Pastoral Assignments

Asignaciones Pastorales

Dear Parishioners of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church,


With great gratitude to Almighty God, and to His Excellency, the Most Rev. Kevin W. Vann, JCD, DD, DMin, Bishop of Orange, I am happy to announce that Bishop Vann has seen fit to assign me as Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, effective July 1st, 2025, and that announcement is now public as of Friday, April 11th. I am also delighted that my friend and colleague, Fr. Gastón Mendiola-Arroyo, will remain here next year as Parochial Vicar.


Now that this news is public, we will begin to plan for the formal Mass of “Installation”, at which Bishop Vann or his delegate will formally “install” me as Pastor sometime after July 1st. However, even before that “Installation” Mass takes place, my assignment as Pastor will begin on July 1st.


It has been a tremendous honor, joy, and privilege to serve here as Parochial Administrator for the past two years, and I look forward to remaining with you as your Pastor. I can truly say without any equivocation that I love this community and its people, and I am profoundly grateful that I will get to remain here as your shepherd, your brother, and hopefully, your friend. You consistently edify and inspire me to be a better person, and I promise you that I will do everything in my power to serve you and the parish of La Habra with my whole heart in the name of God and of our common Shepherd and Bishop, the Most Rev. Kevin W. Vann.


Therefore, with the grace and help of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and the intercession of our patroness, la Guadalupana, the Most Holy Virgin of Guadalupe, together let’s become saints!


Yours sincerely in the Lord,


Fr. Will


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Estimados feligreses de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe,


Con profunda gratitud a Dios Todopoderoso y a Su Excelencia, el Reverendísimo Kevin W. Vann, JCD, DD, DMin, Obispo de Orange, estoy feliz de anunciar que el Obispo Vann ha considerado oportuno asignarme como Párroco de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, a partir del 1 de julio de 2025. Este anuncio se ha hecho público el viernes, 11 de abril. También me complace anunciar que mi amigo y colega, el P. Gastón Mendiola-Arroyo, permanezca aquí el próximo año como Vicario Parroquial.


Ahora que esta noticia es pública, comenzaremos a planificar la Misa de Investidura, en la que el Obispo Vann o su delegado me instalará formalmente como Párroco después del 1 de julio. Sin embargo, incluso antes de que se celebre dicha Misa, mi nombramiento como Párroco comenzará el 1 de julio.


Ha sido un gran honor, alegría y privilegio servir aquí como Administrador Parroquial durante los últimos dos años, y espero con ansias seguir con ustedes como su Párroco. Puedo decir con sinceridad que amo a esta comunidad y a su gente, y estoy profundamente agradecido de poder seguir aquí como su pastor, su hermano y, ojalá, su amigo. Ustedes me edifican e inspiran constantemente a ser una mejor persona, y les prometo que haré todo lo posible para servirles y a la parroquia de La Habra con todo mi corazón en el nombre de Dios y de nuestro Pastor y Obispo común, el Reverendísimo Kevin W. Vann.


Por lo tanto, con la gracia y la ayuda de Nuestro Señor Jesucristo, y la intercesión de nuestra patrona, la Guadalupana, la Santísima Virgen de Guadalupe, ¡juntos convirtámonos en santos!


Atentamente en el Señor,


P. Will



“Pastor” vs.

“Parochial Administrator”?

In the Diocese of Orange, as in many (arch)dioceses in the US and abroad, when a priest is first promoted from being an assistant priest in a parish (“Parochial Vicar”) to being the lead “Pastor”, he is assigned a 2-year interim appointment. In this intermediate step, the newly promoted head parish priest is referred to as “Parochial Administrator”.


In this position, the “Parochial Administrator” has all the responsibilities and obligations of a “Pastor”, as well as the rights of a “Pastor” to administer the parish’s temporal and spiritual goods in the name of the local bishop and on his behalf. However, in this intermediate step, by being referred to as “Parochial Administrator” instead of “Pastor”, the priest lacks the “stability” that the Canon Law of the Church affords to “Pastors”. Prior to having “stability”, if the local bishop would like to move a “Parochial Administrator” from one parish to another, it is very easy for the bishop to do so, as the position of “Parochial Administrator” is meant to be an interim assignment without any necessary endurance (Parochial Vicars, or assistant priests, also lack “stability” and can be moved at will). In the Diocese of Orange, and in many other (arch)dioceses, this temporary step is meant to ensure that the priest appointed is successful in his role, before the bishop grants him “stability”. Once a man is named “Pastor” (in Latin, parochus, aka “Parish Priest”), however, he acquires “stability” in his position according to the Canon Law of the Church, and his position is “stable” either indefinitely, or with term limits (barring some major issue). In the Diocese of Orange at present, “Pastors” serve for 6-year terms, renewable once (during Msgr. MacCarthy’s tenure, term limits did not exist yet in the Diocese of Orange, which is why he served for almost his whole career here). As such, now in the Diocese of Orange a “Pastor” can serve for a minimum of 6 years in a given parish, or a maximum of 12 years (if he was “Parochial Administrator” at that same parish first, however, his first 2 years as Administrator do not count towards his first 6-year term as “Pastor”, and thus an Administrator who becomes a Pastor could potentially serve for 8 years at minimum, or 14 years at maximum, in any given parish).


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¿“Párroco” vs.

“Administrador Parroquial”?

En la Diócesis de Orange, al igual que en muchas (arqui)diócesis de los Estados Unidos y del extranjero, cuando un sacerdote asciende de vicario parroquial a párroco principal, se le asigna un puesto intermedio de dos años. En este paso intermedio, el recién ascendido a párroco principal se denomina "Administrador Parroquial".

En este puesto, el "Administrador Parroquial" tiene todas las responsabilidades y obligaciones de un párroco, así como los derechos de un párroco para administrar los bienes temporales y espirituales de la parroquia en nombre del obispo local y en su representación. Sin embargo, en este paso intermedio, al ser denominado "Administrador Parroquial" en lugar de "Párroco", el sacerdote carece de la estabilidad que el Derecho Canónico de la Iglesia otorga a los párrocos. Antes de tener “estabilidad”, si el obispo local quisiera trasladar a un “Administrador Parroquial” de una parroquia a otra, es muy fácil para el obispo hacerlo, ya que el puesto de “Administrador Parroquial” está destinado a ser una asignación interina sin ninguna resistencia necesaria (los Vicarios Parroquiales, o sacerdotes asistentes, también carecen de “estabilidad” y pueden ser trasladados a voluntad). En la Diócesis de Orange, y en muchas otras (arqui)diócesis, esta medida temporal busca garantizar el éxito del sacerdote designado en su función, antes de que el obispo le conceda la estabilidad. Sin embargo, una vez que un hombre es nombrado Párroco (en latín, parochus, también conocido como "Pastor"), adquiere estabilidad en su cargo según el Derecho Canónico de la Iglesia, y su puesto es estable, ya sea indefinidamente o con plazos limitados (salvo algún problema grave). En la Diócesis de Orange, actualmente, los párrocos ejercen por un periodo de 6 años, renovable una vez (durante el mandato de Monseñor MacCarthy, aún no existían límites de mandato en la Diócesis de Orange, razón por la cual ejerció aquí casi toda su carrera). Por lo tanto, en la Diócesis de Orange ahora, un párroco puede ejercer un mínimo de 6 años en una parroquia, o un máximo de 12 años (sin embargo, si él primero fue administrador parroquial en esa misma parroquia, sus primeros 2 años como administrador no cuentan para su primer periodo de 6 años como párroco, por lo que un

administrador que se convierte en párroco podría ejercer un mínimo de 8 años, o un máximo de 14 años, en cualquier parroquia).



By Kimberly Hebert October 3, 2025
Join us on All Saints' Day, November 1st from 5:00pm to 9:00pm for our second of three symposiums in our Mysterium Encounter ! The cost to register is $30. The event will include dinner, themed cocktails, and talks given by three panelists. Come dressed as your favorite martyr-saint for our costume contest! We challenge you to dress up in the way your favorite martyr died! Speakers Keynote Speaker Fr. William B. Goldin, S.Th.D Fr. Will was born and raised in a mixed religious family in San Diego, California. He converted to Catholicism shortly before his sixteenth birthday and was fully initiated into the Church through the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist on the Easter Vigil, April 3rd, 1999, at Immaculate Conception Church in Old Town, San Diego. Ordained to the priesthood at St. Columban Church in Garden Grove on June 7th, 2014, Fr. Will was first assigned to doctoral studies in Rome, Italy, completing his doctorate in Dogmatic Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas ( Angelicum ) in 2017. He then served as Parochial Vicar (Associate Pastor) at St. Irenaeus in Cypress (2017-2021), Our Lady of Fatima in San Clemente (2021-2022), and St. Vincent de Paul in Huntington Beach (2022-2023). He now serves as the Pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Habra (Parochial Administrator, 2023-2025; Pastor, July 1st, 2025-Present); as one of the two Censors Librorum for the Diocese of Orange; as well as the Diocesan Director of the Office of Life, Justice, and Peace and the Diocesan Director of Catholic Relief Services.  First Respondent Fr. Timothy Donovan, S.Th.B., M.Div., M.A. Fr. Tim Donovan was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Orange in the summer of 2017. Before entering the seminary he was a youth minister and continues to have a heart for young people and their families. He loves the Church, spending time with his family, cooking, playing music, and his two French bulldogs. He is the Founder, President, and Chaplain of Faith and Family Life Catholic Ministries. Second Respondent Fr. Daniel Seo, M.Div., M.A. Fr. Daniel was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Orange in July of 2019. He served as the Parochial Vicar of Holy Family Catholic Church until June of 2021, and was then assigned as the Director of Our Lady of Peace Korean Catholic Center from July 2021 until present. He is the contact priest for the diocese’s deliverance ministry and has completed the clergy program at the Pope Leo XIII Institute in Mundelein, IL. He is currently overseeing the construction of the first Korean Marian Shrine in North America, the Our Lady of Peace Korean Catholic Shrine. Spots are limited, so register here today!
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