Bishop Myron J. Cotta was born March 21, 1953 of Portuguese heritage, and grew up on a dairy farm in the Merced County community of Dos Palos. He attended both public and Catholic schools in Dos Palos and graduated from Dos Palos High School. He attended West Hills Junior College before entering St. John’s College Seminary in Camarillo, California where he completed his undergraduate studies and went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Divinity. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Fresno on September 12, 1987.
After ordination, Cotta served as the parochial vicar at St. Anthony Parish in Atwater and as the administrator of Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Laton before becoming the pastor of Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine where he served from 1992 to 1999. Following his pastoral assignments, he served the Diocese of Fresno as Vicar General, Moderator of the Curia, Vicar of Clergy, Director of Continuing Education of the Clergy, Supervisor of the Safe Environment Program, and Director of the Propagation of the Faith. Pope John Paul II named Cotta a Chaplain of His Holiness, with the title of Monsignor, in 2002. Pope Benedict XVI named him a Prelate of Honor in 2009.
In 2010, upon the death of Bishop John Steinbock of Fresno, then Msgr. Cotta was elected by the Diocesan College of Consultors as the Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Fresno. He served as administrator until February 1, 2012, when Bishop Armando Ochoa assumed leadership of the Diocese of Fresno.
On January 24, 2014, Pope Francis named Cotta as the Titular Bishop of Muteci and Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese Sacramento. He was consecrated on March 25, 2014 by Bishop Jaime Soto and served the Diocese of Sacramento as both the Vicar General and Director of Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Affairs. He was also instrumental in overseeing prison and jail ministry in the diocese.
He is a member of both California Catholic Conference of Bishops (CCC) and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). As a member of the CCC he serves on the Restorative Justice Committee and as is currently a member of the Region XI Council of Priest Senates (RECOPS). As Region XI Representative, he serves on the Priorities and Plans Committee and on the Administrative Committee for the USCCB.
Bishop Cotta was installed as the sixth Bishop of the Diocese of Stockton on March 15, 2018.