Click here to read a 2024 Q&A with Bishop Sis on his 10th anniversary as Bishop of the Diocese of San Angelo.
Click here to read a message from Bishop Sis regarding the schism of the Society of St. Pius X (SSPX).

By Loretta Fulton

It was a common sight in the 1970s–Raymond and Janis Sis and their five children attending services or other activities at St. Anthony Catholic Church in  Bryan. 

Nobody was too surprised when Michael, the fourth of the five children, became a priest and then a bishop. It was suggested to him at age 13 that he might consider the priesthood. He thought about it while a student at Bryan High School, but really didn’t decide that he was meant to be a priest until his freshman year at the University of Notre Dame. 

“I had a very good spiritual director who helped me to approach my vocational discernment in an intentional and prayerful way,” he said.

The people of the Diocese of San Angelo are grateful that young Michael Sis followed his heart and became a priest, and for the past 12 years, the bishop of their diocese. Sis was ordained to the priesthood on July 19, 1986, by Bishop John McCarthy of the Diocese of Austin. 

A 40th anniversary Mass celebrating his ordination will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday, July 19, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in San Angelo. A reception will follow. 

“Having Jesus as my closest daily companion” is among his greatest joys as a priest and bishop. 

Bishop Michael Sis

MICHAEL SIS BIO
Position: Bishop, Diocese of San Angelo
Ordination to priesthood: Diocese of Austin, 1986
Appointed Bishop, Diocese of San Angelo: Dec. 12, 2013; ordained, January 27, 2014
Family: Parents, Raymond and Janice Sis. Michael is the fourth of five children.
Education: Bryan High School, 1978; bachelor’s degree in philosophy, University of Notre Dame, 1982; studied theology at the North American College in Rome, earning graduate degrees in theology from the Gregorian University,1985, and the Lateran University, 1990
Hobby: racquetball
Additional: As a college student he spent a summer in volunteer service at the Houston Community Youth Center, a halfway house for teenagers transitioning out of incarceration. Bishop Sis has traveled to 38 countries, including a summer of missionary service in Tanzania. His longest term of service was in campus ministry at St. Mary Catholic Center at Texas A&M University in College Station. Before his appointment as bishop, he was serving as the Vicar General and the Moderator of the Curia for the Diocese of Austin.

Q You were ordained to the priesthood in the Diocese of Austin in 1986. What was the exact date? Who was the bishop who ordained you?
A I was ordained on July 19, 1986, by Bishop John McCarthy of the Diocese of Austin.

Q Will you have special guests at the 40th anniversary Mass? 
A Bishop McCarthy has already passed away. At my 40^th anniversary Mass there will be some priests, deacons, seminarians, and parishioners from all over the Diocese of San Angelo, the Knights of Columbus Fourth Degree honor guard, and the Knights and Dames of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem.

Bishop Sis at altar dedication at St. Vincent Pallotti Catholic Church during COVID

Q At what age did you first feel drawn to the priesthood?
A It was first suggested to me at the age of 13.  I thought about it during high school but really started considering it seriously when I was a freshman in college.

Q Did a particular person, such as your parish priest, influence your decision?
A My parents were always active, committed Catholics, and their involvement in parish life influenced my relationship with God and the Church.  I was deeply inspired by priests in my home parish of St. Anthony in Bryan, Texas.  They made a positive impact on many people’s lives, including my own.  I was also inspired by some of my peers in the youth ministry program at our local parish.  Their commitment to prayer was impressive. Also, when I was a freshman at the University of Notre Dame, I had a very good spiritual director who helped me to approach my vocational discernment in an intentional and prayerful way.

Q Once you made your decision to become a priest, what was the next step? 
A When I entered the seminary at the age of 19, I knew I was sincerely interested in serving as a priest, but I was not sure whether it was truly God’s call for me. It took me a few years in the seminary to sift through that discernment thoroughly. Gradually, over the years, I came to discover that this life of priesthood is a good match for me.

Q Did you already want to attend Notre Dame University, or did you choose Notre Dame after you decided to become a priest?
A My decision to apply and attend Notre Dame was based in the fact that it is a Catholic university with a seminary a top-notch academic program.  My first year, I was not in the seminary.  I was a regular student in a dorm. I moved into the seminary when I began my sophomore year.

Q When it came time for Bishop Pfeifer to retire, did you express interest in becoming the next bishop of the Diocese of San Angelo or were you asked to be? 
A I was not involved in the Church’s search for the successor of Bishop Pfeifer as Bishop of San Angelo. That is always carried out by the Dicastery of Bishops in the Vatican through a confidential process of screening that is not known by the priest being considered.

Q What has brought you the most joy in your forty years as a priest, including ten as a bishop?
A The things that bring me the most joy as a Catholic priest are the following:

Celebrating the sacraments of the Catholic Church, especially the Mass
Relationships with people in parish life
Hearing Confessions
Witnessing the process of people falling in love with God
Visiting the sick, the elderly, and those in prison
Helping people to connect the message of Jesus Christ to their personal lives
Having Jesus as my closest daily companion

In my 12 years as a bishop, my favorite things are:
Developing and training leaders
Helping parish communities to grow
Supporting priests in their ministry
Ordaining new deacons and priests
Explaining Catholic beliefs and practices
The process of seminary formation of future priests
The joy of connecting needs and resources
The serenity and consolation of prayer with Jesus Christ in my chapel
Playing racquetball regularly
Special events and community celebrations

Bishop Sis with Aida Pantoja and her son, Kevin, at Holy Family Catholic Church

Q Anything else you wish to add:
A I have fallen in love with the land and the climate of West Texas. I had never lived in West Texas before I came here as bishop. I also love the people in our area. They are fun to work with and easy to love.
I have enjoyed collaborating with members of other churches in our shared efforts to help serve the needs of the communities in West Texas. I have found a refreshing spirit of mutual respect and cooperation among our churches, schools, and community agencies.
I am very grateful for the chance to serve with the priests, deacons, sisters, and lay leaders in the Diocese of San Angelo. They are solid human beings, and they pour themselves out in generous ministry to draw hearts to Jesus Christ.
Being a Catholic bishop is more about hard work than privilege. It is more guts than glory.

Loretta Fulton is creator and editor of Spirit of Abilene