Father Robert Barron is moving to Los Angeles. On July 21, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, apostolic nuncio to the United States, announced that Pope Francis appointed Barron, 55, as one of three new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. The other two are Msgr. Joseph V. Brennan, 61, vicar general and moderator of the curia in Los Angeles and Msgr. David G. O’Connell, 61, pastor of St. Michael Parish in Los Angeles since 2003. Los Angeles is the largest archdiocese in the country by population, with about 4.3 million Catholics. It has four other active auxiliary bishops and two who are retired. 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 rector/president of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. He is the author of 12 books. 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. “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,” Bishop-elect Barron said in a statement posted on Word on Fire’s website. “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.” Word on Fire will continue under his new appointment, he said. “We have so many 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,” he said. “Please pray for me as I begin this new adventure under the Lord’s providence.” In a statement Archbishop Cupich said, “Father Barron has been a singular blessing to our local church and is recognized nationally for his great abilities and talents. We know that he will continue to make us proud as he begins his new ministry on the West Coast.” Bishop-elect Barron attended Fenwick High School in Oak Park and Benet Academy in Lisle, Illinois. From there he entered the archdiocesan seminary system. After two years, he was awarded the prestigious Theodore Basselin Scholarship at the Catholic University of America. The Basselin Scholars focus on advanced philosophical studies and public speaking. He received a master’s degree from the School of Philosophy at CUA. He received a bachelor’s degree and a licentiate in sacred theology and a master’s in divinity from Mundelein and was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago in 1986. Bishop-elect Barron served as associate pastor of St. Paul of the Cross Parish in Park Ridge. He then was assigned to advanced studies at the Institut Catholique de Paris where he received a doctorate in 1992 for a dissertation on Paul Tillich. He joined the faculty of Mundelein Seminary, eventually rising to the rank of full professor of dogmatic (systematic) theology. His academic career has included visiting professorships at the University of Notre Dame and the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome. He was visiting scholar-in-residence twice at the Pontifical North American College in Rome and was awarded the Francis Cardinal George Chair in Faith and Culture at Mundelein Seminary. In 2012, he was appointed rector/president of the University of St. Mary of the Lake/Mundelein Seminary. Since then, he has presided over a revision of the seminary curriculum with a new integration of human and spiritual formation with academic studies and pastoral training. Bishop-elect Barron stressed that the priests of the future must become excellent preachers and pastors who engage those outside their parish. Mundelein Seminary experienced a 30 percent growth in enrollment during his tenure as rector.