Both will begin their new ministerial positions July 1 with Fr. Partida serving a term of five years.
Fr. Partida was ordained for the Diocese of San Bernardino on Dec. 12, 1986 and has served as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, Riverside; Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Indio; St. Anne, Needles; and most recently Blessed John XXIII, Fontana/Rialto. As Episcopal Vicar, Fr. Partida will also serve as Priest Moderator for the four parishes in the Riverside Region that are staffed by Pastoral Coordinators. Blessed John XXIII will receive a new pastor.
“I feel blessed and honored that Bishop Barnes has this confidence in me,” Fr. Partida said. “I believe my parish experience has prepared me to take on this task.”
He said he will miss the day-to-day relationships involved in parish ministry but is looking forward to interacting with and serving the parishes in the Riverside region.
“I see my whole priesthood has been an adventure and I trust that God will continue journeying with me,” he said.
Msgr. Wallace will succeed Father Reno Aiardi, IMC, who is stepping down as director of the Missions Office after leading it for 21 years.
“I’m going to miss confirmations the most,” Msgr. Wallace said of completing his term as episcopal vicar. “That has been my greatest joy and the highlight of the year.”
As director of the Missions Office, Msgr. Wallace will return to his first love of affirming and assisting the Church in third world countries.
“I will focus on continuing what Father Reno has built in the last 21 years,” Msgr. Wallace said. “I hope I can do as good a job as my predecessor.”
He first showed interest in the Church’s mission work in college, working with the Missions office in the Diocese of San Diego. As a young priest, Msgr. Wallace represented the Diocese of San Bernardino for five years in the missions of South America.
Fr. Aiardi came to the diocese in 1992 to replace Monsignor Michael Nolan as director of Missions. In his first years as director, he not only visited parishes and Catholic schools but also conducted retreats to share the call to missions.
“I joined a missionary organization before I came to the diocese,” Fr. Aiardi said. “It has been the light of my ministry. I am going to miss that dimension of inspiring and making people more aware of missions.”
Throughout his tenure he helped build a report with parishes and schools and coordinated the different programs and ventures the office oversees, including the mission cooperative plan, mission childhood association, as well as serving as the liaison to Catholic Relief Services and Rice Bowl.
While he will be leaving his role as director, Fr. Aiardi will continue to serve as administrator of St. Francis de Sales Parish in Riverside and will continue to promote missions there.
“I’ll be a little more involved in the school and religious education at the parish,” Fr. Aiardi said. “Even in my ministry to the elderly and sick, I’ll add that missionary dimension.”