OC CATHOLIC - DEC. 4, 2022

LIFETIME LEGACY Special Issue No. 8 THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE • OCCATHOLIC.COM

The Lifetime Legacy series is sponsored by Gabriel Ferrucci, the first individual honored in this series.

DECEMBER 4, 2022

SILENT PARTNER

FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES, CPA RANDY REDWITZ HAS QUIETLY WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES TO SUPPORT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH PAGE 6 RANDY REDWITZ IS PICTURED OUTSIDE HIS IRVINE OFFICE ON NOV. 17. PHOTO BY DREW KELLEY/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

DECEMBER 4, 2022

CONTENTS

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LIVE ADVENT

The season before the season is one of peace, reflection and joy.

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

Mater Dei students perform at the Disney resort and local organizations prepare for the season of Advent.

LEADERSHIP IN ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

Eighth-grader Bridget Santana makes a mark at St. Angela Merici school.

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

ADVERTISING 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.

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GUEST COLUMN

THE TRANSFORMATIVE POWER OF THE EUCHARIST

BY DEACON TOM SAENZ, DIRECTOR OF THE OFFICE OF THE PERMANENT DIACONATE

I

N HIS FAMOUS BOOK, “Tattoos on the Heart,” Father Greg Boyle shared powerful stories of troubled youth who faced abandonment and abuse in their early years and who subsequently became caught up in the gang life of Los Angeles. The title of the book was inspired by a life-changing conversation between Fr. Greg and a hardened gang member who had been written off by society. The words were so meaningful to the young man that he said, “I’m gonna tattoo that on my heart!” The heartwarming story shows the power of empathy, compassion and the love of Christ to transform lives.

In July of 2014, I was invited to spend a few days working with the Missionaries of Charity Sisters who serve the poorest of the poor, those who are written off and left on the streets of Tijuana, Mexico to suffer and die in misery. During those few days I met about 15 old men (abuelos), many of whom were in wheelchairs or crutches. The sisters showed the same empathy, compassion and love that Fr. Greg shows in his ministry. Many of the abuelos had lived life in the fast lane for decades, leading them to separation, abandonment and a loss of hope. Their stories touched my heart, but what truly struck me was attending Mass with them.

Each day at 6 a.m., they limped and wheeled themselves to Mass with eagerness and joy. During this early morning Holy Communion, in the humblest of chapels, I witnessed the healing and transformational power of the Eucharist.

Many of these men, who were near death upon arrival, rediscovered their God given dignity through the love of others, and they found a new life in Christ through reconciliation and the Eucharist.

It was then that I, as a lifelong Catholic, developed a new and deep-felt sense

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DEACON TOM SAENZ

of God’s love for all people, including me. You might say His love was tattooed in my heart. At that moment I realized that I wanted to receive Him each day of my life. My daily reception of the Eucharist continues, most often at St. Juliana Falconieri Church in Fullerton, where I am joined by faithful parishioners who come to Mass daily at 6:30 in the morning and during multiple Mass times on Sundays. We process into church, like the abuelos I spoke of, with all our limitations and in our brokenness, often limping or wheeling ourselves (figuratively and sometimes literally) with determination and joy to encounter our Living God. As we enter into prayer and as we sing hymns of praise, we begin to find strength knowing that we are in communion with those gathered, with other Catholics around the world and with the saints in heaven who pray and sing along with us. Through the proclamation of sacred scripture, through the presider and most powerfully, through the supernatural nourishment of the Eu-

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CONTINUES ON PAGE 15

DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

“

Family love is a personal path of holiness for each one of us — Pope Francis

DECEMBER 4, 2022 SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT

”

HARMONY

H

AVE YOU EVER KNOWN a moment when, just for a brief instant, you felt that all was right with the world? It is just such a moment, stretched into eternity, that the writer of Isaiah describes in today’s first reading: the perfection of everything, centered in God’s spirit, where knowledge, justice, and awe in God’s presence reign. In such a paradise, everyone sees eye to eye and thinks in harmony with each other, as Saint Paul describes in his letter to the Romans.

Even animals with a natural animosity toward one another coexist peacefully. John the Baptist understood that such harmonious relationships do not simply happen. They are the fruit of living in right relationship with God and others.

Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C

SAINT PROFILE

JOHN DAMASCENE

C.675-C.749

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HE LAST OF THE GREEK fathers, John was born in Damascus, Syria. He succeeded his father as chief representative of the Christian community to the caliph in Damascus, then under Islamic rule. However, after serving some years, he was forced to resign in 719 because of his faith. He entered a monastery in the mountain wilderness between Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, and lived there until his death. As a priest, he devoted himself to prayer and writing, producing 150 works on theology, philosophy and religious education, as well as a defense of the veneration of icons and numerous hymns. His work was widely cited in the Middle Ages. Pope Leo XIII declared him a doctor of the church in 1890.

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

IS 35:1-10; PS 85:9AB, 10-14; LK 5:17-26

IS 40:1-11; PS 96:1-3, 10AC, 1113; MT 18:12-14

IS 40:25-31; PS 103:1-4, 8, 10; MT 11:28-30

GN 3:9-15, 20; PS 98:1-4; EPH 1:3-6, 11-12; LK 1:26-38

IS 48:17-19; PS 1:1-4, 6; MT 11:1619

SIR 48:1-4, 9-11; PS 80:2AC, 3B, 15-16, 18-19; MT 17:9A, 10-13

IS 35:1-6A, 10; PS 146:6-10; JAS 5:710; MT 11:2-11

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FEATURE

SILENT PARTNER

FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES, CPA RANDY REDWITZ HAS QUIETLY WORKED BEHIND THE SCENES TO SUPPORT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND SPECIFICALLY THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

BY GREG HARDESTY

R

ANDY REDWITZ AMBLES UP to the table in a conference room on the 17th floor of a high-rise building in Irvine and takes a seat, a majestic view of Saddleback Mountain framing him on a clear fall afternoon.

He’s wearing jeans, a plaid shirt and a large silver belt buckle – a look that says, “I just came straight from my ranch.”

It is, however, Halloween – and the usually button-up Redwitz, founder and chief executive of one of Orange County’s most respected accounting, tax and financial consulting firms, is gamely playing along.

“I’m usually not a dress-up person on Halloween,” he said with a laugh. “But I tried to be a little bit of a cowboy today.”

If life were a Western and the scene were a pack of cowboys snaking down a trail on horseback, Redwitz wouldn’t be at the front.

He’d be one of those loyal deputies in the back, a guy you may not know or recognize but who, nevertheless, would play a critical role in the success of the group.

For nearly four decades, Redwitz has been a major supporter of the Diocese of Orange, donating his accounting talents to various initiatives – from the financial management and development of Santa Margarita Catholic High School, to financial systems and audits of parishes and schools within the Diocese, to the financial oversight of the restoration of the former Crystal Cathedral to the Christ Cathedral campus. In addition, he has contributed

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RANDY REDWITZ IS PICTURED IN HIS IRVINE OFFICE ON NOV. 17. PHOTO BY DREW KELLEY/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

financial resources to a variety of capital campaigns within the Diocese of Orange, from Santa Margarita Catholic High School to St. Edward the Confessor to St. Serra and to the Christ Cathedral.

But corralling Redwitz to talk about his long support of the Diocese isn’t easy. He’d rather stay behind the scenes – or, on this day, hidden in plain sight in his rancher get-up.

“I don’t like the attention at all,” he said.

But Redwitz deserves it.

“I often say that Randy is the most important person in the history of the school that no one knows,” said J. Andrew Sulick, president of Santa Margarita Catholic High School.

Added Christ Cathedral Rector Emeri-

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tus Fr. Christopher Smith: “Randy’s done a lot of things people don’t realize.”

A LIFE-CHANGING SUMMER

There’s a story behind Redwitz’s longstanding passion for serving the Diocese of Orange – as well as his parish of 49 years, St. Edward the Confessor in Dana Point.

Back in 1968, he was a 21-year-old firstyear theology student at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo.

Redwitz had just earned a BA degree in philosophy and a minor in English at St. John’s Seminary College, and he was beginning the first of four years of studies that would culminate in his ordination to the priesthood.

