FRED LA PUZZA COULD have had a lucrative career in insurance, but in the 1990s, he turned down a six-figure promotion to go to prison and never looked back.
For the past 30 years, La Puzza has led the diocese’s prison and restorative justice ministry. He is retiring now but plans to continue his work as a volunteer.
“When I first began the ministry,” said La Puzza, “I thought I was going to bring God into our correctional facilities and transform the hearts of our incarcerated populations.”
He added: “In my ignorance, I quickly discovered God had beaten me to it. He was already in there, in the hearts of each man, woman and youth I met. Each encounter caused me to recognize my own brokenness and see our God most profoundly present in the wounded and suffering humanity. Through this incarnational experience, it was I who was transformed.”
His transformation wasn’t limited to his own experiences. Orange County’s many agencies and nonprofits that serve the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated, La Puzza has been a force for good and positive change, facilitating interagency cooperation and innovation.
Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen has worked closely with La Puzza over the years and presented him with a papal apostolic blessing upon his retirement.
“Fred has been a faithful steward of his gifts and talents, helping the diocese fulfill its mission to reach the poor and those in prison,” said Bishop Nguyen. “His quiet leadership, deep faith and perseverance—especially through the challenges of COVID—have been a profound witness to all of us. Today, we honor him with gratitude for his ministry and example.”
One of the hallmarks of La Puzza’s tenure was his outreach to the many agencies and nonprofits that work with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Under the aegis of restorative justice principles, the Restorative Justice ministry strives to accompany, transform and heal both the incarcerated and their victims. To accomplish this, however, the diocese must work collaboratively not only with those involved in or harmed by crime, but also with the many agencies and nonprofits that serve this same population. La Puzza’s efforts to build strong relationships and foster innovation were reflected in the many organizations that honored his work, including the OC Sheriff ’s Department, Probation, H.I.R.E., Social Services, OC Cares, Project Kinship and Returning Home Foundation.
La Puzza shared, “I feel most honored to have been involved in the unprecedented reform of our state and county criminal justice system from one of punitive retribution to one of restoration and redemption. As a result of a number of collaborative efforts, many lives have been transformed, recidivism rates have dropped and crime has been reduced. As a result, our diocese and the California Catholic Church have become recognized as a beacon of hope, reconciliation and a leader of our Lord’s call to restorative justice.”
In a way, La Puzza did stay in the insurance business, but instead of paying a premium against the chance of a bad event, he has tackled bad events head-on—and the premium is a better, holier and healthier community.