Remembering Bishop Richard Garcia

Bishop Garcia was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI as the fourth bishop of the Diocese of Monterey in California on December 19, 2006. At the time, he was serving as auxiliary bishop of Sacramento. His installation in Monterey was on January 30, 2007 — and he served as the beloved shepherd of the diocese for more than a decade until he passed away on July 11, 2018.

Just three years after he became the leader of the diocese of Monterey, Bishop Garcia, with his compassion for the poor, accepted an invitation to join the Cross Catholic Outreach Board of Directors. He commented, “Your outreach to the poor is a powerful gift and testimony lived out through the Gospel mandate we read in

St. Matthew Chapter 25.” Bishop Garcia was a strong advocate for the poor and a collaborator with

Cross Catholic Outreach. We miss him very much and appreciate his service to the poor through Cross.