San Jose’s new bishop eager to tackle everything from housing crisis to clergy abuse

He was appointed auxiliary, or assistant, bishop of San Antonio, at 41, the youngest bishop in the nation at the time. Before coming to San Jose, he served as bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico, where he led mass at detention centers and made frequent trips to the border. He washed the feet of Dreamers during Holy Week to highlight the struggles of undocumented immigrant youth and in July, he marched with fellow bishops to protest the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy policy that separated thousands of undocumented immigrant parents from their children.

Yet being an activist isn’t in his nature, according to Cantú, who, serious and soft-spoken, describes his temperament as, ‘hide in the back of the room.’

“But when I see something that is not right, then that bothers my conscience,” he said. “In particular when I’m in a position of leadership, I feel I have to speak up.”

Addressing the valley’s immense housing problem should be at the top of Cantú’s list, in addition to supporting immigrants and families, according to Rev. Jon Pedigo, a local social justice leader for nearly 30 years.

“He’s found himself in the wealthiest county in California,” said Pedigo, director for advocacy and community engagement at Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. “But it also has one of the highest poverty rates. People are living in substandard housing situations and conditions. We have tens of thousands of people living in tents, in cars, in garages.”

Cantú is no stranger to The incoming Bishop for the Diocese of San Jose, Oscar Cantu, poses for a photograph on Oct. 4, in San Jose.