Patrick Zurek

infobox bishopstyles
name=Patrick Zurek
dipstyle=The Most Reverend
offstyle=His Excellency
relstyle=Monsignor
deathstyle=not applicable |

Patrick James Zurek (17 August 1948-) is the current Bishop of Amarillo since his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI on 3 January 2008. Zurek trained in Rome as a moral theologian who was a chaplain at the Bambino Gesu Children's Hospital during his seminary days.

Zurek was ordained a priest in Rome on 29 June 1975 by Pope Paul VI along with 359 others for the Holy Year of 1975.

He has been on the board of the directors of missions, the Assumption Seminary, and the Ad Hoc Committee for the Spanish-language Bible.cite web|last = |first = |authorlink = |coauthors = |title =Bishop Yanta Retires; Auxiliary Bishop in San Antonio to Succeed Him. |work= |publisher = |date = |url =http://www.texascatholic.com/default.asp?IsDev=False&NodeId=822 |format= |doi = |accessdate =2008-03-19] In his capacity as Bishop, he has participated in numerous charity events, including one for 13 area Catholic schools that raised $230,000.cite web|last = |first = |authorlink = |coauthors = |title =Catholic Life Draws Sweepstakes Winner |work=Wilson County News |publisher = |date = |url =http://www.wilsoncountynews.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=58&twindow=Default&mad=Yes&sdetail=18054&wpage=&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=1000&hn=wilsoncountynews&he=.com |format= |doi = |accessdate =2008-03-19] He has also appeared on television concelebrating Mass in honor of the faith connection between The Archdioceses of San Antonio and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.cite web|last =McMorrough |first =Jordan |title =Televised Mass Celebrates Religious Partnership, Spread of the Gospel in Honduras |work=Today's Catholic |publisher =San Antonio Archdiocesan Publishing Society, Inc. |date =August 17 2007 |url =http://www.satodayscatholic.com/Archives/2007%20archives/081707/HondurasMass.htm |accessdate =2008-03-19]

Zurek served 21 years as a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, including 10 years as the original pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in College Station. While a priest, he also led the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors before being named an auxiliary bishop of San Antonio on 5 January 1998 by Pope John Paul II where he replaced John Yanta.cite web|last = |first = |title =Pope Accepts Resignation Of Amarillo Bishop John Yanta, Names San Antonio Auxiliary Bishop Patrick Zurek To Succeed Him. |work= |publisher = |date = |url =http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2008/08-001.shtml |format= |doi = |accessdate =2008-03-19] cite web|last =Southern |first =Joe |title =A Changing of the Guard: Diocese Gets New Bishop. |work=Amarillo.com |publisher =Amarillo Globe-News |date =January 4 2008 |url =http://www.amarillo.com/stories/010408/new_9299151.shtml |accessdate =2008-03-19] He speaks five languages, including his ancestral Czech, Italian and Spanish.

References

External links

* [http://www.archdiosa.org/bishops/pzurek/pzurek.asp Bishop Zurek's Curriculum Vitae] Archdiocese of San Antonio
* [http://www.ncdvd.org/ National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors]
* [http://www.stabcs.org St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church]