WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named
Fr. Mario Alberto Avilés, C.O., up until now the Procurator General of the
Congregation of the Oratory, as Auxiliary Bishop of Brownsville, Texas.

The
announcement was publicized in Washington on December 4 by Archbishop
Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States.

Father
Aviles was born in Mexico on September 16, 1969. He joined the
Congregation of the Oratory in Mexico City in 1986 and in 1988 he moved to
the Pharr Oratory in Texas. He attended the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina
Apostolorum in Rome where he earned a bachelor of arts degree in Philosophy in
1998.

He was
ordained a priest on July 21, 1998. He then earned a master of divinity
degree from Holy Apostles in Cromwell, CT in 2000. Additional education
includes a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the University of
Phoenix.

Assignments
after ordination include: parochial vicar, Jude Thaddeus parish in Pharr,
Texas, 1998-2002; pastor, Sacred Heart parish in Hidalgo, Texas,
2002-present.

Other
responsibilities include: deputy, Confederation of the Oratory, permanent
deputation, 2000-2012; director of the Oratory Academy and Oratory Athenaeum,
2005-2012; member of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, 2011-present; procurator general
of the Confederation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri, 2012-present.

The
Diocese of Brownsville comprises 4, 296 square miles. It has a total population
of 1,350,158 people of which 1,147,634 or 85 percent, are Catholic. The current
bishop of Brownsville is Bishop Daniel E. Flores.

—
Keywords: Pope Francis, Father Mario Alberto Aviles, Archbishop Christophe
Pierre, apostolic nuncio, Diocese of Brownsville, Congregation of the Oratory,
Mexico City, bishop appointment.

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Media
Contact:
Judy Keane
202-541-3200

Source:: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops