Jaime Soto

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Styles of Jaime Soto


Reference style	The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Monsignor
Posthumous style	not applicable

Jaime Soto (born December 31, 1955) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, who currently serves as Coadjutor Bishop of Sacramento.

[edit] Biography

Jaime Soto was born at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Inglewood, California, at the eldest of seven children in a Mexican American family^[1]; his father, Oscar, was a telephone company engineer. In 1956, his family moved to Stanton, where he attended St. Polycarp School as a child. He also played Mass in his backyard with his siblings, knowing he wanted to be a priest as early as second grade^[2]. Soto graduated from Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana in 1974, whence he entered St. John's Seminary College in Camarillo. He there obtained his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy in 1978, and his Master's in Divinity in 1982.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 12, 1982, and then served as associate pastor of St. Joseph Church in Santa Ana until July 1984. Soto furthered his studies at Columbia University School of Social Work in New York City, graduating in May 1986 with a Master's in Social Work. He was named Associate Director of Catholic Charities of Orange during the following July, and Director of the Immigration and Citizenship Services within Catholic Charities in December. Soto was involved with the implementation of the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 as well.

He became Episcopal Vicar for the Hispanic Community in Orange on March 3, 1989, and was raised to the rank of Honorary Prelate of His Holiness in 1990. In addition to his work with the Hispanic community, he was made diocesan Vicar for Charities on March 1, 1999.

On March 23, 2000, Soto was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Orange and Titular Bishop of Segia by Pope John Paul II. He received his episcopal consecration on the following May 31 from Bishop Tod Brown, with Bishops Michael Driscoll and Norman McFarland serving as co-consecrators. Soto attended World Youth Day 2005 in Cologne, Germany, during which he and nine other American bishops led catechetical sessions^[3].

Soto was later named Coadjutor Bishop of Sacramento on October 11, 2007, being installed on November 19 of that same year in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament. As Coadjutor, he is the designated successor of the current ordinary of Sacramento, William Weigand.

One of the few Hispanic bishops in the United States, Soto believes that the American Church is in a "dire need" for a greater amount Spanish-speaking clergymen^[4]. He once said, "I encourage them to be greater protagonists. I want them to have a sense of ownership of their Church." His self-proclaimed greatest achievements have been counseling Hispanics diagnosed with AIDS, leading monthly services for inmates at the Orange County Jail, and promoting such Hispanic rituals and events as the Procession of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Day of the Dead^[5].

Within the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, he chairs the Committee on the Church in Latin America, as well as sitting on the Administrative Committee, Committee on the Laity and its Subcommittee for Youth and Young Adults, and the Ad Hoc Committee for the Spanish Language Bible. He is also treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.