OC CATHOLIC - NOVEMBER 19, 2023

November 19, 2023

SPECIAL TRIBUTE ISSUE

‘COME, LORD JESUS ’ THE LATE BISHOP TOD DAVID BROWN LIVED A LIFE OF FAITH, IMMERSED IN THE PRESENT BUT LOOKING WITH HOPE TO THE FUTURE

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NOVEMBER 19, 2023

CONTENTS

6 ‘COME, LORD JESUS’

Remembering Bishop Tod Brown and the way he touched our lives.

7 THANKSGIVING

As we move into the holiday season, we must give thanks for our blessings.

8 IN MEMORIAM

A photo tribute to Bishop Tod Brown’s long life of service.

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.

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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 Executive Editor: Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk Editor: Patricia Mahoney, editor@occatholic.com News Ideas: editor@occatholic.com Delivery Problems: occatholicsupport@occatholic.com

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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.

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DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

“

We must divest ourselves of the burdens that weigh us down and block our way — Pope Francis

BISHOP TOD BROWN’S COAT OF ARMS

SAINT PROFILE

”

NERSES I 333-373

N

■ Episcopal motto: “Come, Lord Jesus” from Revelation

ERSES WAS EDUCATED IN Cappadocia (Turkey) by St. Basil. He married and had a son (St. Isaac) before his wife died. After becoming an official at the Armenian court, he was ordained a priest. King Arshak chose him as patriarch of the Armenian Church. A reformer, he founded monasteries and built hostels for the poor and lepers. But he ran afoul of Arshak for his model of church governance and was banished when he shunned Arshak for murdering family members. He returned after Arshak’s death, but found King Pap even worse. Pap invited him to dinner and had him poisoned.

Nerses the Great has always been venerated as a martyr. C

22:20 ■ Half-moon representing the family crest of St. Francis Xavier ■ Mountains, representing the Santa Lucia coastal range, waves representing the Pacific Ocean, and the mission cross, representing St. Junipero Serra https://www.occatholic.com/bishop-tod-brown/C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 MC 1:10-15, 4143, 54-57, 62-63; PS 119:53, 61, 134, 150, 155, 158; LK 18:35-43

2 MC 6:18-31; PS 3:2-3, 4-5, 6-7; LK 19:1-10

2 MC 7:1, 20-31; PS 17:1BCD, 5-6, 8B AND 15; LK 19:1128

1 MC 2:15-29; 50:1B-2, 5-6, 1415; LK 19:41-44

1 MC 4:36-37, 52-59; 1 CHR 29:10BCD, 11ABC, 11D-12A, 12BCD; LK 19:45-48

1 MC 6:1-13; PS 9:2-3, 4 AND 6, 16 AND 19; LK 20:2740

EZ 34:11-12, 15-17; PS 23:1-2, 2-3, 5-6; 1 COR 15:2026, 28; MT 25:3146

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FEATURE

‘COME, LORD JESUS’ THE LATE BISHOP TOD DAVID BROWN LIVED A LIFE OF FAITH, IMMERSED IN THE PRESENT BUT LOOKING WITH HOPE TO THE FUTURE

BY GREG HARDESTY

A

FEW DAYS BEFORE HE passed away on Oct. 15, Bishop Emeritus Tod David Brown spent some time in his hospital room with Fr. Christopher Smith, rector emeritus of Christ Cathedral.

“Christopher,” a very weak Bishop Brown told his longtime friend and colleague, “when I make it through this, you’ll have to come to dinner.”

It was classic Bishop Brown, displaying his hallmark hospitality and hope.

Stories like this helped comfort hundreds of mourners at Bishop Tod’s vigil on Oct. 29 at Holy Family in Orange and the next day at his funeral Mass at Christ Cathedral, where some 1,500 congregants paid their respects to the man who led the Diocese of Orange during a transformative 14-year period until his retirement in 2012.

“Bishop Brown was the kind of person I just figured would always be around,” Fr. Christopher said, recalling the “steady, confident presence” of Bishop Brown, who died at St. Joseph Hospital at age 86.

LOVE OF FAMILY

Bishop Brown’s achievements are well documented and celebrated.

They include his decision to purchase the 34-acre former Crystal Cathedral property in Garden Grove and transform it into the county’s Catholic hub; taking unprecedented steps to help bring healing to those hurting from the sexual abuse crisis that unfolded in the early 2000s; hiring women to key diocesan

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leadership positions; and installing one of the nation’s first Hispanic bishops and the nation’s first Vietnamese bishop to better reflect the Diocese’s increasingly diverse Catholic population.

