Phillip Francis Straling

Pope Benedict XVI accepted Straling's letter of resignation as bishop of the Diocese of Reno on June 21, 2005.

On March 21, 1995, Pope John Paul II divided the Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas into two dioceses and appointed Straling as the Bishop of the new Diocese of Reno. He was installed on June 29, 1995 and served there for ten years.

On July 14, 1978, Pope Paul VI named Straling as the first bishop of the newly created Diocese of San Bernardino. He was consecrated on November 6, 1978 by Cardinal Timothy Manning. The co-consecrators were Archbishop John Quinn and Bishop Leo Maher. As Bishop of San Bernardino, Straling was noted for his collaborative leadership style. He was challenged by the rapid growth of the diocese and limited personnel. During his episcopate the diocese grew from about 235,000 people to 800,000, and from 85 parishes to 105. Therefore, he had to rely on the leadership skills of the laity and the vowed religious of the diocese. To the necessary formation for ministry he established a diaconate program, and started the Straling Institute in 1980 for laymen. On January 28, 1992, Pope John Paul II named Gerald Barnes as the first auxiliary bishop of the diocese and Straling consecrated him on March 18 of the same year.

Born in San Bernardino, California, Straling was ordained into the priesthood for the Diocese of San Diego on March 19, 1959. He served 11 years in campus ministry before serving as executive secretary of the second Synod of the Diocese of San Diego. In 1976, Straling became pastor of Holy Rosary Parish in San Bernardino.

Phillip Francis Straling (born April 25, 1933) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of San Bernardino in California from 1978 to 1995, and as bishop of the Diocese of Reno in Nevada from 1995 to 2005.