About Diocese of Fort Worth
The Diocese of Fort Worth (Latin: Diœcesis Arcis-Vorthensis) is a Catholic diocese in North Texas, United States, erected on August 9, 1969 by Pope Paul VI from the former Diocese of Dallas–Fort Worth. It is a suffragan diocese of the metropolitan Archdiocese of San Antonio and covers 28 counties across north central Texas, including Tarrant County and the city of Fort Worth. Today it serves approximately 1.2 million Catholics through 92 parishes and 17 schools, with St. Patrick Cathedral in downtown Fort Worth serving as its mother church and The Catholic Center (800 West Loop 820 South) housing diocesan offices. The current bishop is the Most Reverend Michael F. Olson, S.T.D., M.A., the fourth bishop and the first priest of the diocese to be elevated to the episcopate.
- Bishop
- Michael F. Olson
- Established
- 1969
- Cathedral
- St. Patrick Cathedral
- Territory
- 28 counties in north central Texas: Archer, Baylor, Bosque, Clay, Comanche, Cooke, Denton, Eastland, Erath, Foard, Hardeman, Hill, Hood, Jack, Johnson, Knox, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Shackelford, Stephens, Somervell, Tarrant, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger, Wise, and Young.
- Parishes
- 92
- Province
- Archdiocese of San Antonio
History of the Diocese of Fort Worth
The Catholic presence in the Fort Worth area dates to the 1860s, when missionary priests rode horseback on a circuit from Galveston through Texas, celebrating Mass in the courthouse or private homes of the tiny frontier town that had grown from the abandoned Camp Worth military post. In 1876 Bishop Claude M. Dubuis of Galveston assigned Father Thomas Loughrey as Fort Worth's first resident pastor; he built St. Stanislaus Kostka, the city's first Catholic church, within three months. The cornerstone of what would become St. Patrick Church was laid in 1888, and the new edifice was dedicated by Bishop Thomas F. Brennan in 1892 as part of the new Diocese of Dallas. Over the following decades, the region saw waves of Irish, German, and Czech immigration, the founding of St. Ignatius Academy by the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur (1885), and the creation of dozens of rural and urban parishes. After Bishop Thomas K. Gorman renamed the diocese to the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth in 1953 and elevated St. Patrick to co-cathedral status, growth on both sides of the metroplex became impossible to manage from one chancery. Pope Paul VI accepted Gorman's recommendation and on August 9, 1969 erected the Diocese of Fort Worth from 28 North Texas counties; Auxiliary Bishop John J. Cassata was installed as first bishop at St. Patrick Cathedral on October 21, 1969. The young diocese had 86 priests and a Catholic population of about 67,000 — a figure that has since multiplied more than eighteenfold to approximately 1.2 million.
- 1860s: Missionary priests from Galveston celebrate Mass in Fort Worth's courthouse
- 1876: Father Thomas Loughrey arrives; St. Stanislaus Kostka becomes Fort Worth's first Catholic church
- 1885: Sisters of St. Mary of Namur found St. Ignatius Academy
- 1888: Cornerstone laid for St. Patrick Church (now Cathedral)
- 1892: St. Patrick dedicated by Bishop Thomas F. Brennan, first Bishop of Dallas
- 1953: Diocese of Dallas renamed Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth; St. Patrick elevated to co-cathedral
- August 9, 1969: Pope Paul VI erects the Diocese of Fort Worth
- October 21, 1969: Bishop John J. Cassata installed as first Bishop of Fort Worth
Bishops of Fort Worth
The Diocese of Fort Worth has had four bishops since its founding in 1969. Bishop John J. Cassata, a native of Galveston and previously Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas-Fort Worth, was the founding ordinary; he brought financial stability, expanded Catholic schools, and founded Our Lady of Victory, the first Catholic college in Fort Worth, before retiring in 1980. Bishop Joseph P. Delaney succeeded him in 1981 and guided the diocese through the implementation of Vatican II, oversaw the historic preservation of St. Patrick Cathedral and St. Ignatius Church, and built the new Catholic Center; he died in his sleep in July 2005. Bishop Kevin W. Vann had been appointed coadjutor, but Delaney's death the day before consecration meant Vann was consecrated directly as the third Bishop of Fort Worth on July 13, 2005; he led the 40th anniversary celebrations in 2009–2010 before being appointed Bishop of Orange in 2012. The current and fourth bishop, Most Reverend Michael F. Olson, was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Fort Worth in 1994 — the first priest of the diocese to be elevated to its episcopate — and was installed January 29, 2014 at the Tarrant County Convention Center.
- Bishop John Joseph Cassata (1969-1980) — first bishop; founded Our Lady of Victory College
- Bishop Joseph Patrick Delaney (1981-2005) — second bishop; built the Catholic Center
- Bishop Kevin William Vann (2005-2012) — third bishop; led 40th anniversary
- Bishop Michael Fors Olson (2014-present) — fourth bishop; first native priest of the diocese to be named bishop
St. Patrick Cathedral
St. Patrick Cathedral is the mother church of the Diocese of Fort Worth, located at 1206 Throckmorton Street in downtown Fort Worth, Texas 76102. The cornerstone was laid October 14, 1888 by Galveston Bishop Nicholas A. Gallagher; the church was dedicated July 10, 1892 by Bishop Thomas F. Brennan, the first Bishop of Dallas. Originally built by Irish parishioners who had outgrown the smaller St. Stanislaus Kostka, the cathedral was elevated to co-cathedral status in 1953 when Bishop Thomas K. Gorman renamed the diocese the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth, and became the cathedral proper upon the erection of the Diocese of Fort Worth in 1969. In 1985, St. Patrick Cathedral along with St. Ignatius Church and the St. Ignatius rectory were added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today the cathedral serves as the seat of the Bishop of Fort Worth and remains a vibrant parish within the diocese.
