By Ruth Ann Ruiz
The Post Newspaper Features Editor
The new archbishop hails from Stamford, Texas. He is the oldest of six children, born to Elvira and Juan Vásquez. His siblings’ faces glowed with pride and excitement as they celebrated the installation of their brother, Joe Vásquez as the Roman Catholic Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.
His siblings, along with their spouses and some of his cousins, had come in from Abilene, Texas to witness the new archbishop’s installation.
Speaking with me after the installation Mass, Vásquez siblings shared a few insights into their brother’s life journey.
As children he was the eldest and they were taught to respect their brother, said his sister Cynthia and his brother James.
“He never gave us a reason not to respect him,” several siblings said.
They said their grandparents used to take the future archbishop to Mass every day.
“When he was little, he used to always carry a stick or a piece of lumber or a pipe, something that looked like he was carrying a staff,” said Cynthia and James.
His sister commented, no matter what his title is, he is always our brother.
