A coadjutor enjoys the right of succession, meaning he becomes head of the diocese upon the death or retirement of the incumbent bishop. Bishop Joseph Fiorenza, 72, has led the Diocese of Galveston-Houston since 1985.
Daniel DiNardo was born in Steubenville, Ohio, on May 23, 1949. He pursued seminary studies at St. Paul Seminary, Pittsburgh; the Catholic University of America in Washington; and the North American College, Rome. He was ordained a priest of the Pittsburgh Diocese in July 1977.
Bishop DiNardo holds a master’s from Catholic University; a license in theology from the Gregorian University, Rome; and a degree in patristics from the Augustinianum in Rome.
Bishop DiNardo was an official at the Vatican Congregation for Bishops from 1984 to 1990. During that time, he also served as director of Villa Stritch, a residence for U.S. priests working at the Vatican, and was a professor at the North American College.
The Diocese of Galveston-Houston has a Catholic population of about 1 million in a total population of 4.7 million.
