Gerald Eugene Wilkerson
Gerald Eugene Wilkerson (born October 21, 1939) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles from 1997 to 2015.
Gerald Eugene Wilkerson | |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Los Angeles Titular Bishop of Vincennes | |
| Archdiocese | Los Angeles |
| Appointed | November 5, in 1997 |
| Installed | January 21, 1998 |
| Term ended | July 21, 2015 |
| Other post(s) | Titular Bishop of Vincennes |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | January 5, 1965 by James Francis McIntyre |
| Consecration | January 21, 1998 by Roger Mahony, Michael Patrick Driscoll, and Joseph Martin Sartoris |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 21, 1939 Des Moines, Iowa |
| Motto | Walk in Integrity of Heart |
| Styles of Gerald Eugene Wilkerson | |
|---|---|
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| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Biography
Early life
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Gerald Wilkerson grew up in Long Beach, California. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California.[1]
Priesthood
Wilkerson was ordained a priest on January 5, 1965, by Cardinal James McIntyre.[2]
After his ordination, Wilkerson served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in La Habra, California; St. Michael Parish in Los Angeles and American Martyrs Parish in Manhattan Beach, California. He then was posted for 15 years at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Encino, California as administrator and then pastor.
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles
On November 5, 1997, Pope John Paul II appointed Wilkerson as the Titular Bishop of Vincennes and auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles. He was installed and consecrated on January 21, 1998. Cardinal Roger Mahony was his principal consecrator, while Bishop Michael Driscoll and Bishop Joseph M. Sartoris were his principal co-consecrators.[2]
Wilkerson led the archdiocese's San Fernando Pastoral Region with 54 parishes, 12 high schools, two hospitals, and five missions.[1]
Retirement
On July 21, 2015, Wilkerson sent his letter of retirement to Pope Francis, have reached the retirement age for bishops.[3]
On July 20, 2018, Wilkerson was appointed apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Monterey in California after the death of Bishop Richard John Garcia. On December 19, 2018, Wilkerson announced that the Diocese was hiring an outside law firm to examine its personal records for any credible allegations of sexual abuse by clergy.[4]
Wilkerson left the apostolic administrator position on January 29, 2019 after the appointment of Bishop Daniel E Garcia as the new bishop of Monterey[2][5][6]
See also
References
- "ADLA - Bishop Wilkerson". old.la-archdiocese.org. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- "Bishop Gerald Eugene Wilkerson [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- http://www.la-archdiocese.org/Pages/2015-0721_newauxiliaries.aspx
- "Diocese of Monterey conducting priest personnel file review". Monterey Herald. 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- "Pope appoints new bishop in Monterey, California (USA) - Vatican News". www.vaticannews.va. 2018-11-27. Retrieved 2021-12-12.
- Morris, Emily (2018-07-24). "Retired LA auxiliary named administrator of Monterey diocese". California Catholic Daily. Retrieved 2021-12-12.

