Fr. Viet Peter Ho

Father Viet Peter Ho – the fourth child in a family of eight children – was born in Qui Nhon, Vietnam. In 1984, he and thirty-one others escaped Vietnam by boat; and after six days on the ocean, they were saved by a British petroleum ship, which was on its way to Japan. He began his life as a refugee in Nagasaki, Oita, and Tokyo. He came to Orange County at the end of June 1986. He attended Huntington Beach High School. In the fall of 1991, he entered Saint John Seminary College and was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Orange on June 10, 2000.
Father Viet Peter began his first priestly assignment as a parochial vicar at Saint Callistus in Garden Grove (2000-2004), which was merged into Christ Cathedral in 2012. His second assignment as parochial vicar was at Holy Family Cathedral in Orange (2004-2005). From 2005 to 2008, Bishop Brown sent him to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University (Gregoriana). After obtaining his canon law license in June 2008, he was assigned to be parochial vicar at San Antonio del Cañon in Anaheim; at the same time, he was appointed Defender of the Bond and Adjutant Judicial Vicar for the Office of Canonical Services. In 2010, he was appointed Judge, and subsequently Director of the same Office in 2014. During his full-time work at the Office of Canonical Services, he resided at Christ Our Savior parish in Santa Ana (2010-2013) and at Saint Mary Parish in Fullerton (2013-2017). From October 2016 to June 2017, he was appointed Administrator Pro-Temp for the parish of Saint John Neumann in Irvine. In the fall of 2017, Bishop Vann permitted him to pursue his postgraduate study; he returned to Rome and attended the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas (Angelicum) for his doctoral study in canon law. The Coronavirus pandemic (Covid-19) interrupted his studies. On March 24, 2020, he and other priest-students evacuated from Rome and returned to the US, because Italy was the pandemic hot spot at the time.
During this period of uncertainty, while he was waiting to return to Rome to complete his studies, Bishop Vann nominated him to be the next pastor of Saint Polycarp and a part-time Judge/Adjutant Judicial Vicar at the Tribunal and Office of Canonical Services. Shortly after receiving the news of his nomination, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation on June 22, 2020. He arrived at and began his pastoral ministry of St. Polycarp on July 01, 2020. Bishop Kevin Vann installed him as Pastor on November 29, 2020.
Fr. Nicolaus Duy Thai

Father Nicolaus Duy Thai immigrated to the United States from Vietnam in 2001 and
settled in Fountain Valley with his family. Through prayers and support from family and friends, his discernment led him to express interest in becoming a seminarian for the Diocese of Orange. He entered St. Patrick’s Seminary and University in Menlo Park in August 2009 as a seminarian of the diocese and was enrolled in the Pre-Theology Program. In August 2011, Bishop Tod Brown sent him to the Pontifical North American College in Rome for his seminary formation. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) in 2014 from the Pontifical Gregorian University and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) in 2017 from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas. Bishop Kevin Vann ordained him to the Order of Transitional Deacon on June 27th, 2015, and to the Order of Sacred Priesthood on June 11th, 2016. He then served as a parochial vicar at St. Cecilia Catholic Church and School for his first parish assignment from July 2017 to June 2021. From July 2021 to June 2022, he served as a formator at Mt. Angel Seminary in Oregon. He then returned to the Diocese of Orange and served as a parochial vicar at St. Martin de Porres in Yorba Linda from July 2022 to June 2024. With St. Polycarp as his third parish assignment, he looks forward to learning and serving to the best of his ability. Fr. Nicolaus asks for your prayers while assuring you of his prayers for the Saint Polycarp parishioners.
Fr. Luis Segura

Nacido en la ciudad de Torreón, Coahuila, México, el 11 de octubre. Tomó el hábito de los frailes franciscanos en el año 1998, en el Convento Franciscano de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe, en Guadalupe, Zacatecas. Fue Ordenado Sacerdote en San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, en el año 2009.
Trabajó un año como director espiritual en el Eremitorio “Porta Coeli” de Tepic. También dio su servicio por dos años como misionero en diferentes poblaciones rurales e indígenas de la Sierra de Durango, Zacatecas y Nayarit atendiendo, según la región, a Mestizos, Tepehuanes y Coras. Por tres años dirigió la Escuela-Internado para niños huicholes en Mezquitic, Jalisco. Fue Vicario por dos años en la ciudad de Tampico, Tamaulipas, en la parroquia de San Francisco en “Las Conchitas”.
En el año 2016 fue recibido por la Diócesis de Orange para trabajar como vicario en la parroquia de Saint Anne, en Santa Ana, California, donde estuvo por tres años. Luego trabajó como vicario en la parroquia de San Policarpo, en Stanton, por cuatro años.
En julio de 2022, el Obispo Kevin Vann lo admitió para que se incardinara a la Diócesis de Orange. Fue asignado como administrador parroquial en la Iglesia de San José, en Santa Ana, donde estuvo por un año. Finalmente ha regresado una vez más a esta parroquia de San Policarpo donde estará ofreciendo sus servicios pastorales.
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He was born in the city of Torreón, Coahuila, Mexico, on October 11. He took the habit of the Franciscan friars in 1998, at the Franciscan Convent of Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Guadalupe, Zacatecas. He was Ordained Priest in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, in 2009.
He worked for a year as spiritual director at the “Porta Coeli” Hermitage in Tepic. He also gave his service for two years as a missionary in different rural and indigenous populations of the Sierra de Durango, Zacatecas and Nayarit, serving, depending on the region, Mestizos, Tepehuanes and Coras. For three years he directed the Boarding School for Huichol children in Mezquitic, Jalisco. He was Vicar for two years in the city of Tampico, Tamaulipas, in the parish of San Francisco in “Las Conchitas”.
In 2016 he was received by the Diocese of Orange to work as vicar at Saint Anne Parish, in Santa Ana, California, where he remained for three years. He then worked as vicar at St Polycarp Parish, Stanton, for four years.
In July 2022, Bishop Kevin Vann admitted him for incardination to the Diocese of Orange. He was assigned as parish administrator at St. Joseph’s Church in Santa Ana, where he remained for one year. He has finally returned once again to this parish of St. Polycarp where he will be offering his pastoral services.
Deacon Ramiro Lopez