But during the summer after he earned

his undergraduate degree, his life changed.

Redwitz had started a youth program at the parish he attended, St. Catherine of Siena in Laguna Beach.

“I thought I needed to do something for church that summer,” recalled Redwitz, who grew up in Three Arch Bay in South Laguna, the son of a mechanical engineer father and an accountant mother, the latter a devout Catholic.

“Part of the activities of our youth group was to sing at Mass,” Redwitz explained.

“The problem was, we had the kids but no one who could play an instrument.”

A parent told Redwitz there was a young woman named Claudia Gillespie who could play the piano and organ.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

“Let’s see if we can entice her to come,” Redwitz recalled telling the parent.

She did, and Claudia and Randy clicked.

That fall, at St. John’s, like all seminarians buried in studies, Redwitz looked forward to getting mail.

All the young men would gather around praying a letter would arrive for them – just like it is for those in the military.

“Claudia would write perfume-scented letters to me,” Redwitz recalled. “As I opened her letters, everyone would look at me and say, ‘Well, you’re not going to last long here.’”

That November, Redwitz left the seminary.

“Claudia, at the time, was working at the cinema in downtown Laguna Beach,” he recalled. “I walked into it unexpectedly while she was working, and the rest is history.”

Claudia and Randy were married in January 1970.

TOUGH DECISION

Redwitz said the decision to leave St. John’s wasn’t easy.

He grew up active in the church, serving as an altar boy at St. Catherine’s.

He started giving some thought to the priesthood while attending Servite High School (he was a member of the school’s third graduating class, in 1964).

Before he attended St. John’s Seminary College, Redwitz spent a year at St. Mary’s College of California in Moraga, Calif., for general curriculum studies.

St. Mary’s College is administered by the De La Salle Brothers. Redwitz became close to a brother there.

“He was my counselor,” he recalled, “and the priesthood seemed like a calling that I was being given.”

At St. Mary’s, Redwitz chose business as a major.

And when he left St. John’s Seminary to marry Claudia, he turned to business CONTINUES ON PAGE 8

LIVE ADVENT

BY JOAN PATTEN, AO, DELEGATE FOR CONSECRATED LIFE FOR THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

E

ACH YEAR THE CHURCH invites us to celebrate the Mysteries of Christ’s life, death and resurrection as we commemorate each feast day on the liturgical calendar.

Week by week, we are invited not only to recall the life of Jesus on earth, but also to actively allow Him to live His life in us. Uniting ourselves to Jesus in prayer, especially through the Liturgy, allows Him to act through us. It is this moment in time and through our present circumstance that Jesus wants to reveal His presence in the world. Every liturgical season offers particular graces and draws us closer to God. The following is presented to parents and grandparents as they ponder how to make Advent special and meaningful in their households.

The liturgical season of Advent usually begins on the last Sunday of November.

We see purple vestments and the Advent wreath with its colored candles in our parish churches. We sing Advent hymns during Mass, such as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” and “The King Shall Come.”

The Advent readings that we hear at Mass Advent communicate the hopeful expectation of the Old Testament prophets and the central figures from the New Testament including John the Baptist, Mary and Joseph. Their witness helps us to prepare for the great solemnity of Christmas.

The wisdom of the saints can guide us during this holy season. St. Bernard of Clairvaux says that there are three comings of Christ for us to ponder during Advent. Both the first and the third coming of Christ can be seen with human eyes. The first coming is recognized when we recall with gratitude the moment in history in which Jesus

AN ADVENT WREATH IS PLACED NEAR THE ALTAR AT ST. BONIFACE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ANAHEIM. COURTESY PHOTO

came among us into the world. “And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth” (Jn. 1:14). The third coming of Christ has not yet happened, but we are invited to exercise joyful anticipation for His coming at the end of time. “Behold, he is coming amid the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him” (Rev. 1:7).

These two comings of Christ help us notice how He is with us in this present moment in time. The coming of Christ that occurs between the first and the third coming is His coming into each of our hearts. “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him” (Jn. 14:23).

This Advent, ask God for the grace to be delighted by His presence and activity in your daily life. Delight is finding Another, Emmanuel, God with us. We are not alone in our waiting, in our suffering and in our fears. Jesus, who is God, became a human being and entered into every human experience in order to redeem us and unite us to His Father. If we take some time this Advent to pause, wait, notice and receive, we will be astonished

to find Jesus who is waiting for us and desiring that we know how He is with us.

God’s love is concrete and personal. He reveals His love within the daily realities of our lives.

As you pray “Come, Lord Jesus” during this Advent season, consider making your own litany to invite Jesus into everything and let Him reveal how He is with you and what He is offering to you. We will still have many experiences of waiting in our lives, but as we grow closer to God, we will recognize these are moments to be with Him. For example: Come, Lord Jesus…into my fears and anxieties Come, Lord Jesus…into my darkness and confusion Come, Lord Jesus…into my families’ difficulties and suffering Come, Lord Jesus…into my doubts and helplessness Come, Lord Jesus…into my hopes and dreams Come, Lord Jesus…into my loneliness and poverty Come, Lord Jesus...into this moment and time of waiting Come, Lord Jesus...into my relationships Come, Lord Jesus...into my past, present, and future Come, Lord Jesus…into my life and heart (add your own)C

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FEATURE

RANDY REDWITZ IS HONORED DURING THE 2016 ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ETHICS. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION

RANDY REDWITZ SPEAKS AT THE 2017 ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION CONFERENCE ON BUSINESS AND ETHICS. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE ORANGE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

KEY FIGURE AT SM CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL

to earn a living.

“When I left the seminary,” Redwitz said, “I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. A priest in the seminary told me, ‘If you’ve had a calling to serve others through the priesthood, maybe you need to have a profession in which you can serve others,’ and that got me thinking about accounting.

“It seemed a good plan of action, so I went down that path.”

‘THE RIGHT THING TO DO’

What a path it’s been.

It all started when the best man at Redwitz’s wedding helped him land an interview at a very small accounting firm on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles.

Redwitz got the job, which led to his decision to attend nearby USC, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting (’73).

Two years later, Redwitz received his license to practice as a certified public accountant.

He and Claudia and their first child,

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Jennie, then relocated to Orange County after Redwitz got a job at a slightly larger accounting firm in Anaheim. After 1 ½ years, however, that firm disbanded.

A retiring partner asked Redwitz if he would like to buy his small portion of the practice.

“I grabbed the opportunity,” Redwitz recalled, “and that launched me into going out on my own. It was a little scary, but I just had a passion to do it. I knew it was the right thing to do.”

Today, Redwitz Inc. – headquartered on the 17th floor of that building near John Wayne Airport with a great view of the Santa Ana Mountains and beyond – employs some 150 professionals, with other offices in San Diego and San Jose.

Redwitz’s accounting practice includes three other companies: The GDR Group, Inc., launched in 1997, which specializes in information technology system installations, hardware, software and managed support; Redwitz Wealth Management Group Inc., established in 2003 and Trust Management Systems, established in 2017.

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countless families with the dream of affording a Catholic education.

Redwitz’s history of involvement with “Randy lives his faith both in word the Diocese of Orange began around and action. He is brilliant with accounting 1987. It started when Fr. Louis Knight, the practices and strategies and has an extraorfounding pastor of St. Edward’s, asked him dinary emotional quotient to understand to review the church’s financial records the needs of a school, family or employee.” and send a report to then-Orange County Sulick added a fun fact about Redwitz: Bishop Norman McFarland.

“Randy was an original member of the He hasn’t slowed down since.

Santa Margarita football ‘chain gang’ for Catholic education is one of Redwitz’s 34 years, working at every home game,” most dedicated passions, and from 1989 he said. “We estimate that he watched and to 2010, while still maintaining his “day worked at 200 football games. He retired at job”— his growing accounting firm — he the end of the 2021 season.” served as the business manager and overSaid Redwitz of SMCHS: “I really feel saw the development of the second phase the work I did there was more meaningful of the master plan of Santa Margarita Cath- than anything I have accomplished profesolic High School, which added an aquatsionally and personally, short of my family. ics center, athletic building, a classroom I was one step removed from directly building and athletic fields. impacting the students — I wasn’t a teacher “I’m really proud of the work I did — but I was facilitating the education of there,” said Redwitz, who still serves as a those students.” financial consultant for SMCHS. “He set up many of the financial sysOTHER DIOCESAN WORK tems that we still use today,” Sulick said.

