Auxiliary Bishops Alexander Salazar and Oscar Solis will make a "lateral transfer" of duties, effective Sept. 30, Cardinal Roger Mahony announced Aug. 26.

Bishop Salazar, who has served as San Pedro Regional Bishop since 2004, will become special Vicar General for the archdiocese. Bishop Solis, who has been director of the Offices of Ethnic Ministries and Justice and Peace, will become San Pedro Regional Bishop.

Bishop Salazar, 59, was born in Costa Rica, attended Los Angeles Catholic schools, and was ordained for the archdiocese in 1984. He served as pastor of St. Teresa of Avila Church, Silverlake, and as archdiocesan vice chancellor prior to becoming an auxiliary bishop in November 2004.

Bishop Solis, 55, was ordained to the priesthood in 1979. A native of the Philippines, he has served in the U.S. since 1984, serving in New Jersey and in the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux, Louisiana, before becoming the first Filipino priest to be ordained a bishop for the church in the United States in February 2004.

"In order to give Bishop Solis the opportunity of the pastoral ministry of a regional bishop, and to have Bishop Salazar assist me with important pastoral initiatives, I have decided to make a lateral transfer of the two bishops," Cardinal Mahony stated.

As special Vicar General, Bishop Salazar will continue to guide the work of the ethnic ministries and justice and peace offices, the cardinal said. "In addition," he said, "I am asking Bishop Salazar to work more closely with all of our Hispanic priests and deacons of the archdiocese, and to help expand our evangelization efforts among this majority community of our local Church."

The cardinal said he was also asking Bishop Salazar "to take the leadership role in preparing all of us --- priests, deacons, people --- for the coming new translation of the Roman Missal, anticipated to be available at the end of 2010."

In the San Pedro Region, Bishop Solis will "take the spiritual and pastoral responsibility" for its 67 parishes and four deaneries, the cardinal said. "He will continue the many pastoral initiatives begun by Bishop Salazar and will coordinate the Church's work with those priests, deacons and lay leaders."

The two will switch residences: Bishop Solis will reside at the San Pedro Regional Center in Lakewood, while Bishop Salazar will reside at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Los Angeles.

"Over the years," Cardinal Mahony said, "the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has been extremely well served through its various auxiliary bishops. Each one of these bishops has been key to the continuous vigorous growth of the Archdiocese in all its spiritual and pastoral aspects. In 1987 we created the five Pastoral Regions, each under the care of an auxiliary bishop. This regional system has proven very effective over the years, especially given the large number of Catholics living in our archdiocese.

"I am confident that this lateral transfer of our two most recently appointed auxiliary bishops will enable both of them to continue to exercise their episcopal ministry, and to offer their pastoral leadership in new ways as Los Angeles, the largest archdiocese in the country, continues to grow in numbers and in spirit."