Father Augustin Escobar, 1955-2017
Father Augustin Escobar was born in Medellin, Colombia on April 18, 1955, the youngest of 18 children. On the morning of March 25, 2017, Father Escobar (61) passed away in Medellin from bone marrow cancer. In his short tenure in the Diocese of Orange, he left an indelible mark.
He came from a very poor family, but, as he was known to say, ‘we were very rich in God’s faith.’ Four of his brothers became priests and two of his sisters became nuns. His whole family was at his bedside when he passed.
He was ordained a priest on May 31, 1987 and began working as a pastor for two parishes in Colombia. Father Escobar came to the United States in 1996, serving as an Augustinian Recollects (O.A.R.) at Our Lady of the Pillar, St. Barbara, Blessed Sacrament, St. Norbert’s and St. Cecilia. He referred to coming to the United States as his new ‘challenge and adventure.’
Fr. Escobar served at St. Norbert’s in Orange from 2010-2015 and was beloved by the parishioners. He will be remembered as a holy and joyful example of Christ.
Father John Duy Nguyen, an associate Pastor at St. Norbert’s, said Father Escobar was very popular, especially among the Spanish speaking parishioners.
“He provided counseling and guidance for many of the Spanish speaking families on a regular basis,” said Father Nguyen. “He led a very inspiring prayer life and he helped many parishioners meditate and reflect on their own prayer lives. He encouraged parishioners and he shared his journey with them.”
Fr. Escobar informed the St. Norbert parishioners that he had cancer and that he made a decision to return to Colombia to live out his final days. During his homily at his farewell mass, Father Escobar reached the faithful, who had packed the church, with a compassionate message.
“He said ‘my body has cancer, but my soul does not and it will live on,’” said Nguyen. “That is a very powerful message.
“He related to kids and adults alike. I worked with him for three years and at times I would go into his office and he would offer me guidance and I was grateful to him for that. He was very positive and enlightening. He was trusted and very well liked. He is now in his final resting place in Colombia where he was born.”
Mr. Joe Ciccoianni, the principal at St. Norbert Elementary School said Father Escobar’s message was ‘real.’
“He had been ill but he made it back to the parish for First Reconciliation last fall,” said Ciccoianni. “He had a wonderful deep voice and he had a way of talking to people that portrayed peace. He was friendly and kind and he helped perpetuate God’s mercy.
“He knew he was dying, yet his homily had people crying and laughing at the same time. He said he knew his body had cancer but he believed his soul would live on into eternity. As a Catholic, we say that we believe that but he lived it and it was ‘real’ to him and he truly believed it. When he finished his homily, people were applauding.
“He provided his total trust in God, not as an intellectual hallmark way of thinking – he lived it and believed it.”
Mary Alvarado, the principal of St. Cecilia’s Elementary School in Tustin, the final parish Father Escobar served at, said he was held in high regards.
“In October of 2015 we were preparing for a visit by Bishop Vann and Father Escobar came into the church and saw we were practicing and he voluntarily dressed up in his vestments to help us prepare for the next day,” said Alvarado. “He was loved by everyone. He was genuine and funny and he didn’t have any self-pity. In our last staff meeting, Fr. Escobar told us that miracles aren’t always big and great and that we are blessed with miracles every day and we have to appreciate them.”
Father Joseph Distefano, 1950-2017
Father Joseph DiStefano passed away on February 11, 2017 after a lengthy illness. Father DiStefano studied at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Wisconsin beginning in the late 1970s. He began his service in the Diocese of Orange in 1984 as an Associate Pastor at St. Barbara Church in Santa Ana and later moved onto St. Boniface in Anaheim.
“He was as an extremely friendly guy and I would see him at retreats in Palm Springs,” said Father Richard Kennedy, former Diocese of Orange vocations director and currently associate pastor at St. Bonaventure’s Parish in Huntington Beach. “He went into the seminary in his late 20s but unfortunately only served in Orange County a short while until health issues forced him to go on disability.”
For the past number of years Father DiStefano lived near Laughlin, Nevada, and was recovering from a recent surgery when he passed. He was 67 years old.
DECEASED PRIESTS WHO SERVED IN THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE, 1976-2017
1976
Msgr. Vincent Lloyd Russell
1977
Rev. John M. Kenney
Rev. George W. Conboy
1979
Msgr. Bernard Gannon
1980
Rev. Felix Doherty
Rev. Adolfo Jimenez
1981
Rev. William McMann
1982
Rev. Peter Tien Duc Tran
Rev. Thomas Gannon
1983
Msgr. Anthony Kelly
1986
Most Rev. William R. Johnson
Msgr. John Siebert
1987
Rev. John Wehmhoefer
Msgr. Harry Trower, P.A.
1988
Msgr. Fidencio E. Esparza
Msgr. Michael Murphy
Most Rev. Tomas A. Clavel
1989
Rev. John Lord
Msgr. Thomas Nevin
1990
Rev. Msgr. John J. Hill
Msgr. Joseph Pekarcik
1991
Rev. Myles Faughnan
Msgr. David Coleman
Msgr. Francis W. Roughan
1992
Rev. Agripino Brillantes
Rev. Elias Fernandez
Msgr. Michael Duffy
Msgr. Des Quinn
1993
Rev. William R. Kuper
Msgr. Otto Sporrer
1994
Msgr. Donald Strange
Msgr. Daniel McLaughlin
Rev. Msgr. John C. Quantannens
Rev. George Breslin
Rev. Kenneth O’Keeffe
Rev. Louis Knight
Rev. Michael Carlos
1995
Msgr. John Dunne
Rev. Larry Smith
1996
Rev. Thomas O’Donnell
1998
Rev. Jose Morales
Msgr. Ralph Harvey
1999
Rev. Joseph Powers
Msgr. Terence O’Brien
Rev. Kenneth Krause
Msgr. Joe Sharpe
2000
Rev. George Gonzales
Rev. Wallace Daley
2001
Msgr. Michael Hughes
2002
Rev. Francis Moran
Msgr. Timothy Doyle
Rev. Tran Phuc Long
Msgr. Pedro Yrigan
Rev. Peter Trac Din Vu
2003
Msgr. Daniel Brennan
Msgr. Emmett B. McCarthy
2005
Msgr. John Coffield
Msgr. Sinon Falvey
Msgr. James Nash
Rev. Joseph Karp
Msgr. Paul Martin
2006
Rev. Peter Chinh
Msgr. Joseph Wadowicz
Msgr. John F. Sammon, P.A.
2007
Rev. Daniel Johnson
Msgr. Hugh O’Connor
2008
Rev. Patrick (Foncie) Doherty
Rev. Harold Fumo
Msgr. Peter Scannell
2010
Bishop Norman F. McFarland
Msgr. Michael Collins
2011
Rev. Mathias Ho
Msgr. James Pierse
Rev. Thomas Croal
Rev. George Pat Fee
Rev. Gary Kinzer
2013
Rev. John Rod Keller
2014
Rev. John Joyce
Rev. John Luongo
Rev. John Shetler
Rev. Msgr. John C. Keenan
2015
Rev. Gerardo Tanilong
Rev. John Sheahan
Msgr. Brian Coghlan
2016
Rev. Timothy MacCarthy
Rev. Joachim Tu Vu
2017
Rev. Joseph DiStefano
Rev. Agustin Escobar