Pham, 58, is currently an auxiliary bishop in the diocese. He fills the vacancy created when Pope Francis named Cardinal Robert McElroy archbishop of Washington D.C. earlier this year. Pham, who was born in Da Nang,

(RNS) — In his first United States episcopal appointment, Pope Leo XIV named Michael Pham bishop of San Diego on Thursday (May 22). Pham fled Vietnam as a refugee in 1980 and has spent over 25 years as a priest in San Diego. He is the first Vietnamese American bishop to lead a U.S. diocese.

Pope Leo XIV appoints Bishop Michael Pham as the new bishop of San Diego and names Sister Tiziana Merletti as No. 2 in the Vatican's congregation for religious orders, marking significant strides towards inclusivity and modernization within the Vatican's leadership structure.