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Cardinal DiNardo


Cardinal DiNardoDaniel Cardinal DiNardo
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
 
 
 
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, the second Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, is the spiritual leader of more than 1.3 million Catholics. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston has the largest number of Catholics of the 15 dioceses in Texas.

In recognition of this growing faith community and a lifetime of Catholic leadership, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Cardinal DiNardo the College of Cardinals in 2007, making him the first Cardinal Archbishop from the Southern United States and one of approximately 120 cardinals who will select the next pope.		 

In both this Archdiocese and as a member of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Culture, Cardinal DiNardo is known for his constant efforts to unite a multicultural, multilingual flock of Christian faithful to live out the Gospel with passion and enthusiasm.

Cardinal DiNardo and his twin sister were born in Ohio in 1949. The family, including two more siblings, moved to Pittsburgh, where he graduated from the Jesuit Bishop's Latin School. He then studied for the priesthood at St. Paul Seminary and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in philosophy from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He went on to receive theological degrees from the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he later taught.

Cardinal DiNardo was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Pittsburgh in 1977. He worked for the Congregation for Bishops in Rome from 1984 to1991, then returned to Pittsburgh to again be a parish priest. In 1997, Cardinal DiNardo was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, Iowa. He became Coadjutor Bishop of the Galveston-Houston Archdiocese in March of 2004. When Archbishop Emeritus Joseph A. Fiorenza retired in 2006, the Pope appointed Daniel DiNardo an archbishop and, on November 24, 2007, elevated him to become the first-ever cardinal from Texas.

Cardinal DiNardo serves on the Board of the National Catholic Partnership for Persons with Disabilities, a position to which he brings a certain empathy, contending as he does with significant hearing loss in both ears. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Catholic University, is an advisor to the National Association of Pastoral Musicians, is a member of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and is part of the Ad Hoc Committee to Oversee the Use of the Catechism for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. He is the chair of the U.S. Bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

Cardinal DiNardo's motto is "Ave Crux Spes Unica," taken from a Latin hymn dated to the year 609, and means, "Hail, Oh Cross, Our Only Hope."