The annual event at the Mission San Juan Capistrano returns this month to illuminate the historical landmark.
GOOD KING WENCESLAS: A STORY OF COMPASSION
The live theater production of the story was presented for free on Dec. 6 at the St. Joseph Center in Orange.
10 9 HEAR THEM ROAR!
14
JSerra’s flag football team were unstoppable with a perfect season, winning the CIF SS Division 1 championship.
THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON
St. Hedwig eighth graders held a toy drive to support the Families Forward organization.
REJOICE, REJOICE!
Today is Gaudete Sunday, the day for rejoicing. Jesus has nearly arrived!
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT
The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840
Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com
SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT
Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams Art Director: Ryann Beveridge
Delivered weekly to parishes and homes throughout Orange County, Calif., Orange County Catholic is published by SCNG Custom Content, a division of Southern California News Group that offers content development and design expertise to businesses and nonprofit institutions. The Orange County Catholic editorial staff and editorial council are responsible for the content contained herein. Events and products advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG Custom Content.
If you would like to share a photo of your Rosary Beads with our readers, please send a photo and brief description.
Include your name and parish to: editor@occatholic.com
Rosary Beads
NATIVITY SCENE
READER CALL-OUT
This image is what we have learned and are reminded of in the timeless teachings of Christ. — Charles Rivera, St. Polycarp Parish in Stanton. If you would like to share a photo of your Nativity Scene with our readers, please send a photo and brief description (include your name and parish) to: Editor@ occatholic.com C
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
NUMBERS 24:2-7, 15-17A; PSALM 25:4-5AB, 6 AND 7BC, 8-9; MATTHEW 21:23-27
“ Religions and interreligious dialogue can make a fundamental contribution to fostering a climate of peace.”
— Pope Leo XIV
VIRGINIA CENTURIONE BRACELLI
BY CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE
SAINT PROFILE
UNABLE TO PERSUADE HER parents that she had a religious vocation, Virginia was married at age 15 to the son of another notable Italian family. But he gambled, lived dissolutely and died after only five years. Virginia, despite her unhappiness in the marriage, nursed him at the end. She vowed to live celibately thereafter, bringing up her two daughters and caring for abandoned children, especially girls. She founded several schools and the Sisters of Our Lady of the Refuge on Mount Calvary. She was canonized in her hometown, Genoa, in 2003. C
TUESDAY
ZEPHANIAH 3:1-2, 9-13; PSALM 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 AND 23; MATTHEW 21:2832
WEDNESDAY
GENESIS 49:2, 8-10; PSALM 72:12, 3-4AB, 7-8, 17; MATTHEW 1:1-17
THURSDAY
JEREMIAH 23:5-8; PSALM 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19; MATTHEW 1:18-25
FRIDAY
JUDGES 13:2-7, 24-25A; PSALM 71:3-4A, 5-6AB, 16-17; LUKE 1:5-25
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
SATURDAY
ISAIAH 7:10-14; PSALM 24:1-2, 3-4AB, 5-6; LUKE 1:26-38
SUNDAY
ISAIAH 7:10-14; PSALM 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; ROMANS 1:1-7; MATTHEW 1:18-24
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLES RIVERA
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR CATHOLICS
CHRIST CATHEDRAL SHOP’S TOP PICKS
BY GREG MELLEN
AFTER TROLLING MALLS
looking for parking, enduring Black Friday madness and hunting for the latest action figure, Labubu or Squishmallow toy, it is easy to be exhausted by the Christmas shopping season.
However, for those looking for a more leisurely, not to mention reflective, “reason-for-the-season” outing, the Christ Cathedral Shop has your Catholic Christmas gift list covered.
The gift shop offers everything from gorgeous locally produced art, hand-crafted statuary and jewelry, to modest Green Scapulars and Blessed Heart badges, to Rosaries (both simple and elegant) and crucifixes. There’s also books — lots of books. The shop caters to those looking for an alternative to a typical consumer-driven holiday experience.
As a book and gift shop, owner Steve Peters said the Christ Cathedral Shop fulfills two major thrusts of Catholicism: evangelism and education through the books; and devotion and reflection through the artifacts.
The attentive staff at the Christ Cathedral Shop is on hand to guide you to the perfect religious gifts for family and friends. Located near the entrance on the first floor of the Richard H. Pickup Cultural Center on the Christ Cathedral campus, the store is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
Betty Arnold, Vivian Gomez and Danielle Tayabas are among the staff on hand to help guide you to unique gifts or
let you browse at your leisure.
