Pope Francis appoints new Bishop of Tyler

TYLER– The Diocese of Tyler has announced that Pope Francis appointed Bishop Gregory Kelly, the current Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas, as the new Bishop of Tyler on Friday. According to our news partner KETK,  Kelly will be the fifth Bishop to ever be appointed to lead the Tyler Diocese since it was founded in 1986 by Pope St. John Paul II. Kelly’s appointment comes after Bishop Joseph Strickland was removed as Bishop of Tyler in November of 2023, following a months-long investigation by the Vatican.

Kelly was born in Le Mars, Iowa on Feb. 15 1956. He received his Bachelor’s of Arts in philosophy from the University of Dallas in 1978 while he was in the Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, according to the Diocese of Dallas.Later in 1982, he received his master’s degree in divinity from the University of Dallas and he was ordained as a priest in that same year. He was made Auxiliary Bishop for Dallas in 2016 and has served as a Vicar General and moderator for the Curia.

The Diocese of Tyler will have an announcement press conference at 10 a.m. on Friday in the St. Paul meeting room at the Diocesan Chancery, located at 1015 E. Southeast Loop 323.