Monsignor George Sheltz, a native Houstonian with deep family roots in the Catholic Church, was named Monday as auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
The appointment by Pope Benedict XVI fills a position that has been vacant for two years.
As auxiliary bishop, Sheltz, 65, will assist Cardinal Daniel DiNardo in administering an archdiocese that serves more than 1 million Catholics in a 10-county region.
Sheltz, who was ordained a priest in 1971, has spent 36 years as a parish priest at various Catholic churches in the area. For the last four years, Sheltz has worked in the church's chancery, most recently overseeing the administration of the archdiocese as Vicar General, Chancellor and Moderator of the Curia.
At a press conference announcing his appointment, Sheltz said he was "overwhelmed" and that it was "a most humbling experience" to accept the position.
He also emphasized his Houston roots. He was educated at Annunciation Catholic School, St. Thomas High School, the University of St. Thomas and St. Mary's Seminary.
"This is my home," he said. "I am very happy to be able to serve the people of my home town."
Sheltz's family has deep roots in the local Catholic Church. His father, George Sheltz Sr., was a deacon, his late brother Anton was an ordained priest and his uncle, Monsignor Anton Frank, was the first native Houstonian ordained in the diocese in 1933.
Sheltz thanked his deceased parents for encouraging him on his chosen path.
"My parents always prayed they would have a son who is a priest," he said. "They got two sons who were priests."
He singled out for thanks the Basilian fathers who taught him at St. Thomas High School, saying they had "helped him realize what a priest is."
DiNardo said Sheltz was a "calm and kind shepherd" who had proven himself most able to assist him in running the archdiocese.
"We are all happy about his appointment," DiNardo said. "None happier than I am."
Sheltz will be ordained a bishop in late April at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart.