Gerald Richard Barnes
Encyclopedia
Gerald Richard Barnes is an American
prelate
of the Roman Catholic Church
. He is the second and current Bishop of San Bernardino
.
, Arizona
, and raised in the Boyle Heights
area of East Los Angeles
, where he and his siblings worked at their parents' grocery store
. He was ordained
to the priesthood
, for the Archdiocese of San Antonio
, on December 20, 1975.
On January 28, 1992, Barnes was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
of San Bernardino
, California
and Titular Bishop
of Mons Faliscus by Pope John Paul II
. He received his episcopal consecration
on the following March 18 from Bishop Philip Straling, with Archbishop Patrick Flores
and Bishop Curtis Guillory
, SVD
, serving as co-consecrators
. He selected as his episcopal motto
: "Amar Es Entregarse", meaning, "Love is the total giving of oneself."
Barnes was later named the second Bishop of San Bernardino
on December 28, 1995. The focus of his episcopal ministry has been the diocesan
Pastoral Planning Process.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
, Barnes currently chairs
the Committee on Migration and Refugee Services. In that post, he has described the "current immigration system" as responsible for "family separation, suffering, and even death" and "is morally unacceptable and must be reformed". He formerly chaired the Committee on Hispanic Affairs from 1996 to 1999.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He is the second and current Bishop of San Bernardino
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino is a Roman Catholic diocese centered in San Bernardino, California. It was founded on July 14, 1978, and comprises San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The Diocese of San Bernardino formerly was part of the Diocese of San Diego...
.
Biography
Gerald Barnes was born in PhoenixPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and raised in the Boyle Heights
Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California
Boyle Heights is a neighborhood east of Downtown Los Angeles on the East Side of Los Angeles. For much of the twentieth century, Boyle Heights was a gateway for new immigrants. This resulted in diverse demographics, including Jewish American, Japanese American and Mexican American populations,...
area of East Los Angeles
East Los Angeles (region)
East Los Angeles is the portion of the City of Los Angeles that lies east of Downtown Los Angeles, the Los Angeles River and the unincorporated areas of Lincoln Heights, west of the San Gabriel Valley, East Los Angeles and City Terrace, south of Cypress Park, and north of Vernon, California and...
, where he and his siblings worked at their parents' grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
. He was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
, for the Archdiocese of San Antonio
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio encompasses in Texas.The archdiocese includes the city of San Antonio and the following counties: Val Verde, Edwards, Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Uvalde, Kinney, Medina, Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, Frio, Atascosa, and McMullen.On...
, on December 20, 1975.
On January 28, 1992, Barnes was appointed Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of San Bernardino
San Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Mons Faliscus by Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
. He received his episcopal consecration
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
on the following March 18 from Bishop Philip Straling, with Archbishop Patrick Flores
Patrick Flores
Patrick Fernández Flores , is a Roman Catholic cleric and was Archbishop of San Antonio from 1979 until 2004. Flores was the first Mexican American to become a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church.-Early life:...
and Bishop Curtis Guillory
Curtis Guillory
Curtis John Guillory is the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Beaumont, TX. He became the fifth bishop of the 34-year-old Roman Catholic Diocese of Beaumont on July 28, 2000.-Biography:...
, SVD
Divine Word Missionaries
The Society of the Divine Word , popularly called the Divine Word Missionaries, and sometimes the Steyler Missionaries, is a missionary religious congregation in the Latin Church, one of the 23 sui iuris churches which make up the Catholic Church. As of 2006 it consisted of 6,102 members composed...
, serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. He selected as his episcopal motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
: "Amar Es Entregarse", meaning, "Love is the total giving of oneself."
Barnes was later named the second Bishop of San Bernardino
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Bernardino is a Roman Catholic diocese centered in San Bernardino, California. It was founded on July 14, 1978, and comprises San Bernardino and Riverside counties. The Diocese of San Bernardino formerly was part of the Diocese of San Diego...
on December 28, 1995. The focus of his episcopal ministry has been the diocesan
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
Pastoral Planning Process.
Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
, Barnes currently chairs
Chair (official)
The chairman is the highest officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office is typically elected or appointed by the members of the group. The chairman presides over meetings of the assembled group and conducts its business in an...
the Committee on Migration and Refugee Services. In that post, he has described the "current immigration system" as responsible for "family separation, suffering, and even death" and "is morally unacceptable and must be reformed". He formerly chaired the Committee on Hispanic Affairs from 1996 to 1999.