Seaside, California – Catholic Charities Diocese of Monterey is excited to welcome Bishop Daniel E. Garcia to our Diocese and to Catholic Charities as our Board Chairman. Catholic Charities also named Martina O’Sullivan as Board President. The agency is thrilled to receive Bishop Daniel’s and Martina’s guidance to continue providing a path out of poverty for low income families and individuals in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito and San Luis Obispo Counties.
Bishop Daniel E. Garcia was installed on Jan 29, 2019 as the fifth Bishop of the Diocese of Monterey. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Austin, Texas in 1988 and was appointed as the first Auxiliary Bishop to the Diocese of Austin in 2015. Bishop Daniel has served on many boards and councils, including the College of Consultors, Dean of the North Austin Deanery, and Communication Committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Catholic Charities serves as the Bishop’s social justice arm for the Diocese of Monterey.
Martina O’Sullivan is a long-standing dedicated member of the Catholic Charities family. She was Executive Director for Catholic Charities from 1997-2005 and is currently a devoted Board member. She currently also serves as Secretary of the Board of Trustees for Catholic Charities USA. In addition, Martina has been serving for the past two years as the co-chair of the Holiday Food Drive for Second Harvest Food Bank’s and brings a long history of service in health care through different roles at Dignity Health. She has been a strong community leader involved in issues related to social justice, health care, immigration, food security, and domestic violence prevention among many others. At the core of all the work, Martina shows a strong commitment to social justice and to make a positive difference in our community.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, Executive Director Ana Ventura Phares welcomes Bishop Daniel and Martina in their new roles to guide and lead the agency’s mission to serve those in need with dignity and compassion. Catholic Charities provides the following services: Legal Immigration and Citizenship, Winter Emergency Rent and Utility Assistance, Tattoo Removal, Nutrition Education, and food and health security through CalFresh and MediCal enrollment assistance and outreach.
For information or to donate please visit www.CatholicCharitiesCentralCoast.org and like us on Facebook!