Cardinal DiNardo named as apostolic administrator of Amarillo

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo joins Bishop Emeritus Patrick J. Zurek at Mass in Amarillo, Texas, on Feb. 16. Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Bishop Zurek, 77, and appointed Cardinal DiNardo, 76, as apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Amarillo Feb. 14. (Photo by Chris Albracht/Diocese of Amarillo)AMARILLO (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Patrick J. Zurek of Amarillo, 77, and has appointed retired Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, 76, as apostolic administrator of the diocese until a new bishop is appointed and installed.

The resignation and appointment were publicized in Washington by Christophe Cardinal Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the U.S., on Feb. 14.

“I am happy to serve the people of this diocese until the appointment and installation of a new bishop,” Cardinal DiNardo said. “I am grateful to Bishop Patrick Zurek for his many years of service as the shepherd of this local Church. During my time as apostolic administrator, I intend to return to Houston for various occasions. Please pray for me and the people of Amarillo during this time of transition.”

Archbishop Joe S. Vásquez extended his gratitude and appreciation to Cardinal DiNardo for his willingness to serve the Church in this capacity even after his retirement as Archbishop of Galveston-Houston. 

“I also thank Bishop Patrick Zurek for his many years of pastoral leadership in the Diocese of Amarillo,” he said. “Please join me in praying for Cardinal DiNardo and all of the faithful in Amarillo.”

The Diocese of Amarillo comprises 25,800 square miles in the State of Texas.

Bishop Zurek is a native of Sealy, Texas, and has served as head of the Diocese of Amarillo since his installation in February 2008. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, in 1975, and served as auxiliary bishop in San Antonio since 1998.

Born Aug. 17, 1948, Bishop Zurek was raised on his family’s farm. He attended local schools and received a bachelor’s degree in math and chemistry from the University of Houston. He went on to St. Mary’s Seminary, the University of St. Thomas in Houston and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He later earned a licentiate in moral theology at the Alphonsian Academy in Rome.

Bishop Zurek currently serves on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) committee developing the New Spanish Bible. He continues to serve on the committee of border bishops organized to consider pastoral initiatives and immigration issues.

Cardinal DiNardo served as archbishop of Galveston-Houston until his resignation was accepted in January 2025. He had headed the Texas Archdiocese since 2006. In 2007, Pope Benedict XVI elevated him to the College of Cardinals. On May 23, 2024, he turned 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope. The cardinal is a former president of the USCCB.

Cardinal DiNardo had told reporters last year that he would remain in the Houston area in retirement, which, he noted, does not mean he is retired as a cardinal. “That holds on until I’m 80,” he said, adding that he will be “very happy” to assist his successor in whatever he asks him to do.

An Ohio native who was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, then-Archbishop DiNardo succeeded Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza as Galveston-Houston’s shepherd on Feb. 28, 2006. Two years earlier, he had been named coadjutor bishop (later coadjutor archbishop) of Galveston-Houston in January 2004.

Before his Texas appointment, Cardinal DiNardo was the bishop of Sioux City, Iowa. He was appointed coadjutor bishop of Sioux City and ordained there as a bishop in October 1997. His episcopal motto is “Ave Crux Spes Unica,” meaning “Hail the Cross, Our Only Hope.” He succeeded retiring Bishop Lawrence D. Soens as head of the diocese in November 1998.