Describing the phone call Bishop Zurek said, “Within a twinkle of an eye, he gave the message from Pope Benedict, he congratulated me and that was it! I was a little shocked at the suddenness of the announcement, my acceptance and how life would change quickly. I was very happy that he had the confidence in me to appoint me a diocesan bishop. I started to realize that a new chapter in my life was about to unfold. It was exciting!”

    Bishop Zurek will become the diocese’s eighth ordinary. Bishop Yanta served as auxiliary bishop of San Antonio from 1994 to 1997, when he was appointed bishop of Amarillo by Pope John Paul II in January of 1997. Bishop Yanta praised the Holy Father’s choice in his statement to the people of his diocese, stating,  “Bishop Zurek has great experience in evangelizing, shepherding, teaching, sanctifying and serving the people of God. Both as a priest and a bishop, your new diocesan pastor has been committed to pro-life ministry.”

    Throughout his decade of ministry in San Antonio, Bishop Zurek served as vicar general, vicar for the Western Vicariate of the archdiocese, archbishop’s liaison and co-coordinator of the Office of the Archdiocese of San Antonio Synod, and the archbishop’s liaison for the partnership with the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

    He also served as a member of the board of directors of Assumption Seminary, Catholic Television of San Antonio and ACTS Missions. Then-Mayor Ed Garza appointed Bishop Zurek to serve on his Committee on Integrity and Trust in Local Government for the city of San Antonio.

    Bishop Zurek has been instrumental in assisting Archbishops Flores and Gomez in establishing archdiocesan policies and procedures that meet the requirements of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

    Bishop Zurek continues to hold several offices on the national, international and regional level. He serves on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Planning Committee to develop the New Spanish Bible. He also remains a member of the Border Bishops Committee organized to discuss pastoral initiatives and immigration issues and is the president and CEO of the Czech American Priests Association.

    Born in Sealy in 1948 to Arnold and Victoria Zurek, Bishop Zurek was the youngest of three children. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, graduating magna cum laude. He attended St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston and the Pontifical North American College in Rome. He also received his STB (bachelor of sacred theology cum laude from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas) in Rome. He received his STL (license in sacred theology) in the field of moral theology from the Alfonsianum in Rome. He graduated from there magna cum laude.

    It is not known at this time when the Holy See will announce Bishop Zurek’s successor.

REMARKS BY ARCHBISHOP GOMEZ ON BISHOP PATRICK J. ZUREK’S APPOINTMENT TO AMARILLO
    Yesterday (Jan. 3) was a special day for the people of the Diocese of Amarillo and a day of mixed emotions for all of us here in San Antonio. I know that you join me in congratulating Bishop Zurek for his appointment by Pope Benedict XVI as the bishop of Amarillo.

    Bishop Zurek has been a blessing in many ways to me personally and to all the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. We who have worked alongside him will miss a good friend and a talented and dedicated bishop. However, I am happy that the Diocese of Amarillo will now benefit from his inspired leadership and dedication.

    It seems San Antonio has had a steady connection with the Diocese of Amarillo. Bishop Yanta served the archdiocese in many ways and of course was an auxiliary bishop here and Archbishop (Robert) Lucey eventually was to become our archbishop. Bishop John Louis Morkovsky of Galveston-Houston had roots in San Antonio as a parish priest and a teacher at St. John’s Seminary, and Bishop Laurence Fitzsimon served as a parish priest and the chancellor of the archdiocese. We are proud to lend Bishop Zurek’s name to that list of great San Antonio contributions to the church of Amarillo.

    I have heard that yesterday’s official announcement in Amarillo went very well and Bishop Zurek was received with a warm welcome. They have only begun to discover the very special shepherd they have been given.
We in the Archdiocese of San Antonio know what we will be missing. For nearly a decade Bishop Zurek ministered effectively in a variety of areas throughout the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

    His ability to work with a collaborative spirit enriched the implementation of the Archdiocesan Synod, ACTS Missions, Assumption Seminary, CTSA and many other ministries and initiatives in the archdiocese. He has continued to work tirelessly as a powerful advocate for the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, helping them to rebuild their lives in the wake of Hurricane Mitch.