“It’s a one-stop shop,” said Betty Arnold, who has managed the shop since it opened on the Cathedral Campus in 2019. “We get a lot of people looking for gifts. A lot looking for inspiration.”
As Christmas approaches, interest in seasonal gifts is growing. The shop is also seeing a steady stream of visitors from the new $5 million Shroud of Turin museum upstairs.
Visitors to the shop are greeted both by Christmas gifts, such as lighted trees, Nativity scenes and ornaments, as well as museum artifacts, kitchen magnets, t-shirts and original items from Turin, Italy.
Betty Arnold, whose husband, Matthew, is founder of Pro Multis Media, said he created much of the art and souvenir items sold by the museum at the store.
Betty Arnold is also an artist whose handmade and decorated scarves are on sale.
The shop features numerous gifts that are one-of-a-kind by talented local artists and artisans and sold only at the store.
There are stunning paintings and artwork from talented local iconographers, such as Daniel and Viviana Cervantes, who have been painting original and commissioned religious art for the past decade.
There is also jewelry, some in sterling silver, again locally crafted from various cultures such as Vietnamese and Latino. This jewelry includes beautiful crucifixes and renditions of Our Lady of Guadalupe and replicas of the statue from the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine at Christ Cathedral.
“You won’t find these anywhere else,” Betty Arnold said.
The same is true of some of the wide array of Rosaries at the shop, which Betty Arnold said are the shop’s best sellers because of the variety of events for which they make appropriate gifts, such as baptisms, first communions, confir-
PAULETTE MASKERINO AND KYLE FARRO PAUSE FOR A PHOTO AS THEY BROWSE ROSARIES AT THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL SHOP.
DANIELLE TAYABAS, LEFT, BETTY ARNOLD AND VIVIAN GOMEZ SHOWCASE SOME OF THE NEW ITEMS ON DISPLAY AT THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL SHOP, LOCATED NEAR THE ENTRANCE ON THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE RICHARD H. PICKUP CULTURAL CENTER ON THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
FEATURE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
mations and holidays.
Near the cash register are Rosaries made with onyx, quartz and wood made by Matthew Peters, son of Steve Peters.
And then there are the books, which occupy roughly the back half of the store. From the latest best sellers to children’s books, to pope biographies, to Catholic Bibles in English and Spanish, there are about 8,000 titles according to Steve Peters.
“We try to carry something for everybody,” he said. “We want to be clearly Catholic but also have something for everybody.”
The Peters family has been selling Catholic books and merchandise for more than 30 years. The late Tom Peters and his wife, Joanne, who is still active in the business, opened Catholic Books and Gifts in 1994 in Fountain Valley before adding the Christ Cathedral Shop to their roster.
Steve Peters, a long-time parishioner in the diocese, said his mom wrote a letter to Bishop Vann congratulating
him on Christ Cathedral and adding as a “by-the-way” that her family would be delighted to run a Catholic gift shop on campus.
Since then it has been a growing success.
“We’ve grown busier ever since,” said Steve Peters, estimating 10 to 15 percent growth annually.
To Betty Arnold this time of year has a special place in her heart.
“I love Christmas with the trees,” she said, not to mention the Christmas music which the shop held off playing until Black Friday.
As much as the staff enjoys the sales, the interactions with customers are equally valued.
“Everybody comes in joyful,” said Betty Arnold, who enjoys educating and evangelizing with interested shoppers. “They are searching for Christ and meaning, and we can help bring it to them.”
“We’re shepherds,” added Gomez. Or, as Tayabas put it, “the greatest gifts are spiritual.” C
THE MANAGER OF THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL SHOP, STEVE PETERS, CENTER, POSES WITH HIS STAFF: VIVIAN GOMEZ, DANIELLE TAYABAS, BETTY ARNOLD AND MATTHEW ARNOLD. PHOTOS BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL SHOP OFFERS ABOUT 8,000 BOOK TITLES, INCLUDING CHILDREN’S BOOKS AND POPE BIOGRAPHIES.
