Our Lady of Lourdes Church and School

Who is this new guy you have seen around OLL’s campus? It’s none other than Bishop Gerald Eugene Wilkerson.  Bishop Jerry is the Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the San Fernando Pastoral Region.  Ordained a Priest in 1965, he has been serving the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for over fifty years.  On July 21, 2015, Pope Francis accepted the retirement of Bishop Wilkerson. Thinking he was going to live the easy life in retirement, Bishop Jerry said “yes” to Fr. David’s request to fill in for him, while on sabbatical, as our pro-tem leader.on grew up in Long Beach, California. He attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California and was ordained a priest on January 5, 1965 by Cardinal James Francis McIntyre. He served in the archdiocese as associate pastor at Our Lady of Guadalupe, La Habra; St. Michael, Los Angeles and American Martyrs, Manhattan Beach, and for 15 years at Our Lady of Grace Church, Encino as administrator and then pastor.

On November 5, 1997, he was appointed by Pope John Paul II as the Titular Bishop of Vincennes and auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles. He was consecrated a bishop on January 21, 1998. Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, was his principal consecrator, while Bishop Michael P. Driscoll, Bishop of Boise and Bishop Joseph M. Sartoris, were his principal
co-consecrators. Wilkerson led the Archdiocese's San Fernando Pastoral Region with 54 parishes, 12 high schools, two hospitals, and five missions.

We are the lucky ones! Please, take the time to introduce yourself and welcome “Bishop” Jerry to OLL.