The first Catholic mission in Texas, then part of the Spanish Empire, was San Francisco de los Tejas.

Pope John Paul II founded the Diocese of Tyler on December 12, 1986, and it was formally erected on February 24, 1987.

Joseph Strickland of the Diocese of Dallas was named bishop of Tyler by Benedict XVI in 2011.

[5] In June 2023, it was revealed that the Dicastery for Bishops in Rome had completed an apostolic visitation to the diocese.

[6] Pope Francis relieved Bishop Strickland from the pastoral governance of the diocese on November 11, 2023.

[7] The rare removal occurred two months following news that, following the apostolic visitation, several senior cardinals had advised Pope Francis to place pressure on Strickland to resign.

In May 2023, Strickland had posted online "I reject [Pope Francis's] program of undermining the Deposit of Faith".

[12] The Diocese of Tyler comprises the following 33 counties in east and northeast Texas: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Lamar, Leon, Madison, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.