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making lighter the labors of the holy pastors and easier the way to eternal salvation for the flocks committed to them," the Bull declared. "Since in certain regions belonging to the diocese of San Antonio, Dallas and El Paso," it continued, "Catholic affairs have experienced a rather large growth in the last few years, therefore we have ordered and decreed ... that for the good of the souls and of the Church certain portions be cut off and made into a separate Diocese." 97 With the consent of the bishops affected and at the recommendation of the Most Reverend Archbishop and Apostolic Delegate, Pietro Fuma- soni-Biondi, approved by the Sacred Congregation of Cardinals, the counties of Martin, Howard, Midland, Glasscock, Sterling, Upton, Rea- gan, Irion, Tom Green, Concho, Crockett, Schleicher, Menard. Sutton, and Kimble, half of Mitchell and Coke, and one-eighth of Runnels were detached from the Diocese of San Antonio; the counties of Dallas, Sher- man, Hansford, Ochiltree, Lipscomb, Hartley, Moore, Hutchinson, Rob- erts, Hemphill, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Wheeler, Deaf Smith, Randall, Armstrong, Donley, Collingsworth, Parmer, Castro, Hall, Swisher, Briscoe, Childress, Bailey, Lamb, Hale, Floyd, Motley, Cottle, King, Cochran, Hockley, Lubbock, Crosby, Dickens, Yoakum, Terry, Lynn, Garza, Kent, Stonewall, Dawson, Borden, Scurry, Fisher, Nolan, and the other half of Mitchell and Coke from the Diocese of Dallas: and the counties of Gaines, Andrews, Ector, and Crane from the Diocese of El Paso to constitute the new diocese. 98 The decree of erection declared the city of Amarillo the Episcopal See, and its Cathedral Church was made a suffragan of San Antonio which "we have promoted to the grade and dignity of a Metropolitan Church on this same third day of August," making the Bishop of Amarillo subject to the Metropolitan Archbishop of San Antonio. The ordinaries of the diocese from whose territory the new bishopric had been created were instructed to turn over to the episcopal chancellor all documents in their archives pertaining to the new diocese. The Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Fumasoni-Biondi, was empowered to select the parish church in Amarillo that was to be named the cathedral, and ordered to establish the new diocese either personally or by delegating his powers to any 97 Decree of Erection of the Diocese of Amarillo, Rome, August 3, 1926. Copy in C. A. T. 98 Decree _of Erection of the Diocese of Amarillo, translation by Msgr. A. M. Bottoms, Diocesan Notary, Copy furnished author by the Most Reverend Laurence J. FitzSimon, Bishop of Amarillo. Copy filed in C. A. T.
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