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James Martin, S.J.May 03, 2013

From the USCCB:

POPE NAMES JESUIT TO HEAD DIOCESE OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA

WASHINGTON—Pope Francis has named Jesuit Father Michael Barber, 58, a member of the Jesuit Province of California and director of spiritual formation at St. John’s Seminary, Brighton (Boston), Massachusetts, as bishop of Oakland, California. The appointment was publicized in Washington, May 3, by Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, apostolic nuncio to the United States. Bishop-elect Barber was born July 13, 1954, in Salt Lake City. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1973 and was ordained a priest for the Society in 1985. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in history/philosophy from Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington; master of divinity and bachelor of sacred theology degrees from Regis College of the University of Toronto; and a licentiate and doctorate in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.  Assignments after ordination included 1985-1987, missionary in Apia, Western Samoa; 1987-1992, student at Gregorian University and assistant professor of theology there (1990-1991); 1992-1998, researcher and tutor at Oxford University; 1998-2001, director, School of Pastoral Leadership, Archdiocese of San Francisco, with residence at St. Agnes Parish; 2002-2010, assistant professor of systematic and moral theology, and spiritual director, St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park, California; and 2010-present, director of spiritual formation, St. John’s Seminary. He succeeds Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, who was named head of the San Francisco Archdiocese, July 27, 2012.  The Oakland Diocese includes 1,467 square miles and two counties, Alameda and Contra Costa, in California. The diocese has 2,586,396 people, with 399,546, or 15 percent of them, Catholic.

 
AMDG!
Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
ed gleason
10 years 11 months ago
Oakland is deserving of a few winners .. An SJ Bishop and the Warriors winning playoff series yesterday is a good start.
Robert O'Connell
10 years 11 months ago
Grace abounds!
Jim McCrea
10 years 11 months ago
He was chaplain to Legatus, an organization of high-ranked Catholic business leaders and their spouses, founded by Tom Monaghan of Domino's Pizza and Ave Maria U fame. I hope that he did this as a corporal work of mercy and not a ministry to like-minded people. Enjoy this: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/diaryofawimpycatholic/2013/02/crashing-the-gate-at-legatus/
James Martin
10 years 11 months ago

Implying that because he ministered to Legatus means that he does not know the corporal works of mercy, and does not do them, is very uncharitable.  

charles harrison
10 years 11 months ago
I assume he meant a spiritual work of mercy. On that basis I can see what he's saying and concur on one level. The general tone of the comment and in the link are unfortunately, while understandable, indeed uncharitable and counter-productive, however. Nothing enjoyable about brothers despising each other.
Jim McCrea
10 years 11 months ago
I did. Mea culpa. My concern about him, however, stands until proven otherwise. The diocese of Oakland has been used and abused by both Vigneron and Cordileone and deserves much better this time. Much better.
Tom Schneck
10 years 10 months ago
Jim - for being a seminarian, you sure yield a loose cannon in taking cheap shots at Bishop, now Archbishop, Cordileone and retired Bishop Vigneron. Maybe you do not approve Bishop Cordileone's leadership in the field of religious liberty, or maybe do don't like his leadership in the defense of the sacrament of marriage. Whatever you may think, Bishops Vigneron and Cordileone were both true to the faith, steadfast in their leadership and men of outstanding courage and holiness. I urge you to be more respectful of the past bishops of Oakland, as well as the new one.
Vince Killoran
10 years 10 months ago
I know he apologized but I still don't see how Jim breached decorum (and where does he identify himself as a seminarian?). For some bloggers any criticism or analysis of the hierarchy is a sign of an attack on the Catholic Faith. Tom's wide eyed claim that, "Whatever you may think, Bishops Vigneron and Cordileone were both true to the faith, steadfast in their leadership and men of outstanding courage and holiness" is certainly open to debate.
Jim McCrea
10 years 10 months ago
Vigneron is not retired: he is Abp of (lucky them) Detroit. I am not a seminarian nor have been for about 60 years now.
Vince Killoran
10 years 11 months ago
I'd like to know more about how chaplains are chosen to such groups. My sense is that they are clerics who do share the same perspective on many things.
Jim McCrea
10 years 11 months ago
According to this (http://www.legatusmagazine.org/tag/fr-michael-barber/) .... How did you become a Legatus chaplain? I’ve been here at the seminary for seven years, and some of the people on our board of trustees are Legatus members. They invited me to attend a few of the meetings and celebrate Masses for them. That’s how I fell into it. Archbishop [William] Levada was originally the chaplain, and he couldn’t make all of the meetings so I filled in for him.
Vince Killoran
10 years 10 months ago
Thanks Jim. Yeah, my sense was that these chaplains are not so much "assigned" as they are drawn to the organization for the work they do & approach. Your research confirms this.
William Atkinson
10 years 11 months ago
Congrats to all Okland, you are getting a shephard who will work for you all in both spiritual and religious being and will live out the truth and sufferance of Jesus as the church makes enourmous changes under Pope Francis. He will bring soul, real soul into all the christians and others lives in and around Okland.
Tom Schneck
10 years 10 months ago
I have lived in the Diocese of Oakland. Bishop Vigneron was not above doing weddings for Cal college students, nor loaning use of the cathedral for that purpose. The small, old cathedral was rebuilt under his administration to a beautiful larger edifice. I have personally met Bishop Cordelione who is a point man and spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opposing federal government rulings that violate conscience. In this regard, he represents believers of many faiths who need a voice against our government instigating the erosion of our First Amendment freedom from (government) coercion and punitive action in the free exercise of religious belief. Both Bishops of Oakland, each in his own way, has been a terrific leader. I salute each of them.
Tom Schneck
10 years 10 months ago
I have lived in the Diocese of Oakland. Bishop Vigneron was not above doing weddings for Cal college students, nor loaning use of the cathedral for that purpose. The small, old cathedral was rebuilt under his administration to a beautiful larger edifice. I have personally met Bishop Cordelione who is a point man and spokesperson for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops opposing federal government rulings that violate conscience. In this regard, he represents believers of many faiths who need a voice against our government instigating the erosion of our First Amendment freedom from (government) coercion and punitive action in the free exercise of religious belief. Both Bishops of Oakland, each in his own way, has been a terrific leader. I salute each of them and extend best wishes to Fr. Michael Barber, S.J.

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