Curtis J. Guillory

Curtis John Guillory, S.V.D. (born September 1, 1943) is an American Catholic prelate and member of the Society of the Divine Word who served as Bishop of Beaumont from 2000 to 2020. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of Galveston–Houston from 1988 to 2000, and was the first Black Catholic bishop in Texas history.

Biography

Early years Curtis Guillory was born on September 1, 1943, to Wilfred and Theresa Guillory (née Jardoin) on September 1, 1943, in Bayou Mallet, Louisiana. He is the oldest of 17 children (six sons, and eleven daughters).

Guillory is a descendant of Louisiana free people of color. His father owned a small farm and worked on another one. Curtis and his siblings helped staff the farm.

In 1968, Guillory earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Divine Word College at Epworth, Iowa, in 1968. He later earned a Master of Divinity degree at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois. The Society first sent Guillory to St. Augustine Parish in New Orleans. He served three years there as an associate pastor and six years as pastor.

Guillory was the founding director of the Tolton House of Studies in New Orleans, the seminary residence for Divine Word students. Guillory also served as a member of the executive committee of the National Association of Black Catholic Administrators, the Louisiana One Church/One Family adoption program, national chaplain to the Knights of Peter Claver, a member of the archdiocesan presbyteral council, and a board member of the Spirituality Center.