Yesterday is History, Today is a Gift, Tomorrow is Mystery

Clergy of the ICATX

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The clergy of the Catholic Church of Texas are devoted servants of Christ, preserving the sacred traditions of the Catholic faith under the leadership of Archbishop Elliot Esch. Formed deeply in the monastic life—most having begun as Carmelite or Benedictine monks—they bring to their ministry a foundation of prayer, discipline, and fidelity to the ancient Rule. Ordained through apostolic succession, they carry the responsibility of shepherding the faithful, administering the sacraments, and guarding Orthodox doctrine. Our apostolic succession is rooted primarily in the Thục line, passing from Archbishop Pierre Martin Ngô Đình Thục to Bishop Moisés Carmona, to Bishop Pancratius, to Bishop Jonah, to Bishop Esch, and from him to nearly all current bishops. Bishop Gregory, originally consecrated by Archbishop Eros and Bishop John de la Cruz in Vilatte‑derived lineages, was later re‑ordained by Bishop Esch, bringing him fully into the Thục succession, while Bishop Dmitri (now defrocked) came from a Ukrainian Old Calendarist movement that had separated from ROCOR under Metropolitan Vitaly. Additionally, both Bishop Michael and Bishop Gregory received another Thục‑derived line through Christian Datessen and Bishop Simon, further strengthening their place within the Church’s unified apostolic continuity. Alongside these episcopal lines, the Church’s priestly and fraternal bonds—formed through shared sacramental life, discipline, and mutual recognition among traditional clergy—reinforce the integrity of its apostolic heritage. United in this succession, faithful to the Traditional Latin Mass according to the 1954 Missal, the Latin Vulgate, the ancient creeds, the canons, and the theological tradition of the ages, the Church stands in full continuity with historic Roman Catholicism. Yet above all, through the grace of the sacraments and our living communion with Christ, we belong to the eternal Church—the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Body of Christ, forever united to the Apostles and to the Lord who founded it.

Bishops