I have lived in the Diocese of Dallas most of my life since coming to Holy Trinity Seminary as a junior in college in August 1976 when I was 20 years old. When I walked through the doors of the seminary, I knew that I wanted to stay, that I had to stay, that this was where I belonged.
Bishop Gregory Kelly’s installation as the fifth bishop of Tyler Feb. 24 marked not only a historic moment for the east Texas diocese but also filled its faithful with a sense of hope, faith, and excitement for the future.
The Gospel reminds us that the Good Shepherd knows His sheep, and they know Him, and He calls them by name to lead them where they are needed most (John 10:14-16). In the same way, we trust in God’s providence as He now calls Bishop Greg Kelly to shepherd a new flock in east Texas.
Before Bishop Gregory Kelly was a priest or bishop, he was a boy in Colorado Springs playing kick the can, tossing baseballs, and pretending to be adventurers with his siblings; but even in those early days, his siblings said, hints of Bishop Kelly’s future vocation were already emerging.