Faculty

St. John’s seminarians are formed by the best and brightest. Our faculty comes to us from all corners of the earth, trained in the world’s most respected universities. They are world-class teachers, guides, and authors.

Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas

Director of Pastoral Formation and Field Education

From a Filipino immigrant family, Fr. Rodel Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood at St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as associate pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1999-1993);...

Reverend John P. Brennan, S.M.A.

Professor of Systematic Theology

A native of Ireland, Fr. Brennan was ordained in 1968 in the Society of African Missions. Fr. Brennan, who is a fluent Spanish speaker, was a missionary in Argentina from...

Kevin Brennan

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Kevin Brennan received his B.A. in philosophy at St. Anselm College and studied philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Atheneum of Sant’Anselmo in Rome, earning an S.T.B. in theology and...

Dr. Victoria Brennan

Library Director

A native of Ukraine, Victoria holds an ecclesiastical licentiate in Eastern Christian Studies from the University of St. Paul, Ottawa and a doctorate in Eastern Ecclesiastical Studies from the Pontifical...

Reverend Eugenio Cárdenas, M.Sp.S.

Assistant Professor of Spiritual Theology

Fr. Cárdenas studied philosophy with the Congregation of the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit, of which he is a member, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He then studied his first two...

Ligia Cardona

Spanish Teacher

Ligia Cardona is a native of Guatemala. She has received an M.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from California State University of Northridge in 2007. An expert on Central American culture,...

Reverend Gustavo Castillo

Director of Spiritual Formation

Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Fr. Castillo came to the United States in 1990. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2001 and has served in the following...

Reverend Marco A. Durazo

Assistant Professor of Moral Theology

A native of Mexico and an alumnus of St. John’s Seminary, Fr. Marco was ordained to the priesthood in 2007. He has served as Associate Pastor at Santa Clara Church...

Reverend Luke Dysinger, O.S.B.

Professor of Church History and Moral Theology

Father Luke Dysinger, O.S.B. studied religion and medicine at the University of Southern California, receiving his B.A. in 1974 and his M.D. in 1978. He was board certified in Family...

Dr. Mark F. Fischer

Professor of Theology

Mark Fischer came to St. John’s in 1990 after spending six years as Director of the Diocesan Pastoral Council Office in Oakland, California. Although he trained in systematic theology, writing...

Dr. Paul F. Ford

Professor of Systematic Theology and Liturgy

Dr. Ford studied for the priesthood for the then-diocese of Monterey–Fresno, 1961–1973, but was never ordained. He was a Benedictine monk at St. Andrew’s Abbey, Valyermo, from 1973–1978. Dr. Ford...

Sister Mary Leanne Hubbard, S.N.D.

Assistant Professor of Pastoral Studies

Sr. Leanne entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1986, making her final vows in 1994. She has taught at La Reina High School, St. Rose of Lima School, and...

Reverend Timothy Klosterman

Director of Students

Reverend Timothy Klosterman grew up in Palmdale, California and entered St. John’s Seminary College in 1998. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2008 and...

Dr. Anthony Lilles

Academic Dean

Anthony Lilles, S.T.D. has served the Church and assisted in the formation of clergy since 1994, and now serves in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles as Academic Dean of St....

Mariano Lopez

Associate Professor of Spanish

Born in Madrid, Spain, Dr. Mariano Lopez earned his doctorate in Spanish Literature from Catholic University of Fribourg, Switzerland in 1990. The next year, he spent time between the United...

Reverend J. Patrick Mullen

Professor of Biblical Studies

A priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, Fr. Patrick Mullen is both professor of biblical studies, New Testament, at St. John’s Seminary, Camarillo and pastor of Padre Junipero Serra...

Reverend Aelred John Niespolo, O.S.B.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy

Fr. Niespolo is a Benedictine priest of St. Andrew’s Abbey in Valyermo, California. He made his final vows as a monk of the Abbey on August 15, 2004 and was...

Reverend Timothy Peters

Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies

Fr. Tim Peters was ordained for the Diocese of Orange in 2003. He served at Saint Anne’s parish in Santa Ana from 2003 to 2007 and at Saint Anthony Claret...

Eric Peterson

English Language Instructor

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Reverend Thinh Duc Pham

Assistant Professor of Liturgy

Ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2002, Fr. Thinh Pham, a native of Vietnam and an alumnus of Saint John’s Seminary, served as Associate Pastor...

Deacon Milton Rosenberg

Director of Psychological Services

Deacon Milton Rosenberg was ordained as Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in June 1999. He serves at Santa Clara Church in Oxnard, California. Prior to obtaining his...

Reverend Slawomir Szkredka

Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies

Ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2002, Fr. Slawomir Szkredka, a native of Poland, served as Associate Pastor at Saint Genevieve Parish in Panorama City...

Reverend Steven R. Thoma, C.R.

Assistant Professor of Homiletics

Before coming to St. John’s Seminary, Father Thoma served his religious community, the Congregation of the Resurrection, in a variety of ways. In his twenty-two years of active ministry, Fr....

Reverend Monsignor Marc V. Trudeau

Rector

Monsignor Marc V. Trudeau is a native of Los Angeles and received his Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the University of Southern California. He attended the University of...

Dr. Alan Vincelette

Associate Professor of Philosophy

Dr. Vincelette came to philosophy by way of biology where he was previously a research assistant at the University of Illinois at Chicago in Molecular Biology (1989) and at the...