Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) Degree Program. The purpose of the Doctor of Ministry degree is to provide an opportunity for suitably qualified Roman Catholics, ordained and religious/lay, to deepen and enrich their engagement in and commitment to ministry in their local communities, parishes and (arch)dioceses through the pursuit of this professional doctorate.
—Mount Angel Seminary
BISHOP KEVIN VANN was one of 25 graduates who earned a degree during Mount Angel Seminary’s 135th Commencement ceremony held over Mother’s Day weekend in Saint Benedict, Oregon.
Degrees were awarded in the Bachelor of Arts, Master of Divinity and Doctor of Ministry. Four of the graduates will go on to be ordained to the Sacred Order of the Priesthood this summer.

FR. QUYEN TRUONG (LEFT) AND FR. DAVID MORENO WALK WITH BISHOP VANN BEFORE HIS GRADUATION CEREMONY ON MAY 11. PHOTO BY DALE PETERSON
Bishop Vann was awarded a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree – which was the culmination of a three summers-long journey for the leader of our Diocese.

SUPPORTERS OF BISHOP VANN FROM THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE, INCLUDING BISHOP TIMOTHY FREYER, FR. ANGELOS SEBASTIAN, JARRYD GONZALES, STEVE PELLEGRINI, GABRIEL FERRUCCI AND HIS DAUGHTER, RINA BENTON. PHOTO BY DALE PETERSON
Family and friends, including the Most Rev. Bishop Timothy Freyer, Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Orange, and Fr. Angelos Sebastian, Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia of the Diocese of Orange, were on hand for the momentous occasion.
Bishop Freyer took a moment to reflect on the day:
“I was honored to be asked by Bishop Vann to attend his graduation. It is inspiring that Bishop Vann has had the energy, discipline and dedication to work on his D.Min. degree while shepherding one of the largest dioceses in the country. The weather at Mount Angel was beautiful. Cardinal Pierre, our Papal Nuncio, was the celebrant of the baccalaureate Mass and gave a beautiful homily, calling us to remain faithful to our call as evangelizers. The procession of the graduates (receiving a variety of degrees) was filled with the different color hoods of the variety of different disciplines. Bishop Vann entered wearing his biretta that he received when he earned his doctorate in canon law and then when he was called up to receive his Doctor in Ministry exchanged the biretta for the D.Min.”

MONSIGNOR JOSEPH BETSCHART, RECTOR, MOUNT ANGEL SEMINARY; RIGHT REVEREND JEREMY DRISCOLL, ABBOT OF MOUNT ANGEL MONASTERY; CARDINAL CHRISTOPHE PIERRE, APOSTOLIC NUNCIO TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; BISHOP VANN. PHOTO BY DALE PETERSON
He continued: “We are blessed to have a bishop that reminds us by word and action of the importance of continuing to learn more about our faith and to use his great intelligence to build up the Church in Orange.”
Fr. Angelos also reflected on Bishop Vann’s graduation and the hard work it took to get to this point.
“A leader must be knowledgeable and wise,” said Fr. Angelos. “Bishop Vann exemplifies this, holding two doctorates and having extensive ministry experience. His pursuit of knowledge inspires us all to be lifelong learners. As I congratulate him on this remarkable achievement, I pray that he continues to inspire our priests and people.”
Special guest Cardinal Christophe Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, was the Commencement’s distinguished speaker.
During his address, Cardinal Pierre made special mention of his good friend, Bishop Vann.
“You will forgive me if I single out one of the graduates in particular — don’t be jealous,” he joked. “I will be getting a full report from the administrators on what kind of student the bishop has been.”
On a more serious note, Cardinal Pierre relayed sentiments from Pope Francis in Rome to the class of 2024.
“As the Holy Father’s personal representative to the United States, I want to convey to everyone who is here, the spiritual closeness of the Pope and to assure all of you graduates and seminary students of his care and affection.”
Deacon Justin Coyle, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Theology/Associate Dean of Theology at Mount Angel Seminary, supervised Bishop Vann’s dissertation. He explained that Bishop Vann wrote on the history and canonicity of “Anglicanorum Coetibus,” the 2009 apostolic constitution that erected a personal ordinariate for Anglican parishes and their pastors to enter full communion with the Roman Catholic Church while retaining their Anglican heritage.
“Very few people know this material as intimately as Bishop Vann does,” said Dcn. Coyle, “since as Bishop of Fort Worth he was actively involved in helping to shepherd Episcopal communities into communion.”
The deacon added: “How he found the time, energy and focus not only to complete three years of doctoral coursework but also to curate primary sources, pursue research and write a dissertation of such quality while exercising his episcopal ministry I do not know. I do know, however, that it was a gift to work with and learn from him.”

BISHOP KEVIN VANN AND HIS BROTHER DAVID VANN.
Bishop points to the support of the Diocese for his being able to dedicate time to his coursework over these last three summers.
“I had the support of the Diocese, especially Fr. Angelos,” he said.
He first considered obtaining his most recent degree following the completion of Christ Cathedral’s renovation in 2019.
“When we finished the cathedral, I thought, well, I have a little more time now,” he recalled.
He was aware of Mount Angel’s Doctor of Ministry program, and decided it was the right time.
Set against the backdrop of the Cascade Mountains, Bishop said it is the perfect setting for one’s studies and reflections.

A PICTURESQUE DAY ON THE HILLSIDE OF MOUNT ANGEL SEMINARY. PHOTO BY DAVID VANN
“On a clear day from the Refectory one can see Mount Hood, Mount Rainer, Mount Adams and Mount St. Helens,” he wrote in a letter to the Diocese last summer. “The beauty of nature here is also complimented by the beauty of the Abbey Church, where I am blessed to be able to pray daily the Liturgy of the Hours with the Monks.”
A LIFELONG LEARNER
When asked just how many degrees he has, Bishop quickly joked, “Too many.”
Kidding aside, the bishop considers himself to be a lifelong learner.
In 1974, he earned a bachelor’s degree in medical technology from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois.
After working for three years as a medical technologist, he entered the seminary in 1976.
Following his Ordination to the Priesthood in 1981, Bishop Vann earned his doctorate in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome in 1985. He also holds a master’s degree in divinity.
His mother, the late Theresa Vann, went back to school later in life while she was raising her family and earned two master’s degrees.
“She did that with two other ladies and they drove 100 miles up and back to school two nights a week,” he remembered.
It took his mother a number of years to obtain her postgraduate degrees in the midst of a busy career in nursing and caring for her large family.
She earned her BSN from Sangamon State University (now UIS) in 1978 and went on to obtain a Master of Education from Southern Illinois University Carbordale SIUC in 1986 and a Master of Nursing from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) in 1990.
“My mom would be proud of me,” said Bishop Vann.
It is fitting that Bishop Vann’s graduation ceremony took place over Mother’s Day weekend, as it was always a very special time for he and his mom.
The first of six children, Bishop was born on May 10 — the date he presented his dissertation at Mount Angel.
“My mother was worried she wouldn’t be a mother by Mother’s Day,” he said, “and I made her a mother.”
Looking back on these last few years of pursuing his degree while at the same time shepherding the Diocese of Orange, “It’s been good for me,” he said. “It’s never too late to pursue one’s education.”
He added: “People may say, ‘I don’t know how you did this,’ “And I say, ‘Well, I just did it.’”
Congratulations, Bishop Vann!