Welcome to another episode of Orange County Catholic Radio, featuring host Rick Howick. On this week’s episode, we have brought in some special guests to share about upcoming events on the Chris Cathedral campus. On the first half of the podcast, Rick sits down with guests Fr. Al Baca and Fr. John Monestero to talk about the soon arrival of the St Jude relic to our diocese, and the significance and value of relics. Next, we check in with Dr. Elysabeth Nguyen and Fr. Quang Chu to get the latest update on the progress of the Marian Gardens and its soon grand opening. It’s going to be an amazing ..read more

Mater Dei High School  here in the heart of Orange County, California, is a powerhouse in any number of things. ON FEB. 12, THE MATER DEI MONARCHS WON THE 2024 NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADING CHAMPIONSHIP. PHOTO COURTESY OF MATER DEI CHEER TEAM Football, for one thing. Cheerleading, for another. The Mater Dei cheerleading team took second in 2022 and third in 2023 at the UCA National High School Cheerleading Championships. Silver and bronze – but not gold. What, Mater Dei cheer coach Katie Bowers thought to herself, needs to change? The routine, that’s what.   On Feb. 12, at the ..read more

Deacon Steve Greco recalls the aha moment. He and his team had been compiling footage of various “I Thirst” events as part of a three-year, 21-city evangelical tour that is a companion movement to the National Eucharist Revival when, during dinner with his colleagues after an event in Fresno in March 2023, it hit him. “I thought, ‘There’s a move here,’” said Deacon Steve, a permanent deacon and director of evangelization and formation for the Diocese of Orange who serves at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church in Irvine. “There’s a movie to be made about this Eucharistic revival and the ‘I ..read more

Christ cathedral will celebrate the feast day of St. Peregrine, patron saint of cancer patients and hope for youth at risk, with a special Mass and blessing with relics of the saint on Saturday, May 4 at 12:30 p.m. St. Peregrine is widely known as the patron saint of those who suffer with cancer. But he is also the patron saint of “youth at risk.” Once in a gang, he met compassion and came to peace and joined the Servite Order ..read more

At the age of 11, Bryson Bisuna was enrolled at St. Serra Catholic School in Rancho Santa Margarita – a typical path for many of his contemporaries. Yet Bisuna’s path was anything but typical. Because at the same time, he was enrolled and graduated Magna cum Laude from Irvine Valley with an associate degree in computer science. Then it was on to UC San Diego where, in one year, Bisuna earned bachelor’s degree in mathematics- computer science. He was 15. Bryson Bisuna has the distinction of being “gifted.” While the word can be used in a variety of ways, the National Association of Gifted Child ..read more

What is faithfulness? At times, our society seems to have lost sight of it. Some couples who vow faithfulness at their wedding tragically break that promise through an affair or divorce. Persons in leadership roles swearing to uphold the duties of their office all too often forget their promise in favor of personal benefit. On the other hand, we see shining examples of couples married for 60 or 70 years now faithfully taking care of each other in their declining years and working couples caring for their aging parents as well as raising their own children. The saying “like father, like son” or ..read more

I am sharing a picture of my mother, Amelita Sison Navarro, which I took in front of the Infant Jesus of Prague, Czech Republic after Mass at Church of Our Lady Victorious late last month. Our family belongs to St. Thomas More Parish in Irvine. We were on a trip/pilgrimage as part of her 80th birthday celebration. — Michele Navarro Nazareno ..read more

This week on Catholic Sports View, host Bob Gibson is on location at the annual Boras Classic baseball tournament hosted by Mater Dei and J Serra high schools. He talks with coaches as well as tournament organizer Amanda Samaan from the Boras family foundation. Twitter: @CatholicSV   Click here to listen ..read more

Why is Catholic education important? According to eighth grade student Mya David Fu, the answer is simple. “Not only do you learn about God, but you receive a quality education,” she said. Fu added: “We have a very tight-knit community and I see God in every person. He draws us all closer together.” Fu is considered a student leader at St. Irenaeus and she has impacted the school in many ways. “Through our conversations, I have learned that Mya is beyond her years in understanding the importance of building a just society and upholding the dignity of the human person,” said the school’s princi ..read more

When recently married, Beverly and Mark Johnson planned a trip to the Philippines to meet Beverly’s family; neither realized that their vacation would also be a journey that revealed their shared religious, family and historical connections. THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE FIRST MASS IN THE PHILIPPINES COMMEMORATES THE ARRIVAL OF CATHOLICISM. PHOTO COURTESY OF MARK JOHNSON One might call them “God Moments.” Beverly grew up in Ormoc City, on the island of Leyte. Like most Filipinos, her family is deeply rooted in Catholicism. “My Catholic faith has always been very important to me and my family,” s ..read more