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July 26, 2018
Catholic San Francisco
Monterey Bishop Richard J. Garcia, a San Francisco native and the fourth bishop of Monterey, died July 11, the diocese announced. He was diagnosed just three months ago with the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and experienced a very rapid decline in health.
“He was an ardent and gentle shepherd whom we shall all miss dearly,” San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said in a statement July 12.
Bishop Garcia was born on April 24, 1947, to Manual Garcia and Anita Maria Adame, both natives of Jalisco, Mexico. He was raised in San Francisco and began his education at St. Patrick School in San Francisco. Father John E. Boll quoted Bishop Garcia’s kindergarten teacher, Sister Eulalia Zúniga, DC, in a 2012 article for the Sacramento diocesan archives: “I remember he was very eager to learn and he was very serious, but he had such a wonderful smile – still has it. Richard was very independent. He wanted to do everything for himself. His English was limited when he started school but he worked very hard on learning the English words. He worked on pronouncing his words better. If he wasn’t sure of something, he always asked and he always did his little assignments.
“He was a very good student, very studious and very kind and thoughtful. He had good rapport with people. He was always very kind to his little companions.”
Bishop Garcia attended St Joseph’s High School Seminary in Los Altos Hills and received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park. After pursuing doctoral studies in Dogmatic Theology in Rome from 1980-1984, he served on the faculties of both the college and graduate seminaries at St. Patrick’s from 1985-1992.
Bishop Garcia was ordained a priest on June 15, 1973, for the Archdiocese of San Francisco at Sacred Heart Church in San Jose. In 1981, with the creation of the Diocese of San Jose, he continued to serve as a priest in Santa Clara County. He served as an associate pastor at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Morgan Hill, California. Before being appointed pastor of St. Leo the Great Parish in San Jose, California in 1995, Bishop Garcia served as the vocations director and the vicar for clergy.
In 1997, he was named auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento by Pope John Paul II and was ordained a bishop on Jan. 28, 1997. In December 2006, he was named the fourth bishop of Diocese of Monterey by Pope Benedict XVI and installed as the new ordinary on Jan. 30, 2007.
In addition to serving as the Chairman of the Restorative Justice Committee for the California Catholic Conference of Bishops, Bishop Garcia also served on various committees for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops including the Migration and Refugee Committee and the Cultural Diversity Committee.
“Bishop Garcia was known for his very personable, welcoming and friendly demeanor,” the diocese said. “As a spiritual shepherd, he had a special concern for the poor, the incarcerated, migrant workers and immigrant communities. He always had time for his priests, deacons, religious, seminarians and the people of God throughout the Diocese of Monterey.
“Bishop Garcia had a special delight for children and was most compassionate to those with special needs. He was proud of his Mexican-American heritage and the diversity of cultures that are represented in the church.”
Bishop Garcia’s “gentle and unpretentious approach to ministry appealed to many,” Father Boll wrote in his 2012 article for the Sacramento diocesan archives.
Archbishop Cordileone said Bishop Garcia served on U.S. bishops’ conference committees charged with care and concern for these vulnerable individuals “and displayed fervent and caring leadership” in chairing the Restorative Justice Committee for the California bishops’ conference.
A funeral Mass for Bishop Garcia was held July 19 at Madonna del Sasso in Salinas. Committal was private.