Francisco González Valer
Francisco González Valer | |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Washington Titular Bishop of Lamphua | |
| Archdiocese | Washington |
| Appointed | December 28, 2001 |
| Installed | February 11, 2002 |
| Term ended | May 27, 2014 |
| Other post(s) | Titular Bishop of Lamphua |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | May 1, 1964 |
| Consecration | February 11, 2002 by Theodore Edgar McCarrick, James Aloysius Hickey, and Leonard Olivier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 22, 1939 Arcos de Jalón, Soria Spain |
| Motto | Pax et amor |
| Styles of Francisco González Valer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Francisco González Valer, S.F. (born May 22, 1939) is a Spanish American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church.
González served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C. from 2001 to 2014.
Biography[]
Early life[]
One of five children, Francisco González Valer was born in Arcos de Jalón in the province of Soria, Spain. He has a brother and sister who are both members of Catholic religious orders in Spain.[1]
González entered the Seminario Misional de la Sagrada Familia in Barcelona in 1951, and took his final vows in the religious congregation of the Sons of the Holy Family in 1960.[1]
González came to the United States to study theology at the Catholic University of America, obtaining an M.A. degree in comparative international education in 1967.[1]
Priesthood[]
On May 1, 1964, González was ordained into the priesthood by Bishop John J. Russell in Richmond, Virginia.[2]
In 1986, González became a teacher at the Academy of the Holy Cross in Kensington, Maryland, serving there until 1971. González then held pastoral assignments in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, also serving as Advocate and Pro-Synodal Judge at the Marriage Tribunal. In 1975, González returned to Spain to teach and perform pastoral work in Spain for a year. In 1982, González was assigned as was pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Greeley, Colorado, serving there until 1983.[1]
In 1984, González moved back to Maryland, teaching at St. John's School in Frederick until 1986. In 1986, He was appointed as director of Hispanic, Cursillo, and Charismatic movements in the Archdiocese of Washington. He was named the national chaplain for Cursillo in 1987, serving there until 1989. González was appointed Coordinator of the Hispanic Family Life Office in 1992. In 1993, González started writing a weekly column for the El Pregonero newspaper.[1]
González was named pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Takoma Park, Maryland, in 1996. The next year, he was transferred to the position of Episcopal Vicar for Hispanic Catholics. González's congregation elected him three times as a delegate to their General Chapters. He also served as rector of Holy Family Seminary in Silver Spring, Maryland, and as Vice-Provincial Superior for the Sons of the Holy Family in the United States until 2001.[1]
Auxiliary Bishop of Washington DC[]
On December 28, 2001, Pope John Paul II, appointed González as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Washington DC and the Titular Bishop of Lamphua. He was installed and consecrated on February 11, 2002 by then Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, with Cardinal James Hickey and Bishop Leonard Olivier serving as co-consecrators.[2] González was the first member of his order to be appointed as a bishop.[1]
Retirement[]
On May 27, 2014, González submitted his letter of resignation as Auxiliary Bishop of Washington to Pope Francis, having reached the mandatory retirement age for bishops of 75.[2]
On October 8, 2021, González moved back to Spain to be with his family. [3]
See also[]
- Catholic Church hierarchy
- Catholic Church in the United States
- Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
- List of Catholic bishops of the United States
- Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops
References[]
- ^ a b c d e f g "Archdiocese of Washington - About Us". web.archive.org. 2009-01-06. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ a b c "Bishop Francisco González Valer [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
- ^ "A retired bishop with a generous heart goes home to Spain". Catholic Standard. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
External links[]
Episcopal succession[]
- 1939 births
- Living people
- People from the Province of Soria
- 21st-century American Roman Catholic titular bishops
- Spanish Roman Catholic bishops in North America
- Catholic University of America alumni
- Spanish emigrants to the United States
- Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington
- Roman Catholic bishops in Washington, D.C.