Bishop Brown, the third bishop of the Diocese of Orange, hired Sr. Katherine “Kit” Gray as chancellor of the Diocese when his tenure began in 1998.

“He lived life in the service of the Gospel,” Sr. Kit said at the vigil service.

She recalled his steadiness, groundedness and kindness.

Kevin Brown, the late bishop’s nephew, mourned the man he knew as Uncle Tod. “While part of me is heartbroken to be here mourning his loss,” Brown said, “I also find inspiration and hope in celebrating the full but humble life that he lived, so rich with purpose, love and joy.”

Love of family was central to Bishop Brown, who famously brought See’s Candies to family gatherings.

But his family extended to the church and the community.

A LASTING MEMORY

At Bishop Brown’s funeral Mass, which was preceded by recitations of the rosary in English, Spanish and Vietnamese, Bishop Vann recalled how the two met in the fall of 1981 when Bishop Vann was a newly ordained priest at the Casa Santa Maria in Rome studying Canon Law and Bishop Brown was on sabbatical.

“Your kindness has stayed with me to these very days,” Bishop Vann said, addressing his late friend as if in a letter to him.

One of Bishop Vann’s fondest memories is when he and Bishop Brown anointed the walls during the dedication of Christ Cathedral on July 17, 2019.

Fr. Christopher recalled that when Bishop Brown became a bishop, the motto he chose for his episcopal coat of arms was ‘Come, Lord Jesus!’

Said Fr. Christopher: “This motto gives us an insight into his perspective

O C C A T H O L I C ■ N O V E M B E R 19, 2 0 2 3

A FUNERAL MASS FOR BISHOP EMERITUS TOD BROWN WAS CELEBRATED AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON OCT. 30. PHOTO

BY EVERETT JOHNSON/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

in living his life of faith…. The invocation ‘Come Lord Jesus’ is exactly about paying attention to the present while looking with hope to the future.”

Msgr. Wilbur Davis, now retired and a priest in residence at Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach, was a long-

time friend of Bishop Brown.

“He gave so much of himself to us,” said Msgr. Davis, describing Bishop Brown as gentle, kind, thoughtful, clear minded, objective and strategic.

“Give thanks to God for the gift of CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Tod David Brown.”

FREQUENT FLIER

Like other speakers at the vigil and funeral Mass, Msgr. Davis mentioned Bishop Brown’s love of travel.

“Bishop Brown never turned down a boarding pass,” said Msgr. Davis, noting that Bishop Brown had traveled to Vietnam 27 times.

Bishop Brown came to Orange in 1998 after serving as bishop of the Diocese of Boise. He was ordained a priest on May 1, 1963, for the Diocese of Monterey-Fresno.

His resignation as bishop of Orange was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on Sept. 21, 2012, in accordance with Canon Law, which requires all bishops to offer their resignation to the pope upon reaching their 75th birthday.

His passing has “left an empty place,” Fr. Christopher said.

His life and stewardship of the Diocese of Orange, Fr. Christopher and others said, will never be forgotten.

“Bishop Tod’s ministry in Orange

CLOSE TO 1,500 FAMILY AND FRIENDS ATTEND THE FUNERAL OF BISHOP EMERITUS TOD BROWN CELEBRATED AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL ON OCT. 30.

PHOTO BY EVERETT JOHNSON/DIOCESE OF ORANGE CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

THANKSGIVING

BY SR. DIANE HEISS, SDSH

T

HANKSGIVING IS COMING, and even though we may have a variety of different family traditions and ways to celebrate, “thanks” needs to be included. There are as many ways to say “thank you” as there are languages, with the following being just a few: Thank you. Gracias. Danke.

Merci. Grazie. Tak. Salamat. Obrigado.

Kiitos. Dankjewel. We can also express our appreciation with a smile, a friendly nod, a kind gesture and so on. No matter how we choose to express our gratitude for favors received, though, it is necessary to do so.

