Canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the pope at the age of 75.
SAN ANTONIO — Auxiliary Bishop Michael Joseph Boulette has officially announced his resignation at age 75, a requirement by Canon law.
Most Rev. Boulette sent his resignation to Pope Leo XIV on June 4, and the pope accepted it.
In his retirement letter to the Holy Father Bishop Boulette wrote, “It has been a profound privilege to have officially served the Church since the age of 14, when I entered high school seminary. God’s abundant grace has been poured out without measure. Serving Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller as a pastor and then auxiliary bishop has been a tremendous honor.”
He concluded, “My preeminent vocation as teacher and preacher is still very much alive, and I will continue to do these as ministry requires.”
The Archdiocese of San Antonio says that Bishop Boulette will continue his duties as vicar general and moderator of the curia in meeting the pastoral and administrative needs of the archdiocese until September 30.
Archbishop Gustavo described Most Rev. Boulette as a compassionate bishop and a loving shepherd to the priests and the people of the archdiocese.
“Bishop Boulette has a spirituality of joy and simplicity. He is a man with a marvelous pastoral heart for the needs of people and for the Church. He possesses a wide breadth of pastoral experience as a priest of the archdiocese; and we were blessed through his ministry in seminary formation and deep involvement in spiritual direction,” said the archbishop. “I’m sure Father Mike never would have imagined that he would be a bishop; never would he have imagined that he would spend years of ministry in the episcopate. But his varied priestly experiences prepared him for this.”
The Archdiocese of San Antonio comprises the counties of Val Verde, Edwards, Kinney, Real, Uvalde, Gillespie, Kerr, Bandera, Medina, Frio, Kendall, Bexar, Atascosa, McMullen, Comal, Guadalupe, Wilson, Gonzales, and Karnes.