John Paul the Great Catholic University - July 3th, 2006 Update

  1. Freshman Class filling up - orientation begins Sept 18th, 2006
  2. JP Catholic Young Adult conference slated for Aug 5th
  3. Michael Barber named Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought
  4. Fr Anthony Saroki to serve on the Board of Trustees at the proposal of Bishop Brom
  5. Fr Richard Huston to provide chaplain services
  6. Deacon Frank Mercardante to serve on the Board of Trustees
  7. JP Catholic chapel takes shape
  8. JP Catholic Salutes Benefactors

1. Freshman Class filling up - orientation begins Sept 18th, 2006

Student enrollment for JP Catholic's inaugural class of 2010 continues to grow. Student applications continue to come in from California and across the nation. Our student recruitment team of Joe Healy and Martin Harold urge students to come and visit our facility in Scripps Ranch, hear about our spiritual and academic vision, and to look at our student apartment housing. “We are talking with many excited students and parent - they all resonate with the JP Catholic vision. They find our novel academic programs very appealing. Parents naturally are concerned that this is the inaugural class. We do everything we can to assure them that we will take good care of their students — spiritually, academically and socially.”

2. JP Catholic Young Adult conference slated for Aug 5th in San Diego

JP Catholic's first major evangelization effort will be a Young Adult Conference slated for August 5th in San Diego. The event will offer young adult Catholics in their 20's and 30's the opportunity to gather for a solid day of fellowship and formation. The theme for the day will be “To Know, Love, and Serve Him” and will include Mass, confession, adoration, and talks. Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Robert Brom, bishop of San Diego, and the speakers will include: Steve Breen, the Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist at the San Diego Union-Tribune; Heather Gallagher a Chastity Educator and youth retreat minister with the Archdiocese of St. Louis; Curtis Martin, the President and Founder of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), - a national outreach program designed to help college students incorporate the Catholic faith into their daily lives; music will be provided by Ben Walther and the Ben Walther Band; Bob Schrimpf, founder of The Gathering Catholic Youth Ministry and Totus Pro Deo (All For God), a new non-profit organization to serve youth and young adult ministry across the country, will be Master of Ceremonies.

3. Michael Barber named Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought.

Michael Barber has joined JP Catholic as it's first Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought. Michael has been granted the mandatum by Bishop Robert Brom, bishop of San Diego, as an ecclesial recognition of Michael's posture and commitment to teach always in communion with the Church. Michael will teach Theology, Philosophy and Scripture at JP Catholic. He will be challenged with leading JP Catholic's engagement with modern culture. Michael has an M. A. in Theology from Franciscan University, Steubenville and is in the midst of his Ph.D. in Theology at Fuller in Pasadena, CA. Read more .... Back to Top

4. Fr Anthony Saroki to serve on the Board of Trustees at the proposal of Bishop Brom
Fr Anthony Saroki will serve on the Board of Trustees of JP Catholic at the proposal of Bishop Robert Brom and as the official representative of the Bishop. Fr Saroki, ordained a priest in 2005, earned a BA in Government from Georgetown University and a JD from UC Berkeley. Beginning July 1, 2006, he will serve full time as Director of Priestly Vocations for the Diocese of San Diego.

5. Fr Richard Huston to provide chaplain services at JP Catholic
Fr Huston, a priest from the Diocese of San Diego, at the request of Bishop Robert Brom, will provide chaplain services at JP Catholic. He is a senior priest at Good Shepherd Parish.

6. Deacon Frank Mercardante to serve on the Board of Trustees
Deacon Frank is a forty year banking and financial services veteran. He most recently served as founder and Chief Executive Officer of Southwest Community Bancorp and Southwest Community Bank. Ordained a permanent deacon in May 1987, he serves at St. Mark parish in San Marcos and was recently appointed Financial Officer for the Diocese of San Diego.

7. JP Catholic chapel takes shape
The chapel at JP Catholic is taking shape. We just received a most beautiful hand-crafted wood altar from Mark McLoughlin of Thousand Oaks, CA. We earlier received a crufix from Larry Schauf and family of San Diego. This week we received pews from Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Corona. We have purchased and refinished a spectacular 90-year old tabernacle for a cost of $2000. We are actively searching for a benactor to cover the expense.

8. JP Catholic Salutes Benefactors
Give to the most high as He has given to you, generously, according to your means. For the LORD is one who always repays, and he will give back to you sevenfold. Sirach 35:9-10. Back to Top

Gifts Received
(partial list)		 Benefactor
$250,000 Individual JP Catholic Board of Trustees
Altar Mark McLaughlin & Family, Thousand Oaks
Crucifix Larry Schauf & Family, San Diego
Library Books Fr Anthony May, Julian
Tax Services Paul Polito, Vista
Promotional Video Tom and Carrie-Ann Dunn, Oceanside
Conference Room Furniture & Copiers Lawless Family, Ramona
Office Furniture & Computers Ed & Anne Snow, San Diego
Software Philippe & Karen Dardaine, San Marcos
Web Site Karl Friedl - Cynosure New Media Inc
Graphic Design Maria Rangel

We find inspiration in the words of Christ in Luke 17:6 If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to (this) mulberry tree, 'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you. Scripture tells us in many places of the rewards of giving to the Lord.