As the May 30 ordination of new priests draws near, St. John's Seminary in Camarillo is planning an array of events to promote fellowship and help raise awareness of its presence in and service to the community in this, its 70th anniversary year.
On May 25, an alumni picnic for former students of St. John's Seminary and St. John's Seminary College will take place on campus. Alumni and their family and friends are invited to the campus beginning at 10 a.m., with Mass at 10:45 in the Chapel, followed by a barbecue lunch and activities.
"We have hundreds of alumni living throughout Southern California and the western United States," noted Msgr. Craig Cox, rector, who graduated from St. John's Seminary College in 1974 and was ordained a priest from St. John's Seminary in 1978. "We haven't had a gathering for our alumni in many years, and this is long overdue. Since we gather on Memorial Day, our time of prayer will also include remembrance of those who have served our country as well as deceased members of our faculty, staff and student body."
On May 30, six men who have completed theological formation at St. John's will be ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles by Cardinal Roger Mahony at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. They will be Fathers Francis Aguilar, Christopher Fagan, Julio Cesar Gonzalez, Richard Sunwoo, Joseph Vu and Budi Wardhana. (More information about the new priests will appear in the May 29 issue of The Tidings.)
Looking further ahead, St. John's will honor five alumni at its second annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner, scheduled Sept. 20 at the seminary. This year's honorees include Msgr. Wilbur Davis, of the Diocese of Orange; Msgr. John Fosselman, part of the first graduating class of St. John's for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; Neil Parent, former executive director of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership; retired Los Angeles Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Sartoris; and Msgr. Royale Vadakin, moderator of the Curia and vicar general for Los Angeles.
The honorees will be feted at the awards dinner which starts with Solemn Vespers in the Seminary Chapel. More information will be available in the months ahead.
As part of its 70th anniversary celebration, St. John's has planned a series of dinners at parishes throughout the Los Angeles Archdiocese, from October and into 2010. The dinners begin with a 6 p.m. reception and are followed by a short presentation on the history of St. John's and its ongoing mission to educate priests and lay ministers.
The schedule:
---Oct. 30, at St. Charles Borromeo Church, North Hollywood.
---Jan. 22, at St. Raphael Church, Santa Barbara.
-- Feb. 5, at St. Philip the Apostle Church, Pasadena.
---March 18, at St. Bernard Church, Bellflower.
---April 16, at St. Anthony Croatian Church, Los Angeles.
"There are over four million Catholics living in Southern California and many have not had the opportunity to visit St. John's Seminary," said Msgr. Cox. "Our goal, with these dinners, is to bring the seminary to them, to introduce our faculty and seminarians and provide the Catholic community in this sprawling archdiocese a better understanding of their seminary."
The seminary is also continuing its monthly "Wine and Wisdom" tours, led by Father Leon Hutton. The next is scheduled May 16. For information on these events, call the Seminary Advancement office, (805) 389-2035 or write advancement@stjohnsem.edu.
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