Bishops

Bishop Charles Herzig was born in San Antonio, Texas on August 14, 1929 and spent his priesthood serving in the Diocese of San Antonio.  On December 16, 1986 Msgr. Herzig was named by Pope John Paul II to be the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of Tyler.  He was ordained to the episcopacy by Archbishop Flores of San Antonio and was installed as the first bishop of the Tyler diocese on February 24, 1987.  The ceremony took place at the Oil Palace in Tyler.  Bishop Herzig chose as his motto: "To Build Up the Body of Christ".  He served as bishop of Tyler for four years until his death on September 7, 1991.  Archbishop Flores returned to Tyler as the celebrant for the Mass of Christian Burial at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on September 12, 1991.  Bishop Herzig was laid to rest at Rose Hill Cemetery in Tyler.

In his memory, the Bishop Charles E. Herzig Humanitarian Award is presented by the Bishop of Tyler to "individuals who demonstrate great love for the human person and whose life in the Catholic Church has been marked by actions that have enabled families or individual persons to receive basic care (i.e. food, clothing, shelter and health)."  The award is given annually in September at the Memorial Mass of Bishop Charles E. Herzig at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Bishop Edmond Carmody was born in Moyvane, County Kerry, Ireland on January 12, 1934 and was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of San Antonio on June 8, 1957.  After years of serving in San Antonio, Bishop Carmody served as a missionary in Peru and Ecuador from 1984 until 1988, when he was called back to San Antonio to be ordained bishop there.  He was auxiliary bishop of San Antonio until March 24, 1992, when Pope John Paul II named him the second bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.  Bishop Carmody was installed as bishop by Archbishop Patrick Flores at the Oil Palace in Tyler on May 25, 1992.  Bishop Carmody chose as his motto: "With Christ All is Possible."  He was bishop of Tyler for eight years and was then appointed bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas on February 3, 2000 and was installed on March 17, 2000.  Upon reaching the age limit for acting bishops, he became Bishop Emeritus in 2010.  Bishop Carmody is back in Tyler having been named Vicar General by Bishop Strickland in December of 2012. 

Bishop Alvaro Corrada del Rio, the third bishop of Tyler, was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico on May 3, 1942.  He joined the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits, while in seminary and was ordained to the priesthood in Puerto Rico on July 6, 1974.  He continued theological studies in Paris, France and served in Puerto Rico until Pope John Paul ii named him Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, DC on May 30, 1985.  He was later called by John Paul II to return to Puerto Rico to serve as Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Caguas.  On December 5, 2000 he was again called on by Pope John Paul II to become the third bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.  Bishop Corrada was installed on January 30 2001 at the Cowan Center on the University of Texas at Tyler's campus by Archbishop Flores.  Bishop Corrada's episcopal motto is: "No One But Jesus."  Bishop Corrada served as Bishop of Tyler for over ten years.  Pope Benedict XVI named Bishop Corrada the second and current bishop of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico on July 6, 2011.

Bishop Joseph E. Strickland is the fourth and current bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.  His biographical information can be found on the home page.  His calender and personal writings can be found on his website http://bishopstrickland.com.