Bishop Kevin Farrell will take the shepherd's crook of authority Tuesday, becoming the official spiritual leader for almost a million Catholics in the Dallas Diocese.

He will be given the symbolic pastoral staff by retiring Bishop Charles Grahmann during an installation Mass on Tuesday afternoon at the downtown Cathedral Shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe.

He'll start his tenure by bringing plenty of humility – and getting plenty of advice.

While settling into Dallas last week, he offered a bit of Scripture that seemed particularly apt: the story from the Gospel of Luke about the Apostles caught in a boat during a storm.

"I guess they are only comforted by the fact that they know that God or Christ is with them. I am also comforted," he said.

He'll surely bring significant changes to the diocese Bishop Grahmann has led since 1990. But the new bishop is asking for patience: He's long on hopes but short on details.

"I just have what I would call a general knowledge of how the Diocese of Dallas functions and works," he said. "I have tried to follow it as much as I can from a distance of a three-hour plane flight. It's not that easy to do."

He wants to visit every parish to meet with priests and laity, and to craft a "pastoral plan" for the diocese that will be made public. But he'll need time and help, he said.

"What is going to be my agenda? What am I going to do new or different? I wish I knew. That would make my life a lot easier," he said. "I wish there were a textbook written on all of this. There aren't any such things."

Despite his scriptural reference to a storm, the new bishop is more likely to find a honeymoon than a hurricane, at least initially. Even some critics of the diocese under Bishop Grahmann say they're looking forward to meeting the new man.

Bill Betzen is a former diocesan counselor who became an outspoken critic of Bishop Grahmann's handling of clergy sex abuse scandals.

"Hopefully, he's a very saintly man who is very comfortable with coming out and answering the questions people put to him," said Mr. Betzen, now a middle school teacher. "He's going to have some very uncomfortable questions. As long as he doesn't run from them, we've taken a major step forward."

Bishop Farrell, formerly an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., got his papal appointment to take over in Dallas on March 6.

Since his appointment was announced, Bishop Farrell said, he has read histories and reports about the diocese, and he's talked with some of his fellow bishops about what he can expect.

Bishop Kevin Vann, leader of the Diocese of Fort Worth, has had a couple of conversations with his new neighbor.

"I told him it's important, coming to Texas, to have some idea of the history and culture of Texas," Bishop Vann said. "And to have an idea of the importance of the Hispanic population."

Bishop Farrell said he is already well aware of the latter. A national survey about Hispanics and religion issued last week by the Pew Hispanic Center is "on my desk," he said.

"I think the Hispanic people bring great values and qualities and a great spirit that can be most helpful to us," he said. "The question is whether we are opening our arms enough to receive them. That certainly will be a goal in my life, to make them welcome."

But that's hardly the only issue Dallas Catholics are hoping the new bishop will focus on. There are others: The priest shortage. The divide between rich and poor parishes. Making sure children are safe in church settings. Immigration. Ecumenical outreach. Spiritual nurturing.

Bishop Farrell, 59, grew up in Dublin, Ireland. As a teen, he joined the Legionaries of Christ, a group that helped him get his higher education and set him on a path to priesthood. After studying in Spain and Rome, he served six years in Mexico as a chaplain and teacher at the University of Monterrey.

In the 1980s, he left the Legionaries and came to the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., which needed Spanish-speaking priests. There, he worked his way up, serving in parishes, but also as a top administrator at the Catholic Charities office and a center for Hispanic Catholics.

Recent years have seen him in charge of financial and day-to-day operations of the archdiocese – its behind-the-scenes CEO, colleagues said.

In Dallas, however, he'll be the public face of the diocese. North Texans, Catholic or not, can expect to see and hear more from Bishop Farrell than they have from his predecessor. Bishop Grahmann seldom sought media attention.

In Washington, Bishop Farrell served under Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who took every opportunity to make public his views on many moral issues. Bishop Farrell said that would be his model for Dallas.

