James Anthony Tamayo
James Anthony Tamayo | |
|---|---|
| Bishop of Laredo | |
 Tamayo in 2025 | |
| Church | Roman Catholic |
| Archdiocese | San Antonio |
| Diocese | Laredo |
| Appointed | July 3, 2000 |
| Installed | August 9, 2000 |
| Predecessor | First Bishop |
| Previous post(s) |
|
| Orders | |
| Ordination | July 11, 1976 by Thomas Joseph Drury |
| Consecration | March 10, 1993 by Joseph Fiorenza, René Henry Gracida, and Enrique San Pedro |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 23, 1949 |
| Education | University of St. Thomas St. Mary's Seminary |
| Motto | Todo con amor (All with love) |
| Styles of James Anthony Tamayo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
James Anthony Tamayo (born October 23, 1949) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Laredo in Texas since 2000. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Galveston-Houston in Texas from 1993 to 2000.
Biography
[edit]Early life
[edit]James Tamayo was born on October 23, 1949, in Brownsville, Texas, the son of Antonio P. Tamayo and Guadalupe B. Tamayo. He has a sister, Mercy Barrera of Corpus Christi, Texas.[1] He holds a Master of Theology degree from the University of St. Thomas and attended St. Mary's Seminary, both in Houston, Texas.[2]
Priesthood
[edit]Tamayo was ordained a priest at Corpus Christi Cathedral in Corpus Christi by Bishop Thomas Drury for the Diocese of Corpus Christi on July 11, 1976.[3] After his 1976 ordination, the diocese assigned Tamayo as associate pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Corpus Christi along with chaplain to the local branch of the Catholic Daughters of America (Junior Division).[2]
Tamayo was named assistant chancellor in 1980. In 1981, the diocese transferred Tamayo from St. Patrick to the Corpus Christi Cathedral Parish to serve as associate pastor there. He was named associate pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Corpus Christi in 1982.[2]
In 1986, the diocese appointed Tamayo as pastor of St. Andrew by the Sea Parish in Corpus Christi. He was moved again to Blessed Sacrament Parish in Laredo, Texas, in 1990 and was named episcopal vicar of the Western Vicariate of the diocese.[2]
Auxiliary Bishop of Galveston-Houston
[edit]Pope John Paul II appointed Tamayo as an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on January 26, 1993. He was consecrated at the Sam Houston Coliseum in Houston, Texas, by Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza on March 10, 1993. He also became the titular bishop of Ita.[3]As auxiliary bishop, Tamayo served as vicar general of the diocese and episcopal vicar for the Hispanic ministry.[2]
Bishop of Laredo
[edit]On July 3, 2000, John Paul II appointed Tamayo as bishop of the newly-founded Diocese of Laredo. On August 9, 2000, he was installed as its first bishop.[4][3]
In 2002, a priest from New York City was arrested in Laredo on rape charges out of New York. The district attorney of Kings County in New York said that the Diocese of Laredo was "less than satisfactory" in cooperating with their investigation. Tamayo did not explain the circumstances under which the priest had left his diocese.[5]
As bishop, Tamayo holds the following posts:
- Chaplain for the Texas State Council of the Knights of Columbus
- Texas state chaplain for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas
- National episcopal advisor for the Cursillo Movement
- Regional executive board member for Boy Scouts of America[2]
In March 2016, Tamayo halted the construction of a Catholic student center at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) in Laredo. The Brothers of St. John, key sponsors of the $4 million-plus project, held a groundbreaking ceremony in November 2013. Tamayo did not attend the groundbreaking; nor did he offer an explanation for his opposition to the project, even to TAMIU President Ray Keck. Hundreds of thousands of preliminary funds have already been spent on the project, which has been on the drawing board for a decade.[6]Glen S. Jackson of Alexandria questioned Tamayo's opposition to the student center, which he said has caused a "hostile atmosphere" in the Laredo diocese. Jackson had claimed that 99 percent of the clergy in the Laredo diocese favors the project.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Antonio P. Tamayo". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ a b c d e f "Bishop James A. Tamayo, D.D." Diocese of Laredo. 2015-08-13. Archived from the original on 2024-04-05. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ a b c "Bishop James Anthony Tamayo [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2024-04-05.
- ^ Hernan Rozemberg of the San Antonio Express-News, "End raids, bishops plea", Laredo Morning Times, September 11, 2008, pp. 1, 9A
- ^ "Letters delivered to Vatican question bishop's actions". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved May 16, 2016.
- ^ Philip Balli; Judith Rayo; Gabriel A. Trevino (March 20, 2016). "Bishop Tamayo halts construction of Catholic Student Center". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved March 21, 2016.
- ^ Glen S. Jackson (Letter to the Editor). "Bishop Tamayo rejecting the construction for the ministry center baffles all who have donated". Laredo Morning Times. Retrieved March 29, 2016.
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External links
[edit]
- The Diocese of Laredo website Archived 2010-01-11 at the Wayback Machine
Episcopal succession
[edit]
| Ordinaries |
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|---|---|
| Churches |
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- 1949 births
- Living people
- Roman Catholic Ecclesiastical Province of San Antonio
- People from Laredo, Texas
- Clergy from Houston
- Religious leaders from Texas
- People from Brownsville, Texas
- Catholics from Texas
- 21st-century Roman Catholic bishops in the United States
- Bishops appointed by Pope John Paul II
- Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre