Bishop Cahill's biography

Bishop Brendan John Cahill, was born in Coral Gables, Florida on November 28, 1963. He is the son of Joe and Joan Cahill and the fourth of five children. His family moved to Houston in 1971, and his parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and great nieces and nephew all live in Houston today.  He 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 has degrees from the University of St. Thomas in Houston- a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master of Divinity degree.Ordained a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston on May 19, 1990, he served as parochial vicar of St. Frances Cabrini Church, Houston from 1990 to 1992 and at Christ the Good Shepherd Church, 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, LA.  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 – June 2015 he was the Administrator of St. Joseph Church, 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 Magistral Chaplain of the Order of Malta.  He is 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 Victoria. Bishop David Fellhauer and Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza were Co-Consecrators.  Since becoming the Bishop of Victoria, Bishop Brendan has served as a Member of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops’ (USCCB) Sub-committee on African-American Affairs and as a Consultor for the USCCB’s Pro-Life Committee.  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.  He serves on the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops’ Accreditation Commission (of Catholic schools) and is a Member of the Advisory Board of Holy Trinity Seminary in Dallas.  He joined the Board of Directors of Catholic Rural Life and accepted to be the Associate State Chaplain for the Texas Knights of Columbus in 2016.  Effective July 1, 2017, he began to serve as the Bishop Promoter for the Apostleship of the Sea in the United States.