History | 40th Activities

On August 9, 1969, Pope Paul VI established the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth. To commemorate the 40th anniversary of this event, Bishop Kevin W. Vann has proclaimed a year of spiritual renewal for the 28-county Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth.

The anniversary observance begins on Sunday, August 9, 2009 with a diocesan Mass at the Fort Worth Convention Center and will conclude on Monday, August 9, 2010, with Evening Prayer at St. Patrick Cathedral.

"As we, the local Church of the Diocese of Fort Worth, prepare for our 40th anniversary, we are reminded that throughout Sacred Scripture 'forty' is a significant number," Bishop Vann explained, "both for the frequency of its occurrence and its relevance to a period of preparation that leads to a deeper relationship with God."

"It is my hope that in our 40th year as a diocese we can deepen our commitment to live more fully in spiritual union with our Savior and with one another, as our call to "communio" urges us." (Communio refers to the source, the means, and the goal of the Church's life: The Trinitarian communion that graciously will draw all of creation into its loving embrace through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that the Spirit keeps perennially present in the Church and its universal mission.)

The cornerstone of the spiritual renewal will be the Why Catholic? program that helps adults deepen their Catholic faith and connect the Church's teachings to their everyday lives by exploring Catholic teaching in a prayerful small-group setting.