Gregory Kelly (bishop)

His Excellency, The Most Reverend John Gregory Kelly
Bishop of Tyler
Kelly in 2024
Church	Latin Church
See	Tyler
Appointed	December 20, 2024
Installed	February 24, 2025
Predecessor	Joseph Strickland
Previous post(s)	Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas and Titular Bishop of Jamestown (2016-2025)
Orders
Ordination	May 15, 1982 by  Thomas Ambrose Tschoepe
Consecration	February 11, 2016 by  Kevin Farrell, Michael Sheehan, J. Douglas Deshotel
Personal details
Born	(1956-02-15) February 15, 1956 (age 69) Le Mars, Iowa, US
Education	Holy Trinity Seminary University of Dallas
Motto	Habete fiduciam (Take courage)

Styles of John Gregory Kelly
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Coat of arms as auxiliary bishop of Dallas

John Gregory Kelly (born February 15, 1956) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Tyler in Texas since 2025

Biography

Early life

John Kelly was born on February 15, 1956, in Le Mars, Iowa, to John Dennis and Marilean Kelly. He started his college studies at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. When he decided to become a priest, he left the university to enter Holy Trinity Seminary in Irving, Texas. He received his Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Holy Trinity in 1978 and his Master of Divinity degree in 1982 from the University of Dallas in Dallas, Texas. ^{[1] [2]}

Priesthood

On May 15, 1982, Kelly was ordained by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe to the priesthood for the Diocese of Dallas at Sacred Heart Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado. ^[3] The diocese assigned Kelly as assistant pastor at All Saints Parish in Dallas. He left All Saints in 1986 to become chaplain at the University of Dallas, holding that position for the next ten years. ^{[1] [2]}

Kelly was named in 1995 to also serve as vocations director for the diocese. In 1996, he was moved from the university to become pastor of St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish in McKinney, Texas. In 2008, Bishop Kevin Farrell appointed Kelly as vicar for clergy. Pope Benedict XVI named Kelly a monsignor in 2013. ^{[1] [2]}

Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas

Pope Francis appointed Kelly as titular bishop of Jamestown and as an auxiliary bishop of Dallas on December 16, 2015. ^{[4] [1]} On February 11, 2016, Kelly was consecrated at the National Shrine Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Dallas by Bishop Kevin Farrell, with Archbishop Michael Sheehan and Bishop J. Douglas Deshotel acting as co-consecrators. ^[3]

Following the appointment of Dallas Bishop Kevin Farrell to a Vatican post in August 2016, Kelly served as apostolic administrator of the diocese until the installation of Bishop Edward J. Burns in February 2017. ^[1]

Bishop of Tyler

On December 20, 2024, Pope Francis appointed Kelly as Bishop of Tyler. ^[5] His installation occurred on February 24, 2025. ^[6]

See also

• Catholic Church in the United States
• Hierarchy of the Catholic Church
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of popes, patriarchs, primates, archbishops, and bishops

References

1. "Auxiliary Bishop Greg Kelly". Catholic Diocese of Dallas. Archived from the original on October 8, 2024. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
2. "Pope Names New Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. December 16, 2015. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
3. "Bishop John Gregory Kelly". Catholic-Hierarchy.org . David M. Cheney. February 25, 2024. Retrieved 2024-04-04.
4. Harasta, Cathy. "Pope appoints Msgr. Kelly as auxiliary bishop". The Texas Catholic . Archived from the original on December 19, 2015. Retrieved 2024-03-30.
5. "Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Gregory Kelly as Bishop of Tyler". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
6. Low, Peyton (2024-12-20). "Pope Francis Appoints Bishop Greg Kelly as Bishop of Tyler". The Catholic Diocese of Tyler. Retrieved 2024-12-20.

External links

• Diocese of Tyler Official Site
• Diocese of Dallas Official Site

Catholic Church titles
Preceded by Joseph Strickland	Bishop of Tyler 2025–present	Incumbent
Preceded by –	Auxiliary Bishop of Dallas 2016-2025	Succeeded by –