CELEBRATE THE SEASON AT HISTORIC MISSION SAN JUAN WITH CAPISTRANO LIGHTS: MISSION IN LIGHTS
BY MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO STAFF
CAPISTRANO LIGHTS: Mission in Lights returns to scenic Mission San Juan Capistrano on select dates between Dec. 19 and 30. A special opening night ceremony will take place on Friday, Dec. 19, beginning at 4:50 p.m. with the tree lighting at 5:05 p.m. The new holiday programming dates are held in anticipation of the Mission’s 250th anniversary celebrations beginning in early 2026.
An annual holiday tradition, Capistrano Lights: Mission in Lights features a nightly musical Christmas tree lighting, Dickens-era carolers, full-scale Nativity scene, selfies with Santa (through Dec. 23), live holiday performances, light features and activities for children.
Community Christmas trees and family wreaths will be displayed throughout the historic landmark along with prayer candles, a 10-foot Christmas wreath for photos, family crafts, refreshments by 3:16 Bakery Shop and
wine and beer offerings by Rancho Capistrano Winery and Mission Brewing on select days. Other highlights are the path of remembrance, lighted California poppy garden and halo grove, scented citrus garden and large-scale butterflies in the Mission’s beautiful Central Courtyard.
Event dates and tickets are now available at www.capistranolights.com with special pricing for Mission members.
Capistrano Lights tickets include allday Mission admission between 10 a.m.
and 7 p.m. and multi-language Capistrano Lights audio tour with the Gospel and The Night Before Christmas readings. The holiday programming takes place between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. with the tree lighting and music program at 5:05 p.m.
All proceeds help to protect the religious and historic significance of California's historic landmark No. 200, Mission San Juan Capistrano and further educational programs, exhibits and preservation efforts. C
MISSION VIEJO RESIDENTS CAROLINE KAHF, STEVE GOOLD, LINDA GOOLD, CREW KAHF, USAMA KAHF AND ELIZABETH KAHF, FROM LEFT, SIT WITH SANTA IN THE CENTRAL COURTYARD AT MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO DURING CAPISTRANO LIGHTS ON DEC. 7, 2024.
MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO GUESTS STROLL THROUGH THE GROUNDS AS THEY CHECK OUT ELABORATE AND COLORFUL LIGHT DISPLAYS DURING THE OPENING NIGHT OF THE 8TH ANNUAL MISSION LIGHTS ON DEC. 7, 2024. PHOTOS BY JEFF ANTENORE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
GOOD KING WENCESLAS: A STORY OF COMPASSION
BY BRITNEY ZINT
FOR ROBERT CHOINIERE, what started as a small idea — offering live theater to Catholic schoolchildren — ended up serving more than 300,000 students around New York with a theater education.
Now here in Orange County, Choiniere’s small idea is back with the promise to once again have far-reaching effects. Choiniere, the executive director of ministries for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, is producing Good King Wenceslas, the same Christmas show that launched his theater education program back on the East Coast.
Based on the story of the person today known as the patron saint of the Czech state, Good King Wenceslas had one free public performance on Dec. 6 at the St. Joseph Center Auditorium in Orange.
Other private performances are scheduled in December for an estimated 1,600 local Catholic schoolchildren from kindergarten through fifth grade.
“I really think this is a beginning,” Choiniere said. “That’s what started this whole thing. We said, ‘Let’s do a show and see
find the little bits where we can play and hopefully make the audience burst into laughter.”
The play — which focuses on generosity and selfishness, guilt and forgiveness — aligns perfectly with the Sisters of St. Joseph charism that reconciles love, a love that unites people together and breaks down barriers, Choiniere said.
“It doesn’t matter what you have or don’t have,” he added. “It doesn’t matter what color you are. It doesn’t matter where you come from. We are all just people and we are meant to be in good relationships with each other, so in that way I think it’s directly applicable to this. It is in the Sisters’ charism, live onstage.”
conversations with local Catholic school principals about starting new residency programs.
Theater teaches children many skills, starting with showing up, Choiniere said. They also learn public speaking, movement and how to be comfortable in their bodies. Plus, it gives students a different way to learn: a way for struggling students to connect, he noted.
“It’s also just about being comfortable with who they are and the creativity that’s deep within them, which I believe is from the Holy Spirit,” Choiniere said.
“It’s a great gift and we need to create a space for that creativity to come out.”
what happens.’ So, I just pulled the same show, Good King Wenceslas, and said, ‘Let’s see what happens.’”
