Thank you, Bishop Aclan

Bishop Aclan has been a good faithful servant. He loves the Lord and he loves the people entrusted to his care. He is a good friend and trusted adviser, and I know his life will continue to be beautiful and fruitful in his retirement.

-Archbishop Gomez

Thank you, Bishop Aclan for your faith and service!

Pope Leo XIV announced that he has accepted the retirement of Bishop Alejandro “Alex” Aclan, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, upon reaching the retirement age for bishops, which is 75 years old.

Bishop Aclan is the third of eight children born to a devout family raised in the suburbs of Manila, Philippines. Bishop Aclan received a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Technology from the University of Santo Tomas, Dominican University in Manila, Philippines, in 1971. He migrated to Los Angeles from the Philippines with his family in 1982, and had been employed by University of Santo Tomas, San Miguel Corporation and Citibank in the Philippines, and Union Bank in Los Angeles before entering St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo.

Bishop Aclan was ordained to the priesthood in 1993. He served as parochial vicar at St. Finbar Parish in Burbank from 1993-1996 before becoming the Vocations Director for teenagers at Queen of Angels Minor Seminary from 1996-1999. He then served as parochial vicar at St. John of God in Norwalk 1993-2000, and as pastor at St. Madeleine Parish in Pomona from 2000-2011. Bishop Aclan served as Associate Vicar for Clergy from 2012-2015 and as Vicar for Clergy until 2018. He was ordained a bishop on May 16, 2019, becoming the second Filipino American priest to be ordained a bishop in the United States. He served as Auxiliary Bishop for the San Fernando Region until 2022.