THE YEAR 2024 SAW major developments happen throughout the Diocese of Orange, with several concentrated around the “downtown” of the Diocese: Christ Cathedral.
After purchasing in 2012 what was then known the world over as the Crystal Cathedral, it took more than a decade to see the final transformative vision of the Garden Grove property finally completed.
With the completions this year of the Marian Gardens and St. Callistus Chapel, the former Protestant megachurch fully became the major Catholic worship center of Christ Cathedral: A Place for Christ Forever.
But there were also other notables: celebrations of life for the first priest ordained in the Diocese, the premiere of a new Eucharist-focused documentary, milestones in Catholic education and more.
Keep reading to learn, or perhaps remember again, some major events and moments in our Diocese in 2024.
‘APOSTLE OF THE IMPOSSIBLE’ COMES TO O.C.
The relic of St. Jude, known as the “Apostle of the Impossible,” toured throughout our Diocese this past spring, starting on April 29 at Santiago de Compostela parish in Lake Forest.
Throughout its tour, which included Christ Cathedral and Sts. Simon and Jude parish, tens of thousands came to venerate the relic, which is a piece of bone from St. Jude placed inside a wooden reliquary carved to resemble an arm. The St. Jude relic’s coming to Orange County, as well as other sites throughout the United States, marked the relic’s first time leaving Italy in 1,700 years.
The Holy See considers the relic of St. Jude a first-class relic, which is the highest designation and generally a piece of the body of a saint, like bone or hair. After St. Jude’s martyrdom in Beirut around 65 A.D., his remains were reportedly interred in a crypt beneath St. Peter’s Basilica around 333 AD.
‘JESUS THIRSTS’ PREMIERE
“Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist,” a national documentary co-sponsored by the Diocese of Orange, premiered on May 7 at the Cultural Center on the Christ Cathedral campus. The film was later screened for several weeks at theaters nationwide starting in June. The 91-minute movie was also co sponsored by Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry and co-produced by James Wahlberg and Tim Moriarty. Coinciding with the three-year National Eucharist Revival movement in the U.S., “Jesus Thirsts” was heralded by its producers and Diocese leaders as a potentially life-changing film that comes at a time when millions have strayed from the Catholic Church.
“This can transform the face of the Earth. That’s how important this film is,” said executive producer Steve Greco, a permanent deacon and director of evangelization and formation for the Diocese of Orange.
MARIAN GARDENS OPENING
More than 1,000 celebrated Mass and the opening of the Marian Gardens and Garden of Gethsemane on May 29 at Christ Cathedral. The day featured a blessing with Bishop Kevin Vann as well as live entertainment and a donor dinner.
The approximately 3,500-square-foot Marian Gardens, located behind the cathedral’s Our Lady of La Vang Shrine, are a walk-through experience focusing on the Mysteries of the Rosary. The space allows for peaceful reflection, prayer and small groups. The gardens also feature handcrafted artwork from the Peruvian Andes, as well as other symbolic touches that are meaningful to our Catholic faith. The Garden of Gethsemane, like the one in Israel, features mature olive trees.
GUESTS TOUR THE MARIAN GARDENS DURING ITS OPENING ON MAY 29, 2024, AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL. PHOTO BY EVERETT JOHNSON/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
“Brothers and sisters, today, we unite as a single community to honor the fulfillment of the Marian Gardens,” said Bishop Vann. “These serene gardens will offer a peaceful sanctuary for prayer, tranquility and a deeper connection with the Blessed Virgin Mother, inviting us to reflect on her life and that of her son, Jesus Christ. We extend our gratitude to God for the unwavering commitment of those who dedicated numerous hours to bring this project to fruition.”
PRIESTHOOD ORDINATION
Though priesthood ordinations are generally an annual occurrence, 2024’s ordination on June 8 was historic in two ways.
