A medallion struck of Jesus, who is washing the feet of his apostles, is selected by Bishop to present to each honoree, because it best represents his Episcopal Motto: Amar Es Entregarse, “Love is the Total Giving of One’s Self.” In using this symbol Bishop emphasizes the roots of his ministry to the people of God, taken from the Gospel of John, “As I have done, so you must do.”
As we continue to celebrate the Year for Consecrated Life in our Church, Bishop Barnes chose honorees that represent religious communities including:
Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters
One of the early religious communities to impact the Inland Empire was the Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters (OLVM) who came to Redlands in 1932. Their primary ministry was the religious education of youth. The Sisters quickly reached out to local parishes to offer assistance. They began working in Redlands, Colton, San Bernardino and Fontana. The second year, the OLVM Sisters were teaching in Yucaipa, Crafton, Bryn Mawr (Loma Linda), Etiwanda and Devore. In their third year, they expanded to Ontario, Upland, Cucamonga and Chino. By 1938, the Sisters had reached out to San Jacinto, Hemet, Perris, Lake Elsinore and Coachella.
Besides the actual teaching of the children, the sisters had a strong commitment to developing lay catechists. The OLVM sisters also conducted home visits, sponsored Boys and Girls Clubs, and distributed food to needy families. At their peak, there were 16 sisters serving 34 different locations in today’s diocesan area. The Redlands house was also used for summer retreats by members of the community across California.
After World War II, many of the regional instruction centers started by the sisters became parishes. As these new parishes grew, they were able to provide their own religious education programs.
Many catechetical leaders who are in ministry today owe their early ministry formation to the sisters of the Our Lady of Victory Missionary community. Their legacy continues to serve the Catholic communities of San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
Sisters of Mercy
To staff two new schools, Bishop Charles Buddy invited the Sisters of Mercy from the Sligo Convent in the Diocese of Elphin, Ireland. Eight Mercy Sisters arrived in San Diego in June of 1956. Four sisters went to Holy Spirit School in San Diego and four sisters went to Blessed Sacrament School in 29 Palms. During the 1950’s, 40 Mercy Sisters would leave Sligo to serve in California.
One of the values of the Sisters of Mercy is their dedication to service. This value is most evident in their long term commitment to Catholic education. The Sisters of Mercy served 30 years at St. Anthony School, 45 years at Our Lady of Assumption School, and 45 years at St. James School. They staffed Blessed Sacrament School from its opening in 1956 until the school closed in 1969.
While focused on Catholic education the Mercy Sisters’ responded to other new ministry opportunities in the relatively new Diocese of San Bernardino. Mercy Sisters have held the positions of - Director of Religious Education, Pastoral Associate, Pastoral Coordinator, Vicar for Religious, Missions Office, Victim Assistance Ministry, Director of Community Services and Chancellor.
The Sisters of Mercy have always maintained a large presence in the Diocese of San Bernardino. In 2003, when the Diocese celebrated its 25th Anniversary, the Sisters of Mercy were the largest community of women religious.
Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio del Riego
Most Reverend Rutilio Juan del Riego Jánez was born on September 21, 1940 in Valdesandinas (León) Spain. He joined the Fraternity of Diocesan Laborer Priests in 1961. He studied Theology at the Pontifical University of Salamanca, in Salamanca, Spain and at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. On June 5, 1965, he was ordained to the priesthood by Most Rev. William Joseph McDonald at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC. Bishop del Riego was granted a License in Sacred Theology and a M.A. by the Catholic University of America.
As a priest he held many positions of pastoral leadership and formation all over the United States, including Washington DC, Texas, New York and Pennsylvania. He came to the Diocese of San Bernardino in 1999 and served as Parochial Vicar and then Pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Riverside where he worked with a multiethnic and multicultural community that included Hispanics, Vietnamese, and Tongan Catholics. He also served as Vicar Forane for the Riverside Vicariate and as a member of the Presbyteral Council.
On July 26, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI appointed Bishop del Riego as Third Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino and Titular Bishop of Daimlaig. He was ordained to the episcopacy by Bishop Barnes on September 20, 2005. His episcopal motto is “Omnibus Servire in Caritate” which translates “To Serve All with Love.” This further emphasizes Bishop del Riego’s aspiration that “no one will feel a stranger in the Church of San Bernardino.”
All proceeds of the 16th Annual Bishop’s Dinner will be directed to Bishop del Riego’s Seminarian Scholarship Endowment. If you would like to make a donation, extend a message to one of our honorees through the purchase of an ad or donate an item for the silent auction, please direct your calls to Mission Advancement at 909-475-5444 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We acknowledge and express appreciation to those who have responded to Bishop Barnes’ invitation to attend the 16th Annual Bishop‘s Dinner. Reservations are currently being taken for the 17th Annual Bishop’s Dinner in 2016.