Our Pilgrim forebears in our country understood this and after their initial and perilous winter, in 1621 they celebrated with a feast in gratitude to God for their first harvest, joined by the Native American Wampanoag people. Our early Presidents also knew the necessity and importance of giving thanks to God for the many blessings that we as a nation had received. On Oct. 3, 1789, President George Washington issued his Thanksgiving proclamation. President Abraham Lincoln, exactly 74 years later, issued a similar proclamation in which he set the last Thursday of November as a national day for giving thanks and praise.

As Catholic Christians, though, our Thanksgiving celebration did not begin just a few hundred years ago, but rather nearly 2,000 years earlier.

In Greek, the word for “Thank you” is Ευχαριστώ (Efcharistó) or Eucharist. Jesus celebrated the first Eucharist with his disciples at the Last Supper on the night before he died. Taking the bread, he blessed and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying: “TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND EAT OF IT, FOR THIS IS MY

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA SIMIONATO

BODY WHICH WILL BE GIVEN UP FOR YOU. … TAKE THIS, ALL OF YOU, AND DRINK OF IT, FOR THIS IS THE CHALICE OF MY BLOOD, … WHICH WILL BE POURED OUT FOR YOU …

FOR THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME.” This is how much Jesus loves each of us. Over 1500 years ago, St. Augustine stated “God loves each of us as though there were only one of us.” It is said that the deepest hunger of the human heart is to love and be loved. Jesus calls each of us “My Beloved” and longs to give us his very self in Holy Communion. Are we ready to respond to His love?

At Mass, each Preface begins with these or similar words: “It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Christ Our Lord.”

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving this Thursday, let’s not forget where our deepest gratitude and thanks belong, to our loving God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

For your family: ■ To help your heart begin to grasp

the enormity of God’s love for you, take some quiet time to pray with the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer of the Mass. Starting at the end of the Holy Holy, change all the plural words (e.g., we, him, them) to the first person (e.g., I, me, my). It will then sound something like this: “… you have fashioned me in your own image … you came in mercy to my aid … you did not abandon me … you so loved me, Father …”

■ Attend Mass together on Thanksgiving Day. If you are not able to receive Jesus in Holy Communion, make an Act of Spiritual Communion.

■ Prepare a special prayer service including a Litany of Thankfulness (e.g.

Thank you, Lord, for …)

■ Write “Thank You” cards to those who help or bring joy to your life, whom you don’t often appreciate: (teachers, co-workers, those in public service or medical personnel, librarians, neighbors the elderly) ■ Call or write to family members, telling what you appreciate about them.

■ Invite someone to join you who would otherwise be alone at Thanksgiving.

■ Let the family prepare Thanksgiving dinner together, and enjoy eating!C

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IN MEMORIAM

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O C C A T H O L I C ■ N O V E M B E R 19, 2 0 2 3

IN MEMORIAM

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DIOCESAN NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

was full of courageous, difficult and sometimes unpopular decisions,” Fr. Christopher said, adding later: “Remembering him, what are some difficult decisions that it is time for us to make now in our lives, in our families, in our diocese, in our presbyterate in our parishes, in our communities?”

Bishop Brown will be laid to rest in the St. Callistus Chapel and Crypts, which are being constructed beneath Christ Cathedral and are scheduled to be completed in 2024.

Until then, he will lie in rest at the Cathedral Memorial Gardens on the grounds of Christ Cathedral. C

FR. CHRISTOPHER SMITH, RECTOR EMERITUS OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL, SPEAKS AT BISHOP BROWN’S VIGIL MASS CELEBRATED ON OCT. 29. PHOTO BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

A FUNERAL MASS FOR BISHOP TOD BROWN WAS CELEBRATED ON OCT. 30 AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL. PHOTO BY EVERETT JOHNSON/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE

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O C C A T H O L I C ■ N O V E M B E R 19, 2 0 2 3

BISHOPS AND CLERGY PROCEED FROM BISHOP BROWN’S FUNERAL MASS CELEBRATED ON OCT. 30 AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL. PHOTO BY EVERETT JOHNSON/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

DIOCESAN NEWS

ON NOV. 7, CONGRESSMAN LUIS CORREA (CA-46) WAS ABLE TO TAKE TIME ON THE HOUSE FLOOR TO HONOR THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BISHOP BROWN

“T

ODAY I RISE to honor the lift of my good friend Bishop Emeritus Tod Brown who recently passed away at the age of 86.

Bishop Brown led our Diocese for 14 years and our community that is now 50% Roman Catholic.

