(Meal provided by Dickey's BBQ)

BISHOP JOSEPH E. STRICKLAND

Bishop Joseph Edward Strickland entered Holy Trinity Seminary and the University of Dallas; studying for the Diocese of Dallas in August of 1977, and earned a Bachelor of Philosophy in May of 1981. He continued his education at Holy Trinity and the University of Dallas and was ordained to the Diaconate by then Bishop Michael Sheehan at Holy Trinity Seminary on December 8, 1984.

He earned a Master of Divinity Degree in May of 1985 and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe at St. Monica Catholic Church in Dallas, Texas on June 1, 1985.

He was assigned as a newly ordained priest to Immaculate Conception Church in Tyler in June of 1985 and served as Parochial Vicar until June of 1989. He was assigned as Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart Church in Nacogdoches in June of 1989 and then he was assigned as pastor of St. Michael Church in Mt. Pleasant. He served as pastor of St. Michael's from 1989-1992 when he was assigned to canonical studies at the Catholic University of America.  

Strickland completed his canonical studies with a Licentiate in Canon Law in May of 1994 and was assigned as rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Tyler in June of that same year. He was appointed Judicial Vicar for the Diocese of Tyler in May of 1995 and named a Prelate of Honor with the title Monsignor by His Holiness Pope John Paul II in February of 1996.

He was elected Administrator of the Diocese of Tyler in March of 2000  and served in that capacity until January of 2001.  He continued to serve as rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Judicial Vicar of the diocese until February 1, 2010 when he became Vicar General. He served in that capacity until September of 2011 when he was appointed as Delegate of the Apostolic Administrator.

On September 29, 2012 it was announced that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI had chosen Strickland as the Fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Tyler.