Santa Barbara Pastoral Region
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The Santa Barbara Pastoral Region is a division of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in the Roman Catholic Church. It covers Santa Barbara and Ventura counties in the State of California, an area with a population in excess of 1.2 million.[1] [2]
As of 2024, the pastoral region has 37 parishes, seven high schools, 18 elementary schools and four Spanish missions, including Mission Santa Barbara and Mission San Buenaventura. It was created in 1986 as part of a plan by Los Angeles Archbishop Roger Mahony to make church leaders more accessible by dividing the archdiocese into five pastoral regions.[3][2]
The Santa Barbara Pastoral region has been governed by four auxiliary bishops since its foundation:[1]
- Auxiliary Bishop Patrick Ziemann (1986 to 1992)[4][5]
- Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Curry, (1994 to 2013).[6] He resigned in 2013 amid allegations that he concealed sexual crimes committed by other priests.[7]
- Auxiliary Bishop Robert E. Barron (2015 to 2022)[8][2]
- Auxiliary Slawomir Szkredka (September 2023 to present) [9]