The Press Office of the Holy See announced that Bishop-elect Timothy Freyer, current Vicar for Priests in the Diocese of Orange, has been appointed by Pope Francis as Auxiliary Bishop for the Diocese of Orange, assisting Bishop Kevin Vann. The date of his episcopal ordination will be Jan. 17, 2017.
He will continue to focus on evangelization, including creating experiences, ministries and structures that will bring people closer to Christ.
Bishop-elect Freyer grew up in Huntington Beach and graduated from Huntington Beach High School. He attended St. John’s Seminary and was ordained a priest on June 10, 1989.
After serving in several parishes, he was named Episcopal Vicar for Priests in 2012, with responsibility for the care and ongoing formation of the priests of the Diocese of Orange
Bishop-elect Freyer is fluent in Spanish, and he was named the first bishop’s liaison to the Jovenes para Cristo (Young Adults for Christ) movement from 1998-2004. He is currently a chaplain for the Anaheim Police Department.
Orange County comprises 782 square miles in the state of California. It has a total population of 3,145,515 people of which 1,346,540, or 43 percent, are Catholic. The diocese, which started with about 330,000 Catholics, has grown to include 62 parishes or churches, 41 schools, three hospitals and care centers and a number of agencies serving the poor. The Diocese of Orange is the 12th-largest Catholic community in the world.
Bishop-elect Freyer has been a member of the Knights of Columbus for over 19 years, and the Knights offer him our congratulations, prayers and complete support.