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THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE REMEMBERS THE PASSING OF TWO OF ITS SHEPHERDS IN 2017

By Tom Connolly     5/30/2017

Father Augustin Escobar, 1955-2017

Father Augustin Escobar was born in Medellin, Colombia on April 18, 1955, the youngest of 18 children. On the morning of March 25, 2017, Father Escobar (61) passed away in Medellin from bone marrow cancer. In his short tenure in the Diocese of Orange, he left an indelible mark.

He came from a very poor family, but, as he was known to say, ‘we were very rich in God’s faith.’ Four of his brothers became priests and two of his sisters became nuns. His whole family was at his bedside when he passed.

He was ordained a priest on May 31, 1987 and began working as a pastor for two parishes in Colombia. Father Escobar came to the United States in 1996, serving as an Augustinian Recollects (O.A.R.) at Our Lady of the Pillar, St. Barbara, Blessed Sacrament, St. Norbert’s and St. Cecilia. He referred to coming to the United States as his new ‘challenge and adventure.’

Fr. Escobar served at St. Norbert’s in Orange from 2010-2015 and was beloved by the parishioners. He will be remembered as a holy and joyful example of Christ.

Father John Duy Nguyen, an associate Pastor at St. Norbert’s, said Father Escobar was very popular, especially among the Spanish speaking parishioners.

“He provided counseling and guidance for many of the Spanish speaking families on a regular basis,” said Father Nguyen. “He led a very inspiring prayer life and he helped many parishioners meditate and reflect on their own prayer lives. He encouraged parishioners and he shared his journey with them.”

Fr. Escobar informed the St. Norbert parishioners that he had cancer and that he made a decision to return to Colombia to live out his final days. During his homily at his farewell mass, Father Escobar reached the faithful, who had packed the church, with a compassionate message.

“He said ‘my body has cancer, but my soul does not and it will live on,’” said Nguyen. “That is a very powerful message.

“He related to kids and adults alike. I worked with him for three years and at times I would go into his office and he would offer me guidance and I was grateful to him for that. He was very positive and enlightening. He was trusted and very well liked. He is now in his final resting place in Colombia where he was born.”

Mr. Joe Ciccoianni, the principal at St. Norbert Elementary School said Father Escobar’s message was ‘real.’

“He had been ill but he made it back to the parish for First Reconciliation last fall,” said Ciccoianni. “He had a wonderful deep voice and he had a way of talking to people that portrayed peace. He was friendly and kind and he helped perpetuate God’s mercy.

“He knew he was dying, yet his homily had people crying and laughing at the same time. He said he knew his body had cancer but he believed his soul would live on into eternity. As a Catholic, we say that we believe that but he lived it and it was ‘real’ to him and he truly believed it. When he finished his homily, people were applauding.

“He provided his total trust in God, not as an intellectual hallmark way of thinking – he lived it and believed it.”

Mary Alvarado, the principal of St. Cecilia’s Elementary School in Tustin, the final parish Father Escobar served at, said he was held in high regards.

“In October of 2015 we were preparing for a visit by Bishop Vann and Father Escobar came into the church and saw we were practicing and he voluntarily dressed up in his vestments to help us prepare for the next day,” said Alvarado. “He was loved by everyone. He was genuine and funny and he didn’t have any self-pity. In our last staff meeting, Fr. Escobar told us that miracles aren’t always big and great and that we are blessed with miracles every day and we have to appreciate them.”

 

Father Joseph Distefano, 1950-2017 

Father Joseph DiStefano passed away on February 11, 2017 after a lengthy illness. Father DiStefano studied at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Wisconsin beginning in the late 1970s. He began his service in the Diocese of Orange in 1984 as an Associate Pastor at St. Barbara Church in Santa Ana and later moved onto St. Boniface in Anaheim.

“He was as an extremely friendly guy and I would see him at retreats in Palm Springs,” said Father Richard Kennedy, former Diocese of Orange vocations director and currently associate pastor at St. Bonaventure’s Parish in Huntington Beach. “He went into the seminary in his late 20s but unfortunately only served in Orange County a short while until health issues forced him to go on disability.”

For the past number of years Father DiStefano lived near Laughlin, Nevada, and was recovering from a recent surgery when he passed. He was 67 years old.

 

DECEASED PRIESTS WHO SERVED IN THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE, 1976-2017

 

1976 

Msgr. Vincent Lloyd Russell

1977 

Rev. John M. Kenney

Rev. George W. Conboy

1979

Msgr. Bernard Gannon

1980

Rev. Felix Doherty

Rev. Adolfo Jimenez

1981

Rev. William McMann

1982

Rev. Peter Tien Duc Tran

Rev. Thomas Gannon

1983

Msgr. Anthony Kelly

1986

Most Rev. William R. Johnson

Msgr. John Siebert

1987

Rev. John Wehmhoefer

Msgr. Harry Trower, P.A.

1988

Msgr. Fidencio E. Esparza

Msgr. Michael Murphy

Most Rev. Tomas A. Clavel

1989

Rev. John Lord

Msgr. Thomas Nevin

1990

Rev. Msgr. John J. Hill

Msgr. Joseph Pekarcik

1991

Rev. Myles Faughnan

Msgr. David Coleman

Msgr. Francis W. Roughan

1992

Rev. Agripino Brillantes

Rev. Elias Fernandez

Msgr. Michael Duffy

Msgr. Des Quinn

1993

Rev. William R. Kuper

Msgr. Otto Sporrer

1994

Msgr. Donald Strange

Msgr. Daniel McLaughlin

Rev. Msgr. John C. Quantannens

Rev. George Breslin

Rev. Kenneth O’Keeffe

Rev. Louis Knight

Rev. Michael Carlos

1995

Msgr. John Dunne

Rev. Larry Smith

1996

Rev. Thomas O’Donnell

1998

Rev. Jose Morales

Msgr. Ralph Harvey

1999

Rev. Joseph Powers

Msgr. Terence O’Brien

Rev. Kenneth Krause

Msgr. Joe Sharpe

2000

Rev. George Gonzales

Rev. Wallace Daley

2001

Msgr. Michael Hughes

2002

Rev. Francis Moran

Msgr. Timothy Doyle

Rev. Tran Phuc Long

Msgr. Pedro Yrigan

Rev. Peter Trac Din Vu

2003

Msgr. Daniel Brennan

Msgr. Emmett B. McCarthy

2005

Msgr. John Coffield

Msgr. Sinon Falvey

Msgr. James Nash

Rev. Joseph Karp

Msgr. Paul Martin

2006

Rev. Peter Chinh

Msgr. Joseph Wadowicz

Msgr. John F. Sammon, P.A.

2007

Rev. Daniel Johnson

Msgr. Hugh O’Connor

2008

Rev. Patrick (Foncie) Doherty

Rev. Harold Fumo

Msgr. Peter Scannell

2010

Bishop Norman F. McFarland

Msgr. Michael Collins

2011

Rev. Mathias Ho

Msgr. James Pierse

Rev. Thomas Croal

Rev. George Pat Fee

Rev. Gary Kinzer

2013

Rev. John Rod Keller

2014

Rev. John Joyce

Rev. John Luongo

Rev. John Shetler

Rev. Msgr. John C. Keenan

2015

Rev. Gerardo Tanilong

Rev. John Sheahan

Msgr. Brian Coghlan

2016

Rev. Timothy MacCarthy

Rev. Joachim Tu Vu

2017

Rev. Joseph DiStefano

Rev. Agustin Escobar