Bishop Edward Wm. Clark, auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles from 2001 to 2022, pictured in a photo dated Oct. 19, 2012. / File photo/CNA.

Vatican City, Feb 15, 2022 / 08:35 am (CNA).

Pope Francis on Tuesday accepted the resignation of 75-year-old Los Angeles auxiliary Bishop Edward William Clark.

Archbishop José H. Gómez of Los Angeles congratulated Clark on his retirement, saying that he had “served Jesus Christ and the faithful of Los Angeles with zeal, dedication, and love” for more than 20 years.

Clark, who was named a bishop in 2001, served as Auxiliary Bishop for the Our Lady of the Angels Pastoral Region.

The pastoral region, which encompasses more than a million Catholics, covers Downtown, Central Los Angeles, and west to Malibu.

“As the auxiliary bishop entrusted to the archdiocese’s largest and most diverse pastoral region, he will be remembered as a shepherd who was always close to the people he served, especially those who were poor and living on the margins,” said Gómez, who has led LA archdiocese since 2011.

“His lasting legacy includes his strong work against the scourge of racism and discrimination against African Americans and his commitment to building up the bonds of mutual trust and respect with our Native American brothers and sisters.”

Clark was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Nov. 30, 1946. He grew up in Minnesota, Idaho, and California. After attending schools in Los Angeles, he graduated from St. John’s Seminary College in Camarillo in 1968.

He was ordained a priest of the LA archdiocese on May 9, 1972, serving as an associate pastor at St. James Parish in Redondo Beach and St. Joseph Parish in Pomona.

He earned a master’s degree in religion from St. John’s Seminary in 1972 and a master’s degree in education from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles in 1983.

He was named an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles by Pope John Paul II on Jan. 16, 2001, and was consecrated bishop on March 26, 2001.

Clark’s retirement leaves the LA archdiocese, which serves an estimated five million people, with four auxiliaries: Bishop David G. O’Connell, Bishop Marc V. Trudeau​, Bishop Alejandro D. Aclan, and Bishop Robert E. Barron, founder of the global media ministry Word on Fire.