PI Instructors

The Most Rev. Brendan Cahill was ordained to the priesthood in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in May of 1990. He was ordained as the third bishop of the Diocese of Victoria in June 2015. To read his full bio, click HERE.











Father Jacob Koether was ordained to the priesthood, June 6, 2015.  He has been assigned to Holy Family in Victoria, St. Joseph in Yoakum and also served in Queen of Peace in Sweet Home and St. John the Baptist in Koerth. During Advent of 2018, he was made the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows, Victoria. Father Koether is from the Bay City area. He studied Catechetics and Philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville and was a member of the Priestly Discernment Program where he began his seminary formation.  While at St. Mary Seminary in Houston, he studied theology and received an M.Div., M.A. in Theology, and S.T.B.  Recently, he completed the Masters in Catechetics and Evangelization from Franciscan University.


Father Robert E. (Bob) Knippenberg is pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Wharton, Texas since June 19, 2013. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Victoria in Texas on June 10, 2000 by the Most Rev. David E. Fellhauer. Fr. Knippenberg holds a Bachelor of Arts Philosophy from Don Bosco College in Newton, New Jersey, a Master of Arts Pastoral Studies from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas and a Master of Divinity from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio.  He has also completed the course of study at the Institute in Matrimonial Tribunal Practice at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C




Sister Digna Vela, IWBS is a spiritual director and staff member at Amor Meus Spirituality Center at Incarnate Word Convent, is an editor and director of Disciples on the Journey, a Lenten lectionary-based resource for small groups produced and published by her religious congregation . Sister Digna is also an instructor for the Diocese of Victoria Pastoral Institute, has been a workshop presenter at various diocesan conferences in Texas and Louisiana.  Sister Digna has a MA in theology from St. Mary University in San Antonio and a graduate certificate in spiritual direction and directed retreats from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.