Deacon Ramiro has been in the parish since 1969. Prior to becoming a deacon he participated in choir, lectored at Mass, and was a catechist for the teen Confirmation program. He was an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion, sacristan, and Knights of Columbus Grand Knight. He was ordained in 2003 to the permanent diaconate. As an ordained deacon, he assists with Funerals and Quinceañeras, officiates weddings, and performs infant baptisms. He is also involved in Bereavement ministry.
Deacon Larry Leone

My wife June and I joined St. Polycarp Parish in the early 1990s and we brought with us four children, three boys, and one girl. We became active parishioners when a desperate DRE allowed June to register our children late to SRE if June would agree to teach the 4th graders. I came home from work that evening and June informed me that I would be teaching the 4th grade SRE. I never imagined I would be hearing those words that day, but after saying “yes” there was no turning back. About ten years later, June and I joined the Diaconate formation class of 2009 and I was ordained a permanent deacon on May 16, 2009. June and I have been serving St. Polycarp Church and the outlying community in many capacities ever since.
Deacon Trí Kim Đỗ

Deacon Tri Kim Do was ordained on October 17th, 2017. At the beginning, he did not pursue to be a deacon, but he believed in God’s plan. He may not know or understand God’s wisdom, but he believed and trusted in His will. It is also how he pursued God and followed Him.
His parents had three girls and three boys. As the youngest, his parents, sisters, and brothers pampered and loved him. His faith and spirituality were changed drastically after he escaped his country and left his loved ones in Saigon, Vietnam. He was sponsored by Lutheran Church in Garden Grove, California. Everything was new to him in America. He never stopped praying every morning and night or stopped going to Sunday Mass although his life was a struggle. He came to confide in Mary, Mother of God because he believed Mary would intercede for him, and he believed that God would provide for him whatever he asked. God’s gift for him is that he has a happy family with a loving wife, Yen Ngoc Nguyen, and four wonderful children, Joseph, Mary, Noel, and Matthew. He finished 5 years of college, studying for Computer Science and Mathematics at Golden West College and California State Long Beach University.
A deacon is a wonderful gift of the Holy Spirit to help our Church evangelize about Jesus Christ. Usually, deacons are most visible in the parish, exercising what we call their ‘alb ministry’, as they assist the priest at Mass. Most deacons are married. God wants to provide a witness to the spirituality of a married person who works in the world. He wants them to serve as a model to the local church through the character of his life as well as through his involvement in different ministries. The desire and willingness to live the life of a servant is God’s will. He tries to demonstrate to others that a servant of God is inherently humble and works with a spirit of simple and effective service. “Do small things with great love” – St. Teresa Calcutta
Deacon Juan Ochoa

My name is Juan Ochoa, born in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. I came to the USA in 1980 along with my older brother Jose and my younger sister Ana. We joined my parents Lionel and Irma Ochoa, whom were already here in San José, California. Years later, God blessed our family with two younger brothers Lionel and Tony. I lived in San José until I was 19 years of age. I then met who is now my soul partner in life, my wife Esmeralda Ochoa. Thanks to God she has accompanied me through tough and good, through happiness and sorrow and we have received the blessings of four wonderful gifts from God, my sons Lionel, Juan, Jonathan and a beautiful daughter Erika. My wife and I lived our encounter with God through a Spiritual retreat through Jóvenes Para Cristo in 1997. At that time we were only married through civil law – two years afterward we were married at St. Polycarp. Since then we have been serving in this parish, with JPC for eight years. After those years of service, we felt the calling to work with the youth through the DMA Spanish youth group whom I had the blessing of coordinating for like eight years and I continue serving with them. In 2018, Father Michael Saint Paul invited my wife and I to discern and join the Diaconate program. After a period of discernment, we decided to join in 2019. Going through the process, learning and preparing for what was to come, I learned to love God in a more deeper way realizing that what I was doing is practically what I’m doing now, and that is serving my Lord through all those people that I encounter. I am so grateful for so many people that have helped with their prayers, and for their accompaniment with me and my wife to be where we’re at now. I know that if I start mentioning people by name, I will forget some and I do not want that to happen, just know that all of you who have embraced this and were a part for this to be possible – with all your help and prayers, know that you are deeply Loved, that we will forever keep you in our hearts, minds and in our prayers. I have always found joy in helping and serving and I guess God saw this in me. All those gifts and talents that he has given me, I do want to multiply them, so I continue to ask for your help for this mission to be fulfilled. “Please help me to serve you.”