Outstanding Announcement Concerning Fr.Robert Barron

For Bishop-Elect Robert Barron, to be with Archbishop Jose Gomez and those with him could not be a better context for mutual interaction spiritually and intellectually. This is an exciting event for the Catholic Church globally and in this country Pope Francis Appoints Fr. Robert Barron Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles

ROME - This morning, Pope Francis formally announced Father Robert Barron's appointment as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.   Bishop-Elect Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, host of the award-winning CATHOLICISM film series, and since 2012 has served as the Rector/President of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary outside of Chicago, IL. His website, WordOnFire.org, reaches millions of people each year. His regular YouTube videos have been viewed over 13 million times. Next to Pope Francis, he is the most-followed Catholic leader on social media. Bishop-Elect Barron's statement is below: It was with enormous surprise that I received word of my appointment as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles, but it is with a humble and joyful heart that I accept it. The Church of Los Angeles - the most populous in the United States-is energetic, diverse, and creative. Over the years, I've visited many times, including multiple trips to the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in Anaheim; most recently, I was in the Archdiocese for a lecture at Thomas Aquinas College. So though I can't claim to know it well, I have been able to taste and see some of its richness. The late Francis Cardinal George - the spiritual grandfather of Word on Fire - was a mentor and friend to me. The mission closest to his heart was the evangelization of the culture, bringing Christ to the arenas of media, politics, law, education, the arts, etc. I can't think of a more exciting field for this sort of work than Los Angeles, which is certainly one of the great cultural centers of our time. Many might be wondering what this means for the important work of Word on Fire. The short answer is that it will certainly continue! Through the ministrations of Fr. Steve Grunow and his extremely gifted staff, we will keep bringing you my regular articles, sermons, videos, and media resources. We have so many new projects in the works, including our new film and study program on God and atheism, titled The Mystery of God, and our beautiful new documentary series CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players. Those projects will continue as planned with more to come in the future. I am grateful to all of you who follow and support Word on Fire, using our content to form yourselves and share the Catholic Faith. I thank God each and every day for you.   It is a blessing for me to work with you to introduce people to Jesus Christ and invite them to share all the gifts he wants his people to enjoy. Please pray for me as I begin this new adventure under the Lord's providence.  Bishop-Elect Robert Barron July 21, 2015 ABOUT BISHOP-ELECT ROBERT E. BARRON   Bishop-Elect Robert Barron is the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries and the host of CATHOLICISM, a groundbreaking, award-winning documentary about the Catholic Faith. From 2012 to 2015 he served as the Rector/President of the University of Saint Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary outside of Chicago, IL.   Bishop-Elect Barron is a #1 Amazon bestselling author and has published numerous books, essays, and articles on theology and the spiritual life. He has also appeared on several media outlets including NBC, PBS, FOX News, CNN, and EWTN. His website, WordOnFire.org, reaches millions of people each year. His regular YouTube videos have been viewed over 13 million times. Next to Pope Francis, he is the most-followed Catholic leader on social media. Bishop-Elect Barron's pioneering work in evangelizing through the new media led Francis Cardinal George to describe him as "one of the Church's best messengers." He has keynoted many conferences and events all over the world, and will be delivering the opening keynote talk at the World Meeting of Families (September 2015), which will mark Pope Francis' historic visit to the United States. In September 2015, Bishop-Elect Barron will release a new film and study program on God and atheism titled The Mystery of God: Who God Is and Why He Matters. His next major film series, CATHOLICISM: The Pivotal Players, is scheduled to debut in Fall 2016.