FR. GREG WALGENBACH AND FR. COLE BUZON WERE ORDAINED INTO THE PRIESTHOOD ON JUNE 8, 2024, AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL. PHOTO BY EVERETT JOHNSON/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
For one, it finalized the formation journey of Fr. Cole Buzon, the first Filipino American priest ordained in the Diocese. The Orange County native, who grew up in La Habra and Brea, was working as a dental hygienist when he felt the call to change his life completely and join the seminary. For his first assignment, Fr. Cole serves as parochial vicar at San Francisco Solano parish in Rancho Santa Margarita.
Second, Fr. Greg Walgenbach was ordained, becoming the Diocese’s first married priest through a special arrangement called the Pastoral Provision, which provides a way for former Protestant ministers, including married ones, to be ordained Catholic priests in the United States. Fr. Greg, a father of four who was raised Baptist and became an Anglican priest, later converted to Catholicism. His current primary role is serving as director of the Office of Life, Justice & Peace and the Mission Office.
DIOCESE WELCOMES NEW CONSECRATED VIRGIN
On June 15, Dalia Zakhary became the first consecrated virgin for the Diocese of Orange consecrated by the hands of Bishop Kevin Vann.
As a consecrated virgin, Dalia was not given a specific assignment in the Diocese but remains called to live her consecration in the world and continue to work at her job in Orange County. She participates in the life of the local church by offering her prayers, penance, charitable service and apostolic activities according to her capacities and gifts.
DALIA ZAKHARY BECAME THE FIRST CONSECRATED VIRGIN FOR THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE ON JUNE 15, 2024. PHOTO BY KAYLEE TOOLE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Before taking her final vows as a sister, Dalia, a native of Egypt who grew up Coptic Orthodox and converted to Catholicism, knew in her heart a different path was calling. Her realization wasn’t heard through a booming voice, but through the quiet whispers found within the pages of a book. Her consecration to the Ordo virginum highlights a unique and ancient vocation, which existed in the early Church and was lived out in the first virgin martyrs, such as St. Cecilia and St. Agnes.
O.C. DELEGATION ATTENDS NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
A delegation from the Diocese of Orange, including all three bishops, attended the tenth National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis on July 17 to 21, bringing with them the faith of a Catholic people renewed by their love for the Eucharist.
The event was the first national congress in the United States in 83 years and brought an estimated 60,000 people from throughout the country.
About 40 people from Orange County were part of the official delegation, but numerous others from the O.C. area made their way to Indianapolis for the event. The delegation members now serve on a special Diocese subcommittee tasked with guiding the bishops on matters related to Eucharistic devotion. The National Eucharistic Congress served as the culminating event of the National Eucharistic Revival, an effort sponsored by the U.S. bishops that began in 2022 to inspire and renew encounters with Jesus in the Eucharist.
Bishop Kevin Vann called the National Eucharistic Congress “a chance to renew our faith, to deepen our love of Christ and the Eucharist and to really make connections or remake connections with everybody that’s here. It’s just a wonderful experience.”
CATHOLIC EDUCATION NETWORK BEGINS
This year, on July 1 the Diocese officially launched Pax Christi Academies, a standalone nonprofit created to support and promote Catholic education for five schools: La Purísima in Orange; St. Justin Martyr in Anaheim; and St. Anne, St. Barbara and St. Joseph in Santa Ana.
Thanks to Shea Family Charities and The Orange Catholic Foundation, a milestone for Pax Christi happened on Sept. 16 at St. Barbara, when upgrades for that school and the four others were celebrated: new lighting, windows, administrative space, paint, fencing, roof repairs and air conditioning.
“Pax Christi Academies’ promise is to form saints,” said its leader, Dr. Christina Arellano. “Our commitment to blend strong academics with our Catholic faith fosters intellectual and spiritual growth, while nurturing a virtuous life.
ST. CALLISTUS CHAPEL OPENS
On Oct. 14, the Feast Day of St. Callistus, Bishop Kevin Vann dedicated and blessed Christ Cathedral’s new St. Callistus Chapel and Crypts. Built in a stunning Romano-Byzantine style, the chapel includes burial spaces for generations of Diocese of Orange bishops, as well as niches for all the faithful.
