Bishop Michael Sis to speak at Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast
May 10, 2016
HOUSTON — Michael J. Sis, the sixth bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Angelo, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Prayer Breakfast, set for 7:30 a.m. at Hilton Americas-Houston Hotel at 1600 Lamar St. in downtown Houston.
Born in Mt. Holly, N.J., to Raymond and Janice Sis, Bishop Sis grew up in Bryan, Texas. The fourth of five children, he graduated from Bryan High School in 1978.
He earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy in 1982 from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., where he attended Moreau Seminary. As a college student he spent a summer in volunteer service at the Houston Community Youth Center, a halfway house for teenagers transitioning out of incarceration.
He later studied theology at the North American College in Rome, receiving degrees from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1985 and the Alphonsian Academy of the Pontifical Lateran University in 1990 after he was ordained a priest in 1986 for the Diocese of Austin.
He served in a variety of roles at the Diocese of Austin, including Hispanic immigrant ministry at Cristo Rey Parish in East Austin, the historic St. Mary Cathedral in downtown Austin, and the large suburban family parish of St. Thomas More in northwest Austin. His longest term of service was in campus ministry at St. Mary Catholic Center at Texas A&M University in College Station for 13½ years, first as parochial vicar, then becoming pastor in 1993.
In 2006, Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond appointed him as full-time Vocations Director for the Diocese of Austin. Then, after serving one year as pastor of the large suburban parish of St. Thomas More in Austin, he was named Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia by Bishop Joe S. Vasquez in 2010. In this role, he assisted Bishop Vasquez as coordinator of diocesan administration and as supervisor of the secretariat directors.
He was ordained a bishop Dec. 12, 2013. As bishop of San Angelo, he oversees the Catholic Church in 29 counties in West Texas, covering an area of 37,000 square miles. This includes cities such as Abilene, Midland, Odessa, Fort Stockton, Sonora, Junction and San Angelo, as well as smaller towns like Olfen, Iraan, Sanderson, St. Lawrence, Miles and Winters.
He has traveled to 37 countries, including a summer of missionary service in Tanzania.
The Archdiocesan Prayer Breakfast was created to unite the Greater Houston community in expressing trust in and dependence on God through prayer. As a forum to encourage people of all backgrounds in their journey of faith, the event reaffirms the desire of each participant to integrate their faith and daily life. This gathering acknowledges the need for all persons to be supported in prayer as they strive to encounter the living God and thereby discover lasting meaning and hope. Past speakers include Father James Martin, SJ, NY Times Best-Selling Author; Bishop José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles; Bishop J. Peter Sartain, Archbishop of Seattle and Daniel Cardinal DiNardo.
Tickets for the Prayer Breakfast are available online at www.archgh.org/prayerbreakfast. One can purchase an individual ticket, tables for 10 people each, or sponsor a priest or sister to attend the event. Due to limited seating, there will be no walk-up registration on the day of the event.