John Charles Wester
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John Wester |
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John Charles Wester, (born 5 November 1950) is an American Roman Catholic Bishop. On 8 January 2007 it was announced that Pope Benedict XVI appointed Wester as the ninth bishop to serve the Diocese of Salt Lake City.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early life and clerical formation
John Charles Wester was born in San Francisco, California on November 5, 1950, and was the fourth generation of his family born there. Wester attended Our Lady of Mercy Parish School in Daly City, CA.
Wester received an Artium Baccalaureatus (A.B.) degree from St. Patrick College, Mountain View, California, in 1972, and then attended St. Patrick Seminary, Menlo Park, where he earned a Master of Divinity degree in 1976. Wester went on to earn a Master of Applied Science (M.A.S.) from the University of San Francisco in 1984, and then a Master of Arts (MA) in spiritual theology at the Holy Names College in Oakland, California in 1993.
[edit] Priestly Ministry
Wester was first ordained as a priest for the Archdiocese of San Francisco on May 15, 1976 at the Cathedral of Saint Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco. Three years later, in 1976, he was appointed Associate Pastor at Saint Raphael Parish in San Rafael. In 1979, he became a teacher and Director of Campus Ministry at Marin Catholic High School. Wester later went on the become President of the high school, and eventually was named Assistant Superintendent for High Schools. In 1988, he was assigned as Assistant to the Archbishop.
Wester's first appointment as Pastor was for the Saint Stephen Parish in San Francisco, in 1993.
[edit] Episcopal Ministry
Wester was called back to the Pastoral Center in 1997 to become the Archdiocesan Vicar for Clergy, where he was bestowed with the title of Monsignor. The following year, Pope John Paul II appointed him Titular Bishop of Lamiggiga and Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He was consecrated as Bishop of Salt Lake City by William Cardinal Levada on 14 March 2007, with Roger Cardinal Mahony, Theodore Cardinal McCarrick and Papal Nuncio Archbishop Pietro Sambi also attending.
[edit] Memberships and Special Responsibilities
After becoming Auxiliary Bishop, Wester held the title of Moderator of the Curia until 2003. While he was Episcopal Vicar for Clergy, Wester also served as Vicar General.
Since his ordination, Wester has been involved with the USCCB, as a member of the Bishops Committee on Vocations, Chairman of Northern California Ch'an/Zen-Catholic Dialogue, Consultant for the Subcommittee on Interreligious Dialogue, member of the Migration Committee, the Pastoral Practices Committee, World Mission Committee, the Subcommittee on Lay Ministry, and as the USCCB bishop-liaison to Asia.
| Preceded by George Hugh Niederauer |
Bishop of Salt Lake City 8 January 2007– |
Succeeded by incumbent |
