HOME 
Meet Our Priests and Deacons
Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, JCD, DDBishop of Orange
After his ordination on May 30, l981, he was assigned to graduate studies in Canon Law at the Angelicum in Rome, with residence at the graduate house of the North American College in Rome, the Casa Santa Maria dell’ Umilta.
Upon returning to the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois, Father Vann was involved in the work of the Diocesan Tribunal and the Tribunal of Second Instance in Chicago. He served as pastor of parishes ranging in size from 35 to 1,300 families, two of which had large schools. He taught Canon Law at Kenrick Seminary. Before he was named bishop, he was pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Springfield, Vicar for Priests, and the Diocesan contact for Hispanic Ministry.
Bishop Vann was ordained and installed as the third bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth on Wednesday, July 13, 2005, at Texas Christian University’s Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
In Texas, he collaborated closely with other bishops through the Texas Catholic Conference and Region X which includes dioceses of States of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas. He is the former Texas Bishops’ Liaison to the Texas Mission Council and Texas Catholic hospitals. And, through the U.S. Conference of Bishops, he works with bishops across the United States as well as globally.
Bishop Vann was a leader in the Texas Conference of Bishops, providing leadership for various initiatives at the national level, including service on ad hoc committee which assisted the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) to guide the incorporation of Anglican groups into the Catholic Church of the United States. He is a member of the USCCB Committee on Migration, as well as the Canonical Affairs Committee. Bishop Vann is the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith’s Ecclesiastical Delegate for the Pastoral Provision in the United States.
On September 21, 2012, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI announced the appointment of Bishop Kevin W. Vann as the fourth Bishop of Orange.
Most Reverend Tod D. Brown
Retired Bishop of Orange
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 1, 1963 for the Diocese of Monterey in
On December 27, 1988, Pope John Paul II appointed him Bishop of Boise, Idaho. He was ordained and installed as Bishop of that See on April 3,1989. On September 3, 1998, Bishop Brown was installed as the third Bishop of Orange, succeeding Bishop Norman McFarland, who had served the Diocese of Orange until his retirement.
Rev. Msgr. Douglas Cook
Rector
Greetings and thanks for taking a look at Holy Family Cathedral.
We have a wonderful community here, a vibrant and active group of Catholics. I am proud to be here as well, and now look back on my first year with some amazement and a lot of satisfaction. Thank you for your welcome when I arrived, and for your patience as I settle in to this new task in the Lord’s vineyard.
One great aspect about Holy Family is the number of families with very deep roots in the parish. Parents who settled here and became active years ago now have kids and grandkids who chose to remain at Holy Family. They come here for Mass, and are active in the School, the Choirs, the Youth Group and other ministries. In a world of high mobility – or instability – and “shopping around,” this is a great testimony for Holy Family.
A thought: If the economy has given you some down-time, have you considered how to use it? How about getting involved in one of the diverse ministries at Holy Family? How about attending daily Mass, or stopping by for prayer before our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament? Use your time well!
Thanks for your support in so many ways, and come say “Hi” to me when you are here for Mass! I will be praying for all who visit this web-page,
Msgr. Doug Cook
Rector
Rev. Thai Paul Minh Trinh
Parochial Vicar
Father Thai Trinh was born and raised in Saigon. During the Vietnam war, his father served as an officer in the South Vietnamese Army against the invading communists, then became a P.O.W. Later his father escaped the country by himself as one of the “boat people” and a political refugee, and finanlly sponsored the entire family to come to the United States in 1992.
Fr. Thai has two brothers, one of which is a Franciscan priest in San Francisco, three married sisters, and ten nieces and nephews, all now living in Orange County. Together with his family, he struggled through poverty and oppression in post-war Vietnam and later studied Languages and Literature at the University of Saigon. He graduated with a Bachelor of Biological Sciences degree at U.C. Irvine and planned to become a dentist - but then decided to join St. John Seminary in Camarillo for his Priestly Formation Program. He graduated with a Master of Divinity and Master of Arts degrees in Spiritual Theology.
Fr. Thai was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Orange on June 11, 2005. He has served the communities of Our Lady Queen of Angels Church in Newport Beach, St. Martin de Porres Church in Yorba Linda and St. Nicholas Church in Laguna Woods.
On December 2, he began his new assignment with us here at Holy Family. He enjoys kayaking, bowling, exercising, reading, travelling, going on charity missions, time with family and friends, and especially “wrestling” with his nieces and nephews.