Between 1990 and 1998, Redwitz served “He’s been involved at some level here for as president of the Diocesan School Board.

35 years. Randy and Claudia have helped CONTINUES ON PAGE 18

Randy Redwitz Chairman of the Board & Chief Executive Officer The Caritas Corporation Caritas as a nonprofit, unites people with a purpose to preserve affordable communities that uplift and empower our residents.

For over 20 years Randy has been the driving force behind the expansion of Caritas from 6 communities to 32 communities. Randy’s commitment to support the staff at our communities is sincerely appreciated. Under Randy’s leadership, Caritas started its first development project this year.

Caritas staff and our Board of Directors are honored to acknowledge Randy for his lifetime achievements.

Thank you, Randy, with the support of Claudia, for your years of commitment and dedication to Caritas.

TH

A legacy of service Randy Redwitz’s lifelong commitment to his faith and his church.

April 21, 2023 at 7:30 am JW. Marriott, Anaheim More Information Available At: OrangeCatholicFoundation.org/CBE

Randy, your generous support of Wells of Life's work in rural Uganda has helped us to provide safe access to clean water for over 1 million people while spreading the Good News of Jesus' Gospel. We join our prayers in thanking and blessing you, your family, and your team of accounting professionals!

Donate to a well and 100% is reserved for drilling, maintaining, and repairing wells. To donate a clean water well please contact info@WellsofLife.org or go to WellsofLife.org

Well #611, In Memory of Hank Evers Nakaseta, Uganda, East Africa Population 1010

ow! Scan th en

"For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because of your name as followers of Christ, truly I say to you, he will not lose his reward" - Mark 9:41

era to donat am

"God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them wisely to serve one another" - 1 Peter 4:10

our phone c hy

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29222 Rancho Viejo rd, Suite 204, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675 | 855-935-5763 | Tax ID: 45-1496631

DIOCESAN NEWS

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

CAPISTRANO LIGHTS

BY STAFF

MATER DEI STUDENTS PERFORM AT DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK

Students from Mater Dei’s Performing Arts Department delivered a 30-minute musical theatre performance at Disney California Adventure Park on Wednesday, Nov. 16. To perform, the students had to pass an audition back in September. The students performed 30 minutes of musical theatre songs and were able to experience first-hand what it’s like to be a Disneyland cast member for the day.

“The Disneyland directors were extremely complimentary of the polite and professional demeanor of our students, as well as their impressive level of talent,” said Andrea Fouts, Mater Dei’s Musical Theatre Teacher.

“It was a wonderful experience for them!”

MATER DEI’S PER­FORMING ARTS DEPARTMENT PERFORMED AT DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVEN­TURE PARK ON NOV. 16. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL

Capistrano Lights is back at Mission San Juan Capistrano!

Visit the mission on select days through Dec. 30 for daytime admission and an evening of holiday programming and fun.

The holiday programming runs from 4 to 6 p.m. and includes various activities: Carolers dressed in Dickens era costumes serenade guests with Christmas classics; guests are invited to take selfies with Santa Clause as well as under a 10-foot holiday wreath. Also enjoy the Christmas tree lighting and community Christmas trees throughout the grounds, visit the Serra Chapel after hours, shop for gifts at the Mission Store and make prayers for peace by placing a candle by the largescale Nativity in the Ruins of the Great Stone Church. Kids craft vendor and sweet treats vendor will also be on hand.

For more information, visit CapsitranoLights.com C

“TAKE AN ADVENT BREATH”

The Center for Spiritual Development, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, is hosting “Take an Advent Breath” on Wednesday. Dec. 14 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Both are being offered in-person and on Zoom. The fee is $20.

Ten days before Christmas, in the midst of holiday activities, take a prayerful pause to reflect on your Advent journey. The retreat time will include prayer, an introduction to the O Antiphons, personal reflection and small group sharing. A reflection guide will be provided.

