The Diocese of Stockton announced that Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Myron Cotta to succeed Bishop Stephen Blaire as Bishop of Stockton. Blaire submitted his resignation when he reached the mandatory retirement age of 75.

Bishop Cotta was born of Portuguese heritage in the Merced County community of Dos Palos on March 21, 1953. As a native son of the Central Valley he knows the area very well and in turn is well known for his pastoral leadership. He served as Vicar General in the Diocese of Fresno where he was a priest and most recently served as Auxiliary Bishop in the Diocese of Sacramento.

Bishop Cotta will be installed as the sixth bishop of the Diocese on Thursday, March 15, 2018. Until that date, Bishop Blaire will serve as the Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese.

The Diocese of Stockton embraces more than 10,000 square miles covering the Counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, Tuolumne, Mono, and Alpine, with a diverse Catholic population of over 300,000 people of many races and cultures.