Bishop Cahill's biography

Bishop Brendan John Cahill was born in Coral Gables, Fla., on Nov. 28, 1963. He is the son of Joe (+) and Joan Cahill and the fourth of five children. His family moved to Houston in 1971. Most of his family, including his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephew live in Houston today. Bishop Cahill attended St. Cecilia Catholic School and in 1981 he graduated from St. Thomas High School. After a year at Rice University he entered St. Mary Seminary in Houston in 1982.  He also received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a Master of Divinity degree from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on May 19, 1990, he served as parochial vicar of St. Frances Cabrini Church in Houston from 1990 to 1992, and at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Spring from 1992 to 1994.  In 1994, he earned a Master of Theology degree with a specialization in African-American Catholic Studies from Xavier University, New Orleans. Later that year, he moved to the Casa Santa Maria (North American College) in Rome to pursue further academic studies. These studies developed his knowledge and appreciation of the richness of culture in the expression of faith, and the depth of thought of the theologians and bishops involved in the Second Vatican Council. He earned a Licentiate degree in Dogmatic Theology in 1996 and a Doctorate in Fundamental Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1999. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian, with a working knowledge of the Latin, French, and German languages. Upon his return from Rome, he moved to St. Mary Seminary in Houston where he served as formation director from 1998 to 2001, and as rector from 2001 to 2010. During this time, he taught at the University of St. Thomas School of Theology and ministered at the Duchesne Academy of the Sacred Heart.  He was the Director of the Secretariat for Clergy Formation and Chaplaincy Services and Vicar for Clergy of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston from 2010-2015. From September 2014 to June 2015 he was the administrator of St. Joseph Church in Houston. Throughout his years of service in Houston he was involved with several boards and organizations, which included the National Federation of Priests’ Councils; University of St. Thomas; William J. Flynn Center for Irish Studies; Paradisus Dei; Anti-Defamation League Coalition of Mutual Respect; Adore Ministries; and Gratia Plena Counseling.  He is a Magisterial Chaplain of the Order of Malta and a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre.  He was the spiritual director of the Houston Senatus of the Legion of Mary, chaplain to the Houston Serra Club and chaplain for the Knights of Columbus Galveston-Houston Chapter. In addition, he was a monthly co-host on “A Show of Faith” radio show with a Baptist minister and a rabbi on KNTH 1070 in Houston, a weekly celebrant of Mass for the Missionaries of Charity and a monthly celebrant for Casa Juan Diego during his ministry in Galveston-Houston.

On June 29, 2015, Daniel Cardinal DiNardo ordained Bishop Brendan as the third Bishop of the Diocese of Victoria in Texas.  Bishop David Fellhauer and Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza were co-consecrators. Since becoming the Bishop of Victoria, he joined the Communities of Faith in Victoria with other Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders and has been an active supporter of the Gulf Bend Center Coalition for Mental Health.

Bishop Brendan has served as a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) sub-committee on African-American Affairs.  Since July 1, 2017, he has served as the Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea in the United States.  He currently is the chairman of the USCCB SubCommittee for the Pastoral Care of Migrants, Refugees and Travelers.  He is the chair-elect for the USCCB Committee for Migration. He serves on the boards of the National Catholic Partnership on Disability, St. Mary's Seminary in Houston, and the University of St. Thomas in Houston.