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| Jon Meyer
Jonathon (Jon) Meyer was born and raised in Torrance and is the oldest son in a family of six. As the only boy in a set of triplets, his life has been filled with many blessings, adventures, and very few dull moments. He grew up in a large, devout Roman Catholic family where the importance of family values and faith were role modeled daily.
His grandfather, Lou Stark, a longtime member of council 1990, has had particular influence on his childhood formation. His family belongs to St. Lawrence Martyr Church where his parents participated actively in various ministries. He attended elementary school at St. Lawrence, and is a graduate of Bishop Montgomery High School as the Salutatorian of the Class of 2004. From high school he attended the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, graduating with a Bachelors of Science in Biochemistry. He was involved in many different campus ministry programs, worked for the Office of Admissions and the President of the University. The college years gave him the opportunity to grow tremendously in his faith, leading him to discern a call to the diocesan priesthood.
He and his father joined Council 1990 in 2008. Jon was accepted to St. John’s seminary starting this fall. He looks forward to the growth and challenges seminary studies and life will bring him.
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| Eben McDonald
Eben MacDonald. 45 years old, was born in Columbus, Ohio, was raised in Flint, Michigan, and has lived in the Los Angeles area since 1987. He is the oldest of six children. He attended college in Michigan, studied theatre, with dreams of becoming a professional actor. In college he had a strong conversion experience and in response became active in youth ministry. It was during this time that he began to experience a call to priestly ministry. He entered a college formation program for the Diocese of Lansing, Michigan but after a short time he left the program. Subsequently, he returned to school to complete the theatre degree graduating in 1987.
He moved to California and began a seventeen year career with Pier 1 Imports. He joined Saint Mel Parish, Woodland Hills where he became active in a number of ministries: as he became more active in ministry the thoughts concerning priesthood began to resurface. He found that he was drawing more life and energy out of a few hours of week in ministry than from his full-time job, so he once again considered a priestly vocation.
He contacted the Vocations Office for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and entered St John’s Seminary. He has also been blessed to have the support of two of his brothers who are ordained priests! His brother Adam is a missionary priest with the Divine Word Missionaries, and his brother Tim is a parish priest in the Diocese of Lansing.
And so, God willing, in June of 2012 he expects become the third ordained priest in his family!
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| Friar Tammylee Ngo
Friar Tammylee Ngo is a member of the Conventual Franciscans, SaintJoseph of Cupertino Province located in Arroyo Grande, California.
As the school year of 2008-2009 finished, Friar Tammylee is now continuing into a third year of theology at Saint Patrick Seminar y in Menlo Park, California. Studying does not always come easy for him, but he believes that he is not working alone. He appreciates all the help and support he is getting, especially from the Knights of Columbus, as well as all the prayers for his priestly vocation.
He expects to be ordained as a deacon this coming summer 2010 andordained a priest in the summer of 2011. He asks for continued prayers for his priestly vocation in the Church
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| Nabor Rios
Nabor Rios is 41 years old, born and raised in Autlan, Jalisco, Mexico. He is the sixth of eight children, born to Francisco Rios and Maria de Jesus Gomez. His father was a farm worker (labrador), his mother a housewife. As a close-knit Catholic family, Sunday Mass was very important to the Rios family, as was regularly praying the rosary.
During his early years of schooling, he was an altar boy and the desire to be a priest started then. His childhood pastor, Fr. Salvador, was a very important and influential person in his life. He finished high school and decided to help his family financially, moving to the U.S.A.
He had a series of jobs --- tree trimming for several years, and several more years working at Del Taco and Burger King, acquiring experience that enabled him to get a management position with Baja Fresh as a district manager overseeing five L.A. locations and supervising new store openings, hiring and training procedures. Financially he was doing financially very well; he was able to travel all over the U.S., and was energized by working in the corporate world. The thought of priesthood, however, was forgotten, even though he remained a church-going Catholic.
A change occurred before Christmas 2002, when a friend who invited him to join her for a Christmas gathering with the incarcerated juveniles. Soon he found himself going every Wednesday and Sunday to meet with the juveniles and assisting at the Mass. There his childhood desire to become a priest like Father Salvador was rekindled, a desire that intensified as he pursued this longing in his heart to serve God and his people, especially those most in need.
He gave up his well paying job and started the long journey toward the priesthood, because his heart and soul told him that God was calling him to this. All his former goals and successes in life pale in comparison to what he feels when he thinks of serving God and helping people to know God and God's love for them, just as he has experienced his love and awesome presence in his life.
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| Brother Patrick Sheridan
Bro. Patrick Sheridan O.S.B. entered St Andrew's Abbey, Valyermo, in Feb. 2003. He has made his Solemn (perpetual) Profession in June 2008. He is currently assigned to St. John’s Seminary to complete his studies.
As a 61 year old most of his lay career was spent in restaurant management, although he also spent some time as a teacher and as a salesperson for Doubleday Publishers. In addition, he has been married, divorced, and has two grown children and three grandchildren. He is on good terms with his ex-wife; she was an honored guest at his Simple Profession. His daughter, Heather, is married with three children. His son, Sean, is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and is also married. He considers himself blessed to have the best of both worlds. He is also living proof that God is never finished with us. He mentioned that he thanks God every day for his Religious Vocation, and he is asking God every day to bless us for our support.
About the photo he writes that it's the first time he has seen a picture of himself with his new beard. We are not sure how long he’ll keep it, since at age 61 he does not think he needs any help in looking old. He also asked us to pray for him.
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| Albert Shuyaka
Albert Shuyaka is the 30 year old Seminarian from the Diocese of Tshumbe in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Africa. He was born April 20, 1979 in Tshumbe.
Orphaned at six months old, he was adopted by a family with nine children (five boys and four daughters), where he is the youngest. Albert graduated in philosophy (BA) from the Major Seminary John Paul II in Lodja. He arrived in the U.S. in August 2005, and presently he is a third year theology student at Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo, where he is studying and will return to the Diocese of Tshumbe/Congo. He speaks Otetela (first language), Lingala (one of the 4 national languages of the Congo), French (official language of the Congo), and he is learning English.
He has spent time helping The Boys’ Town in Nebraska, thereafter he spent a year of internship in one of Los Angeles’ parishes.
He still has 2 years remaining in the seminary before he expects to be ordained in 2011.
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