He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angelese by Cardinal James McIntyre on April 29, 1967, and then served as associate pastor of St. Luke's Parish in Temple City, California, until 1972.

He received his episcopal consecration on May 31, 1990, from Archbishop Roger Mahony, with Bishops John Ward and George Ziemann serving as co-consecrators.

[1] In 2001, Blaire learned of allegations that Oscar Pelaez, a priest of the diocese, had molested a 14-year-old boy at Sacred Heart Church in Turlock, California, in 1997.

[2] In June 2012, Blaire, as chair of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, announced organization's proposal to draft a message entitled Catholic Reflections on Work, Poverty and a Broken Economy.

Citing his opposition to capital punishment, Blaire made this statement in 2013:"We must lift up the dignity of all human life – even for those convicted of the worst crimes, and work to transform our culture so that it respects the inherent dignity and value of all people,"[5]In a 2013 letter to the US House of Representatives, Blaire said that budget cuts to human services should be evaluated on three criteria: