An official with the Archdiocese of San Antonio was introduced Thursday as the new leader of the Roman Catholic diocese in Amarillo. Bishop Patrick J. Zurek will officially take over for retiring Bishop John W. Yanta on Feb. 22. He said he will spend the next few months learning about the region's people.
"I do come with no agenda," said Zurek, auxiliary bishop in San Antonio for the last 10 years. "I don't know the diocese. You don't know me and I don't know you."
Yanta submitted his mandatory resignation to the pope when he reached the retirement age of 75 in 2006. Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation on Thursday.
Yanta was auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese in San Antonio for two years before Pope John Paul II named him to replace the retiring Rev. Leroy Matthiesen in 1997.
Yanta will stay until Zurek is installed in February.
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