NOTRE DAME, Ind.—Holy Cross priest Rev. William A. Wack, C.S.C., has been appointed bishop of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee by Pope Francis.
The date for his ordination and installation as bishop has not been set. The Pensacola-Tallahassee Diocese covers eighteen counties in northwestern Florida and includes 67,000 Catholics in fifty parishes and nine missions.
Rev. Thomas O'Hara, C.S.C., provincial superior of the Congregation of Holy Cross, United States Province of Priests and Brothers, said that the congregation is delighted by the appointment. "Bishop-elect Wack is a gifted pastor and administrator who possesses an extremely welcoming personality. He is quick to reach out to all, is strong enough to lead and humble enough to listen. Above all, he is an outstanding priest who is passionate in his faith and absolutely dedicated to serving the People of God."
Wack has served as pastor of St. Ignatius Martyr parish in Austin, Texas, since 2009.
Fr. Wack was born on June 28, 1967, in South Bend, Indiana. He studied government at Holy Cross College, eventually receiving his bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from the University of Notre Dame in 1990. Entering the seminary at Notre Dame in 1985, he received his master of divinity degree in 1993 and professed his perpetual vows on August 28, 1993. He was ordained a priest on April 9, 1994.
During his formation, Fr. Wack was involved in ministering at detention centers, a prison, homeless shelters, AIDS Services of Austin, and among the people of the Cheyenne River Reservation in South Dakota. After his ordination, the bishop-elect served as parochial vicar of Sacred Heart Parish in Colorado Springs, Colorado for three years. From 1997-2002 Fr. Wack was associate director of vocations for the Congregation and was a member of the administrative council of Holy Cross Associates from 1998-2002. He was also a member of the Caritas of the Diocese of Phoenix from 2003-2008.
For more on Bishop-elect Wack, see the St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church website.