Director Bruce Goodrich decided to take on the three-actor production after being intrigued by how humorous it was. It’s almost vaudevillian how Good King Wenceslas plays out, he noted. Even though it’s children’s theater, Goodrich explained, their approach is to present it as honestly and upfront as possible.
“I knew the carol, and I knew the story and what it meant,” Goodrich said. “It absolutely tells you the story you need to be told: It’s about charity and goodwill, goodwill towards men and being selfless, and all these important qualities of just being human. Whether you are faith-based or not, these are important qualities of just humanness.”
Despite the serious moral lessons of the play, Goodrich and the three actors have been taking every opportunity to find more humor and nuance in the 50-minute script.
“Bruce has been really great in his direction,” said actor Judy Martinez, who plays the role of the king’s page. “He lets us
So schools could come to the play, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange donated and raised $12,000 in grants. Not having transportation money is oftentimes the biggest financial barrier holding students back from going on field trips.
Choiniere’s theater idea started when he was serving as the director of pastoral planning for the Diocese of Brooklyn. What began with the first show in 2006 spread to become a theater arts curriculum with actor residencies in 80 Catholic schools around New York.
Choiniere said he has already had
Visiting the theater is also a magical experience, said actor Mallory Kerwin, who plays several of the parts, including Queen Wenceslas.
“When children come and see theater for the first time, second, third or fifth time, if they can take away a message that’s great,” Kerwin said. “If they can just take away the magic of live theater and what that can be — that can be a part of your life as a hobby, career, emotional outlet, support system — to build community and to build family. There’s so much you can draw from the experience.” C
MALLORY KERWIN, LEFT, AND DANE HOBRECHT REHEARSE A SCENE FROM THE PRODUCTION OF GOOD KING WENCESLAS ON NOV. 26. PHOTOS BY SCOTT SMELTZER/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
MALLORY KERWIN, LEFT, DANE HOBRECHT AND JUDY MARTINEZ, RIGHT, REHEARSE A SCENE FROM THE PRODUCTION OF GOOD KING WENCESLAS.
HEAR THEM ROAR!
BY LOU PONSI
THE JSERRA FLAG FOOTBALL team stepped onto the field 28 times this season.
And 28 times, the Lions walked off as winners.
JSerra’s crowning achievement to cap its perfect 28-0 season came in a 25-20 victory over Orange Lutheran to capture the CIF SS Division 1 championship on Nov. 8 at El Modena High School.
The Lions trailed, 20-19, with six minutes remaining in the game, drove down the field and scored the go-ahead touchdown with one minute remaining.
Orange Lutheran took possession and drove to the 2-yard line when the Lions forced an incompletion on fourth down in the final seconds to preserve the victory.
“I remember we were all so excited, hugging everyone,” said junior Avery Olson, who defended the intended receiver
on the final play. “That feeling that we were able to hold them off and have a goal line stand there for the last couple seconds. That was super, super remarkable.”
The Lions finished the season as the No.1 ranked team in state and in the nation according to multiple polls.
Looking back to where the Lions started in 2023, when flag football became an official CIF Southern Section sport, the perfect season becomes much more incredible.
The Lions went from 7-8 in 2023, to
20-7 in 2024 and losing in the opening round of the CIF SS playoffs before finishing the 2025 season an unblemished record and a championship plaque for the trophy case.
Coach Brian Ong attributes the improvement from season to season to multiple factors, but most importantly it was about establishing a winning culture and getting his players to buy into that culture.
“The girls have dedicated themselves to flag football, to studying in the film room and just giving a tremendous effort on the field,” Ong said. “You start in the summertime and you're not playing any games, but I feel like that's where championships are won. And in the offseason, the girls do a ton of work.”
Ong also said he is fortunate to have “phenomenal athletes,” including four freshmen who made an immediate impact.
One of those freshmen was quarterback Kate Meier, who threw 59 touchdown passes this season.
Meier had been on the verge of attending Corona del Mar but chose JSerra after taking a tour of the school.
And some teammates from Meier ’s Friday Night Lights youth team followed
her to JSerra.
“I thought it was really nice to have kind of that connection already going into it and it gave me some confidence knowing that there were other freshmen on varsity,” Meier said. “And then the juniors were super welcoming. They definitely just took us under their wings, and they treated us as though we had been here as long as they were. They showed us a lot of respect, which I appreciate.”
Among those freshmen was receiver Ava Irwin, who had 27 touchdown catches for the season, including two in the championship game.
