Most Reverend John Stephen Cummins, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Oakland, died peacefully Dec. 3, 2024, in Oakland.

Bishop Cummins was 96 and leaves a legacy of service to the people of God through his priesthood and episcopacy. The longest serving bishop of Oakland, he also directed the California Catholic Conference and filled several leadership positions with the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in the areas of migration issues, laity, liturgy and ecumenical outreach.

“Our diocese has lost a father, grandfather, shepherd and true priest of Jesus Christ,” said Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ. “May Christ the Good Shepherd welcome Bishop John into the eternal reward prepared for him who served the flock of Oakland so well.”

John Stephen Cummins was born March 3, 1928, and raised in Berkeley, California, the second son of Michael and Mary Cummins, both natives of Ireland. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park.

Bishop Cummins was ordained to the priesthood on Jan. 24, 1953, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco. His first assignment was as associate pastor at Mission Dolores Basilica in San Francisco. He also served as campus minister at San Francisco State University until he was appointed as a faculty member at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland in 1957.

In 1962 Father Cummins was named the first chancellor of the newly created Diocese of Oakland. While serving as chancellor, Monsignor Cummins also served as the diocesan liaison to the three Catholic theological schools entering the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.

In 1971 he was appointed executive director of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops, headquartered in Sacramento. On May 16, 1974, he was ordained a bishop and installed as auxiliary bishop to the Diocese of Sacramento. He continued to serve as executive director of the California Catholic Conference until 1977. He served as the bishop president of the California Catholic Conference from 1988-1997.

Upon the death of Bishop Floyd L. Begin, founding bishop of the Oakland Diocese, Bishop Cummins was appointed the second bishop of Oakland and installed on June 30, 1977. He led the diocese for 26 years, retiring at the mandatory age of 75, on Oct. 1, 2003.

In addition to his responsibilities as bishop of Oakland, he served on the national level as chair of several committees of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops (NCCB), including the Liturgy Committee (1981-84), Laity (1988-91), Migration and Refugee Services (1995-98), CLINIC (Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc.) (1995-99), and as co-chair of the Roman Catholic-Reformed Presbyterian Dialogue Commission and as a consultant and member of other committees and commissions. In addition, he was a delegate for the Synod of the Americas in Rome (1997), the Asian Synod in Rome (1998) and the IV Congress on Pastoral Care of Migrants (1998).

His commitment to the implementation of the Second Vatican Council, his compassion for the poor and marginalized and his dedication to building bridges with people of other faiths and cultures has enriched not just the local Catholic community, but all who came in contact with him. Funeral services will be publicized at www.oakdiocese.org.

The Diocese of Oakland encompasses Alameda and Contra Costa counties and includes approximately 371,000 Catholics in 82 parishes.

—from the Diocese of Oakland