In his 22 years as a Catholic priest, Bishop-Elect José H. Gomez, 49, has distinguished himself as a respected national leader among Hispanic priests, an enthusiastic supporter of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and an affable man who encourages all Catholics to witness their faith in their daily lives.

For his episcopal motto, Bishop-Elect Gomez has chosen a scriptural passage from the Letter to the Hebrews: "Let us go forth with confidence to the Throne of Grace" (Heb. 4, 16).

"I come to learn from all of you and to try to accompany each one of you in your journey of faith," Bishop-Elect Gomez said. "Let us go forth, together, as a family, putting all our confidence in God who is giving us His Grace and who is a Merciful God."

Early Life

Born Dec. 26, 1951, in Monterrey, Mexico, Bishop-Elect Gomez is the son of Dr. José H. Gomez G. and Esperanza Velasco, both deceased. He has three older sisters and one younger sister. Growing up in Monterrey, a city of approximately 1 million people, Bishop-Elect Gomez enjoyed playing soccer and other sports. He was educated by the Marist Brothers religious order through junior high school before entering high school at the Monterrey Institute of Technology.

Academics

In 1969, Bishop-Elect Gomez graduated from Monterrey State University high school and began pursuing a C.P.A./B.S. in Accountancy from National University in Mexico. In 1975, he earned his accounting degree as well as a B.A. in Philosophy in Mexico, D.F.

Vocation

During 1969, Bishop-Elect Gomez, then 18, joined the Personal Prelature of Opus Dei, an institution similar to a diocese without geographical boundaries. Opus Dei members commit themselves to practicing and sharing their faith amid the struggles of ordinary life. While most Opus Dei members are married, Bishop-Elect Gomez began considering the priesthood after college in 1975.

He was encouraged by his Opus Dei directors to continue studies in Rome following his college graduation. It was during this time in Rome that Bishop-Elect Gomez decided he wanted to enter the priesthood.

Cardinal Franz Konig, Archbishop Emeritus of Vienna, ordained Bishop-Elect Gomez a priest of the Opus Dei Prelature on Aug. 15, 1978, at the Shrine of Torrecuidad, Spain. Bishop-Elect Gomez, then 26, began his priestly life doing pastoral work with high school and college students in Spain as he finished his doctorate in Moral Theology at the University of Navarre.

He returned to his homeland of Mexico in 1980, where he continued working with young adults in the Archdiocese of Monterrey for the next seven years. He led retreats, administered sacraments and helped college and high school students grow in their faith.

In 1987, at the request of the Opus Dei prelature, Bishop-Elect Gomez moved to the United States for the first time and to continue his ministry to young adults and families. Galveston-Houston Bishop Joseph Fiorenza also asked him to minister to the Hispanic community at St. Bartholomew Parish in Katy, Texas. Bishop-Elect Gomez has continued his parish ministry there ever since, celebrating weddings, leading Bible study and prayer groups and working with young adults.

In 1991, Bishop-Elect Gomez became a regional representative of the National Association of Hispanic Priests, which seeks to strengthen the fraternity among the 2,400 Hispanic priests in the United States and to communicate the faith effectively among diverse Hispanic congregations. In 1995, the same year he became a citizen of the United States, he was elected president of the association. In 1999, Bishop-Elect Gomez became executive director of the association and was named Vicar of Opus Dei for the Texas region.

From 1997-98, Bishop-Elect Gomez served as a member at large on the board of directors for the National Catholic Council of Hispanic Ministry, and he was elected treasurer in 1999. From 1998-2000, he was on the steering committee for Encuentro 2000, a national celebration of the Jubilee Year 2000, which took place in Los Angeles and was sponsored by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Bishop-Elect Gomez played a key role in the recent establishment of the Hispanic Seminary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City, which opened in August of 2000. Founded by Mexican Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, the seminary educates Mexican and Latin American priests who will later serve in the United States.

"Promoting vocations is one of my top priorities as a priest," Bishop-Elect Gomez said. "The seminary can provide Hispanic seminarians from the United States them with a familiar environment in which they can feel comfortable and strengthen their vocations. Then they can return to the United States."