16 Facts About Stephen Blaire

Stephen Edward Blaire was an American Catholic prelate who served as Bishop of Stockton from 1999 to 2018.

Stephen Edward Blaire was born in Los Angeles, California, as the twelfth of fourteen children.

Stephen Blaire attended local Catholic schools in the San Fernando Valley, and graduated from Our Lady Queen of Angels Seminary in 1959.

Stephen Blaire was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angelese by Cardinal James McIntyre on April 29,1967, and then served as associate pastor of St Luke's Parish in Temple City, California, until 1972.

From 1972 to 1986, Blaire worked in Catholic secondary education, initially as a teacher and administrator at Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, California and later as vice principal at Bishop Amat High School in La Puente, California.

Stephen Blaire was principal at Bishop Alemany from 1977 to 1986.

Stephen Blaire then became curial moderator and chancellor of the archdiocese.

On February 17,1990, Stephen Blaire was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and titular bishop of Lamzella by Pope John Paul II.

Stephen Blaire received his episcopal consecration on May 31,1990, from Archbishop Roger Mahony, with Bishops John Ward and George Ziemann serving as co-consecrators.

Stephen Blaire was made vicar general of Los Angeles in 1990 and assigned to Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region in 1995.

Stephen Blaire was named the fifth bishop of the Diocese Stockton on January 18,1999, and was installed on March 16,1999, in the Cathedral of the Annunciation.

Stephen Blaire served on the Ad Hoc Committee on Ecumenical affairs.

In 2001, Stephen Blaire learned of allegations that Oscar Pelaez, a priest of the diocese, had molested a 14-year-old boy at Sacred Heart Church in Turlock, California, in 1997.

Stephen Blaire indicated thatbecause the person alleging the abuse was now an adult and declined to report it, responsibility for reporting it did not rest with the diocese.

In November 2007, Stephen Blaire was defeated in his bid to win the chair of the USCCB Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People.

Stephen Blaire died on June 18,2019, in Modesto, California.