Overview
- The Vatican announced on Dec. 17 that San Diego Auxiliary Bishop Ramón Bejarano, 56, will lead the Diocese of Monterey.
- He succeeds Daniel E. Garcia, who was appointed bishop of Austin in July, leaving Monterey without a resident bishop.
- The Monterey diocese spans 21,916 square miles and serves about 368,150 Catholics within a population of roughly 1.04 million.
- Bejarano has served since 2020 as auxiliary bishop in San Diego and titular bishop of Carpi, and he was ordained a priest in 1998 after earlier work in California’s Central Valley.
- San Diego Bishop Michael Pham praised him as a gentle advocate for peace and justice, and Bejarano emphasized pastoral outreach and support for immigrants, with his start expected early next year and no installation date announced.