"He spoke out many times in many difficult situations," he said of his former boss. "I would hope to follow his example."

But first, he'll need to learn about the local landscape and history. The Dallas Diocese has had growing pains and other pains.

In Bishop Grahmann's nearly 17-year tenure here, the number of Catholics jumped from about 200,000 to 950,000. Hispanics account for most of that, but in the sprawling suburbs around Dallas, Catholic congregations have expanded or sprung up, consisting largely of white transplants from the north.

Bishop Grahmann moved aggressively to meet Hispanics' needs, establishing new parishes and a social services center.

But on Bishop Grahmann's watch, the diocese also paid out more than $45 million to victims of clergy sex abuse. The diocese is still paying, with last year's financial statement showing nearly $1.3 million in abuse-related litigation settlements. A handful of lawsuits are pending.

And he took heat for his leadership style. Several prominent Catholics even called for Bishop Grahmann's resignation – a demand the bishop ignored until he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 last year.

"I cannot comment on the specifics of that particular period," Bishop Farrell said last week. "I really do not know the story, nor do I know who these people are. But obviously I will make every effort to reach out to them. I will not exclude anybody."

When he reaches out, he'll find plenty of people reaching back with suggestions. And even some money.

A pleasant reality awaiting Bishop Farrell is that giving by Dallas-area Catholics has been up in recent years, said Michael Weis, chief financial officer for the diocese. The Catholic Community Appeal surpassed its goal this year, raising nearly $5 million for various projects.

But the growth in the Catholic population has far outpaced the growth in parish facilities. And the needs are often dire in urban Catholic schools and poorer parishes, said Ed Schaffler, president and chief executive officer of the Catholic Foundation of Dallas.

Parishes do most of their own fundraising, sometimes turning to the foundation for help with specific projects, such as repairing air-conditioners and parking lots.

"I think Bishop Farrell can lead us in the stewardship area," Mr. Schaffler said. "The diocese as an entity has capital needs that cannot always be met on the local level."

He and others seeking resources for the needy are likely to find a sympathetic ear from the new bishop. The other Bible verse he cited last week was from Matthew: "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me."

Bishop Farrell will immediately face the acute local manifestation of a national priest shortage.

The Dallas diocese had about one priest for every 3,500 Catholics in 2001. Now the ratio is about one for every 5,600.

Though each parish has a priest, the ranks are exceedingly thin, said Bronson Havard, spokesman for the diocese. One priest out with an illness leads to scrambling for someone to preside at Mass.

Discussions with others in the diocese yielded still more "to-do" items for Bishop Farrell.

Nancy Dunkerley, president and founding director of Spiritual Ministries Institute in Plano, hopes Bishop Farrell will continue Bishop Grahmman's ecumenical outreach.

"He needs to make it a priority to get to know the other Christian leaders," she said.

Mildred Pope of Oak Cliff wants Bishop Farrell to be aware that there's dissatisfaction among black Catholics with the style and content of worship services.

"Many people are leaving the church, going to other places, where they feel they're getting the spiritual nourishment they need," said Ms. Pope, co-chairwoman of the Black Catholic Network.

Judy Henneberger wants Bishop Farrell to build a close relationship with – and possibly place a priest at – Southern Methodist University, where she is associate chaplain.

Dr. Henneberger is a Catholic, and notes that Catholics are the largest faith group at SMU, slightly outnumbering Methodists.

"The Catholic life here is vibrant and dynamic," she said.

Eunice Cheshire is a former staff member at Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Plano, and continues to volunteer there. She also wants Bishop Farrell to be ecumenical, and she hopes he'll emphasize both "spiritual formation" and strict adherence to safety guidelines for children in the churches.

But just as important, she said, is connection.

"I'm hoping we'll see his face and feel his shepherding," she said.

samhodges@dallasnews.com; jweiss@dallasnews.com