FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: January 18, 2010

RE: Pope Benedict XVI appoints new Bishop for Corpus Christi

In an announcement issued this morning in Rome, the Reverend Monsignor W. Michael Mulvey, S.T.L., D.D., Administrator of the Diocese of Austin, was named by Pope Benedict XVI as the 8th Bishop of Corpus Christi. Retiring Bishop Edmond Carmody, introduced the Bishop-Elect to the Church and community in a press conference held this morning at Corpus Christi Cathedral where the Bishop-Elect was greeted by Clergy, well-wishers and the media.

Bishop-Elect Mulvey, 60. is a Texas native, born in Houston and ordained a Priest of the Diocese of Austin in 1975. He earned a Bachelor's of Arts degree from St. Edward's University, Austin; a Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the Angelicum University in Rome, and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Gregorian University, Rome.

In addition to years of service in Parish work, Bishop-Elect Mulvey has also served as Vice Rector of St. Mary's Seminary in Houston and Chaplain to Reicher Catholic High School in Waco. With regard to Diocesan positions, he served as Chancellor, Vicar General and more recently as Administrator of the Austin Diocese following the appointment of Bishop Gregory Aymond as Archbishop of New Orleans.

Bishop-Elect Mulvey will be Ordained to the Episcopacy and installed as Bishop of Corpus Christi by His Eminence, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston in ceremonies to be held at Corpus Christi Cathedral on March 25, 2010. Following today's announcement, Bishop-Elect Mulvey returned to Austin to begin the process of transition and will return several days prior to his ordination and installation.

The Diocese of Corpus Christi has 17,000 square miles. It has a population of 565,158 people, with 395,611, or 70 per cent, of them Catholic.