NOV. 13 IS THE FEAST OF St. Homobonus, the Patron Saint of Business and Entrepreneurs.
St. Homobonus was an Italian merchant who was highly respected for his virtuous ways.
In ancient Rome, the Latin word legatus was used to describe a diplomatic envoy sent by the emperor to negotiate with foreign powers. The phrase has evolved over the centuries and is defined today as an ambassador.
Nearly 40 years ago, the word was adopted by an organization of Catholic business leaders who serve as “ambassadors for Christ” in their professional, personal and family lives.
And for the past 36 years, the Orange County chapter of Legatus has served as a network rooted in purposeful faith, fostering spiritual growth and collaboration among the county’s business leaders. Monthly meetings of the Orange County chapter consist of confession, Mass, a social hour, dinner and a guest speaker.
The Orange County chapter also holds forums to discuss specific issues in confidence.
“Whether you are a real estate developer, attorney, investment banker or business operator, it brings people who have those same shared values together,” said Orange County Legatus member Brad Schreiber, an investment banker with Keystone Capital Markets. “We are ambassadors for Christ on a personal and business level. And that’s really the idea of it.”
BRAD SCHREIBER, AN INVESTMENT BANKER WITH KEYSTONE CAPITAL MARKETS, IS PICTURED WITH HIS WIFE SANDY AT A LEGATUS CHRISTMAS PARTY. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRAD SCHREIBER
Tom Monaghan, the founder of the Domino’s Pizza chain, founded Legatus in 1987, inspired by a meeting with His Holiness John Paul II at a Mass in a private chapel in the Vatican. Two years later, when Monaghan was looking to start a chapter in Los Angeles, he invited Tim and Susan Strader, longtime philanthropists at the center of numerous projects within the Diocese of Orange, to help formulate a plan. The Straders loved the concept but weren’t keen on the idea of driving to Los Angeles for the monthly meetings, said Tim Strader, a retired real estate developer and consultant.
“So, Tim said if you’d like to start a chapter in Orange County, contact us and we’d be happy to do that,” Susan Strader said. “So, we were confident that we could find qualified Catholic businesspeople for a chapter here and they agreed. That is how it started.”
The Orange County chapter was chartered on Oct. 24, 1989, becoming the first Legatus chapter west of the Mississippi River.
Jean-Paul Afif, a financial advisor with Morgan Stanley, joined the Orange County chapter in 2020 along with his wife Krista. As parents of nine children, ranging in age from 1 to 16 years old, the couple had been looking for a way to have a date night that would be enriching in meaningful ways, Afif said.
JEAN-PAUL AFIF, A FINANCIAL ADVISOR WITH MORGAN STANELY, JOINED THE ORANGE COUNTY CHAPTER IN 2020 ALONG WITH HIS WIFE KRISTA. PHOTO COURTESY OF JEAN-PAUL AFIF
“And I thought if I could center our date night around the sacraments, around confession, the Rosary and holy Mass with like-minded folks, that will enrich my mind, heart, body, soul and spirit about topics that are important to my wife and me. What better date night could there be?”
Bill and Elaine John, founders of B&B Plumbing in Anaheim, joined Legatus in 2013 to integrate their Catholic faith more deeply into their professional lives. The Johns are open about their faith, displaying Catholic symbols such as a crucifix and a statue of Mary in their office.
“Faith really grounds you,” said Elaine John, who has owned the business with her husband for 40 years. “It builds a foundation for your daily values, how you will walk, how you will talk each and every day, and how you will treat individuals. We bring that into our business. We talk about it with our team. We have values that B&B believes in.”
BILL AND ELAINE JOHN, FOUNDERS OF B&B PLUMBING IN ANAHEIM, JOINED LEGATUS IN 2013. PHOTO COURTESY OF ELAINE JOHN
Carl Karcher, founder of Carl’s Jr. and devout Catholic philanthropist invited many early members to join Legatus. At the 2024 Legatus National Summit in Dana Point, Fr. Robert Spitzer, co-founder of the Magis Center, was given the Defender of the Faith Award an honor given to groups and individuals for exemplary service to the Catholic Church.
Looking back, the Straders are pleased with the way the Orange County chapter has evolved through the years.
“It’s been fantastic,” Tim Strader said.