Under his leadership, the Diocese more than dou-

bled in its membership and by the year 2012 there were more than 1.2 million Roman Catholics in Orange County, California.

In recognizing the diversity of our Church, Bishop Brown ordained the nation’s first Vietnamese Roman Catholic bishop in 2003 and one of the first Hispanic bishops in the United States in the year

2000.

On a personal note, Bishop Brown administered the first Communion to my children in the good old days.

Bishop Brown, you’re going to be remembered.

God Bless you, Bishop Brown, thank you my good friend, for all the good work you did.” C N O V E M B E R 19, 2 0 2 3 ■ O C C A T H O L I C

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IN LOVING MEMORY:

BISHOP EMERITUS TOD D. BROWN NOVEMBER 15, 1936 - OCTOBER 15, 2023

Rest in Peace, Bishop Emeritus Tod D. Brown. Thank you for being among the earliest supporters of the MD 2000 Capital Campaign and for continuing the cause of need based financial aid for students throughout the Diocese of Orange. Your legacy will continue to shine brightly in the halls of our campus and in the hearts of our students.

Thank You, Dear Friend For your life-long “yes” to God’s call and your service to our dear neighbors in Orange and beyond.

csjorange.org

The Ministry to Priests Office for the Diocese of Orange expresses heartfelt gratitude for Bishop Tod Brown’s vision and compassion, which have created a lasting legacy for our diocese. While his most visible contribution may be the Christ Cathedral campus, his early outreach to and support for victims of abuse stands out as a clear sign of his unwavering moral compass. It also challenges us to diligently uphold his Covenant with the Faithful and to strive for greater holiness and mercy.

In Loving Memory of Bishop Emeritus Tod D. Brown The community of JSerra Catholic High School extends our deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Bishop Tod D. Brown. We join together to celebrate the life of a man whose unwavering faith and dedication touched the lives of countless individuals.

Bishop Brown’s wisdom and compassion illuminated the diocese with grace and humility. His enduring commitment to education, faith, and community enriched the lives of students and families alike.

We are grateful for the blessings he brought into our lives and the legacy of love and faith he leaves behind.

Rest in peace, Bishop Tod D. Brown.

With heartfelt condolences,

The Community of JSerra Catholic High School Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he and all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Providence remembers

Bishop Emeritus Tod Brown for his legacy of service to the community. providence.org

Bishop Brown May you experience the reward of your labors.

Bishop Emeritus Tod David Brown In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brother, ROSARY Bishop ACADEMY Emeritus Tod David Brown.

In this life you embraced him with your tender love; deliver him now from every evil and bid him eternal rest.

The old order has passed away: welcome him into paradise, where there will be no sorrow,

QUARTER VERTICAL

4.89 IN. X 4.75 IN.or pain, no weeping

but the fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

Amen.

Rosary Academy is grateful to Bishop Brown’s years of service in the Diocese of Orange.

“So happy to have shared St. Albert the Great’s Feast Day with you.

Thank you for your leadership as Bishop of the Diocese of Orange” Regina Hunsaker

Prayers and SYMPATHY,

as we join the Diocese of Orange in celebrating the life of your beloved Bishop Emeritus Tod Brown.

May his soul through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Our Lady of Champion, pray for us.

“Apparition Window” National Shrine of Our Lady of Champion

With prayers and blessings from Bishop David L. Ricken and the Faithful of the Diocese of Green Bay

Cursillo has vivid memories of Bishop Tod coming in the rollo room of the women’s & men’s weekends at Marywood.

Being a Cursillista himself, he would greet the candidates and team and leave parting words that the weekend was a once in a lifetime experience. He would tell everyone to allow the Holy Spirit to guide them in a way they never experienced before.

Because of the effort he made to make everyone feel welcomed during a Cursillo weekend, and his unending support to the movement, it is a special honor for all of the Cursillistas to remember him. ultreya!

Bishop Brown, We are sincerely grateful for your years of faithful service to the Diocese of Orange. You will be greatly missed.

Fr. Patrick Moses and the parishioners at St. Timothy Catholic Church

Fr. Patrick & Bishop Brown, 2003

On behalf of Bishop Patrick J. Zurek and the Diocese of Amarillo

Our deepest and most heartfelt condolences go out to the Diocese of Orange on the passing of their beloved Bishop Emeritus Tod Brown.

Bishop Zurek considered him to be a dear friend and colleague.

May he rest in the Peace of Christ.

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