Faithful gather for installation of Bishop Flores

SAN JUAN – With the choir singing loudly at the Basilica of Our Lady of San Juan del Valle National Shrine, the Catholic Diocese of Brownsville officially welcomed its sixth bishop — Bishop Daniel E. Flores.

A long procession of seminarians, deacons, priests, monsignors and more than two dozen bishops entered into the basilica with Flores entering nearly last. Many of the priests took a moment to shake the hands of Flores’ family members who were sitting in the front row.

Cameras could be heard clicking throughout the basilica as the faithful photographed the procession and Flores, the man Pope Benedict XVI picked last month to lead the Brownsville diocese.

Flores’ installation was attended by Cardinal Adam Joseph Maida, of Detroit’s archdiocese, and Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, of the Galveston-Houston archdiocese, who presided during the Mass.

Papal Nuncio Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the Vatican representative to the United States, read the pope’s official decree announcing Flores’ appointment.

DiNardo then told Flores,"You have heard the letter of his holiness Pope Benedict XVI. You are called by the Holy Spirit to serve Almighty God and the people of the Diocese of Brownsville in faith and in love as their shepherd."

"Having already accepted the appointment of the Holy Father, are you willing to serve the people of this diocese in the tradition of the Apostolic Faith of the Church?" DiNardo asked.

Flores replied, "With faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and with the love of God in my heart, I accept the pastoral care of the people of God in the Diocese of Brownsville. I resolve to serve faithfully the spiritual needs of this local Church."

The letter was then showed to the consulters — about six priests of the diocese — and then to remaining members of the audience in the basilica. It was then signed by Monsignor Herberto Diaz Jr. It is to be notarized and archived for the diocese.

Seconds later, the crowd broke into applause and cheers echoed throughout the basilica’s balcony as the congregation welcomed its new bishop.

Flores’ installation happened to coincide with the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which, according to the law of Moses, is the day Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Jerusalem and presented him to the Lord.

Flores delivered his homily in English and Spanish.

Adriana Miller and Leonor Hernandez made the more than two hour drive from Hebbronville to attend the installation Mass. But two hours before the Mass, the women learned that no more seating was available inside the basilica.

"When we drove up and saw all the cars I said, ‘Oh my God,’ " Hernandez said.

Although the women were disappointed that they would not be able to sit inside the basilica to see Flores’ installation, they were just happy to be on the basilica grounds to be a part of history.

"Just to be here is enough," Miller said.

Pharr resident Sonia Sanchez, as she stood outside the basilica directing attendees into the building, said she could not wait to go inside the basilica to witness the historical event.

Although Sanchez is a member of the basilica’s mariachi group, she had not yet had a chance to meet Flores.

Sanchez compared seeing Flores’ installation to that of a presidential inauguration.

At least 2,000 people attended the installation Mass. In an earlier interview, Flores said it was a bit overwhelming to think about the number of faithful planning to attend the event. However, he was looking forward to celebrating the historic moment with them.

"It’s not about me. It’s about how the life of the church goes on. ... I just see it as a moment for the whole church to celebrate the fact that the church has on ongoing life and that life is provided for by the almighty God.

"It’s a moment for the whole diocese to look back and be grateful for what we have received from the Lord, which is the passing on of the faith," Flores said.

At 48, Flores is among the youngest bishops in the United States. His new assignment is bringing him back to his South Texas roots. Born in Palacios, he attended the University of Texas and had his first assignment as a parish priest in Corpus Christi.

Flores served as regional bishop in Detroit since November 2006 and oversaw seven of the 18 vicariates in the Detroit archdiocese. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1988 in the Diocese of Corpus Christi where he served in a number of capacities.

He moved to Rome in 1997 to study at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas and has a doctorate in theology.