Pope Leo announces promotion

TYLER – John Gomez, a Tyler-based priest, has been appointed the second bishop of the Diocese of Laredo, the Vatican announced Friday. Gomez’s episcopal ordination and installation as the Bishop of Laredo will be held on June 30, and a farewell celebration in Tyler will be announced soon.

“His experience in diocesan administration as Judicial Vicar and Vicar General, his experience in parish ministry, and his commitment to Hispanic Ministry will serve him well in his new ministry as the second Bishop of Laredo,” Diocese of Tyler Bishop Gregory Kelly said. “I am also grateful to Bishop-elect Gomez for his help to me over this last year as a new bishop in Tyler and will miss his presence and ministry.”

His background, ministry and rise within the Church
Bishop-elect John Gomez was born on December 15, 1975, in Santa Rosa de Cabal in the Department of Risaralda, Colombia, to José Jairo Gomez (deceased) and Martha Lucía Cardona. He is the second of three sons, with an older brother, Roberto de Jesús, and a younger brother, Carlos Alberto.

Raised in California, he completed his secondary education before fulfilling his mandatory national service in the Colombian Army. Afterward, he worked while pursuing philosophical studies. In 2002, he emigrated to the United States and entered formation as a seminarian for the Diocese of Tyler.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami in 2004, followed by theological studies at the University of St. Thomas and St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston. He received a Master of Arts in Theological Studies, a Master of Divinity, and a Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 2009.

Bishop-elect Gomez was ordained a deacon on May 24, 2008, and a priest for the Diocese of Tyler on May 23, 2009, by Bishop Álvaro Corrada del Río. He later completed canonical studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, earning a Licentiate in Canon Law (J.C.L.) in 2012.

Upon returning to Texas, he served as Parochial Administrator and then Pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Pittsburg (2012–2017), Pastor of Christ the King Parish in Kilgore (2017–2018) and Pastor of St. Charles Borromeo Parish in Frankston (2018–2020).

Alongside his parish ministry, Bishop-elect Gomez has held numerous diocesan leadership roles. He served as Judge of the Diocesan Tribunal, Adjunct Judicial Vicar and was appointed Judicial Vicar in 2013. From 2018 to 2023, he served as Promoter of Justice.

In 2015, he was appointed Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, serving until 2023, when he became Delegate of the Apostolic Administrator. He resumed the role of Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia on February 24, 2025.

He is a member of the College of Consultors, Presbyteral Council, Diocesan Review Board, Diocesan Finance Council, Catholic Charities Board and the East Texas Catholic Foundation Board. He also serves as Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies for the Diocese of Tyler and is a member of the Catholic Association of Diocesan Directors of Hispanic Ministry. Additionally, he is a Knight of Columbus and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.