Msgrs. Blaire and Ryan Made Auxiliary Bishops

Msgrs. Stephen E. Blaire and Sylvester D. Ryan were ordained as bishops Thursday, raising the total number of auxiliary bishops in the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese to seven. In this country, only the New York archdiocese has as many active auxiliary bishops.

Archbishop Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles was the principal celebrant of the Mass during ceremonies at St. Vibiana’s Cathedral that attracted 26 bishops and about 350 priests.

In his homily, Mahony said the present is “a wonderful, golden moment” in the life of the 3.4-million-member archdiocese, the nation’s most populous. “We are on the threshold of incredible growth of the Catholic community--not just in numbers, but more importantly, in faith, fervor and commitment,” he said.

Blaire, 48, will continue in his role as curia moderator, essentially Mahony’s chief executive officer, and Ryan, 59, previously president-rector of St. John’s Seminary College in Camarillo, will direct the Secretariat for Church Ministerial Services.

The five other auxiliary bishops under Mahony head geographical regions of the archdiocese. They are Bishops John J. Ward, who was ordained in 1963; Juan A. Arzube, in 1971; Carl A. Fisher, in 1986; Armando X. Ochoa, 1986, and G. Patrick Ziemann, 1986.

Former Los Angeles auxiliary bishops, who were later appointed by the Vatican to head other dioceses, were present for the rites Thursday. They were Archbishop William J. Levada of Portland, Ore.; Bishop Manuel Moreno of Tucson, Ariz.; Bishop Thaddeus Shubsda of Monterey, and Bishop Donald Montrose of Stockton.