Cardinal Levada is among 2012 ‘Distinguished Alumni’

Five men who have modeled their lives after the example of Jesus in serving their church and community have been selected as the 2012 Distinguished Alumni from St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo.Cardinal William Levada, Monsignors Timothy Dyer, Donal Mulcahy and Jeremiah McCarthy, and Marvin J. Southard will be honored at the fifth annual Distinguished Alumni Dinner to be held Sept. 30 at St. John’s. All five received theological formation at St. John’s Seminary Theologate and/or College prior to their priesthood or — as with Southard, director of Los Angeles County’s Department of Mental Health — a career in public service.Proceeds from the event support ongoing formation at St. John’s Seminary, which educates and forms priests for service in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as well as other dioceses.Cardinal Levada, born in Long Beach, recently concluded seven years as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, appointed to that post in 2005 by his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI (previously Cardinal Josef Ratzinger). Baptized at Holy Innocents Church, Long Beach, he attended St. Anthony Elementary and High Schools, Our Lady Queen of the Angels Seminary and completed his B.A. in Philosophy at St. John’s Seminary College in 1958. He earned his Licentiate in Sacred Theology at the Gregorian University in 1962 after having been ordained in Rome as a priest in 1961, and completed his doctorate in 1971. He served as professor of Theology at St. John’s Seminary, director of continuing education for the clergy for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and president of the Senate of Priests, and served in residence at several parishes. After six years working at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican, he became executive director of the California Catholic Conference in 1982, and in 1983 was ordained as auxiliary bishop of Los Angeles. He then served as archbishop of Portland (1986-95 and San Francisco (1995-2005) before his appointment to Rome. He was created a cardinal in 2006.Msgr. Dyer, raised in local Catholic schools, was ordained in 1974 from St. John’s and has served in a number of local parishes as well as Vicar for Clergy. Since the late 1990s, he has been a parish priest in Latino and African American neighborhoods, including many years of service as pastor of Nativity and St. Columbkille (clustered parishes) in South Los Angeles. He was named pastor of St. Patrick Church, south of downtown, in 2011.Msgr. McCarthy, a native of Fort Riley, Kansas, was ordained from St. John’s in 1972 for the Diocese of Tucson, Arizona. He completed his Ph.D. in Moral Theology in 1985 and served for two decades at St. John’s as professor of Moral Theology, academic dean, vice-rector and rector. He then served at the Association of Theological Schools, and is currently executive director of the Seminary Department for the National Catholic Educational Association. Born and raised in Ireland, Msgr. Mulcahy entered St. Patrick’s College, Maynooth, then was invited by Archbishop John Cantwell of Los Angeles to attend St. John’s. He served primarily as a parish priest, including 25 years as pastor at Our Lady of the Assumption in Ventura. He is now pastor emeritus, but continues to hear confessions and celebrate Mass in the parish and throughout west Ventura County. Southard is a Tucson native and was in New Mexico when he considered the priesthood. He graduated from St. John’s Seminary College in 1971, then after two years in theology pursued an advanced degree in social work at UC Berkeley and a career in the mental health field. At the Department of Mental Health, his work includes helping to establish an annual Spirituality and Mental Health Conference and a Clergy Advisory Committee. He was named Social Worker of the Year by the National Association of Social Workers in 2006. Since its establishment in 2008, St. John’s Seminary’s Distinguished Alumni Dinner has honored 20 men who have served their church and community in extraordinary fashion. Previous honorees include:—2008: Bishop Sylvester Ryan, Msgr. John Hughes, Msgr. Richard Murray, Msgr. John Sheridan and Louis Velasquez.—2009: Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Sartoris, Msgr. Wilbur Davis, Msgr. John Fosselman, Msgr. Royale Vadakin and Neil Parent.—2010: Cardinal Justin Rigali, Msgr. Henry Gomez, Msgr. Ronald Swett, Msgr. Lloyd Torgerson and Dr. Bob Hurd.—2011: Cardinal Roger Mahony, Father Michael McCullough, Msgr. Peter Nugent, Msgr. Patrick Thompson and Christopher Redondo.The Sept. 30 celebration begins at 4 p.m. with Solemn Vespers in the Seminary Chapel, followed by a reception, dinner and presentation of the honorees. Tickets to the dinner are $200 and sponsorship opportunities are available; contact St. John’s Advancement Office at (805) 389-2035 or [email protected]. {gallery width=100 height=100}gallery/2012/0713/sbdistinguished/{/gallery}