THE YEAR 2025 STARTED off notably as a Jubilee Year, an invitation for all Catholics worldwide to rediscover the presence of God and reinvigorate trust in His promise. Jubilee Years are recognized every quarter century in the Catholic Church. The 2025-year theme, approved by Pope Francis, was “Pilgrims of Hope.” At Chris Cathedral, on display was a specially designed Year of Hope Cross that contained various symbols specific to Orange County, such as an orange tree and St. Junípero Serra (founder of Mission San Juan Capistrano). The cathedral was one of three designated pilgrimage sites, as were Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano and Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Habra.
TRAGEDY & DESTRUCTION, BUT ALSO HOPE
Massive fires in Southern California marked a difficult start for 2025 in January, with significant damage to Los Angeles County’s Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Altadena areas. While Orange County was not directly affected, aid from O.C. came to help fellow Californians and Catholics in need up north.
The Orange Catholic Foundation, in collaboration with Bishop Kevin Vann, started the Help LA wildfire relief fund, which raised more $1.2 million.
HOLY FACE OF JESUS TOURS O.C.
An image of the Holy Face of Jesus, similar to the Veil of Veronica housed in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, toured the Diocese of Orange on April 12 and 14. It went to St. Michael’s Abbey, JMJ’s Catholic Store in Placentia, Our Lady of Guadalupe La Habra and Christ Cathedral. The relic, created in 1905, was laid upon the true image of the Veil of Veronica, touched to the True Cross of Christ and the point of the spear (both of which are also housed at St. Peter’s) that was thrust into the side of Christ.
This tour was sponsored by the diocese’s Office of Ecumenism and Inter-religion and organized by Cynthia and Gary Micaletti, owners of JMJ’s Catholic Store. The replica is safeguarded by Vikki Schreiner of Oklahoma City, whose family has had it for more than a century. It received a papal certificate of authenticity from Pope St. Pius X in 1905.
DEATH OF POPE FRANCIS
On April 21, Pope Francis — the 266th pope, the first Jesuit pope and the first Latin American pope — died at age 88. He had been hospitalized earlier in the year.
In a joint statement, the bishops of Orange said: “With heavy yet prayerful hearts, we mourn the passing of our beloved Holy Father, Pope Francis. In this moment of great loss, we give thanks for the life of a shepherd who embodied the Gospel with humility, mercy and an unwavering faith in God’s boundless love.”
POPE FRANCIS DIED ON APRIL 2, AT THE AGE OF 88. PER CHURCH TRADITION, PARISHES DISPLAYED A PICTURE OF POPE FRANCIS WITH A CANDLE AND FLOWERS. PHOTO BY KAYLEE TOOLE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Per church tradition, parishes displayed a picture of Pope Francis with a candle and flowers.
CONCLAVE & AN AMERICAN POPE
Following a two-day Conclave selection process, on May 8, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the 267th pope. He chose the name Pope Leo XIV, becoming historic in being the first American pope (he was born in Chicago) and the first Peruvian (he became a naturalized Peruvian citizen while serving as a bishop there).
In a joint statement, the bishops of Orange called Pope Leo “a man of great faith and integrity who will lead the church in a journey of faith, hope and love. We are blessed that Pope Leo XIV harbors a deep commitment to proclaiming the Gospel and a pastoral heart that reflects Christ’s mercy and compassion.” Bishop Vann also shares a unique
connection to Pope Leo: the two studied canon law together in 1982 at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. In August, Bishop Vann reconnected with his former classmate who became pope. He presented to the Holy Father a college class photo with the two of them, among other gifts.
NEW DOCUMENTARY ABOUTOUR LADY OF LAVANG
On May 11, Our Lady at the Center, a documentary co-presented by the OLLV Foundation and Diocese of Orange, had its premiere at the Christ Cathedral campus. Filmed in four countries and in four languages, Our Lady at the Center tells the story of Our Lady of La Vang — the 1798 Marian apparition significant to the Vietnamese Catholic diaspora — as well as the shrine made in Our Lady’s honor at Christ Cathedral. Interspersed with that story are testimonies about Our Lady, as well as the story of how the cathedral’s Marian Gardens were built.
Throughout 2025, Our Lady at the Center has been screened in Orange County and San Diego and was translated into Vietnamese. It was also recognized with awards from the Los Angeles Tribune International Film Festival and East Village New York Film Festival.
In other documentary news, a national award was given in June to Jesus Thirsts: The Miracle of the Eucharist, produced in 2024 by Deacon Steve Greco of the diocese’s Office of Evangelization and Formation and his Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry. The film received a Gabriel Award — a contest that recognizes feature-length films and other productions — from the Catholic Media Association. It was a first-ever recognition for the Diocese of Orange.
DIOCESE TAKES PART IN NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC PILGRIMAGE
On June 18 to 20, an estimated 5,000 of the faithful participated in the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage coming through the Diocese of Orange. In our diocese, events included Masses, Adoration, processions and testimonies. Pilgrimage stops were Our Lady of Fatima, JSerra Catholic High School, Mission Basilica, St. Thomas More, Holy Family (Orange), St. John Maron Maronite and Christ Cathedral.
Between St. John Maron and the cathedral, the pilgrimage also traveled through UC Irvine Medical Center, Theo Lacy jail, Orange County juvenile hall, a foster care facility and the Outlets at Orange.
The pilgrimage began in Indianapolis in May, passing through the Midwest, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, San Bernardino and San Diego. Many thousands joined it alongside a small contingent of “perpetual pilgrims” traveling the entire route. The journey was dubbed the Drexel Route after St. Katharine Drexel, the American religious sister canonized after a lifetime of service for Black and Indigenous American Catholics.
