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Diocese of Stockton

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Diocese of Stockton
Diœcesis Stocktoniensis
The coat of arms of the Diocese of Stockton
The coat of arms of the Diocese of Stockton
Location
Country United States
Territory Counties of Alpine, Calaveras, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne
Ecclesiastical province San Francisco
Statistics
Population
Total
Catholics 		(as of 2017)
1,376,940
298,061 (21.6%)
Parishes 35
Information
Denomination Catholic Church
Sui iuris church Latin Church
Rite Roman Rite
Established January 13, 1962
Cathedral Cathedral of the Annunciation
Patron saint Our Lady of the Annunciation
Secular priests 105
Current leadership
Pope Leo XIV
Bishop Myron Joseph Cotta
Metropolitan Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone
Map
Website
stocktondiocese.org

The Diocese of Stockton (Latin: Diœcesis Stocktoniensis) is a diocese of the Catholic Church in the Central Valley and Mother Lode region of California in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. The mother church is the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton.

Extent and statistics

As of 2022, the Diocese of Stockton served 233,000 Catholics in 35 parishes. It had 86 priests (72 diocesan, 14 religious), 50 deacons, 63 lay religious (14 brothers, 49 sisters) and eight seminarians.[1]

The diocese covers the counties of Alpine, Calaveras, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tuolumne, with most of the diocese population living in the San Joaquin Valley. The diocese provides service to the many migrant camps in the region.

The largest racial/ethnic groups in the diocese are White and Hispanic. The largest Azorean Portuguese population outside the Azores is found in the diocese.

The largest Asian community in the diocese is Filipino, followed by the Vietnamese community. The USCCB statement Asian and Pacific Presence[2] lists the diocese of Stockton as among the top thirty dioceses in the United States with the highest Asian and Pacific Island population.

History

Pope John XXIII erected the Diocese of Stockton on January 13, 1962, taking Calaveras, Mono, San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties from the Archdiocese of San Francisco and the Diocese of Sacramento. The pope named Auxiliary Bishop Hugh Donohoe of San Francisco as the first bishop of Stockton.[3] On September 15, 1966, the Vatican transferred Alpine County from Sacramento to the Diocese of Stockton.[4][5] Donohoe became bishop of the Diocese of Fresno in 1969.[3]

The second bishop of Stockton was Auxiliary Bishop Merlin Guilfoyle of San Francisco, appointed by Pope Paul VI in 1969.[6] Guilfoyle retired in 1979. To replace Guilfoyle, Pope John Paul II selected Auxiliary Bishop Roger Mahony of Fresno in 1980. Five years later, in 1985, Mahony became archbishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.[7]

Auxiliary Bishop Donald Montrose of Los Angeles was the next bishop of Stockton, named by John Paul II in 1985.[8] Montrose focused on getting Spanish-speaking priests in the diocese, traveling to Mexico, Colombia and other Latin American countries to recruit them. In 1988, Montrose succeeded in persuading the Sisters of the Cross to relocate to Modesto from Mexico.[9] Montrose retired in 1999.

John Paul II appointed Auxiliary Bishop Stephen Blaire of Los Angeles in 1999 as the new bishop of Stockton.[10] In 2014, the diocese filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy, which was later granted in 2017.[11] As a result of the bankruptcy agreement, approximately $15 million was to be paid to sexual abuse victims of diocesan clergy.[12] Blaire retired in 2018.

As of 2023, the current bishop of the Diocese of Stockton is Myron J. Cotta, formerly an auxiliary bishop from Sacramento. He was appointed by Pope Francis in 2018.[13]

In November 2023, vandals sprayed white paint on the doors and exterior walls of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Stockton. No arrests were made.[14]

Sex abuse

In 1998 a jury awarded two brothers a $30 million judgement against the diocese in a sexual abuse case. The plaintiffs had accused the priest Oliver O'Grady of sexually abusing them from 1978 to 1991.[15] A 1984 police report showed that a diocese attorney had promised to get O'Grady away from minors. However, Bishop Mahony transferred him that same year to a different parish. In 1993, O'Grady pleaded guilty to sexually abusing the plaintiffs and was sentenced to 14 years in prison.[15]

