Archbishop Emeritus George Niederauer of San Francisco, who died May 2, was part of a quartet of Los Angeles-born-raised-and-educated priests who shared a remarkable and certainly unique link to the Catholic hierarchy. For rarely, if ever, has a single region produced so many future bishops in so short of a time period.
The four — born within 14 months (and 30 miles) of one another, and ordained to the priesthood within 370 days of each other — all attended St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and were later ordained archbishops. Three were created cardinal, three served as archbishops, two served in posts at the Vatican, and all have been named “Distinguished Alumni” by St. John’s.
They are (in order of birth):
—Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, born April 19, 1935 in Los Angeles; ordained to the priesthood April 25, 1961.
—Cardinal Roger Michael Mahony, born Feb. 27, 1936 in Hollywood; ordained May 1, 1962.
—Archbishop Niederauer, born June 14, 1936 in Los Angeles; ordained April 30, 1962.
—Cardinal William Joseph Levada, born June 15, 1936 in Long Beach; ordained Dec. 20, 1961.
Three were ordained priests for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles except for Cardinal Mahony, for the Diocese of Fresno. Cardinal Mahony was the first to be named to the episcopacy, as auxiliary bishop of Fresno in 1975, then bishop of Stockton in 1980 and archbishop of Los Angeles in 1985. He was created cardinal in 1991 and retired in 2011.
Cardinal Rigali, within three years of his ordination, was studying and serving at the Vatican, where he was eventually ordained an archbishop in 1985 and served as secretary for the Congregation of Bishops and the College of Cardinals. He returned to the U.S. as archbishop of St. Louis (1994) and Philadelphia (2003, the year he was created cardinal), and retired in 2011
Cardinal Levada was named an auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles in 1983, archbishop of Portland (Oregon) in 1986 and archbishop of San Francisco in 1995. In 2005, he was named prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict XVI, and was created cardinal in 2006. He retired in 2012.
Archbishop Niederauer, the only one of the four to serve as rector-president of St. John’s, was installed as bishop of Salt Lake City in 1995, then succeeded Cardinal Levada as archbishop of San Francisco in 2006, retiring in 2012.
Full story at Angelus.
“Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them.” Matthew 7:20
St. John’s Seminary did graduate a large number of homosexuals, but I’ve never heard that it graduated more than any other seminary in the United States. I don’t believe this. Can you please cite your source?
Nello Prato,
I neglected to mention in my message (above) that it was addressed to you.
The book, “Good-bye, Good Men,” by Michael Rose, tells all about these problems, mentioned above. Also, there have been some big, investigative news stories, on the shocking immorality and evils of past years, after Vatican II — at St. John’s Seminary, in Camarillo, CA. (I think the “Los Angeles Times” did one of these shocking investigative news stories— too filthy to believe!) Very disturbing!
The article of Nov. 17, 2005, from the “Los Angeles Times,” entitled “Trail of Abuse Leads to Seminary,” reveals the very disturbing situation of shocking immorality and sexual abuse cases, in post-Vatican II years, at St. John’s Seminary. The entire article now is available on Google. For one thing– the investigators found that in some years, up to one-third of the Seminary’s graduates, ordained as priests– were involved in cases of criminal sexual abuse. Very, very disturbing!
I went to St. John’s. Could you please cite your source?
Fr. Rich,
Are you referring to me or Nello Prato.
“I went to St. John’s. Could you please cite your source?”
For those who see the reality of the great loss of faith, no explanation should be necessary. Homosexuality is incompatible with the duties of the Holy Priesthood, period. Many still “don’t want to talk about it!” Meanwhile, the proof is in the pudding! To ignore, pretend, or deny, the fact, that there still is a Lavender Mafia, is to ignore or deny reality.
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L.A. Archdiocese’s payout to 508 claimants is the largest in the sex scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church.
July 15, 2007|Joe Mozingo and John Spano | Times Staff Writers
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles agreed Saturday to a $660-million settlement with 508 people who have accused priests of sexual abuse, by far the *biggest payout* in the child molestation scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church nationwide.
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Taken from Newsweek
https://www.newsweek.com/gays-and-seminary-145329
At St. John’s, officials welcome the study. “I think we do a good job recruiting solid candidates, and welcome the opportunity to do better,” says the Rt. Rev. Helmut Hefner, the school’s rector. He accepts that his gay enrollment may be as high as 50 percent, but that hasn’t caused any discomfort to heterosexuals, much less an epidemic of straight flight, he says.
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Jim Bevacqua, the student-body president, agrees. “I can speak firsthand, as a heterosexual seminarian. I have a lot of friends here who are heterosexual, I know they are, and this has never been an issue here at our seminary. ** “To be honest, people don’t talk about it much.” ** With the upcoming Vatican investigation, that will likely change.
https://www.newsweek.com/gays-and-seminary-145329
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Gays And The Seminary
By Newsweek Staff On 5/19/02 at 8:00 PM
There will never be a gay students’ group–or gay film series or gay dance–at St. John’s Seminary, one of the most respected training grounds for Catholic priests in the nation. Yet the 64-year-old institution, nestled in the hills of Camarillo, Calif., may be one of the country’s gayest facilities for higher education. Depending on whom you ask, gay and bisexual men make up anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent of the student body at the college and graduate levels.
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“I don’t want people to think that in a negative way,” says a 28-year-old gay alumnus, who believes all seminarians there are chaste, regardless of orientation. “It isn’t like Christopher Street or West Hollywood. But some seminarians are gay, openly gay, and very loud about it.”
Once again: $660-million in priest abuses
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Please do not ignore the current reality that many homosexuals who attended St. John’s now hold positions of authority in each diocese. They have deliberately silenced authentic Church teaching regarding homosexuality. Many have been rewarded with positions of authority and the title of Monsignor or Bishop for carrying unholy water for other homosexual superiors. The Servant of God Father John Hardon, SJ, spoke with a group of Catholics in L.A. Father Hardon said that the seminaries were INFESTED with homosexuals. He said many started out with good intentions but they became seduced from within.
That was really brave of you, Father Perozich. God bless you.
I am a bit surprised that Archbishop John Quinn wasn’t squeezed into this article. He was born in Riverside, but in 1929-a good 5-6 years older than Cardinal Rigali.
Pope, in book, says homosexuality incompatible with priesthood
By John Thavis Catholic News Service
11.24. 2010
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — In his new book, Pope Benedict XVI strongly reaffirmed church teaching that homosexual acts are “disordered” and said homosexuality itself is “incompatible” with the priesthood.
The pope’s comments came in his new book-interview, “Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times,” which was published Nov. 23.
Too bad JPll is not around to canonize all four of them.
One could not help but notice the Angelus article was notably silent about another ‘famous’ Camarillo bishop alumnus, and close friend of Mahony, Bp. Patrick Ziemann, one-time bishop of Santa Rosa diocese, may God have mercy on his soul.
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