Ramon Bejarano

Ramon Bejarano (born July 17, 1969) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who has been bishop of the Diocese of Monterey since 2026. He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Stockton in 1998 and later served as an auxiliary bishop for the Diocese of San Diego from 2020 to 2026.

Biography Early life Ramon Bejarano was born in Seagraves, Texas on July 17, 1969, to José Bejarano and María Elena Silva. Early in life, Bejarano's family moved to Juan Aldama, Chihuahua, in Mexico. At the age of 7, Bejarano encountered his vocation to the priesthood through the Eucharist. In 1987, when he was 18, the family relocated to Tracy, California. Bejarano worked there sorting tomatoes and as a hotel janitor.

At age 20, Bejarano applied to become a seminarian with the Diocese of Stockton. He first entered the Diocesan Seminary of Tijuana in Tijuana, Mexico, earning a Master of Philosophy degree in 1992. He completed his seminary studies in 1998 with a Master of Divinity degree from Mount Angel Abbey in Saint Benedict, Oregon.

Priesthood On August 15, 1998, Bejarano was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Stockton at the Cathedral of the Annunciation by Bishop Donald Montrose.

The diocese assigned Bejarano as parochial vicar at St. George Parish in Stockton. In 2004, he was transferred to the same role at Sacred Heart Parish in Turlock, California. When the diocese founded Holy Family Parish in Modesto in 2005, Bejarano was named its founding pastor. He also served as the keynote speaker for an October 2024 pro-life ministry's 30th anniversary.

In both 2024 and 2025, Bejarano celebrated the Diocese of San Diego's annual "All Are Welcome" mass for LGBTQ Catholics, immigrants, and other minority groups. During the 2024 mass, Bejarano quoted Pope Francis and apologized for the "stigmatization and trauma" caused LGBTQ Catholics by the Catholic Church. Bejarano celebrated these masses after attending a workshop organized by New Ways Ministries. Bejarano also participated in a June 2025 protest at the Edward J. Schwartz Courthouse along with over a dozen other clergy. The building serves as a local ICE field office and DOJ immigration court.

While an auxiliary in San Diego, Bejarano served as vicar for ethnic and intercultural ministries; for life, peace, and justice; and for ecumenical and interreligious affairs.

Bishop of Monterey On December 17, 2025, Pope Leo XIV named Bejarano bishop of Diocese of Monterey in California. Bejarano succeeds Bishop Daniel E. Garcia, who had been moved to the Diocese of Austin. In an interview about his appointment, Bejarano emphasized his desire to minister to immigrants. He was installed on February 19, 2026.