Meier and some teammates point to a subpar performance in a pre-season scrimmage against Trabuco Hills that served as motivation for the rest of the season.
“And it was really bad,” Meier said. “So, we made this group chat, and we called it ‘Trabuco L’ because we lost to them. And I think that was kind of a reminder of where we started. As we worked our way through the season, everyone's connections got better. So, I think it was a big learning process at the beginning and about halfway through the season is when we really had our tempo and knew what we wanted.” C
COACH BRIAN ONG HOLDS THE CHAMPIONSHIP PLAQUE. PHOTOS COURTESY OF JSERRA FLAG FOOTBALL
JSERRA CAPPED ITS PERFECT 28-0 SEASON WITH A WIN OVER ORANGE LUTHERAN TO CAPTURE THE CIF SS DIVISION 1 CHAMPIONSHIP ON NOV. 8.
THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON
ST. HEDWIG EIGHTH GRADERS HOLD TOY DRIVE
BY MIKE ZINN
ACORE VIRTUE OF Catholic school education is giving back to others in need. This long-lasting virtue is consistently on display at St. Hedwig School in Los Alamitos. The school's 2025 eighthgrade toy drive fundraiser will benefit Families Forward, an Irvine-based organization, during the Christmas season.
Families Forward is a nonprofit founded in 1984. Sarah Ecsedy, a St. Hedwig middle school Religion teacher, first became aware of Families Forward when she and her family became involved in the Back-to-School Backpack and Christmas Toy Drive programs.
Recently, Ecsedy began having general conversations with eighth graders about Christmas. These conversations prompted her to contact Families Forward about
getting involved. Ecsedy called this year's eighth-grade class “very service-oriented” and the toy drive seemed like a good fit for this year's class project.
The 55 eighth-grade students were divided into teams of three of four. The initial task was to prepare a slideshow for all TK through seventh-grade classes to explain the toy drive and how it would work.
The teams created a flyer for students to take home to their parents, and the individual classes made posters to decorate their classrooms and hallways, promoting the program. Each class also decorated a large box to hold all the gifts they would
be gathering for the Families Forward children.
Approximately 500 St. Hedwig School students participated in this program, exemplifying the idea of kids helping kids.
“It’s an opportunity to educate younger students on how blessed they are and that many children don't have all the advantages they have,” said Ecsedy. “Projects such as the toy drive will be an annual opportunity to build a community of giving and service to others within the class and amongst the school.”
The drive concluded on Dec. 5, with over 1,500 toys collected. Ecsedy and
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
some volunteers will deliver the toys to the Families Forward location in Irvine.
The eighth graders have many fond memories of this year’s drive.
“I loved spending time with my classmates, visiting classrooms to motivate the students and counting the toys,” shared Miriam Paul.
Classmate Finn Mehigan added, “It’s just so crazy that with a little bit of our time, so many kids will get to have a wonderful Christmas.”
Sydney Walters shared that the toy drive strengthens her faith and reminded her “not to take anything for granted.”
Eighth-graders Parker
Christman-Kelley and Tiger Tsai also reflected.
“It's cool to see how the whole school came together,” said Christman-Kelley.
Tsai added, “Speaking with little kids about helping others warmed my heart.”
Ecsedy summed up what this program means to the entire class by referencing 1 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” C
Giáo Hội gây ra, xin hãy gọi và báo cáo cho Giáo phận ở số điện thoại miễn phí sau đây: 1-800-364-3064, và đồng thời báo cáo cho nhà chức trách địa phương.
본당내의 성적학대 신고
성직자나 성당 사목을 대표하는
A TOTAL OF 1,519 TOYS WERE COLLECTED THIS SEASON BY ST. HEDWIG STUDENTS FOR CHILDREN IN NEED. PHOTOS COURTESY OF ST. HEDWIG SCHOOL
HELPED KIDS THIS CHRISTMAS SEASON, AS SEEN BY ST. HEDWIG SCHOOL’S TOY DRIVE FUNDRAISER.
AUGURI, SIGNOR FERRUCCI
LONGTIME CATHOLIC PHILANTHROPIST GABRIEL FERRUCCI RECEIVES ORDER OF THE STAR OF ITALY
BY GREG HARDESTY
GABRIEL
FERRUCCI IS running out of room in his home to display the numerous awards he’s received over the decades as a self-made businessman, philanthropist and supporter of education as well as the Diocese of Orange and the Catholic Church. He’s not worried about where to put his latest accolade. It holds a permanent place in his heart.
