Bishop Kevin Vann of Orange, California, has been appointed chairman of the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC) Board of Directors by Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Archbishop Kurtz made the announcement Monday.
“Bishop Vann brings important experience to this leadership position,” said Archbishop Kurtz. “I and the other members of the bishops’ conference thank him for accepting this responsibility. Our gratitude goes as well to his predecessor, Bishop Richard Garcia of Monterey, California, who served as chair during this critical time in immigration history.”
Bishop Garcia was reelected as member of the board of directors, and will continue serving CLINIC in that capacity.
At the General Assembly, the bishops also re-elected Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami as a member of CLINIC’s board.
Bishop Vann was named Bishop of Orange, California, in September 2012. He previously served as Bishop of Fort Worth, Texas. He was ordained a priest for the diocese of Springfield, Illinois, in 1981. He has previously served on the CLINIC board.
The USCCB established CLINIC in 1988 to support a rapidly growing network of community-based immigration programs. Its mission is to embrace the Gospel value of welcoming the stranger, promoting dignity and protecting the rights of immigrants. The network includes 250 diocesan and other affiliated immigration programs with 300 field offices in 46 states.
