Early life and education

William Mulvey was born on August 23, 1949, in Houston, Texas, the second of six children of Daniel H. Mulvey Jr. and Marjorie Jane Patterson Mulvey. His siblings are Dan, Martha, John, Tim and Kim. He has 12 nieces and nephews. All of William Mulvey's education was completed at Catholic schools, including St. Theresa and St. Cecilia in Houston and St. Thomas High School in Houston (1963–1966). Mulvey was confirmed by Bishop Wendelin Nold at St. Cecilia Parish in Houston.

Mulvey attended St. Edward's Catholic High School (1967) and St. Edward's University, both in Austin, Texas. He graduated from St. Edward's in 1971 with a BBA. He attended seminary at the Pontifical North American College in Rome from 1971 to 1976, earning in 1974 his Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas. In 1976, Mulvey received his Licentiate in Sacred Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Ordination and ministry

Mulvey was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Austin on June 29, 1975, by Pope Paul VI in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City, one of 359 priests ordained by the Pope on that occasion.

As a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Mulvey had the following assignments:

• 1976–1977: Associate pastor of St. Mary/Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Taylor, Texas
• 1977–1980: Associate pastor of St. Louis Parish in Austin
• 1980–1981: Further studies on a sabbatical with the Focolare Movement
• 1981–1986: Chaplain to Bishop Louis Reicher Catholic High School in Waco, Texas
• 1984–1986: Pastor of St. Joseph in Waco
• 1986–1992: Director of spiritual formation at St. Mary's Seminary in Houston
• 1992–1995: Pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas in College Station, Texas
• 1995–1997: Associate director of the Center for Spirituality for Diocesan Priests of the Focolare Movement in Florence, Italy
• 1997–1999: Director of the Center for Spirituality for Diocesan Priests of the Focolare Movement in Hyde Park, New York
• 1999–2004: Pastor of St. Helen Parish in Georgetown, Texas
• 2004–2007: Chancellor of the diocese
• 2007–2009: Vicar general of the diocese
• August 2009: Vice rector, St. Mary's Seminary in Houston
• August 24, 2009: Elected administrator of the diocese

Mulvey is one of two former pastors of St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in College Station who were elevated to bishop. The other is Patrick Zurek, bishop of Amarillo.^[1]

Bishop of Corpus Christi

Mulvey was appointed as the bishop of the Diocese of Corpus Christi by Pope Benedict XVI on January 18, 2010.^[2] Mulvey was consecrated on March 25, 2010, by Cardinal Daniel DiNardo His principal co-consecrators were Archbishop Gregory Aymond and Bishop Edmond Carmody.

Mulvey is the first bishop of Corpus Christi to be named without prior episcopal experience since 1921, when Monsignor Emmanuel Ledvina was appointed to the position.