AUXILIARY BISHOP GEORGE A. SHELTZ
1946-2021
Auxiliary Bishop George A. Sheltz, 75, passed away Dec. 21, 2021. A native Houstonian, Bishop Sheltz dedicated his life to the Lord for more than 50 years as a priest in his home diocese, the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
George Arthur Sheltz was born April 20, 1946, in Houston, Texas, to (the late) George and Margaret Frank Sheltz. The second oldest of three children, he is survived by his sister Mary Margaret Sheltz Keen, brother-in-law Lawrence M. Keen, one aunt and numerous generations of nieces and nephews. He was proceeded in death by his younger brother Fr. Anton Sheltz. He was raised in Houston and educated entirely in the Bayou City, attending Annunciation Catholic School in downtown Houston, St. Thomas High School, the University of
St. Thomas, and St. Mary’s Seminary.
As a young boy, George was very active at Mass as an altar server. He even pretended to have Mass at home when he was in grade school with his siblings and cousins. He later went on to achieve the honor of Altar Boy of the Year.
Early in 2021, the annual
Altar Server of the Year award was renamed to Bishop
Sheltz Altar Server Award to recognize his contributions during his youth.
Prior to entering high school, George was given the choice to attend public school or work to offset the cost of a Catholic education at St. Thomas. The choice was obvious for him and he gave up extra-curricular activities to attend St. Thomas, working a retail job after school to pay tuition. He remained close to his Class of 1963 classmates by attending monthly lunches, which he greatly enjoyed. He was recently inducted into the Hall of Honor as a distinguished alumnus of St. Thomas, an honor he humbly accepted.
While in high school, he began to consider the possibility of studying for the priesthood for the then-Diocese of Galveston-Houston. With the encouragement of the Basilian Fathers at St. Thomas High School, he entered St. Mary’s Seminary. He graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and from the seminary with a Master’s in Theology.
On May 15, 1971, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston by Bishop John Morkovsky.
As a priest of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Bishop Sheltz served at six parishes: Assumption Church; Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral; St. Vincent de Paul Church; Christ the Redeemer Church; Prince of Peace Church; and St. Anthony of Padua Church in The Woodlands. He served as Dean of the San Jacinto Deanery and Episcopal Vicar of the Northern Vicariate while a parish priest. In 2000, Pope John Paul II named him a prelate of honor, with the title of Monsignor.
In 2007, Bishop Sheltz was named Secretariat Director for Clergy Formation and Chaplaincy Services. Since 2010, he served as Vicar General, Chancellor and Moderator of the Curia for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, overseeing the administrative operations of the largest Roman Catholic diocese in Texas and the fifthlargest in the United States.
On Feb. 21, 2012, he was named an auxiliary bishop of Galveston-Houston by Pope Benedict XVI.
When asked in 2012 to discuss his aspirations when serving as bishop, Bishop Sheltz said, “I hope I will continue to be a good representative of the priesthood. I hope that I will be a good preacher of the life of Jesus Christ through my life and actions. I hope I will help others continue to grow in their faith.”
Pope Francis accepted Bishop Sheltz’s resignation on June 22 at the age of 75.
Bishop Sheltz was not just a priest, but was also a brother, an uncle, a cousin, a friend. He was a shepherd to all his parishes as well as to his family. He was a constant at all our special family events, holidays, baptisms, weddings, funerals, as well as being at the ordinary gatherings.
George had a great sense of adventure. He shared a love for space flight, and he attended many NASA launches with family members. He was very knowledgeable of the history of the church and led pilgrimages to Italy and the Holy Land and spent time studying in The Vatican, as well as traveled around Europe with family and friends. To his niece and nephews, he was the uncle that introduced them to roller coasters and taught them to “climb the mountain”.
Bishop Sheltz came from a family of Houston vocations. His father, Deacon George Sheltz Sr., was in the first class of permanent deacons ordained for the diocese in 1972. His late brother, Anton Sheltz, was ordained a priest for the then-Diocese of Galveston-Houston in 1976. His uncle, Monsignor Anton Frank, was the first native Houstonian ordained for the diocese in 1933.
Daniel Cardinal DiNardo and the Archdiocese asks the faithful to pray for the family of Bishop Sheltz and his eternal rest.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions for Bishop Sheltz may be made to the CROSS Academies (formerly known as the Inner City Catholic Schools), St. Thomas High School, and St. Mary’s Seminary.
Friends are invited to visitation with the family at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 30, 2021, with a Vigil at 7:00 p.m., with Bishop Italo Dell’Oro presiding at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 St. Joseph Parkway, Houston, TX 77002. Mass of Christian Burial will be at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, December 31, 2021 at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Cardinal DiNardo, Main Celebrant, Father Jeff Bame, Homilist; The Rite of Committal will follow at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery, 6900 Lawndale Street, Houston, TX 77023. The Mass will be live streamed at www.archgh.org/live .