Bishop Carmody Announces Retirement as Vicar General

TYLER — Bishop Edmond Carmody has announced his retirement as vicar general of the Diocese of Tyler. According to the diocese website, Bishop Carmody served as Bishop Joseph E. Strickland’s vicar general and chaplain of Bishop Gorman Schools since December of 2012. “The clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Tyler were extraordinarily blessed to have Bishop Carmody serve as vicar general for the past two years,” Bishop Strickland said. “His tireless efforts, especially in the areas of Catholic education and our Bishop’s Annual Appeal, were of great and lasting benefit to the people of the 33 counties of the diocese.”

“Bishop Carmody was an extraordinary gift to the Bishop Gorman community. His grandfatherly wisdom and his warm Irish charm were enriching to the entire community,” said Jim Franz, principal of Bishop Gorman Schools. “He is loved and admired by staff, students and parents, and will be sorely missed.”

Bishop Carmody, a native of County Kerry, Ireland, was ordained to the priesthood in 1957 in the Archdiocese of San Antonio. After serving nearly 30 years as a priest in San Antonio, Bishop Carmody spent time as a missionary in Peru and Ecuador from 1984 until 1988. That’s when he was called back to San Antonio by St. Pope John Paul II, who named him auxiliary bishop of San Antonio.

In March of 1992, John Paul II appointed him the second Bishop of Tyler. Bishop Carmody led the Diocese of Tyler until being named Bishop of Corpus Christi in 2000. In 2010, he retired as Bishop of Corpus Christi upon reaching the canonical retirement age.

“Speaking for the entire Diocese, Bishop Carmody returns to Corpus Christi with our sincere gratitude and prayerful best wishes for a happy retirement,” Bishop Strickland said. “He will be greatly missed, but his service to the God’s people in East Texas as bishop and vicar general will not be forgotten.” The vicar general assists the diocesan bishop in the governance of the entire diocese. Bishop Strickland will name a new vicar general soon, according to the diocese website.