In 1936, four counties in Southern California, namely, Imperial, Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties were separated from what was then the Diocese of Los Angeles and were established as the new Diocese of San Diego. San Diego de Alcala de Henares is the patron saint for the diocese.
The new jurisdiction covered a large geographical area with a rich topography of coastline, mountains, dairies, farmland, and deserts. It included 61 parish churches, a sparse population of 96,550 Catholics (about one fifth of the population), 63 diocesan priests, and two of the original historic missions of Alta California. Almost 170 years separated the founding of its oldest church, the Mission San Diego De Alcala by Blessed Junipero Serra, and the appointment of the Most Reverend Charles F. Buddy as the first bishop of San Diego on October 31, 1936. In the ensuing years, and almost thirty years as the Bishop of San Diego, Bishop Buddy would log many hours on old Route 66 and other highways such as 395 and 80 to confirm young Catholics from La Jolla to Barstow, from Coronado to Fort Yuma, and to dedicate new churches and parish schools as the diocese experienced rapid growth and development.
Formerly a priest of St. Joseph, Missouri, Bishop Buddy stood tall in stature, possessed charm and had a single-minded purpose: to build the new dioceses "at the rim of Christendom" into a flourishing community of faith. To accomplish this, he endeavored to increase the number of clergy and religious in the service of the faithful and promoted a vigorous lay leadership. He founded St. Francis and Immaculate Heart Seminaries, and envisioned the University of San Diego to be the crown jewel of the diocesan school system. To fund the university and other diocesan projects, he started committees of businessmen and enlisted the help of lay men and women at the parish level.
Bishop Buddy's ambitious plan for the development of Alcala Park in the 1950's included the San Diego College for Women, under the direction of the Religious of the Sacred Heart, as well as the University of San Diego for men, The School of Law, Immaculate Heart Seminary, the Immaculate Church and a new chancery, under the direction of the diocese. This complex represented an architectural achievement reminiscent of the 1915 Panama Exposition at Balboa Park and included work by important architects in local history.
In 1956, San Diego received its first auxiliary bishop with the appointment of Bishop Richard H. Ackerman, C.S.Sp., formerly of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (in 1960, named Bishop of Covington in Kentucky).
In the summer of 1963, Bishop Francis J. Furey from Philadelphia was appointed as Coadjutor and Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of San Diego. Bishop Buddy carried on many pastoral duties until his death in 1966, when Bishop Furey succeeded him as the second Bishop of San Diego. Bishop Furey led the diocese through the initial liturgical reforms and ecclesial renewal expected by the Second Vatican Council. He also began the process of consolidating the University of San Diego and the San Diego College for Women.
In 1967, Father John R. Quinn, a native of Riverside, California, became the second auxiliary bishop of San Diego (in 1971, named Bishop of Oklahoma City and Tulsa, later Archbishop of Oklahoma City and then Archbishop of San Francisco).
In 1969, Bishop Furey became the Archbishop of San Antonio in Texas and was succeeded by Bishop Leo T. Maher, previously Bishop of Santa Rosa. As the third bishop of San Diego, Bishop Maher undertook the duties of chief shepherd at a tumultuous time for the church and society at large, when the Viet Nam War raged and protesters often filled the streets; all concurrent with the implementation of the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Bishop Maher held to orthodox teaching yet encouraged ecumenism and other movements associated with renewal, including the restoration of the permanent diaconate. He took a firm stand on moral issues, affirming the work of pro-life advocates in the light of the Supreme Court's tragic decision to legalize abortion (Roe vs. Wade).
Under the leadership of Bishop Maher, the University of San Diego successfully worked out its present status as a Catholic independent coeducational institution. In addition, Bishop Maher initiated the Diocesan Stewardship Program by which parishioners pledged annual financial support of programs such as seminary education, Catholic Charities and St.Vincent de Paul's outreach to the poor and homeless. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Bishop Maher welcomed numerous refugees and several priests from Vietnam, encouraging parishes to sponsor and assist the newly arrived Vietnamese Catholics.
In April of 1974, Msgr. Gilbert E. Chaves became the third auxiliary bishop of San Diego in recognition of the increasing presence of Hispanic Catholics within the diocese. Since then Bishop Chaves has been a strong voice for social action, and administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to numerous young Catholics. He is most remembered and loved for his work with Confederacion Guadalupana.
In 1978, the Holy See created from the Diocese of San Diego the new Diocese of San Bernardino, including San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, and appointed Father Phillip F. Straling, a priest of the Diocese of San Diego, as its first bishop.
In April 1989, Bishop Robert H. Brom, previously Bishop of Duluth, was appointed Coadjutor Bishop, and he became the fourth bishop of San Diego in July 1990. Bishop Maher died in February 1991.
Bishop Brom is recognized as an articulate teacher and skillful administer who has directed the diocese through difficult and complex challenges. He has overseen the development of polices and procedures for the effective administration of the diocese and its parishes, but perhaps is more appreciated for his regular pastoral visits to parishes on weekends. In 1994, he established a new diocesan pastoral center now visited by almost 22,000 annually, especially to participate in various programs and events.
In 2002, a former secretary of Bishop Brom and native San Diegan, Msgr. Salvatore Cordileone, J.C.D., was named the fourth auxiliary bishop of San Diego (in 2009, Bishop of Oakland): at his ordination to the office of bishop, Bishop Brom served as principal consecrator.
During 2011, Bishop Brom leads the Diocese of San Diego in the celebration of its 75th Anniversary in an area that is estimated to number over one million Catholics, with its ninety-nine parishes, numerous school and institutions dedicated to the cause of Christ and the mission of the Church.
