America’s first Filipino
bishop is ordained
LOS ANGELES >> The nation's first Filipino-American Roman Catholic bishop was ordained yesterday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels.
Oscar Solis, 50, becomes one of five auxiliary bishops in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Named to the post by Pope John Paul II in December, he will head a council focusing on minority issues.
Cardinal Roger Mahony said in his homily he was excited to have Solis help lead the church during a "challenging time" in which "a lot of people in our society and our culture don't want to hear the Gospel."
"We're looking forward to having him help unite, harmonize and energize" the church, Mahony said.
The archdiocese, the largest in the nation, says it has 5 million Catholics and is among the most diverse, including at least 400,000 people of Filipino origin. Sunday Masses are said in 42 languages.
The cathedral was filled for the ordination. Fellow bishops from the Philippines and Louisiana were present, along with Alberto del Rosario, the Philippines' ambassador to the United States, and the governor of the province of Nueva Ecija, where Solis was born in the city of San Jose.
Solis was ordained in 1979. He worked in various pastoral and educational ministries before moving to the United States in 1984.
In remarks prepared for his first address as bishop, Solis said he "humbly" accepted the challenges of serving an increasingly diverse Catholic Church.
"I consider my appointment more than just an opportunity to become a part of the local church of Los Angeles, but more as a distinct privilege to serve our archdiocese, which is alive and vibrant with multiethnic communities," he wrote.