In 2001, Bishop Blaire learned of allegations that in 1997 Rev. Oscar Pelaez had molested a 14-year-old at Sacred Heart Church in Turlock. Blaire suspended Pelaez from priestly duties, but did not report the allegations.[16] Pelaez pleaded guilty to 13 counts of abuse and was sentenced to six years in prison.[17]

Bishops

Bishops of Stockton

  1. Hugh Aloysius Donohoe (1962-1969), appointed Bishop of Fresno
  2. Merlin Guilfoyle (1970-1979)
  3. Roger Mahony (1980-1985), appointed Archbishop of Los Angeles (Cardinal in 1991)
  4. Donald Montrose (1985-1999)
  5. Stephen Blaire (1999-2018)
  6. Myron Joseph Cotta (2018–present)

Other diocesan priest who became bishop

Ramon Bejarano, appointed auxiliary bishop of San Diego in 2020

Parishes

The Diocese of Stockton consists of eight deaneries.[18]

Education

High schools

As of 2025, the Diocese of the Stockton has the following high schools:

Elementary/middle schools

As of 2025, the Diocese of the Stockton has the following elementary/middle schools.[19]

37°58′32″N 121°18′03″W / 37.97556°N 121.30083°W

Canonical status and jurisdiction

Diocese of Stockton is a diocese of the catholic church of the Catholic Church.[20]

References

  1. Back to citation "Diocese of Stockton, USA". GCatholic. Retrieved Apr 5, 2021.
  2. Back to citation "Asian and Pacific Presence Harmony in Faith". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. 2001. Archived from the original on 2011-10-14. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  3. Back to citation occurrence 3.0 Back to citation occurrence 3.1 "Bishop Hugh Aloysius Donohoe". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.
  4. Back to citation Shebl, Jim; Durkin, Mary-Cabrini (2002). "A new diocese shapes its identity". One in Christ: A Short History of the Diocese of Stockton, 1962–2002. Stockton, California: Diocese of Stockton.
  5. Back to citation "Lineage of Bishops". Sacramento, California: Diocese of Sacramento. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
  6. Back to citation "Bishop Merlin Joseph Guilfoyle [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  7. Back to citation "Roger Michael Cardinal Mahony [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  8. Back to citation "Bishop Donald William Montrose [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  9. Back to citation "Former Bishop Donald Montrose dies". The Modesto Bee. May 8, 2008. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved July 22, 2010.
  10. Back to citation "Bishop Stephen Edward Blaire [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  11. Back to citation "Diocese of Stockton (Roman Catholic Bishop of Stockton)". www.pszjlaw.com. Retrieved Apr 5, 2021.
  12. Back to citation Alex, MacLean (January 11, 2017). "Embattled Stockton Diocese nears bankruptcy exit; attorneys and alleged victims speak out". Union Democrat. Archived from the original on 2019-08-14. Retrieved 2019-08-14 – via Web Archive.
  13. Back to citation "Bishop Myron Joseph Cotta [Catholic-Hierarchy]". www.catholic-hierarchy.org. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  14. Back to citation Bukuras, Joe (November 6, 2023). "California cathedral vandalized with paint; police investigating as possible hate crime". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 2025-03-13.
  15. Back to citation occurrence 15.0 Back to citation occurrence 15.1 Lattin, Don (July 17, 1998). "$30 MILLION AWARDED MEN MOLESTED BY FAMILY PRIEST". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  16. Back to citation "Did His Past Come Back to Haunt Him?". California Catholic Daily. November 28, 2007. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  17. Back to citation "Catholic Priest Convicted of Child Molestation". Associated Press. July 19, 2002. Retrieved 2023-05-13.
  18. Back to citation "Deanery Structure and Personnel". Archdiocese of Stockton. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  19. Back to citation occurrence 19.0 Back to citation occurrence 19.1 "Schools". Diocese of Stockton. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  20. Back to citation Diocese of Stockton, official website
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