On Nov. 8, the Hon. Raffaella Valentini, consul general of Italy in Los Angeles, bestowed upon Ferrucci the title of Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia (Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy) in front of more than 40 guests, including Bishop Kevin Vann.
The high-level civilian distinction, conferred by Italian head of state Sergio Macarella, the country’s president, represents a particular honor on behalf of Italians abroad or foreigners who have acquired special merit in the promotion of friendly relations and collaboration between Italy and other countries.
“This honor is especially meaningful for me, because it acknowledges my uninterrupted interest in promoting business and developing healthy relationships between Italy and the U.S.,” said Ferrucci, who grew up in Amorosi, a small town near Naples, before immigrating to the U.S. in 1957 to join his fellow Italian immigrant wife, Maria, in New Haven, Conn.
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS
Speaking no English and with no money, Gabriel started working in construction, then in a machine shop — all the while teaching himself English by reading newspapers and a dictionary and watching TV news.
He later took accounting courses in college.
He and Maria, whose first job was in a dress factory, eventually were able to build an extraordinary life for themselves and their son Joseph and daughters Rina and Anna.
“Our sacrifices, especially during the early years in America, were very challenging,” Ferrucci recalled, “but with our trust in God similarly to when we lived in Italy before, the challenges did not seem insurmountable to us then.”
The Ferruccis relocated to Southern California in 1983.
Valentini, in her remarks at the Nov. 8 dinner celebration, called Ferrucci’s story “one that beautifully embodies the Italian spirit of resilience, ingenuity and generosity.”
Added the consul general: “Here in our large country, Mr. Ferrucci has long been a central figure in the Italian community, someone whose warmth and generosity have touched so many lives…. You have honored Italy not only through your professional excellence, but through your devotion to our shared heritage and values.”
A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENTS
Federico Pacchioni, Ph.D., a professor of Italian Studies at Chapman University, also spoke at the celebration. He is founding director of the Ferrucci Institute for Italian Experience and Research, made possible by a gift from its namesake in 2023.
Pacchioni detailed some of Ferrucci’s achievements that supported him receiving the Star of Italy.
When Ferrucci was 20 and still living in Italy, the Provincial Department of Agriculture selected him to teach modern agricultural methods to young farmers throughout the region.
“In many ways,” Pacchioni said, “that was Gabriel’s first act as a bridge-builder: helping others adapt to change through education,
ON NOV. 8, GABRIEL FERRUCCI WAS AWARDED THE TITLE OF CAVALIERE DELL'ORDINE DELLA STELLA D'ITALIA (KNIGHT OF THE ORDER OF THE STAR OF ITALY) IN FRONT OF MORE THAN 40 GUESTS, INCLUDING BISHOP KEVIN VANN. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
GABRIEL FERRUCCI (CENTER) IS WITH FR. MICHAEL ST. PAUL, PASTOR OF HOLY TRINITY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LADERA RANCH, AND MSGR. STEPHEN DOKTORCZYK.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12
translating tradition into progress.”
After earning a degree in accounting from Quinnipiac University, Ferrucci rose through the ranks of American industry, starting at Raybestos Manhattan Inc., which made products including brakes and clutches.
In the mid-1970s, Ferrucci worked closely with Gardella, an engineering firm in Genoa, to oversee the design of a groundbreaking manufacturing process for producing environmentally safe asbestos products.
The process was the first of its kind to comply with government regulations and a true feat of engineering that united Italian ingenuity with American ambition, with most of the components sourced from Italy.
“Tonight, we recognize the lasting lesson Mr. Ferrucci teaches us: that the most powerful bridges are built not of steel or stone, but of hope, courage and love — the very materials that shaped Gabriel's
remarkable life,” Pacchioni said.
SPECIAL PAPAL BLESSING
In Southern California, Ferrucci acquired a small machine shop, Keystone Engineering, and transformed it into a leading maker of precision parts for military applications, space exploration and later for satellites.
He was credited with leading the design of the first machine of its kind that produced fuel tanks for space launch vehicles.
He sold Keystone Engineering in 1998 and turned his full attention to the Catholic Church and to the promotion of Italian art, music, and values on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ferrucci’s beloved Maria died in 2021.
