Joseph Anthony Fiorenza (January 25, 1931 – September 19, 2022) was an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He was the seventh bishop and the first archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas, serving from 1985 to 2006. He previously served as bishop of the Diocese of San Angelo in Texas from 1979 to 1984.

Biography

Early life and education

Joseph Fiorenza was born in Beaumont, Texas, the second of four sons of Anthony and Grace (née Galiano) Fiorenza. His father immigrated from Sicily at age 10, while his mother was the daughter of Sicilian immigrants. He attended St. Anthony High School in Beaumont, where he was football team captain and senior class president. He then studied at St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte, Texas.

Priesthood

Fiorenza was ordained to the priesthood on May 29, 1954. His first assignment was as assistant pastor of Queen of Peace Parish in Houston, where he remained for three years. Fiorenza said:<blockquote>In an age where respect for life is threatened in so many ways, we believe it is important to emphasize that human life is a gift from God, and no one or any government should presume to kill God's gift.

Retirement

Fiorenza submitted his letter of retirement as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to Pope Benedict XVI in February 2006 at the mandatory retirement age of 75. The pope accepted his resignation on February 28, 2006, and appointed former coadjutor archbishop Daniel DiNardo as Fiorenza's successor. Fiorenza had been living in retirement at the Archbishop Joseph A. Fiorenza Priest Retirement Residence in Houston. The Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza Park in Harris County, Texas, is named after Fiorenza.

In a February 2020 lawsuit filed against the archdiocese, a man and a woman from Conroe, Texas accused Fiorenza of allowing the ordination of Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, despite a previous allegation of sexual abuse. In 1992, the Diocese of Galveston-Houston received an accusation that La Rosa-Lopez had molested a minor at St. Thomas More Parish in Houston. Despite this, Fiorenza allowed La Rosa-Lopez to be ordained a priest in 1999. Between 1998 and 2001, he allegedly molested the two plaintiffs at Sacred Heart Parish in Conroe, both of whom were children. Fiorenza met with the girl's family at the time of the initial accusation and promised to remove La Rosa-Lopez from the parish and send him for treatment. However, the allegations were never reported to police or to parishioners. In December 2020, LaRosa-Lopez pleaded guilty to felony indecency with a child and was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Appointments and board memberships

  • Member of the administrative board of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 1995– ?
  • Former member of the Bishops' Committee for Black Catholics
  • Vice-president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops – 1995–1998
  • Board member of the Catholic Near East Welfare Association
  • Trustee of the University of St. Thomas in Houston
  • President of the board of trustees of Catholic Charities
  • President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops – 1998–2001

See also

  • Catholic Church hierarchy
  • Catholic Church in the United States
  • Christianity in Houston
  • Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
  • List of Catholic bishops of the United States
  • Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

References

  • Fiorenza, Archbishop Joseph and David Goldstein. Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza Oral History , Houston Oral History Project, May 27, 2008.
  • Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston

Episcopal succession