- Address: 1206 Throckmorton Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102
- Cornerstone laid October 14, 1888
- Dedicated July 10, 1892
- Elevated to co-cathedral in 1953
- Designated cathedral of new Diocese of Fort Worth in 1969
- Added to National Register of Historic Places in 1985
Catholic Schools
The Diocese of Fort Worth operates 17 Catholic schools serving students across North Texas, continuing an educational tradition that dates to 1885 when the Sisters of St. Mary of Namur arrived to found St. Ignatius Academy. Under Bishop Cassata the diocesan school system expanded significantly, and Bishop Delaney further developed secondary education with the addition of the Cassata Learning Center. Today the Catholic Schools Office, led by Superintendent Frank Perez, oversees recruitment and enrollment, athletics, communications, and a school nurse program. The Catholic Center in west Fort Worth (800 West Loop 820 South) houses the Superintendent's office and diocesan school staff. In response to rising security concerns — including a 60% increase in active shooter incidents nationally and an 800% rise in attacks on faith-based organizations since 2019 — the diocese has implemented a Catholic School Security Initiative under Director of Security Mike Short, with a goal of raising $2.1 million for safety measures that benefit both students and the broader community.
- 17 Catholic schools across the diocese
- Superintendent: Frank Perez
- Catholic Center location: 800 West Loop 820 South, Fort Worth, TX 76108
- Phone: 817-945-9406
- Director of Security: Mike Short
- Catholic School Security Initiative launched to address rising threats
Diocesan Offices and The Catholic Center
The Pastoral and Administrative Offices of the Diocese of Fort Worth — collectively known as The Catholic Center — are located at 800 West Loop 820 South, Fort Worth, TX 76108, in west Fort Worth. Opened under Bishop Delaney as a 20,000-square-foot facility, the Catholic Center brought all diocesan pastoral and administrative offices under one roof and continues to serve as the operational hub of the diocese. Offices housed at the Catholic Center include the Office of the Bishop, the Chancery (headed by Chancellor and General Counsel James Suter, J.D.), the Vicar General (Very Rev. Jonathan C. Wallis, who also serves as Moderator of the Curia, Director of Seminarian Formation, and Chaplain & Director of the TCU Newman Center), the Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer (Stephen Becht), the Catholic Schools Office, the Office of Deacons and Chaplaincy (Dcn. Don Warner), and Vocations. The Catholic Center is open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and can be reached at 817-945-9311.
- Address: 800 West Loop 820 South, Fort Worth, TX 76108
- Phone: 817-945-9311
- Chancellor: James Suter, JD
- Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia: Very Rev. Jonathan C. Wallis
- COO/CFO: Stephen Becht
- Office of the Bishop, Chancery, Catholic Schools, Vocations, Deacons all housed at The Catholic Center
Ministry Offices
Beyond the Chancery and Catholic Schools Office, the Diocese of Fort Worth operates numerous departments, programs, and related organizations to support parishes, schools, and the faithful across the 28 counties of North Texas. These include Vocations, the Office of the Diaconate (with Director of Deacons and Chaplaincy Dcn. Don Warner), the TCU Newman Center (chaplained by the Vicar General), and a Safe Environment Office that provides mandatory training for all employees and volunteers and serves as the reporting point for abuse or safety concerns.
- Vocations Office
- Office of the Diaconate and Chaplaincy (Dcn. Don Warner)
- TCU Newman Center
- Safe Environment Office (mandatory training for all employees and volunteers)
Territory and Demographics
The Diocese of Fort Worth encompasses 23,950 square miles across 28 counties in north central Texas, stretching from Hill County in the south to Cooke County in the north and Hardeman County in the far northwest — a territory roughly the size of West Virginia. The diocese includes the major population centers of Tarrant County (Fort Worth and Arlington), Denton County, and Wichita County, as well as large rural areas where German and Czech immigrants settled in the late 19th century. The Catholic population has grown from about 67,000 at the diocese's founding to roughly 1.2 million today, served by 92 parishes, 17 schools, 108 priests (62 diocesan), 136 permanent deacons, and 47 religious sisters.
- 28 counties, 23,950 square miles
- Largest population center: Tarrant County (Fort Worth/Arlington)
- 92 parishes
- 17 Catholic schools
- 108 priests (62 diocesan), 136 permanent deacons, 47 religious sisters
- Approximately 1.2 million Catholics
Contact and Visitation
The Office of the Bishop can be reached at 817-945-9311. The Chancery expedites canonical matters, assists parishes and priests with civil matters, maintains parish records and files, collects diocesan statistics, and facilitates communications with other dioceses and the Vatican. The Catholic Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; it is closed on weekends. Inquiries are directed to appropriate diocesan offices by the Chancery staff.
- Bishop's Office: 817-945-9311
- Hours: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Chancery: collects statistics, maintains parish records, handles canonical and civil matters
