The seventh of ten children, John Morkovsky was born on August 16, 1909, in Praha, Texas, to Alois and Marie (née Raska) Morkovsky.[1] Alois Morkovsky immigrated to the United States from Moravia, while Marie Raska was the daughter of Moravian immigrants.[2] John Morkovsky was baptized by Reverend. Louis P. Netardus at his parents' home.[1]
On his return to Texas in 1936, Morkovsky was assigned as a curate at St. Michael's parish in Weimar, Texas,.[1] He was transferred in 1939 to St. Anne's Parish in San Antonio. In 1940, Morkovsky was appointed as professor of canon law, Latin and philosophy at St. John's Seminary.[1] He briefly served as pastor of St. Francis de Paula Parish and superintendent of Catholic schools in San Antonio.[1]
In 1941, Morkovsky was sent to Washington, D.C. to study at the Catholic University of America, obtaining a Master of Arts degree in education.[2] He returned to Texas in 1943 to resume his position as superintendent of Catholic Schools in San Antonio.[2] During that time, he also held the following posts:
An April 22, 1975, Morkovsky automatically succeeded Nold as the sixth bishop of Galveston-Houston .[3] During his tenure, he established African American and Mexican American ministries and gave special attention to low-income parishioners and Houston's large Vietnamese community.[2] The Catholic Church in Texas continued to experience tremendous growth which helped lead to further divisions of the diocese, including the Diocese of Beaumont (1966), the Diocese of Victoria (1982), and the Diocese of Tyler (1987).[4]
Retirement and legacy
On August 21, 1984, Pope John Paul II accepted Morkovsky's resignation as bishop of Galveston-Houston.[3] He continued to live in his home on the grounds of St. Mary's Seminary in Houston.[2]
On March 24, 1990, John Morkovsky died at age 80 from a stroke in Tacoma, Washington, where he was visiting relatives.[2] He is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery in Houston.[2]