The chapel was named after St. Callistus Catholic Church, a parish in Garden Grove that closed in 2013 as part of the Crystal Cathedral sale to the Diocese. St. Callistus parishioners became the initial congregation of the Garden Grove campus, and Bishop Vann promised to remember their trust and sacrifice by naming the chapel after them.
The dedication also served as a day to celebrate the 12-year transformative journey of the Crystal Cathedral into Christ Cathedral, a major center of Catholic worship for the West Coast.
“From the very beginning, it was determined that St. Callistus parish, the community out of which Christ Cathedral was born, would be forever honored by the presence of a chapel in the undercroft of the cathedral,” said Fr. Christopher Smith, rector emeritus of the cathedral. “This chapel would be forever known as the St. Callistus chapel and, as we said over the years, that through the presence of this chapel the name St. Callistus now will always be part of the name Christ Cathedral.”
MISSIONARY IMAGE MAKES INAUGURAL O.C. VISIT
On Nov. 1, the Missionary Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe made its first-ever visit to the Diocese of Orange with a visit at Christ Cathedral.
The Image later traveled to other parishes and sites, including Orange County’s juvenile hall and St. Jude Medical Center.
The Missionary Image is a Catholic Church-authorized digital image of the original Guadalupe tilma that dates to 1531 and is displayed above the main altar at the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. Like the original tilma, the Missionary Image has been associated with miraculous phenomena, such as doctors hearing a human heartbeat where the Virgin Mary carries the Christ Child and reports of oil dripping from the Image.
“The message of Our Lady of Guadalupe is powerful,” said the Very Rev. Al Baca, episcopal vicar for the Diocese’s Office of Ecumenism and Inter-religion, which sponsored the tour. “Back in 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared during a time of upheaval and division, of conflict between two different civilizations. She identified herself with the Indigenous through their dress, customs and language, Nahuatl. Her message was simple: ‘Am I not your mother?’”
MILESTONES AND ANNIVERSARIES
Each year, various parishes and other entities in the Diocese celebrate anniversaries.
For 2024, one of the biggest was the centennial for La Purísima parish in Orange. Founded in 1924 as a mission parish, La Purísima celebrated its 100th birthday on Dec. 7. The culturally diverse parish is a tight-knit family with rich history and equally strong representation from its Anglo, Hispanic, Filipino and Vietnamese communities. The centennial featured a procession around the church, trilingual Mass celebrated by all three bishops, music performances and dances.
On the other end of O.C., Our Lady Queen of Angels Catholic School celebrated 60 years with a fall festival and games on Sept. 29. The Newport Beach school was founded in 1964 with 140 students grades one through four. Today, it is TK through eighth grade for about 460 students
In addition, Catholic Charities Auxiliary, a women’s group that assists Catholic Charities of Orange County, heralded 50 years of service. A milestone moment was their annual Inspirational Catholic Women Benefit Dinner, themed as “Heart of Mary,” on May 10.
IN MEMORIAM
Sr. Iluminada Soto, O.S.F. died on July 22 at the age of 106. She was the oldest member of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters. Originally from the Mexican state of Michoacán, she had been living at the St. Francis Home for the Aged in Santa Ana since 1978. Her 81 dedicated years of service to her order included 15 postings, from Honduras to El Salvador and the United States. Her roles included serving as a catechist, religious formator and faith development coordinator for a youth group.
Fr. Enrique “Ric” Sera, the first priest ordained in 1978 in what was then a two-year-old Diocese of Orange, died on Sept. 17. The Cuba-born 73-year-old spent 44 years in ministry. Fr. Sera’s final assignment was at St. Mary’s in Fullerton, where he served as pastor from 2014 to 2022. There, he ministered to many parishioners and mentored seminarian interns.