to 1994, teaching liturgy and sacramental theology.[3] He also served as associate spiritual director (1986-1987), director of liturgy (1986-1993), and vice-rector (1987-1993) at Holy Trinity Seminary.[3] From 1993 to 2003, Seitz was pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Waxahachie, Texas.[1] He was an instructor at the Christ the Servant Institute in Dallas in the fall of 2001 and interned at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the fall of 2002.[1] In 2003, Seitz became pastor of St. Rita's Parish in Dallas.[3] He was named a prelate of honor by Pope John Paul II in December 2004.[3] In 2009, Seitz donated one of his kidneys to an ailing parishioner.[4] In 2010, he became pastor of All Saints Parish in Dallas.[3]

Seitz was a member of the

Presbyteral Council (1988–1993, 1999–2006, 2007–2010), spiritual director of Dallas/Fort Worth Courage (1998–2010), a member of the Diocesan Honduras Solidarity Team (2002–2010), a member of the College of Consultors of the diocese (2007–2010), spiritual director of the White Rose Women's Center in Dalla (2009–2010), and a board member s of the BirthChoice Catholic Crisis Pregnancy Center (2009-2010).[1]

Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas

On March 11, 2010,

consecration on the April 27, 2010, from Bishop Kevin Farrell, with Bishops Charles V. Grahmann and Michael Duca serving as co-consecrators
.

Bishop of El Paso

On May 6, 2013, Pope Francis appointed Seitz as bishop of the Diocese of El Paso.[2][3] He was installed there on July 9, 2013.On June 27, 2019, Seitz and several members of the Hope Border Institute of El Paso, Texas, escorted seven Central American asylum seekers to the Santa Fe International Bridge in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico to assist them in claiming asylum in the United States.[6]

On July 18, 2017, Seitz issued a pastoral letter on immigration in which he said that "elected leaders have not yet mustered the moral courage to enact permanent, comprehensive immigration reform" and praised the efforts of the "heroic individuals, families, pastors, religious, parishes and institutions that spend themselves in service to migrants and refugees" and campaign "against the militarization of our border". He expressed concern for immigrant families who fear separation and for law enforcement officers who "put their lives on the line to stem the flow of weapons and drugs" but are "troubled in conscience by divisive political rhetoric and new edicts coming from Washington, D.C." He condemned profit-based immigrant detention centers, the hostility shown to asylum seekers, and "the disparagement of our Muslim brothers and sisters".[7]

In the aftermath of the El Paso Walmart shooting on August 3, 2019, Seitz wrote a pastoral letter on racism and white supremacy in which he wrote that,

"If we are honest, racism is really about advancing, shoring up, and failing to oppose a system of white privilege and advantage based on skin color. When this system begins to shape our public choices, structure our common life together and becomes a tool of class, this is rightly called institutionalized racism. Action to build this system of hate and inaction to oppose its dismantling are what we rightly call white supremacy. This is the evil one and the ‘father of lies’ (John 8:44) incarnate in our everyday choices and lifestyles, and our laws and institutions."[8]

In February 2020, Seitz, along with bishops from Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, met with Pope Francis in Rome. The pope gave Seitz 50 rosaries that he personally blessed for survivors of the El Paso Walmart shooting.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "CURRICULUM VITAE" (PDF). Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Vatican Recognizes Growth, Pope Appoints Auxiliary Bishops" (PDF). Roman Catholic Diocese of El Paso (Press release). July 9, 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 25, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Pope Names Vicar General, Pastor As Auxiliary Bishops For Dallas". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Press release). March 11, 2010.
  4. ^ "Priest donates own 'holy kidney' to ailing parishioner". Catholic News Agency. November 13, 2009. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  5. ^ "Statement from Bishop-elect Mark Seitz" (PDF). Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas (Press release). March 11, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 5, 2014.
  6. ^ "Texas Bishop helps migrant family cross into U.S. on asylum trek". America Magazine. June 28, 2019. Retrieved January 21, 2020.
  7. ^ Guidos, Rhina (July 18, 2017). "Bishop Mark Seitz denounces hateful words, militarization of border". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  8. ^ "Night Will Be No More | Pastoral Letter to People of God in El Paso". hope-border-inst. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  9. ^ Esquivel, Erika (January 30, 2020). "Pope Francis gives Bishop Seitz 50 rosaries to give to El Paso shooting victims, families". KFOX. Retrieved February 5, 2020.

Further reading

External links

Episcopal succession

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Bishop of El Paso
2013—Present
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by
-
Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas
2010-2013
Succeeded by
-