Pope Appoints Tate Graduate As New Bishop Of Memphis

October 23, 2016

Bishop Martin Holley, a graduate of Tate High School, was appointed by Pope Francis and recently installed as the fifth bishop of the Diocese of Memphis.

“With faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the love of God in my heart, I do accept the pastoral care of the people of God in the Diocese of Memphis,” declared Bishop Holley after the papal mandate appointing him to Memphis was read. “I resolve to faithfully serve the Church in this diocese.”. He was installed during a ceremony at the Cook Convention Center.

After making his pronouncement, Bishop Holley was presented with a crosier, his shepherd’s staff, and escorted to his cathedral, his bishop’s chair – the symbols of his authority.

The crowd of nearly 3,000 who attended the Mass burst into cheers and gave a standing ovation as the new bishop of Memphis assumed his post.  He was then welcomed by representatives of his new diocese, and by members of other faiths in the city of Memphis.

In his first homily to his new flock, Bishop Holley urged them to “love others as Jesus has loved us.” “In God’s love, we find the fullness of grace, life, peace and joy,” he said.

During his installation Mass, Bishop Holley noted that his episcopal motto is “His mercy endures forever.”

He urged the faithful of Memphis “to love and to bring the mercy of Jesus Christ into the lives of those who need to know His love and mercy.”

One of Bishop Holley’s first acts after officially becoming the Bishop of Memphis was to join Catholic Charities volunteers in assembling bags of food and other items for the homeless.

Holley was born in Pensacola. While his mother was pregnant with the future bishop, she, along with her husband and their seven older children, converted to the Catholic faith. When Holley was born on Dec. 31, 1954, he was named after the pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Cantonment,  the family’s new parish priest. Bishop Holley is the 8th of 14 children of Sylvester and Mary Holley, both of whom are deceased.

Bishop Holley attended Catholic elementary schools and was captain of the basketball team at Tate High School, where he is a member of the school’s Hall of Fame, and then attended Faulkner State Junior College in Bay Minette, AL. He played basketball and earned a degree in management at Alabama State University in Montgomery, where he was named the university’s outstanding collegian.

Having felt the call to the priesthood from a young age, Bishop Holley attended Theological College in Washington and completed his seminary studies at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton, Beach, Florida. He was ordained as a priest of the Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee in 1987.

In Florida, then-Father Holley served as a parochial vicar and later administrator of St. Mary Parish in Fort Walton Beach. He also served at St. Paul and Little Flower parishes in Pensacola. He served as spiritual director of the Serra Club of West Florida, which promotes vocations to the priesthood, and since 1983, he has been a member of the Joint Conference of the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus.

Bishop Holley was ordained as a bishop of Washington in 2004 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.

Courtesy photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.

Comments

15 Responses to “Pope Appoints Tate Graduate As New Bishop Of Memphis”

  1. D D on October 26th, 2016 2:42 pm

    Congratulations Bishop Martin. I remember you and your family at Mass in Cantonment. A job well done through the years.

  2. Melodies4us on October 25th, 2016 8:24 am

    Congratulations Bishop Holley! Memphis will be blessed !

  3. denbroc on October 24th, 2016 7:18 pm

    Congratulations Bishop Holley! May God continue to bless you and continue to give you the wisdom to guide your flock in Memphis.

  4. Margo Bickham on October 24th, 2016 10:21 am

    Congrats to a man that has always loved the Lord..growing up I can remember my Father saying to me that” Martin is going to work for the Lord and the Lord only”. He was borne to be a man of God. I’m so very proud of you and the city that we grew up in is also. I am sorry I wasn’t there in Memphis to see him installed in person.

  5. dman on October 24th, 2016 10:05 am

    I’m not Catholic, but I can appreciate Father Holley’s success! Congratulations and blessings from a Pentecostal brother :-) .

  6. Lifendason on October 24th, 2016 9:59 am

    Jesus Christ is the only Priest you need to come to the only Father you need.

  7. Lifendason on October 24th, 2016 9:26 am

    I’m sure this man worked hard to get where he’s at today and I applaud him. I just pray that he would see through the Catholic religion and let the people know that you don’t need a Pope or priest to come to Jesus, just a Martin Luther did in 1517. In the Gospels we learn that the veil was rent. That veil separated the sinner from God (Holy of Holys), but when the blood of the lamb was spilled(Jesus blood), we now have access to the throne of grace(Mercy Seat).

    All I ask is for my Catholic brother and sisters to read their bible(KJB) daily and let the Holy Spirit show them the truth.

  8. Harvey McCorvey on October 23rd, 2016 8:35 pm

    Congrats, very proud of you.

  9. Aggie73 on October 23rd, 2016 7:12 pm

    Congratulations Martin and to the Holley family.
    I went to school with you, just a year behind but I remember your manners and respectful demeanor back then.
    Congratulations on dedication and a job well done.

  10. ACIE DICKERSON on October 23rd, 2016 7:07 pm

    So glad to hear this about Martin. He was a good friend at school and church. Him and I were alter boys together growing up.

  11. Odessa Mitchell on October 23rd, 2016 6:43 pm

    Congratulations and God bless u We are very proud to have someone from pensacola to have this honor Praise God!!!

  12. northendbratt on October 23rd, 2016 2:43 pm

    Love it when someone, anyone from this area makes it to the big time! Bless you!

  13. WHISPERJET on October 23rd, 2016 2:07 pm

    ..CONGRADULATIONS…ANOTHER GREAT FORMER AGGIE..WELL DONE BISHOP…

  14. Me again ....a deplorable! on October 23rd, 2016 11:29 am

    Congratulations to Bishop Holley! What an awesome family of Holley’s. Thanks for reporting this on NE!

  15. Mariah on October 23rd, 2016 9:15 am

    Outstanding article!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under FEATURE TOP STORY, News