Bishop Oscar Cantú

Bishop Cantu has served on several committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), such as the Committee on Catholic Education, the Doctrine Committee, the Sub-Committee on Hispanic Affairs, and the Committee on International Justice and Peace. He chaired the Committee on International Justice and Peace from 2015 to 2017. In that role he visited churches in some of the most troubled areas of the Middle East, Africa, Latin America, and Asia to represent the U.S. bishops in showing solidarity with the local churches like those of South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo that are under great duress. He twice visited Iraq and Cuba. In the Middle East, he visited churches in Gaza, Jerusalem, Israel, and the West Bank, advocating on behalf of the two-state solution, the long-held position of the church. He spoke on behalf of the USCCB at the United Nations and in London in defense of the church’s teaching on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. He called for religious liberty in the Middle East, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India. He visited Japan in 2015 for the ceremonies marking the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. He was one of two delegates chosen by the bishops’ conference to represent the USCCB at Pope Francis’ visit to Mexico in February 2016.

Bishop Emeritus Patrick J. McGrath

Upon the retirement of Bishop Pierre DuMaine on November 27, 1999, Bishop Patrick Joseph McGrath became the second bishop of San Jose. Bishop McGrath was born June 11, 1945 in Dublin, Ireland where he attended Catholic schools of the Sisters of the Holy Faith and Marist Fathers. He entered St. John Seminary, Waterford, Ireland in 1964 and was ordained to the priesthood in Waterford June 7, 1970 for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. In 1977 he earned his doctorate in canon law at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome. In 1979, Bishop McGrath became Officialis of the Archdiocese of San Francisco and was appointed Rector and Pastor of Saint Mary Cathedral in 1986. Ordained Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco on January 25, 1989, he then served the Archdiocese as Vicar for Clergy, Moderator of the Curia and Vicar for Parishes. On June 30, 1998 he was named by Pope John Paul II to be Coadjutor to the Bishop of the Diocese of San Jose and was formally received into the diocese at a Mass of Welcome on September 17, 1998.

Founding Bishop Pierre DuMaine

Bishop Pierre DuMaine served as bishop for the first 18 years of the Diocese of San Jose. He was born in Paducah, Kentucky on August 2, 1931. Educated in Catholic schools in Paducah and California, he attended St. Joseph College, Mountain View, and St. Patrick Seminary in Menlo Park. Bishop DuMaine was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of San Francisco on June 15, 1957. He earned his doctorate in education at the Catholic University of America in 1961 where he served as Assistant Professor until 1963. From 1963 through 1965 Bishop DuMaine taught at Serra High School. He then served as Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent of Schools for the Archdiocese of San Francisco from 1965-78. Bishop DuMaine was named Prelate of Honor on July 18, 1972. He was ordained bishop in San Francisco on June 29, 1978. He was founding Director of Catholic Television Network in Menlo Park from 1978-1981. On January 27, 1981, Bishop DuMaine was named by Pope John Paul to be the first bishop of the new Diocese of San Jose where he was installed officially on March 18, 1981. His request to retire was accepted by the Holy Father on November 27, 1999. Since retirement Bishop DuMaine has remained active in national Bishops’ Committees for Science and Human Values and for Women in Society and the Church. He has participated in dialogues and conferences on Science and Religion, and has taught in Religious Studies Departments of Stanford and Santa Clara Universities. Santa Clara has appointed him Presidential Professor of Catholic Theology. Bishop DuMaine passed away on June 13, 2019.