Archbishop Vásquez receives pallium from Pope Leo

For Archbishop Vásquez, experience reflects the call to foster unity in Church and world 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Pope Leo XIV gave newly appointed metropolitan archbishops their pallium on the June 29 feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, he told them it symbolizes their responsibility to care for their people and to promote unity.

Kneeling before the Holy Father at the altar of St. Peter’s Basilica,  Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez was among the 54 archbishops from around the world who received a pallium, a circular woolen band worn around the shoulders over Mass vestments that marks their position as a metropolitan archbishop. 

Appointed Archbishop of Galveston-Houston in January 2025, Archbishop Vásquez joined Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza and Daniel Cardinal DiNardo who each also received their palliums in 2005 and 2006, respectively, after the diocese was named an Archdiocese in 2004. 

In his homily, Pope Leo told Archbishop Vásquez, who was joined by seven other U.S. archbishops at the Mass, “Dear brothers, this sign of the pastoral responsibility entrusted to you also expresses your communion with the Bishop of Rome, so that in the unity of the Catholic faith, each of you may build up that communion in your local churches,” he said in his homily during Mass. 
He urged them to “learn to experience communion in this way – as unity within diversity – so that the various gifts, united in the one confession of faith, may advance the preaching of the Gospel.”

‘A powerful feast’

Father Orrin Halepeska, pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in Rosenberg and St. Wenceslaus Mission in Beasley, was in Rome for an ecumenical and interreligious seminar with the Centro Pro Unione as part of his role as Archdiocesan officer for ecumenical and interreligious affairs.
Father Halepeska had a front row seat at St. Peter’s Basilica to the June 29 Mass, witnessing Archbishop Vásquez receive his pallium from the Holy Father.
According to Vatican News, originally, the pallium was worn only by the pope. The pope now gives it to metropolitan archbishops as a sign of their unity with him.
“It was an amazing experience to see Pope Leo give the pallium to our shepherd, Archbishop Vásquez,” Father Halepeska said from Rome. “On such a special and powerful feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, watching the movement of apostolic succession through the hands of Pope Leo lovingly giving the call of Archbishop to Archbishop Vásquez.”
Seeing the special moment first-hand gave Father Halepeska time to reflect on the way the local Church and clergy can also pray for and support the Archdiocese’s newer ordinary.
“It makes me feel or realize that our call to be Church and to support Archbishop Vásquez is so much bigger and so important,” he said. 
Others from the Archdiocese who attended the Mass and met with Archbishop Vásquez to share their congratulations included Father John Rooney, pastor of St. Mary of the Expectation Parish in League City, as well as Ethan Sicking, a diocesan seminarian studying at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

Fostering peace and unity
Speaking with Catholic News Service in Rome, Archbishop Vásquez was joined by other archbishops in reflecting on their in helping foster peace and unity in the U.S. Church.
For Archbishop Vásquez, unity and diversity comes down to taking the time to listen to and engage with one another in a way that is respectful and civil.
All dialogue and discussion about things of great importance can be done without “having to be so critical of one another as to demean one another, disrespect one another or not appreciate the other as a person,” he said.