AD LIMINA sets out Pastoral Initiatives

While the first bishop of Corpus Christi used his ad limina visit with the pope to offer his resignation, Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey just returned from his visit with the Holy Father where he updated Pope Benedict XVI on the condition of the Church in the Diocese of Corpus Christi and his plans for its continued growth in faith.

“I am very grateful to be your bishop,” Bishop Mulvey said in a message to the faithful on his departure. “Know that each one of you is with me as I encounter the Church universal and in particular His Holiness.”

The apostle Paul is believed to have made the first ad limina trip when he “went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.” (Gal 1:18)

Under Canon Law, a bishop is required to make a report to the Supreme Pontiff on the state of the diocese entrusted to him every five years; the report is called the Quinquennial Report. While in Rome the bishop is required to venerate the tombs of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and to present himself to the pope.

During the visit on March 14-21, Bishop Mulvey had a personal audience with the Holy Father and other Holy See Congregations and Dicasteries, or departments of the Roman Curia. He also prayed for the people of his diocese at the tombs of Peter and Paul and at the Basilica of St. Mary Major, which is named in honor of the Blessed Mother.

“The clergy, religious and laity of the Diocese of Corpus Christi are characteristically faithful to Christ the Church and obedient to the legitimate authority of the bishop and parish priests,” Bishop Mulvey said in his report to the pope.

“On one hand they are traditional in practice of their faith and at the same time are open to both a spiritual renewal and a growth in knowledge and understanding of the faith both being essential as we continue to foster the New Evangelization,” Bishop Mulvey said.

The bishop said that the diocese had a high recognition of its social justice obligations in regards to the poor, homeless and disabled. Moreover, it has a “vibrant emphasis on stewardship” which has a positive effect on family life, parish ministries, social outreach programs and vocations.

Bishop Mulvey identified four challenges facing the diocese that he hopes to address in coming months and years.

The most pressing challenge is that of vocation awareness. While the diocese has a good number of native priests, one third of the presbyterate is from outside the diocese. 

“There is a need to reawaken the call to priesthood and consecrated life in the diocese in order that local men and women can emerge and be able to continue the work of those who have dedicated their lives to the evangelization of south Texas,” Bishop Mulvey said.

The bishop has named two priests, Father Peter Stanley and Father John Chavarria, as associate vocations directors to assist Father Joseph Lopez, JCL who is currently serving as vocations director. Efforts in the vocation field are already yielding fruits as 10 young men have applied for consideration as seminarians.

Bishop Mulvey is also working with congregations of women religious to develop ways to bring in more young women into religious life.

A second challenge facing the diocese, Bishop Mulvey reported to the Holy Father, is the need to reach out to families.

“There seems to be a prevalent breakdown of the family which inevitably leads to children and teenagers being affected personally and causing them to become increasingly involved in gangs, illegal drugs and promiscuity,” Bishop Mulvey said.

The bishop said he will pay special attention to a renewal of the diocese’ formation programs for those preparing for marriage and reach out to teens and young adults in promoting chastity. He acknowledges that this is a “cultural battle” but it is also the core of Catholic Christian life.


A third challenge the bishop identified in his report is faith formation for all ages.

“The ‘practice’ of the Catholic faith is often synonymous with receiving the sacraments,” Bishop Mulvey said.

Parents often bring their children to faith formations classes but do not come to Mass themselves. The bishop reorganized the diocese’s evangelization efforts into the new Department of Evangelization and Catechesis that is working on many fronts to assist pastors and parochial programs to evangelize not only those in the parishes but those outside the Church awaiting to hear the Good News of the Gospel.


Another challenge to the diocese is the “bringing together and uniting the variety of pro-life groups within the diocese.”

The bishop hopes to expand an understanding that pro-life involves “promoting and protecting life at all stages and not offending the mandates of the Gospel in the tactics used and the words we employ.”

To this end, the bishop created the Office of Life, Justice and Human Dignity that will work to incorporate a multi-dimensional response in the war against the dignity of every human life, from the womb to its natural death.

“It is my hope that as the Centennial Jubilee year progresses we will be able to understand how to strengthen the areas of pastoral initiatives in place and find ways to open new paths for a stronger evangelization in the Diocese of Corpus Christi,” Bishop Mulvey said.