San Diego's Catholic bishop continues to recover from a stroke but has been instructed by his doctors to stay out of the office for at least the next month, the diocese announced Monday.
Bishop Cirilo Flores was stricken in his office on April 16 and is expected to be released from a hospital sometime this week, according to Monsignor Steven Callahan.
The monsignor said physicians have advised Flores not to return to work at the diocese's pastoral center or celebrate liturgies for the next four to six weeks. He also called for church pastors who had scheduled Flores for confirmations to perform the ceremonies themselves or invite their deans to officiate the service.
Callahan said Flores is grateful to all who are praying for his recovery.
Flores became the fifth Catholic bishop of San Diego last September when he succeeded Robert Brom. The 65-year-old Corona native graduated from Loyola Marymount University and earned a law degree at Stanford University before attending seminary school.
He spent many years as a priest in Orange County after being ordained in 1991. He was named an auxiliary bishop in 2009 and a coadjutor bishop in 2012.
Flores also served on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' subcommittees on Latin America and Hispanic affairs.
The San Diego diocese, established in 1936, consists of 98 parishes, 14 missions and 90 schools and preschools in San Diego and Imperial counties.