To mark the occasion of Ferrucci receiving the Star of Italy title, Msgr. Stephen Doktorczyk helped arrange a surprise apostolic blessing upon Ferrucci of “an abundance of divine graces” from Pope Leo.
Msgr. Doktorczyk, former vicar general of the Diocese of Orange who is
on loan as canon lawyer for the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, D.C., travelled all the way from the nation’s capital for the event and returned to D.C. immediately after the dinner.
“It is right and just that Mr. Ferrucci be recognized for his many concrete actions
not only to preserve the Italian language and culture in the United States, but to promote it,” Msgr. Doktorczyk said. Bishop Vann presented Ferrucci with the plaque of the papal blessing. Ferrucci continues to search for a place in his home to display it. C
GABRIEL FERRUCCI IS PICTURED WITH THE HON. RAFFAELLA VALENTINI, CONSUL GENERAL OF ITALY IN LOS ANGELES, AND BISHOP KEVIN VANN. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
GABRIEL FERRUCCI RECEIVED A SPECIAL PAPAL BLESSING FROM POPE LEO XIV.
REJOICE, REJOICE!
BY REBEKAH VALDERRAMA
DEC. 14 IS GAUDETE Sunday, which means “Rejoice” Sunday in Latin. There are less than two weeks until Christmas. Jesus is coming! Rejoice!
The coming of the promised Messiah to redeem the world should bring joy to everyone.
But it didn't. Not in His day.
The Pharisees feared someone unveiling their hypocrisy.
The Romans feared someone fomenting rebellion to their authority.
Even His own disciples were disappointed at first that He wasn't going to overthrow their worldly oppressors like they had imagined.
They all only wanted a savior on their own terms, one they could control, one who wouldn't challenge them, demand anything of them or shake their self-image. It's easy to rejoice when people agree with you.
In today's Gospel, Jesus quotes Isaiah to the disciples of John the Baptist: "Go and tell John what you hear and see:
'The blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.'
And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.” (Matthew 11:4b-6)
So of course, the only ones who took no offense, who could truly rejoice at the Messiah's coming without holding back, were the blind, lame, lepers, deaf and poor. Those who were willing to admit that they needed healing and were willing to accept change in their lives.
Now it's 2025, and we're quickly approaching Christmas. Shopping, wrapping, baking. Enjoying movies and cocoa in front of the fire with our loved ones, caroling. Tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy!
But why are we rejoicing today? What are we rejoicing in? Gifts, food and a vacation from work? Or the coming of a savior who frees us from slavery to sin and asks us to accept healing from our spiritual blindness, deafness, sickness and poverty?
I think often it's the former. We're so busy enjoying
who challenges us? Who might be asking something of us that we weren't expecting? Are we ready to let Jesus change our lives?
He was born 2,000 years ago but He's still here among us, in the faces of the blind, the lame and the poor. We're being asked to humble ourselves, die to ourselves and become poor in spirit so that we can take no offense in Him. Take Him at His own face value and let His will guide us in surprising ways.
And rejoice! The kingdom He proclaims is not the one we expected, but He is there to guarantee that no step taken in His service will be in vain. Trust is hard, but He never fails us.
As Christmas approaches and we prepare our homes to celebrate the birth of Christ, I pray that we may all prepare our hearts to welcome the Christ child as well and allow Him to transform our lives in new and surprising ways. C
the comfort that we fail to evaluate the joy. All the trappings of Christmas do remind us that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” That something special happened in that stable in Bethlehem. The Son of God humbled Himself and incarnated as a man to rescue us from our sins and make us holy. But it might involve uncomfortable change. The apostles let their lives be changed so dramatically that they died for the Gospel.
Are we willing to let our lives be changed by the coming of the Messiah? It might get messy. After all, He said, “I have come to bring not peace but the sword.” (Matthew 10:34)
Are we willing to rejoice in a Messiah
DIE ANBETUNG DER HIRTEN. THE MIRIAM AND IRA D. WALLACH DIVISION OF ART, PRINTS AND PHOTOGRAPHS: ART & ARCHITECTURE COLLECTION, THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY ON UNSPLASH
OC Catholic Afar
Long and Theresa Nguyen traveled to Rome in September during the Jubilee Year of Hope and visited many places while there. They traveled with Fr. Khởi Phan and a large group of about 50 people.
—Long Nguyen and Theresa Nguyen are parishioners of Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove.
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