    His great gift for speaking several languages and his personal appreciation and sensitivity to the many cultures that enrich our archdiocese have been a wonderful gift to all our people. He always seemed at home with any parish community, and they always felt comfortable with him. And people of many faiths felt equally at home with him. His spirit of respect and good will did much to encourage solidarity in our joint efforts with the interfaith community as we worked for the common good on many issues in the Archdiocese of San Antonio.

    Bishop Zurek has been willing to take on the tough jobs when needed. He was instrumental in helping both Archbishop Flores and myself establish policies and procedures to conform with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People. Bishop Zurek’s compassion and dedication helped the archdiocese to implement the Charter in a true spirit of reconciliation. His supervision of the Office of Victim Assistance and Safe Environment guided them in their efforts to make every Catholic parish, school and place of ministry a safe harbor for our children.

    Since my arrival in San Antonio, Bishop Zurek has been a valued friend and trusted confidant. Working with him has been a special source of grace for me as we shared the opportunity to serve God by serving the people of the archdiocese.

    It will be a difficult time for me. I will miss Bishop Zurek’s guidance and support. He will remain in my prayers as he begins this new and exciting chapter in his own personal journey of faith.

JAN. 4 REMARKS FROM AMARILLO BISHOP-DESIGNATE PATRICK ZUREK
    On Tuesday, Dec. 18, while working at my desk on a homily about the Annunciation, the telephone rang. It was about 10:30 a.m. I responded with the traditional “hello” and immediately I heard, “This is Archbishop Pietro Sambi. I have good news for you. The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, has appointed you as the eighth Bishop of Amarillo!”

    It happened so quickly, in a “matter of fact” business way, that before I knew it, he congratulated me and wished me a Blessed Christmas and greetings from the pope and that was the extent of the conversation. He hung up. I sat there for a while, just wondering what had happened. Of course, I was happy. I was excited. I began thinking of the changes that would happen and, again, quickly.

    Soon I began to realize that I would have to leave San Antonio. It has been my home for 10 years, as I was ordained Feb. 16. I have made many wonderful friends here. I have had some great experiences here.
    When I first arrived here I was a little concerned about two things: With my Spanish — but that proved to be no problem at all; I was also concerned about coming from another diocese, as I only knew three or four priests and a few sisters, but the priests, deacons, religious and people greeted me with open arms.

    I am especially grateful to Archbishop Patrick Flores for welcoming me as a brother and son and for the trust and love he shared with me. I am also very grateful to Archbishop José Gomez for his fraternal support, friendship and guidance during his time here. It will be hard to leave.

    Perhaps the greatest experience I had here was to help Sister Janet (Abbacchi) with the implementation of the Archdiocesan Synod. It immediately placed me in the middle of the action with the priests, deacons, religious and the lay leadership of the archdiocese. It involved a lot of work and a lot of travel to Del Rio, Eagle Pass and other places in the archdiocese, but it was such a period of grace and readiness to make the archdiocese better and stronger in faith and to practice it profoundly and more deeply.

    What I will miss about San Antonio are the people. You have all been so loving and kind. They have always been so welcoming and eager to learn more about our faith and to grow in our Catholic spirituality. I will also miss the interaction and cooperation with the non-Catholic Christian Communities and my relations with the Jewish and Islamic communities. I have been honored to be a part of this beautiful dialogue and partnership that began here with Archbishop Lucey many decades ago.

    In regard to Amarillo, it will be a change. The weather certainly is much colder! It is much smaller than San Antonio. It is very rural. I love plants, especially tropical ones. There will need to be an adjustment. However, I have learned long ago that people are people, where ever they may be and regardless of the culture of the political system under which they live. People will be the same, eager to grow in their Catholic faith.

    I look forward to working with the people of Amarillo and being their shepherd. I would like to thank Bishop John Yanta for his dedication and years of service here. I look forward to learning much from them and also from the priests, religious and laity in Amarillo.

    As I told the Holy Father in my letter of acceptance, “I will love them. I will serve them with all my strength and heart. I will teach them all that the Catholic Church teaches. And I will try to preach so as to animate their souls and spirits to give even better witness to Christ Jesus in the Catholic Church.”

    Again, I thank all the people of San Antonio for accepting me, for being patient with me, for loving me and for giving me the opportunity to be a humble servant of Jesus Christ in your midst. May God bless you all. You will always remain in my heart, in my memories and in my prayers. I simply ask that you remember me in your prayers also!