Bishop Jaime Soto took to the road in early December less than two months after being named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento and two weeks after his official Mass of welcome in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament.

During his trip through northern counties he learned firsthand how church leaders and parishioners in the diocese’s vast rural areas teach youth, heal the sick, house the homeless, help with immigration issues, and care for the poor and alienated.

Catholics from parishes across the region came together at eucharistic celebrations in Redding, Chico and Yuba City to welcome their new coadjutor bishop with communal prayer and song.

“This is the farthest north I’ve been in California,” Bishop Soto told a gathering in Redding.

If his schedule permits, he said that he would like to return and spend part of the summer in residence at various parishes. He hopes to venture into the farthest reaches of the 20 counties of diocese, which extends north to the Oregon border and east to Nevada.

The bishop viewed several churches and Catholic schools on his whirlwind tour Dec. 6-8, and conferred with north state priests during a meeting at Sacred Heart Parish in Red Bluff. Among his numerous stops were visits to Northern Valley Catholic Social Service in Redding, Mercy Medical Center in Redding and Bishop Quinn High School in Palo Cedro.

“We were delighted to welcome Bishop Soto to the north state, especially so soon after he arrived in our diocese,” said Mercy Sister Brenda O’Keeffe, vice president of mission integration and spiritual care services at Mercy Medical Center, where the bishop shared lunch and a presentation by the hospital’s board members.

“We are grateful that he came to see and hear what we’re doing to carry out the healing mission of Jesus within our hospital and the surrounding communities which we serve,” Sister O’Keeffe said.

Bishop Soto said that he was buoyed to come into a diocese where Catholic institutions are vital and strong and enjoy the larger community’s admiration and support.

“That’s a wonderful legacy that the previous generation of Catholics has cultivated for the current generation and for future ones,” he said.

After his tour of the Redding headquarters of Northern Valley Catholic Social Service, Bishop Soto met with members of its board and staff. With his master’s degree in social work from Columbia University and his many years of working with Catholic Charities after his 1982 ordination in the Diocese of Orange, the bishop said he was eager to acquaint himself with NVCSS.

“It’s fascinating all the good things you do out of this building,” he said, noting that the clients they serve are much the same as those helped by social service agencies in the secular world. “What makes us who we are is how we serve them and why we serve them.”

On the previous evening Bishop Soto attended a major community-wide fund-raiser for NVCSS.

“I’m very impressed with the board and the staff, and the network of people who care about the work you do,” he said. “I hope I can be a good partner to you.”

At Bishop Quinn High School, students rocked their gym with a mini-concert and a jazzy version of the swing tune “In the Mood.”

Bishop Soto complimented them on that rendition and the way they cheered each other’s efforts.

“He’s pretty cool,” 16-year-old sophomore Grace Bird said.

“It was great that he got to see us doing our concert,” said fellow sophomore Alette Romac, 15.

He later listened to students who presented details of their senior projects, and then engaged the religion class in a lively discussion.

“He’s very easy to talk with and seems genuinely interested in getting to know the people of the diocese,” said principal Carol Germano.  “He asks good questions and definitely gets along well with teenagers.”

Father Michael Kiernan, chairman of the Council of Priests, vicar for social ministry and diocesan director of ecumenical and interreligious affairs, accompanied Bishop Soto on his journey. As the former longtime pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Anderson, Father Kiernan knows the north state well. He said that he was happy to introduce Bishop Soto to its many parishes and the area’s landmarks.

“The bishop made a great impression and was warmly received everywhere he went,” Father Kiernan said.  “He has a real ability to communicate both individually and at the communal events of faith, especially at the Masses he celebrated at St. Joseph in Redding, St. John the Baptist in Chico and at St. Isidore in Yuba City.”

The bishop also prayed with parishioners at St. Joseph Parish in Marysville on the final day of his trip and blessed a new statue of Mary in front of the parish rectory.

People’s affectionate response to Bishop Soto was evident at several gatherings. At the reception following the evening Mass in Redding, he was surrounded by well-wishers of all ages. Teenagers eagerly sought a moment with him. The elderly welcomed him with gracious greetings. Hispanic families engaged him in animated conversations in Spanish.

“I think he’s a really neat guy. He seems very personable,” said Felicia Harney, a member of the youth group at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Redding, who chatted with the bishop after Mass.

Nowhere did Bishop Soto connect more intuitively with people than at the Sierra Center of Northern Valley Catholic Social Service. The day-use facility offers groups, classes and activities for individuals with persistent or severe mental illness.

On the day the bishop visited the Redding facility, Sierra Center clients requested that he give them a blessing before he left.

As the group gathered round him, sitting in chairs or standing in a semi-circle, Bishop Soto asked what they would like to pray for. After a pause, a man replied, “For families.”

Then a woman said, “I want to pray for my cat that I had to leave in Orange County.” Another voice asked for prayers for children on drugs. A mother said, “For my daughter who was stabbed.”

The bishop patiently gathered all the petitions until the last one was spoken.  Then he imparted a blessing on the group, asking the Lord to be “a light in our hearts.”

After he left, one of the clients who was profoundly moved wanted to talk about the experience. Brian, a big hulk of a young man, said in a deep slow voice, “I thought it was a sort of cleansing.”

And of the bishop who showed a genuine sense of his common humanity, Brian carefully picked through words. “He’s a real fine gentleman, I think.”

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