Gerald Eugene Wilkerson

{{Infobox Christian leader

| type =

| honorific-prefix = The Most Reverend

| name = Gerald Eugene Wilkerson

| honorific-suffix =

| title = Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Los Angeles

| image =

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption =

| archdiocese =

| appointed = November 5, in 1997

| enthroned = January 21, 1998

| retired = July 21, 2015

| predecessor =

| successor =

| previous_post =

| other_post =

| ordination = January 5, 1965

| ordained_by = James Francis McIntyre

| consecration = January 21, 1998

| consecrated_by = Roger Mahony, Michael Patrick Driscoll, and Joseph Martin Sartoris

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1939|10|21}}

| birth_place = Des Moines, Iowa, US

| death_date =

| death_place =

| alma_mater =

| signature =

| coat_of_arms =

| motto = Walk in integrity of heart

| education = St. John's Seminary

| see = Archdiocese of Los Angeles

}}

{{Infobox bishopstyles

| name= Gerald Eugene Wilkerson

| dipstyle=

| offstyle=Your Excellency

| relstyle=Bishop

| image = Coat of arms of Gerald Eugene Wilkerson.svg

| image_size = 200px

}}

Gerald Eugene Wilkerson (born October 21, 1939) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in California from 1997 to 2015 and as apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Monterey in California for six months in 2018 and 2019.

Biography

= Early life =

Gerald Wilkerson was born on October 21, 1939, in Des Moines, Iowa. His family later moved to Long Beach, California. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California.{{Cite web |title=Auxiliary Bishops {{!}} LA Catholics |url=https://lacatholics.org/auxiliary-bishops/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |website=lacatholics.org |language=en-US}}

Wilkerson was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on January 5, 1965, by Cardinal James McIntyre.{{Cite web|title=Bishop Gerald Eugene Wilkerson [Catholic-Hierarchy]|url=https://www.catholic-hierarchy.org/bishop/bwilke.html|access-date=2021-12-12|website=www.catholic-hierarchy.org}} After his ordination, Wilkerson served as associate pastor at three Southern California parishes:

Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Habra
St. Michael in Los Angeles
American Martyrs in Manhattan Beach

Wilkerson then was posted for 15 years at Our Lady of Grace Parish in Encino, California, first as administrator and then as pastor.

= Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles =

On November 5, 1997, Pope John Paul II appointed Wilkerson as the titular bishop of Vincennes and as an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles. He was consecrated on January 21, 1998 at Our Lady of Grace Church in Encino, California. Cardinal Roger Mahony was his principal consecrator, while Bishop Michael Driscoll and Bishop Joseph M. Sartoris were his principal co-consecrators.

Wilkerson led the archdiocese's San Fernando Pastoral Region with 54 parishes, 12 high schools, two hospitals, and five missions.

Retirement

On July 21, 2015, Pope Francis accepted Wilkerson's letter of retirement as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, sent because Wilkerson had reached the retirement age of 75 for bishops.

On July 20, 2018, Pope Francis appointed Wilkerson as the apostolic administrator for the Diocese of Monterey after the death of Bishop Richard Garcia. On December 19, 2018, Wilkerson announced that the diocese was hiring an outside law firm to examine its personnel records for any credible allegations of sexual abuse by clergy.{{Cite web|date=2018-12-18|title=Diocese of Monterey conducting priest personnel file review|url=https://www.montereyherald.com/2018/12/18/diocese-of-monterey-conducting-priest-personnel-file-review|access-date=2021-12-12|website=Monterey Herald|language=en-US}} Wilkerson left the apostolic administrator position on January 29, 2019, after the installation of Bishop Daniel E Garcia as the new bishop of Monterey{{Cite web|date=2018-11-27|title=Pope appoints new bishop in Monterey, California (USA) - Vatican News|url=https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2018-11/pope-bishop-austin-monterey-appointment-daniel-garcia.html|access-date=2021-12-12|website=www.vaticannews.va|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Morris|first=Emily|date=2018-07-24|title=Retired LA auxiliary named administrator of Monterey diocese|url=https://www.cal-catholic.com/retired-la-auxiliary-named-administrator-of-monterey-diocese/|access-date=2021-12-12|website=California Catholic Daily|language=en-US}}

On September 12, 2022 Archbishop Jose Horacio Gomez appointed Wilkerson as interim episcopal vicar after Bishop Alejandro Aclan suffered a stroke.{{Cite web |date=2022-09-13 |title=Bishop Wilkerson named interim vicar for San Fernando Region |url=https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/bishop-wilkerson-named-interim-vicar/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |language=en-US}} On September 26, 2023, Auxiliary Bishop Albert Bahhuth replaced Wilkerson as the permanent episcopal vicar for the San Fernando Pastoral Region.{{Cite web |date=2023-08-08 |title=Region assignments announced for 4 new LA auxiliary bishops |url=https://angelusnews.com/local/la-catholics/new-la-bishops-regions/ |access-date=2023-11-05 |language=en-US}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20061015025841/http://www.la-archdiocese.org/about/auxiliaries.html Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles Website]
{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20041113183325/http://www.nccbuscc.org/comm/archives/1997/97-244.shtml United States Conference of Catholic Bishops News Release]}}