Pope Francis appointed a US-based Filipino priest as an auxiliary bishop in the Diocese of Sacramento, California on Saturday.
In an official release from the Holy See, Reverend Reynaldo Bersabal, the parish priest of Saint Francis of Assisi in Sacramento, will be consecrated as a bishop.
“The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Reynaldo Bersabal, of the clergy of the diocese of Sacramento, United States of America, until now parish priest of Saint Francis of Assisi in Sacramento, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese, assigning him the titular see of Balecio,” the Holy See stated.
Bersabal, 59, was born in Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental, Philippines.
He was ordained as a priest on April 29, 1991, for the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, and later became part of the Diocese of Sacramento, United States of America, in 2004.
In the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro, he served in various capacities: as parish vicar of Our Lady of Snows (1991), parish administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe (1992), parish priest of Saint Francis Xavier (1995), and chancellor (1998).
Upon moving to the Diocese of Sacramento, he held positions such as parish vicar at Saint James in Davis (1999-2001) and Saint Anthony in Sacramento (2002-2003), and as parish priest at Saint Paul in Sacramento (2003-2008), Saint John the Baptist in Folsom (2008-2016), Saint James in Davis (2016-2022), and Saint Francis of Assisi in Sacramento (since 2022). Additionally, he served as vicar forane and as a member of the Presbyteral Council.