To register, or for more information, please contact the Center for Spiritual Development at (714) 7443172 or email thecsd@csjorange.org

COSTUMED CAROLERS PERFORM DURING CAPISTRANO LIGHTS IN DECEMBER, 2021.

PHOTO BY STEVE GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

THE NATIVITY IS ON DISPLAY IN THE RUINS OF THE GREAT STONE CHURCH AT MISSION SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO. PHOTO BY STEVE GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 2 2 ■ O C C A T H O L I C

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DIOCESAN NEWS

LEADERSHIP IN ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS SPOTLIGHT ON ST. ANGELA MERICI’S BRIDGET SANTANA

BY MIKE ZINN

The OC Catholic’s series on Leadership in Orange County Catholic Schools spotlights the outstanding leaders throughout our county schools. This series also spotlights the great work of school administrators, staff, teachers and parents in the development of student leaders.

D

EPENDING ON THE source, there are upwards of 30 key traits of strong leaders.

St. Angela Merici’s eighth grade student Bridget Santana was decisive when asked what she thought was the most important trait of a leader.

“I believe compassion is the most important leadership trait someone can have,” she said. “Caring and wanting others to succeed, is very important.”

St. Angela Merici Principal JoAnn Telles and eighth grade homeroom teacher Jennifer Valencia further extolled the positive leadership traits of Santana.

Valencia stated that she felt Santana’s best quality was her resiliency.

“No matter what is thrown her way, she stays on track and completes the task,” she said.

Telles pointed to Santana’s winning personality.

“She has a million-dollar smile and a sweet but determined personality.”

Santana has had many years at St. Angela Merici to hone her leadership skills.

Starting at the school in the Pre-K program has allowed Santana to experience all the various programs and offerings. An avid basketball player, Santana plays not only for the school team, but also for a local travel team. Basketball participation is on the horizon for her future as well. Santana would like to play the sport at Rosary High School and has the lofty goal of receiving a scholarship at women’s collegiate basketball

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powerhouse, the University of Connecticut.

Balancing various activities at school and in the community is a challenge for all students. Santana has handled her various interests with her ability to see the big picture, set goals and be a strong independent person.

Academics are Santana’s major priority at St. Angela Merici. She is a well-rounded student and lists history as her favorite subject.

“My Grandma was a history teacher and from her, I developed a love of history,” she said.

Santana also likes to write, especially short stories. Valencia calls her a “great writer and is especially strong at forming an idea and taking it to completion.”

School activities are also a big part of Santana’s daily program. She is actively involved as an altar server, works with campus ministry and the new PALS program, (Peer Assistance Leaders at St. Angela Merici).

Both Valencia and Telles pointed out that the most significant activity Santana is involved with is campus ministry. She is the only eighth grader still involved in the ministry at school. She uses this to continue to mentor younger students and her faith is on display every day.

Being active and a leader outside of St. Angela Merici is also important to Santana. At the top of the list of volunteer activities are helping her mom at a Disney charity and working at parish fish frys.

At an age where many eighth graders try to distance themselves from younger siblings, Santana helps as a scorekeeper for her brother’s baseball team.

Santana’s leadership style comes from many influences. A strong and supportive family unit has taught Santana to stay true to herself, be a strong independent person and not to be a follower. She lists her dad as a great family role model.

“He has taught me to always be respectful and overcome adversity,” she

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BRIDGET SANTANA. COURTESY PHOTO

said.

Santana said Rosa Parks is her historical role model.

“She had great courage to stand-up for what she believed in and I would like to live this sort of life.”

When asked what she was most proud of from her time at St. Angela Merici, Santana gave a humble response.

“Being named Disciple of the Month, for nine consecutive years at St. Angela Merici.”

Bonding with students in all grades, acting as a strong role model in the Big Buddy program and being a patient friend, mentor, classmate and teammate make Bridget Santana a model leader for Orange County Catholic Schools. C

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SUPPORT YOUR PARISH, SCHOOL OR FAVORITE CATHOLIC MINISTRY W H I L E R E D U C I N G YO U R TA X E S Did you know that you can reduce your taxes by making a gift from your IRA to your parish, school, or favorite Catholic ministry?