The Drexel Route served as a culminating event of the National Eucharistic Revival, a multiyear effort to promote the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
“It is an amazing opportunity,” said perpetual pilgrim Ace Acuña, traveling from New Jersey. “Whenever I get asked what it’s like being a perpetual pilgrim, I always come back to JPII’s quote that life with Christ is an amazing adventure. I think we are really living that out, because day in, day out, you’re with Jesus, in the Eucharist, in the tabernacle.”
BISHOP VANN CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY
On July 13, the Diocese of Orange celebrated the 20th anniversary of the episcopal ordination of Bishop Kevin Vann, whose journey as a bishop started in the Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas in 2005. He was later installed as the Bishop of Orange in 2012.
ON JULY 13, 2025, THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE CELEBRATED THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE EPISCOPAL ORDINATION OF BISHOP KEVIN VANN. PHOTO BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Fr. Christopher Smith, the former rector of Christ Cathedral who worked alongside Bishop Vann to transform the cathedral from its former Protestant identity as the Crystal Cathedral, noted how Bishop always wanted Christ Cathedral to be “a cathedral and Church that is welcoming, that is a point of unity and that touches the hearts of people through its beauty.”
Orange County Catholic created a special issue to celebrate Bishop Vann’s milestone, with words of support and love pouring out of its pages.
NEW FILIPINO CATHOLIC CENTER IN ANAHEIM
Bishop Kevin Vann on July 21 blessed the opening of the Poong Nazareno Filipino Catholic Center in Anaheim, the only operating Filipino Catholic center in the United States. More than 1,000 came to the event, overflowing the 1.4-acre property in Anaheim with love and support as the grounds were blessed by Bishop Vann and other priests from Alagad ni Maria, a religious order that will own and operate the property.
The center was the longtime dream of local Filipino Catholic community, estimated at 90,000 people, and has given them a permanent home to celebrate Mass in English and Tagalog, learn more about their cultural traditions, and engage in dance and song. To acquire the property, the community raised more than $2 million in just a few months to use as a down payment.
EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS RETURNS TO CHRIST CATHEDRAL
Thousands descended upon the Christ Cathedral campus for the I AM: A Beacon of Hope event on Oct. 16 to 18. The Eucharistic congress, the second since 2023, included outdoor Masses, confessions, a procession, guest speakers and special youth tracks. Representatives from all Orange County parishes attended, and presentations were made in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean.
All who attended, from middle-school students and youth leaders to ministry leaders and the wider diocesan community, left the congress renewed, inspired and filled with the Holy Spirit. The next diocesan Eucharistic congress will be on Oct. 15 and 16, 2027.
GROUNDBREAKING FOR SHROUD OF TURIN MUSEUM
The Shroud of Turin: An Immersive Experience was dedicated by Bishop Kevin Vann and his auxiliary bishops on Nov. 18 in a ceremony that included hymns, singing, reading Scripture and the sprinkling of holy water throughout the 10,000-square-foot museum, located inside the Richard H. Pickup Cultural Center at Christ Cathedral.
The privately funded, $5-million museum features 360-degree projection-room theaters, interactive exhibits, Shroud replicas, new sacred art and more. “After much work and prayer by so many members of our team, we gather now to bless and dedicate this new Shroud of Turin museum,” said Bishop Vann. “Here, many will come to learn of the Shroud of Turin and deepen their faith and understanding. We pray that the word of God may always echo from its walls.”
OTHER DIOCESAN NEWS OF NOTE
Blessed Sacrament parish in Westminster completed a renovation project that bought several changes, including a new retablo and much-needed air conditioning. Construction began in May, with Fr. Anthony Hien Vu giving a blessing that helped kick off the project. The project features an expanded sacristy that has been completely renovated with an ADA-compliant bathroom, new cabinetry and new vestment area.
On Memorial Day, May 26, Ascension Cemetery in Lake Forest celebrated its long-awaited expansion project. It now has an additional 6.5 acres, bringing the total size to around 16 acres. The project added an extra 1,147 travertine front niches, 1,440 lawn crypts and 35 family estates. Cemetery officials estimate that the expansion will provide up to 15 years’ worth of additional grave and cremation niche spaces into the future.
On Oct. 25, Bishop Kevin Vann dedicated the new convent of the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Nha Trang, officially named the John Paul II Community, in Garden Grove. The liturgy, attended by more than 150 friends and supporters, was held under a tent in the convent’s backyard.
Just a week later, on Nov. 4, Bishop Vann dedicated the “Mu-a Nanumteo” (Selfless Sharing Center) convent of the Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs, also in Garden Grove. Due to limited space, the liturgy was held on the patio, where Bishop Vann blessed the convent and its small oratory, and the Blessed Sacrament was reserved.
THE FOLLOWING CELEBRATED ANNIVERSARIES IN THE DIOCESE:
■ Holy Trinity parish (20 years)
■ The Orange County Catholic Foundation (25 years)
■ St. Norbert Catholic School (60 years)
■ Rosary Academy (60 years)
■ Our Lady of Fatima Academy (60 years)
■ Santa Clara Day Nursery by the Poor Clare Missionary Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (60 years)
■ St. Timothy Catholic Church (60 years)
■ St. Anthony Mary Claret parish (70 years)
■ St. Pius V Catholic School (70 years)
■ Mater Dei High School (75 years)
■ St. Catherine’s Academy (100 years as a boys military academy).