Pope Leo XIV announces next Bishop of the Diocese of Austin

AUSTIN, Texas - The Holy See has announced that Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Daniel E. Garcia as the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Austin.

What we know:

Bishop Garcia served the Diocese of Austin as an Auxiliary Bishop from 2015 to 2019 before he became Bishop of Monterey in California. 

Prior to this appointment, Bishop Garcia, a native Texan, was ordained a priest and served in various leadership roles in Central Texas.

Bishop Garcia was born in August 1960 and grew up in Waco and Cameron.

He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Tyler Junior College in 1982, followed by a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from the University of St. Thomas in Houston in 1984, while attending St. Mary Seminary. 

Bishop Garcia went on to receive a Master of Divinity in 1988. Bishop Garcia was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Austin on May 28, 1988, by Bishop John E. McCarthy. 

In 2007, he earned a Master of Arts in Liturgical Studies from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota.

Throughout his ministry, Bishop Garcia served in numerous parishes and leadership roles. His first assignments were as associate pastor at St. Catherine of Siena Parish, Cristo Rey Parish, and St. Louis King of France Parish, all in Austin. From 1992 to 1995, he served in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston at St. Mary Magdalene Parish in Humble, Texas. In 1995, he was named the founding pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Austin, where he guided the community through its formation and multiple building projects, including the construction of a permanent church and sanctuary.

Beyond parish ministry, Bishop Garcia held several diocesan roles, including service in the Vocation Office, Priests’ Personnel Board, College of Consultors, and the Presbyteral Council, where he also served as chair. He was Dean of the Austin North Deanery and contributed to the Liturgical Commission, Diaconal Advisory Committee, and served as Master of Ceremonies for the Bishop’s Office.

In 2014, he was appointed Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Austin by Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez. The following year, Pope Francis appointed him Auxiliary Bishop of Austin.

In 2018, Pope Francis named Bishop Garcia the Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey, California.

The backstory:

The Bishop of the Diocese of Austin role has been vacant since Bishop Joe S. Vásquez was appointed by Pope Francis as the ninth Archbishop of Galveston-Houston in January 2025.

Vásquez was appointed to be the Bishop of the Diocese of Austin in 2010.

What we don't know:

Bishop Garcia’s installation has not yet been set but will be announced at a later date.