The IRA charitable gift rollover permits individuals who are 70½ to donate up to $100,000 from their IRA to charity, free from federal income tax. An IRA IR gift also may qualify for your required minimum distribution, permitting you to lower your income and taxes for this year while helping your parish or Catholic ministries.

Contact The Orange Catholic Foundation to learn how you can redirect unneeded IRA income to your parish or school, help further its mission and enjoy valuable tax savings this year.

Gifts of appreciated assets, such as stock or securities, are an excellent way for you to make a charitable gift. Stocks may be transferred directly to The Orange Catholic Foundation for the benefit of a parish, school or your favorite Catholic ministry. These gifts provide the following tax benefits: A possible charitable deduction to help you save on taxes Bypass federal and state capital gains taxes Avoidance of the tax on net investment income From a tax perspective, a gift of appreciated assets makes good sense. You can alleviate the capital gains taxes, achieve significant tax savings and support our programs.

To make a gift of stock or from your IRA, please contact Roxanna Payton at 714.282.6046 or RPayton@OrangeCatholicFoundation.org.

OrangeCatholicFoundation.org

GUEST COLUMN

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charist, we leave transformed with smiles on our faces, with peace in our hearts and with strengthened spirits to go out and fulfill our Christian calling.

The heavenly banquet we enjoy today was enjoyed by the parish patroness, St. Juliana Falconieri who lived in Florence, Italy from 1270-1341. As a beautiful and wealthy young lady, she had plenty of marriage offers, but she realized that she was called to live a life of prayer, of service to the poor and to establish the Servite Sisters, all made possible through her frequent reception of the Eucharist.

St. Juliana’s love for the Eucharist was so strong that on her deathbed, when she could no longer consume food, she asked for a consecrated host be placed on her chest. A visiting priest obliged, and after her passing, a miracle was discovered!

The Eucharist had dissolved and left an imprint of a cross on her chest, the cross that had imprinted on the consecrated host. It seems that the love of Christ, the Eucharist, was indeed tattooed on her heart as well.

“I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

Across our Diocese, thousands receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Christ, through the Eucharist daily.

We leave Mass with new spirits and transformed hearts, filled with joy, peace, empathy, compassion and ready to share the love that Christ shares with us.

Whether it’s been many years, several weeks or even just a day since your last Mass, God is ready to welcome you home, to heal you through the sacrament of reconciliation and to nourish and transform you through the heavenly feast of the Eucharist. God wants nothing more than to tattoo His love on your heart, not with a tattoo that fades over time, but a tattoo that radiates His love to a world that so desperately needs ST. JULIANA FALCONIERI IS DEPICTED IN A CHURCH’S STAINED GLASS WINDOW. COURTESY PHOTO it, through a renewed life in Christ.C D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 2 2 ■ O C C A T H O L I C

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Moments MomentsininourourJourney Journey

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Huntington Beach recently installed a new statue of St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta in the church courtyard. The parish community donated the statue in honor of Fr. Jerome T. Karcher, pastor emeritus.

—Photo submitted by St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church

Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: editor@occatholic.com

D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 2 2 ■ O C C A T H O L I C

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One of his proudest accomplishments was working to make diocesan schoolteacher salaries more competitive.

“He was a great advocate for the teachers,” Fr. Christopher said. “He has a great love for Catholic education and its importance.”

Redwitz also served, for nine months, as interim CFO for the Diocese of Orange following the retirement of Phil Ries in 2013.

And, of course, Redwitz was very involved with the restoration of the Christ Cathedral campus and the cathedral itself, serving as CFO of Christ Catholic Cathedral Corp.

Added Redwitz: “Richard Heim, the invaluable volunteer project coordinator for the restoration of the cathedral specifically, always said to me, ‘Randy, how many times in your life do you have a chance to work on building a cathedral?’ And that’s always stuck with me. There’s great gravity to that.”

In addition, Redwitz’s company, The GDR Group, ran all the IT infrastructure services for the Diocese of Orange for more than a decade before the Diocese took it in house.

“He’s always been open to listening to people’s concerns, my concerns and providing me with the information I needed when I asked for it,” Fr. Christopher said.

“He’s reserved and soft spoken, but he has a way about him. He has a great sense of humor, but it’s very subtle.

“Randy is a very dedicated Catholic, a man of deep faith and I’ve always felt very comfortable talking to him.”

Redwitz is co-chair with Rand Sperry of The Orange Catholic Foundation’s Conference on Business & Ethics (CBE), which is a much-anticipated event in Southern California, highlighting best ethical practices in the workplace and motivating leaders, personally and professionally.

Partnerships from the conference support the Orange Catholic Schools Fund and the mission of The Orange Catholic Foundation.

OTHER ENDEAVORS

In addition to his work with the Dio-

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RANDY REDWITZ IS PICTURED OUTSIDE HIS IRVINE OFFICE ON NOV. 17. PHOTO BY DREW KELLEY/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

cese, Redwitz has been the chief executive officer since 2003 of the non-profit The Caritas Corp., which buys and manages affordable housing projects, specifically mobile home communities, with the intent of providing affordable housing in a vibrant community setting for low-income individuals and families.

Under his leadership as CEO since 2003, The Caritas Corp. has grown to 32 residential communities throughout the states of California and Oregon — all of which serve a combined community of more than 15,000 residents.

“I’m really passionate about it,” Redwitz said of The Caritas Corp.

He also has served as the chair of the St. Edward the Confessor parish finance council for more years than he can remember.

In addition, Randy is a vested knight and Claudia is a vested dame in the Order of Malta. International members each year travel to Lourdes, France, as pilgrims, bringing with them the sick and disabled from around the world.

Randy also serves as the chief financial officer of the local Order of Malta Orange location, and recently was elected to the

O C C A T H O L I C ■ D E C E M B E R 4 , 2 0 2 2

board of directors of the western region of the Order of Malta.

Islands in Croatia.

Faith, however, remains the focus of his life.

HAPPY TRAILS “As I’ve gotten older,” Redwitz said, “my Randy and Claudia have five grown faith has become more meaningful to me. children: Jennie, a publisher for a company When you’re growing a family, you’re very that develops elementary school materials; distracted. And when the kids are all gone, Penny, a special education teacher; Eric, a you have more time to focus on your faith. commercial airline pilot; Rob, a partner in It’s an integral part of my life.” the Redwitz CPA firm; and Chad, a game Redwitz said he never envisioned besoftware developer for Amazon. coming so active in the Diocese of Orange.

Jennie attended Cornelia Connelly High His wife has a theory.

School in Anaheim – the other four, Santa “Claudia has said to me, ‘It was your beMargarita Catholic High School (Penny ing in the seminary that drove you to do as was in the school’s charter class). much as you’ve been doing for the Catholic Randy and Claudia, who have eight Church and the Diocese of Orange.’” grandchildren, love to travel.

Randy agrees.

As members of AGN International, a “I had taken that path of becoming a worldwide association of separate and inpriest,” he said, “then chose a different dependent accounting and advisory firms, path, got married and started a family, and a member of the international board of but I still wanted to use my God-given directors, they’ve gone all over the world. talent to do His will within the Catholic “I’d like to say I’ve got a friend in every Church.” country,” Redwitz said. “It’s not quite true, It’s time for the cowboy to vamoose. but there are a lot of friends in a lot of You can picture Redwitz heading out countries around the world.” into the sunset, but it’s still only a couple He and Claudia recently chartered a of hours after high noon. sailboat for a trip around the Dalmatian There’s still plenty of work to do.C

FEATURE

Retirement Fund for Religious Please give to those who have given a lifetime.

Elderly religious need your help.

Like those pictured, nearly 25,000 senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests have devoted their lives to prayer and ministry—educating the young, tending the sick, aiding the needy, and more. Yet years of serving for little or no pay have left a profound shortage in retirement savings. Your support of the Retirement Fund for Religious helps furnish care, medicine, and other necessities.

Please give generously.

Please donate at your local parish December 3–4 or by mail at: National Religious Retirement Office/ORAS 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington DC 20017-1194 Make check payable to Retirement Fund for Religious.

retiredreligious.org © 2022 United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington DC All rights reserved • Photographer: Jim Judkis Visit retiredreligious.org/2022photos to meet the religious pictured.

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