Apr 10, 2008 / 06:22 am
At 5 a.m. Central Time this morning, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict has named Fr. Oscar Cantú as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San Antonio, making him the youngest bishop in the United States and ninth youngest in the world.
Archbishop José Gomez introduced Bishop‐elect Cantú, 41, at a press conference this morning, saying, “Bishop‐elect Cantú will be a blessing to the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. His knowledge of the faith and well‐rounded pastoral experience has prepared him well for the work that is ahead of him.”
Bishop-elect Cantú reacted to the news of his appointment by saying, “I am humbled by the confidence the Holy Father has shown in me and I look forward to getting to know the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.”
Bishop‐elect Cantú was born and raised in Houston, TX, attended Catholic school in Houston and was ordained a priest for the then Diocese of Galveston‐Houston in May of 1994. Since his ordination, he served in a number of parishes in the Houston metropolitan area. He currently is the pastor of Holy Name Parish in Houston, which was his childhood parish. He has also taught at the University of St. Thomas School of Theology and the University of St. Thomas at St. Mary’s Seminary.
Archbishop Gomez said, “I met Father Cantú when he was a seminarian and have continued to follow his priestly ministry. While we haven’t worked together before, I am confident he will be a blessing to our archdiocese. His being bi-lingual and bi-cultural will make him a perfect fit.” Besides speaking English and Spanish, Bishop-elect Cantú also speaks French and Italian.
Fr. Cantú will be ordained a bishop by Archbishop José H. Gomez on June 2.