During this past summer Holy Trinity Seminary marked the passing of two of its previous rectors from this life into eternity.  Rev. Msgr. Charles B. King, P.A., the second rector of Holy Trinity Seminary (1968-1969), died on June 1, 2011, after living with cancer for the past several years.  Msgr. King was 79 years of age.  He was born on November 5, 1931, in Wichita Falls, Texas, graduated from Georgetown University, and studied at the North American College before being ordained in December 1956 for the Diocese of Dallas-Fort Worth.  Besides serving first as the vice rector and then as the rector at Holy Trinity Seminary, Monsignor King served faithfully and happily as a pastor in many parishes throughout the Dioceses of Dallas and Fort Worth.  He also was noted for his dedication to ecumenism and to inter-faith dialogue.  During the past several years, he had remained a friend of Holy Trinity Seminary by, among other things, hosting a golf outing as one of the prize packages for the Seminary’s annual Welcome Dinner.

On September 4, 2011, Rev. Msgr. Charles W. Elmer, P.A. passed from this life into eternity while living in retirement in Houston, Texas.  Monsignor Elmer was 88 years of age.  Monsignor Elmer served as the fifth rector of Holy Trinity Seminary (1982-1988).  He had also previously served as a spiritual director at Holy Trinity Seminary.  Monsignor Elmer was born on May 19, 1923, in Aurora, Wisconsin.  He served in the United States Army during World War II and achieved the rank of Colonel in the Army Reserve.  After the War, he attended St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee and then the North American College in Rome.  He was ordained for the Diocese of Marquette, Michigan, on December 20, 1952.  He would subsequently transfer to the Diocese of Austin for health reasons.  Besides serving at Holy Trinity Seminary, much of his priestly service was dedicated to the formation of seminarians and priests at such institutions as St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, and the Casa Santa Maria and North American College in Rome.  A Vigil service will be held for Monsignor Elmer at 7:00 PM on September 8, 2011, at St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel in Houston, Texas.  The Mass of the Resurrection will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Seminary Chapel in Houston, Texas, at 11:00 AM on Friday, September 9, 2011.

Please join the alumni, faculty, staff, and seminarians of Holy Trinity Seminary in praying for the repose of the souls of these good priests and past rectors and for the consolation of their families and loved ones.  Eternal rest, grant unto them, Oh Lord.  Let perpetual light shine upon them.  May they rest in peace.

On Sunday, August 21, 2011 Holy Trinity Seminary welcomed 34 new seminarians into its program of formation.  This number included 20 undergraduate seminarians and 14 pre-theologians.  The addition of these new seminarians brings the total enrollment to 67 seminarians, the largest number in over 15 years.  Among these new seminarians are included young men representing dioceses that are new or returning to Holy Trinity Seminary: Charleston, South Carolina, Great Falls-Billings, Montana, and Tulsa, Oklahoma.  The Diocese of Dallas is represented this year at Holy Trinity Seminary by 16 seminarians, its largest number in recent years, coming from parishes across the Diocese.  Please join us in welcoming this year’s enrollment of seminarians by attending the annual Holy Trinity Seminary Welcome Dinner to be held at the Fairmont Hotel on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 5:00 PM.  Tickets are available on this website or by calling 972-438-2212.

Bishop Daniel Flores is the Sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville. He studied at the University of Dallas, and Holy Trinity Seminary, completing a BA in Philosophy in 1983 and Masters of Divinity in 1987.  He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Corpus Christi on January 30, 1988 and served in various capacities, including Secretary to the Bishop, Vice Chancellor and Director of Vocations. He was assigned to further study at the Casa Santa Maria in Rome in 1997 and completed work on doctoral dissertation in Sacred Theology at the Angelicum in 2000. In 2001, he was assigned to serve as a Formation Director for graduate level seminarians at St. Mary’s Seminary, Houston, Texas in the Diocese of Galveston-Houston, and Adjunct Professor for the University of St. Thomas School of Theology.  In Sept 2005 he was assigned Rector of Corpus Christi Cathedral, while retaining assignment as Vice-Rector of Saint Mary’s Seminary in Houston. October of 2006 he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit; was ordained in Detroit on November 29, 2006. He became the Cardinal’s Liaison for Hispanic Affairs with Regional Responsibilities for parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit; Adjunct Professor at Sacred Heart School of Theology, Sacred Heart Major Seminary, Detroit, Michigan.  He was appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Brownsville on December 9, 2009.

Bishop Kevin Farrell has appointed Father Keith Koehl to the position of Vice Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary effective January 1, 2012. Father Koehl, a native of LaGrange, Texas, is a priest of the Diocese of Austin. 

Father Koehl holds a Bachelor of Music (Emphasis in Education) from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Divinity degree from the University of St, Thomas in Houston, Texas. Father Koehl attended Holy Trinity Seminary from August 1990 through May 1992 as a pre-theologian. He attended major seminary at St. Mary’s Seminary in Houston, Texas. Father Koehl was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Austin on May 24, 1997.

Father Koehl has most recently served from 2006 until now as the pastor of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Hutto, Texas. While there he guided and oversaw the establishment of a new site for the church and parish offices as the parish grew to over 600 families. His previous assignments have included parochial vicar at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin (1997-2001) and parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Catholic Center and Campus Ministry at Texas A&M University in College Station (2001-2006).

In announcing Bishop Farrell’s appointment of Father Koehl, Holy Trinity Rector Monsignor Michael Olson stated, “Father Koehl comes to us with solid experience as a good parish priest and as a kind and effective pastor. I have known and respected Father Koehl for many years and I am grateful to him for his generosity in saying ‘yes’ to serve as the Vice Rector of Holy Trinity Seminary. I am grateful to Bishop Farrell for appointing Father Koehl and I am especially grateful to Bishop Joe Vasquez for his generosity in permitting Father Koehl to leave parish ministry for the sake of seminary formation. Father Koehl brings with him a happiness and joy in his 14 years of priestly ministry. I am delighted to welcome him to Holy Trinity Seminary.”