Michael C. Barber

The Most Reverend Michael Charles Barber SJ
Bishop of Oakland
Barber in 2020
Church	Catholic Church
Diocese	Oakland
Appointed	May 3, 2013
Installed	May 25, 2013
Predecessor	Salvatore Cordileone
Orders
Ordination	June 8, 1985
Consecration	May 25, 2013 by Salvatore J. Cordileone, Carlos Arthur Sevilla, Thomas Anthony Daly
Personal details
Born	(1954-07-13) July 13, 1954 Salt Lake City, Utah
Nationality	American
Denomination	Catholic
Parents	Adlai and Dolores Barber
Motto	"DEUS MISERICORDIARUM PATER" (God the Father of Mercies)

Styles of Michael Charles Barber
Reference style	His Excellency The Most Reverend
Spoken style	Your Excellency
Religious style	Bishop

Michael Charles Barber, SJ (born July 13, 1954) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Oakland in California since 2013.

Biography

Early life and education

After attending Saint Pius X Preparatory School in Galt, California, Barber entered the Jesuit novitiate in 1973. He then attended Loyola Marymount University. Barber received a bachelor degree in philosophy and history at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington in 1978. From 1982 to 1985, Barber studied sacred theology at Regis College at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario. In 1989, he obtained a Licentiate in Systematic Theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

Ordination and ministry

Barber was ordained a priest for the Society of Jesus on June 8, 1985. He made his final vows in 2005. After his ordination, Barber he held the following positions:

• Missionary in Apia, Western Samoa (1985-1987)
• Assistant professor at the Gregorian University (1990-1991)
• Tutor and chaplain at the University of Oxford in England and bursar of the Jesuit community at Campion Hall at Oxford (1992-1998)
• Director of the School of Pastoral Leadership for the archdiocese with residence at Saint Agnes Parish, and then, at the Saint Ignatius College in San Francisco (1998-2001)
• Professor and spiritual director at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park (2002-2010)

In 1991, Barber became a chaplain in the U.S. Naval Reserve, achieving the rank of captain. He received Meritorious Service Medal from the Navy and was invested as a knight of the holy sepulchre and a magistral chaplain of the Order of Malta. In 2010, Barber became the director of spiritual formation at Saint John's Seminary in the Archdiocese of Boston.

Bishop of Oakland

On May 3, 2013, Pope Francis appointed Barber as bishop of the Diocese of Oakland. He was consecrated on May 25, 2013. Barber was the first American bishop appointed by Pope Francis. Besides English, he speaks Italian, French, Samoan, liturgical Spanish and Latin.

In March, 2014, Barber transferred two pastors, one of whom was openly gay, from Newman Hall Holy Spirit Parish in Berkeley, California. Barber refused to provide any explanation to the pastors or to unhappy parishioners for the transfers. In 2019, Barber positioned himself against the proposed California State Senate Bill 360, which would require priests to break the seal of confession and report sexual abuse of minors. He was quoted "I will go to jail before I will obey this attack on our religious freedom."

See also

• Catholic Church hierarchy
• Catholic Church in the United States
• Historical list of the Catholic bishops of the United States
• List of Catholic bishops of the United States
• Lists of patriarchs, archbishops, and bishops

External links

• Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland official website
• Bishop Barber, Diocese of Oakland
• Pope Names Jesuit as Bishop of Oakland
• Pope names Jesuit to lead Oakland diocese
• "Space" Oddity – Cali Jesuit in Boston Launched to Oakland
• NOMINA DEL VESCOVO DI OAKLAND (U.S.A.)