September 17, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Please know that you have been in my prayers over these past few weeks as you say goodbye to Fr. Philip and wait for me to come as the temporary administrator. I also ask that you continue to pray for Fr. Philip as he begins his ministry at Sts. Simon and Jude Church; I am sure he will be a great blessing to the people of Huntington Beach. A little bit about myself: I am an only child of two only children and was raised in Huntington Beach. After graduating High School I entered St. John’s Seminary College, and four years later, St. John’s Seminary (both in Camarillo, CA) where I studied theology for four years. As I priest I served at St. Hedwig in Los Alamitos, Our Lady of Fatima, St. Catherine of Siena, and then as pastor of St. Mary’s in Fullerton and St. Boniface in Anaheim. I was then asked, after consultation with all the priests of the diocese, to be the vicar for priests, caring for our priests and supporting their ministry. On January 17, 2017 I was blessed to be ordained a bishop and have been honored to serve as one of the auxiliary bishops here in our diocese. Having served at Our Lady of Fatima in San Clemente and then being moved to St. Catherine of Siena in Laguna Beach, I felt like I skipped over St. Edward’s so am delighted to be able to finally serve in this vibrant community. For decades St. Edward’s has rightly had the reputation of being a strong, active and generous faith community. I look forward to getting to know you and to support the good work that you are doing for the Lord. The plan is that I will be with you until the end of June, at which time you will receive your new pastor. Please be patient with me as I will be balancing my responsibilities here with my responsibilities at the Diocese. My present plan is to be at the parish on weekends as well as one or two weekdays each week. I am grateful to Frs. Aristotle and Mauro who are already collaborating with me to ensure that you receive the best priestly support and ministry possible. I look forward to getting to know you, Bishop Tim Freyer

Thank You

As I leave St. Edward the Confessor and San Felipe de Jesús, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to God and to you for the past 4½ years. My assignment here came as an unexpected blessing in December of 2018, and now you and I will make the transition to new blessings. As I wrote to you last week, every moment can be a moment of grace. I thank the Lord for his many blessings, and I consider you to be a great blessing in my life. Let’s continue to pray for each other, and let’s never lose sight of our calling to be saints: faithful, loving disciples of Jesus Christ.

Celebrate, Serve, and Evangelize: St. Edward the Confessor and San Felipe de Jesús do these things well, and I hope to keep this threefold vision in my life as I move on to Saints Simon and Jude parish. Thank you for the years we have had together; thank you for your kindness to me; thank you for all the ways in which you continue to build the Kingdom of God in this wonderful place. The Eucharist, Source and Summit of the Christian life, will keep us united in the Lord, and it will be my joy to include you in my Masses.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances. (1 Thess. 5:16-18)

Gratefully Yours,

Keeping in Touch

As you know, one of the challenges of moving is the increased physical distance that will separate us from the friends we have come to know and cherish. Although I will not be far away—specifically, at Saints Simon and Jude parish in Huntington Beach—we all know that life goes on and each of us must “bloom where we are planted.” That being said, I would like to give you a couple of ways to stay in touch with me if you desire to do so. One way to be in touch is through my personal email: fatherphilip@aol.com (notice that “father” is spelled out, not abbreviated, and “philip” has only one “l”). Another way is my personal phone number: 714.673.9272. Whether we remain in touch or not, I do hope we will continue to pray for each other. Prayer can span any geographical distance!

The new administrator of St. Edward the Confessor and San Felipe de Jesús will be Bishop Tim Freyer. I am happy for him, as he will be joining one of the finest parishes in the diocese. I have no doubt that you will make him feel welcomed and supported. As I told the parish staff when I first met them on December 6, 2018, every moment can be a moment of grace. Let’s tap into the graces of the present moment and continue along the path to sainthood. That’s the reason we are here, and that will assure all of us a joyful reunion in the place that knows no “good byes.”

Gratefully Yours,