I am extremely humbled that our Holy Father Pope Francis has selected me to lead this newly formed dicastery. I look forward to being part of the important work of the universal Church in the promotion of the laity and the apostolate of the laity and for the pastoral care of the family in accordance with the Pope’s recent apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, the Joy of Love, and the support of human life.
While I am grateful for the Holy Father’s confidence in me, I meet this news with mixed emotions.
Dallas has been my home for 10 years and, from the beginning, I quickly grew to love the beautiful people and culture here. The strong faith, kindness and generosity of the people in the Diocese of Dallas surpassed all of my expectations. My brother priests were among the first to welcome me and I am extremely grateful for their collaboration, friendship, wise counsel and prayers. A bishop can get nothing of significance done in a diocese without the hard work and cooperation of the pastors, priests, diocesan staff and people. Together, I believe we have accomplished many goals, and put others in motion, that will continue to build up the Catholic Church in North Texas.
I cannot express enough my gratitude for all that the priests, staff and people have done and continue to do for me and the Diocese of Dallas. I know our Holy Father is working, as we speak, to find the right man to serve as the new chief shepherd. I am confident that, upon my departure, Bishop Greg Kelly will handle the needs of the diocese in the interim. Please pray for him. I also ask that you please pray for me as I begin this next unexpected chapter of my priesthood. May God continue to bless the Diocese of Dallas.
FILED UNDER: IN THE NEWS
http://bishopkevinfarrell.org/
http://www.fiamc.org/news/istituzione-del-dicastero-per-i-laici-la-famiglia-e-la-vita/
…………………………………………
USCCB President Welcomes Pope Francis Naming Bishop Kevin Farrell Head Of New Dicastery
WASHINGTON– In an August 17 statement, United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) President Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz welcomed the news that Bishop Kevin Joseph Farrell, of Dallas, has been appointed as the first prefect of the Vatican’s new Laity, Family, and Life dicastery.
Archbishop Kurtz’s statement follows:
The Holy See’s new Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life gained a prefect with deep pastoral roots and strong administrative skill. Our prayers are with Bishop Farrell as he prepares for this new role in service to the universal Church.
On making the appointment, Pope Francis wrote that the Dicastery is to ensure “the riches of Jesus Christ are poured out appropriately and with profusion among the faithful.” Most recently, Bishop Farrell led the faithful of Dallas in an outpouring of love in response to the terrible violence. I am also grateful for his service to the USCCB as treasurer, where his leadership set the highest standards of good stewardship.
From our time together on the USCCB Administrative Committee, I have come to know Bishop Farrell not only as a good bishop, but also as a good friend. While we will miss him as a member of our Conference, I am excited to see how Bishop Farrell will bring the new Dicastery to life in service to families around the world. We look forward to being active supporters of this important work.
# # #
MEDIA CONTACT:
Matt Palmer
O: 202-541-3309
