Edifice Of The Diocese

After Bishop Verdaguer’s death in 1911, Pope Pius X raised the vicariate to the Diocese of Corpus Christi in 1912 and the following year he named Paul Joseph Nussbaum a native of Philadelphia as its first bishop. During the two-year span between Bishop Verdaguer’s death and Bishop Nussbaum’s arrival, Father Jaillet again took charge of the faithful as administrator of the diocese.

Bishop Nussbaum instituted many devotional practices in the diocese but his tenure was beset with tragedy. Many destitute Mexican priests and women religious poured into the diocese fleeing the Mexican Revolution. World War I, a three-year drought that decimated the local economy and hurricanes in 1916 and 1919 compounded the bishop’s problems. Bishop Nussbaum’s problems were aggravated in 1918 when he was severely injured in a train accident. As if these events were not enough, Bishop Nussbaum’s chancellor and the pastor of the cathedral died within 30 minutes of each other during the influenza epidemic of 1919. In 1920, Bishop Nussbaum resigned while on his Ad Limina Visit to Rome.

The following year Pope Benedict XV named Emmanuel Boleslaus Ledvina, a native of Evansville, Indiana, the second bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi. Before coming to Corpus Christi he served as director of the Catholic Church Extension Society. Through his work with the society he gained a basic background on the condition of the Catholic Church in South Texas. Bishop Ledvina served vigorously for 28 years until he resigned in 1949 due to illness. Under Bishop Ledvina the number of priests increased five fold to 160; he built more than 50 new churches, 53 mission chapels, and 47 rectories. In 1940, Bishop Ledvina oversaw the construction of Corpus Christi Cathedral and in 1947–1948 he built a rectory and chancery office. Bishop Ledvina was well known for his work on behalf of Mexican American Catholics.

Mariano Simón Garriga succeeded Bishop Ledvina as the third bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi. A native of Point Isabel, Bishop Garriga was the first Texas-born bishop of a Texas diocese. He had served as Bishop Ledvina’s coadjutor since 1936. During his administration Bishop Garriga encouraged Catholic education throughout the diocese and many parochial schools were established. Bishop Garriga died in office in 1965 and was succeeded by Thomas J. Drury, a native of Ireland, who served until 1983.

Shortly before Bishop Drury was named head of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, the Holy See removed the four southernmost counties to establish the Diocese of Brownsville and later in his tenure, Goliad County was ceded to the new Diocese of Victoria. Bishop Drury served during the difficult years following the Second Vatican Council. Among his accomplishments during his 18-year term were establishment of the Diocesan Pastoral Council composed of laity, religious and priests to advise him on the needs of the diocese; expansion of the diocesan departments from two to 32; and creation of the Permanent Diaconate. He established a diocesan newspaper and authorized the beginning work toward acquiring a license for a diocesan radio statio

In 2000, three and one-half counties on the Rio Grande were lost to the new Diocese of Laredo. Following Bishop Drury in the See of Corpus Christi were Bishop René H. Gracida (1983), Bishop Roberto O. González, OFM (1997), Bishop Edmond Carmody (2000), and Bishop Wm. Michael Mulvey (2010).