General Information | Academics | Priestly Assignments |
Priestly Ministries | Ministry as Bishop | USCCB |
National and International

General Information

Born: August 17, 1948 - Sealy, TX

Parents:  Arnold and Victoria (Bohac) Zurek (both decesaed)

Siblings: Lawrence Zurek and Dennis Zurek (both deceased)

Ordained Priest by Pope Paul VI
June 29, 1975
St. Peter's Basilica - Rome, Italy
Age: 26

Ordained Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio by
Archbishop Patrick F. Flores/Titular Bishop of Tamugadi
February 16, 1998
San Antonio, TX
Age:  49

Installed Bishop of Amarillo by Archbishop Gomez
February 22, 2008
Amarillo, TX
Age: 60

Speaks the following languages:
English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Czech

Academics

Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics - Magnum Cum Laude
University of St. Thomas – Houston, TX

Major Seminary
St. Mary’s Seminary – Houston, TX

S.T.B. in Theology 1974 - Magna Cum Laude
University of St. Thomas - Angelicum

S.T.L. in Moral Theology, 1976 - Magna Cum Laude
Institute of the Lateran University - Alfonsianum

Priestly Assignments

St. Mary’s Catholic Church - Temple, TX
Associate Pastor, 1976 - 1979

St. Joseph’s Catholic Church - Bryan, TX
Associate Pastor, 1979 - 1982

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church - College Station, TX
Founding Pastor, 1982 - 1992

St. John Neumann Catholic Church - Austin, TX
Pastor, 1992 - 1998

Archdiocese of San Antonio - San Antonio, TX
Auxiliary Bishop, 1998 - 2008

Diocese of Amarillo - Amarillo, TX
Bishop, 2008 - Present

Priestly Ministries and Positions Held

Presbyteral Council - Diocese of Austin, TX
Member, 1976 - 1998

Matrimonial Tribunal - Diocese of Austin, TX
Advocate, 1976 - 1979

Matrimonial Tribunal -Diocese of Austin, TX
Judge, 1976 -1982

Continuing Formation of Priests - Diocese of Austin, TX
Director, 1986 - 1998

Office of Vocations - Diocese of Austin, TX
Director, 1986 - 1998

Board of Directors-St. Mary’s Seminary - Houston, TX
Member, 1987 - 1998

Medical Ethics Committee-St. Joseph Hospital - Bryan, TX
Chairman, 1987 - 1988

Board of Directors-National Organization for the Continuing Education of Roman Catholic Clergy - Diocese of Austin, TX
Member, 1988 - 1989

Priest Personnel Committee - Diocese of Austin, TX
Member, 1991 - 1998

National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors - Diocese of Austin, TX
Vice-President, 1991 - 1993

National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors - Diocese of Austin, TX
President, 1993 - 1995

Ministry as Bishop

Presbyteral Council - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Member, 1998 - Present

Board of Directors-Assumption Seminary - San Antonio, TX
Member, 1999 - Present

Western Vicariate - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Vicar, 1998 - 2001

Office of the Synod - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Archbishop’s Liaison, 1998 - Present

Office of the Synod-Implementation of the Archdiocesan Synodal Documents - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Co-Ordinator, 1998 - Present

Partnership with the Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Archbishop’s Liaison, 1998 - Present

Priest Pension Board - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Member, 1998 - Present

Board of Directors Catholic Television of San Antonio - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Member, 1998 - Present

Board of Directors-ACTS Missions - Archdiocese of San Antonio, TX
Member, 1998 - Present

Board of Directors-Holy Trinity Seminary - Dallas, TX
Member, 1999 - Present

Oblate School of Theology - San Antonio, TX
Guest Professor, 1999 - Present

Mayor’s Committee on Integrity and trust in Local Government, City of San Antonio -
San Antonio, TX
Member, 2002 - 2003

United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops - USCCB

National Advisory Council
USCCB Liaison, 1999 - 2002
USCCB Committee on Evangelization
Member, 1999 - 2003
USCCB Planning Committee to develop New Spanish Bible for USCCB, CCC, CELAM
Member, 1999 - 2003
USCCB Subcommittee: New Translation of Bible into Spanish Language
2006-2016
USCCB Subcommittee: Aid to Central and Eastern Europe
2014-present
USCCB Committee for Protection of Young People and Children
2015-present
 

National and International Positions

Board of Governors, Sub Committee for Finance-North American College - Rome, Italy
Member, 2002 - 2005
Board of Governors, North American College, Rome
2004-2016
Czech American Priests Association (CAPA) - Temple, TX
President & CEO, 2002 - Present
Border Bishops Committee (Texas/Mexico)
Member, 2003 - Present

Organized to discuss Pastoral Initiatives and Immigration issues.  This committee was the genesis of the pastoral letter “Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope” issued by the USCCB and CEM (Conferencia del Episcopado Mexicano) in January 2003.