St. John's Seminary to Honor Five Distinguished Alumni

Monsignor Wilbur L. Davis, Monsignor John A. Fosselman, Mr. Neil A. Parent,
Bishop Joseph M. Sartoris, and Monsignor Royale M. Vadakin to be honored at
Second Annual Awards Dinner on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009

CAMARILLO, Calif., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Five St. John's Seminary alumni
will be honored at the second annual Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner slated
for Sunday, September 20 at St. John's campus in Camarillo.

Honorees include Monsignor Wilbur L. Davis of the Diocese of Orange,
Monsignor John A. Fosselman, now living in retirement in Los Angeles; Mr. Neil
A. Parent of Alexandria, Virginia; Bishop Joseph M. Sartoris, retired
Auxiliary Bishop of Los Angeles, and Monsignor Royale M. Vadakin, Vicar
General and moderator of the Curia of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

The honorees will be feted at the awards dinner which starts with Solemn
Vespers in the Seminary Chapel, followed by a reception with wine tasting, a
silent auction and dinner.

Neil Parent, a St. John's student from 1962 to 1964, remembers his days at St.
John's Seminary fondly and says: "I am proud to be associated with and honored
by such a fine institution." As a nationally esteemed lay leader, Mr. Parent
served in the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) as
representative for adult education from 1978 to 1990 and as Executive Director
of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) from 1990 to
2007. Currently, he works as an independent consultant, trainer, and speaker.

At age 93, Monsignor Fosselman is the oldest living alumnus, ordained in
1942. Now retired and living in the Nazareth House in Los Angeles he said
some of the most memorable moments at St. John's were "witnessing the
finishing touches of the seminary building and the building of the Doheny
Library as well as all the fraternal exchanges with fellow seminarians and the
faculty members."

"All of the honorees have served with distinction since leaving St. John's,"
says Monsignor Craig Cox, St. John's Seminary's Rector/President, "and we are
deeply honored that they will be joining us on what promises to be a great
evening this September 20th."

Tickets are $175 per person and sponsorship opportunities are also available.
For more information regarding tickets or sponsorships please contact St.
John's Seminary's advancement office at (805) 389-2036 or email
advancement@stjohnsem.edu.

St. John's Seminary is a multicultural community of seminarians pursuing
advanced professional degrees leading to ordination and pastoral ministry
(Master of Divinity, Master of Arts in Pastoral Ministry) and teaching
Catholic Theology (M.A.). Seminarians come from diverse backgrounds, ages and
professions. The St. John's Seminary campus includes the Edward Laurence
Doheny and the Carrie Estelle Doheny Libraries, providing seminarians with
excellent access to research materials and services. For more information on
St. John's Seminary please call the Office of Advancement at (805) 482-2755
ext 2035 or write advancement@stjohnsem.edu.

SOURCE St. John's Seminary

John Lockhart of St. John's Seminary, +1-805-389-2037,
advancement@stjohnsem.edu