Gerald Richard Barnes

Gerald Richard Barnes (born June 22, 1945) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church. He is the retired second Bishop of San Bernardino. In February 2020, Alberto Rojas was announced as his successor, and on December 28, Barnes' resignation was accepted.

His Excellency, The Most Reverend

Gerald Richard Barnes
Bishop emeritus of San Bernardino
DioceseSan Bernardino
AppointedDecember 28, 1995
InstalledMarch 12, 1996
Term endedDecember 28, 2020
PredecessorPhillip Francis Straling
SuccessorAlberto Rojas
Orders
OrdinationDecember 20, 1975
ConsecrationMarch 18, 1992
by Phillip Francis Straling, Patrick Flores, and Curtis J. Guillory
Personal details
Born (1945-06-22) June 22, 1945
Phoenix, Arizona
NationalityAmerican
DenominationCatholic Church
Previous postAuxiliary Bishop of San Bernardino (1992-1995)
Motto"Amar es entregarse"
"Love is a total gift of self"
Styles of
Gerald Richard Barnes
Reference style
Spoken styleYour Excellency
Religious styleBishop

Biography

Gerald Barnes was born in Phoenix, 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.

Episcopal career

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 March 18, 1992 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", Spanish for "Love is a total gift of self".

Barnes was named the second Bishop of San Bernardino on December 28, 1995 and installed on March 12, 1996. In his episcopal ministry, Bishop Barnes established the 4 Core Values and explained the diocesan vision.

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Barnes chairs the Committee on Migration and Refugee Services. In that post, he described the "current immigration system" as responsible for "family separation, suffering, and even death" and "is morally unacceptable and must be reformed".[1] He chaired the Committee on Hispanic Affairs from 1996 to 1999.

Under Barnes, the Diocese of San Bernardino operates three high schools, twenty-three elementary schools and three pre-schools. In 2001, Barnes inaugurated the Annual Bishop's Golf Classic to fund scholarships to families who are unable to afford a Catholic education for their children. During his tenure, he closed four of the diocese's elementary schools: those in Barstow, Banning, Apple Valley[2] and San Bernardino.[3] The high desert portion of the diocese has no Catholic schools.

In March 2014, Barnes, citing economic benefits and good citizenship, encouraged the faithful to sign up for insurance under Obamacare.[4][5]

Barnes submitted his resignation to the Holy See on his 75th birthday, June 22, 2020, and it was accepted on December 28, at which point Rojas succeeded automatically to the office.[6]

See also

References
  1. USCCB. Bishop Calls For Reform Of ‘Morally Unacceptable’ Immigration System July 27, 2007
  2. Victor Valley Daily Press January 22, 2009
  3. San Bernardino County Sun November 6, 2011
  4. "Affordable Care Act" (PDF). Diocese of San Bernardino. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  5. "Bishop urges faithful to sign up for Obamacare". Patheos. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
  6. "Rinunce e nomine". press.vatican.va. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
Catholic Church titles
Preceded by
Phillip Francis Straling		 Bishop of San Bernardino
1996–2020		 Succeeded by
Alberto Rojas
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