Reverend Rafael Luévano
Rafael Luévano was ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1981 for the Diocese of Orange, California. He completed graduate work in spirituality, a Licentiate degree from the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome, and doctoral degree from Nijmegan Catholic University in the Netherlands. Father Luévano served in various pastoral and administrative priestly assignments including Spiritual Director and Rector/President of
Reverend Rev. Binh Nguyen
Priest Secretary to the Diocesan Bishop
Vice Chancellor, Director of Clergy Personnel
Fr. Binh Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam, on January 10, 1974, right before the Vietnam Conflict ended. He comes from a large family consisting of eleven children. After spending more than a year in the Philippines as a refugee, he came to California in 1983. He studied at Queen of Angels High School Seminary (which is now Bishop Alemany High School) and then continued on to St. John’s Seminary College and Theology in Camarillo, California. Fr. Nguyen was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Tod D. Brown on June 9, 2001 at St. Columban Church.
Fr. Nguyen’s first assignment as a priest was at St. Polycarp Church in the City of Stanton. After four years as a parochial vicar there, he went on for further studies at the Catholic University of America for two years. He then was assigned to St. Columban Church in Garden Grove from 2007-2009 and to St. Anthony Claret Church in Anaheim from 2009-2011. At the request of Bishop Tod D. Brown, Fr. Nguyen succeeds Msgr. Tuan Pham as Secretary to the Bishop and Director of Clergy Personnel, effective July 1, 2011.
Fr. Nguyen is excited to serve our Diocese in this new capacity and he looks forward to working collaboratively with the Marywood and Holy Family Cathedral staff and other collaborators of the Bishop.
Deacon Rich Lovett
Deacon Rich was born in Kentucky, the youngest of 3 boys, but was raised in Michigan after his family moved there when he was five years old. He joined the Navy right out of high school, and spent two years in the Philippines and two years on a destroyer during the Vietnam War. After the military, Deacon Rich moved to California when in 1967, he met a wonderful woman named Georgeann. They were married that same year. They were blessed with their son Greg who was born in 1972. Deacon Rich has a BA degree from CSULB and a MA in Education from Azusa Pacific University. He was an Industrial Arts teacher for 27 years at Valley High School in Santa Ana, teaching wood shop, auto shop and drafting and now is retired.
Although he was raised Southern Baptist, he became a Catholic in 1984 at La Purísima. Both Georgeann and Deacon Rich have always participated in various activities and programs at La Purísima. All of these experiences have allowed him to enjoy and appreciate having a faith community and given him strength to walk his faith journey.
In 1999, he was ordained a Deacon. The ministries that Deacon Rich and Georgeann have continued are conducting Marriage Preparation programs for the Deanery and chaplains in the Orange County jails. Deacon Rich is also involved with the Catholic Worker in Santa Ana feeding the homeless each week and he is on the Board of Directors there. Deacon Rich and Georgeann teach Baptism Classes at Holy Family Cathedral. Georgeann is the Director of Respect Life, Justice and Peace for the Diocese and a member of our Parish Justice and Peace Ministry.
Deacon Tom McGuine
Shelly and I grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We lived a block away from each other and attended kindergarten together. In 1962 we married and moved to Los Angeles because I was hired by the Los Angeles Police Department. I served on the LAPD for 21 years, and during this time we had 6 children, 4 boys and 2 girls. In 1983 I retired from the police department as a senior homicide detective supervisor. Then we decided to move back to Wisconsin to be with our relatives. Upon returning to Wisconsin, I was employed at a local college for the next 17 years instructing police recruits and civilians in the law enforcement curriculum. In 1988, Shelly and I entered St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee preparing for the deaconate. So, in 1992 I was ordained a deacon for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. Shelly became a Certified Lay Minister, having completed all the necessary classes.
In 2001 Shelly and I returned to our home in Fullerton where we now reside. Our first Deacon assignment was to St. Angela Merici Parish in Brea. Shelly also worked at St. Angela in the ACT program which helps the poor. In June of 2005, we were reassigned to Holy Family Cathedral. I assist and preach at Mass, preside at funeral vigils and committals and work with couples to be married. I also assists with annulments for the Diocese and work as an Advocate for the marriage Tribunal. Shelly has started the Greeters Ministry at Holy Family and until recently coordinated the marriage and baptism ministries for Holy Family. For two years she wrote an article on Stewardship for the Sunday bulletin.
Our oldest son is a priest who is assigned as pastor of Santa Sophia Parish is Spring Valley, CA., Diocese of San Diego. Our other children are all adults and are married. At the present time we have 12 grandchildren. All baptized by Deacon Tom.
Shelly and I are happy to be at Holy Family Cathedral. If we can help you in any way just give us a call.
