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Mission San Luis Rey Retreat Center
Staff
RETREAT CENTER MANAGER:
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Father Mel Bucher, OFM, Manager, Extension
130
Mel was born in Oakland, CA February 1,
1936 and grew up in St. Elizabeth's Franciscan Parish Community. In
1949 he entered the Seminary at St. Anthony's in Santa Barbara, CA and went
on to Novitiate in 1954 at San Miguel Mission, followed by his college
years at Mission San Luis Rey College where he graduated in 1958.
His theological studies were done at Mission Santa Barbara and he was ordained
there on December 23, 1961. After spending one year in Stockton, CA with
his class in an intern year, he was assigned to teaching high school in
Troutdale and Salem, OR. After five years of teaching, he went into Parish
ministry at St. Anthony Parish in Tigard, OR. Following a leave of absence on
1971-72, he was assigned to St. Ann's in Spokane, WA but was soon transfered to
care for his dying mother in Hayward, CA. At that time he was doing
part-time teaching at St. Elizabeth's High in Oakland as well as running the
Vocation Office until 1979. He was involved in Pre-Novitiate
Formation at one of our College Centers in Hayward during those years as
well. In 1977 he went to St. Francis Parish in Sacramento, CA as associate
and then was appointed pastor in 1982 until 1988. In 1988 he was
transfered to St. Anthony's Parish in Tigard, OR where he was pastor until
1994. Since 1994 he has been assigned to Mission San Luis Rey where he has
been using his organizational skills as manager of the Retreat
Center.
FRANCISCAN RETREAT TEAM:
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Father Ben Innes, OFM, Extension
113
The Guardian of
Mission San Luis Rey has been featured in "Family Circus" comic strip and
appeared on CBS television’s "60 Minutes." Fr. Ben has traveled both nationally
and internationally speaking on prayer and Youth Ministry. This jovial friar was
once described as the teacher you disliked in grade school but greatly admire
now. His previous assignments include Youth Ministry and Retreat Ministry in Las
Vegas, Scottsdale Arizona and the Bay Area of California.
The former Post-Novitiate Director for
the Franciscan Friars of the St. Barbara Province, Fr. Ben is now a member of
the Franciscan Retreat Team at Mission San Luis Rey. A graduate of both Oregon
State University (BS-Science/Geology) and the Franciscan School of Theology
(M.Div), Fr. Ben is currently serving as a member of the Provice’s Leadership
Council (Definitorium).
A memberr of several foundations, Fr.
Ben serves as a Trustee for the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, and
the St. Anthony Foundation in San Francisco. He is also a member of the Mission
Preservation Board of the Franciscan Friars.
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Father Bill Haney, OFM, Extension
131
Father Bill Haney, OFM, hails Southern
California as home base. Schooled in Santa Ana, San Clemente, San Francisco and
Berkeley, CA., in 1984 he was ordained to the priesthood. He has additionally
studied Spirituality and Spiritual Direction at the Franciscan School of
Theology, in Berkeley, CA. During high school, Fr. Bill worked as a busboy,
waiter and cook. He was a lifeguard and worked in lawn care and gardening. While
in college, he sold encyclopedias, was a swimming instructor, library assistant,
theater usher, stock processor and cook.
Fr. Bill taught high school at St.
Mary's High School in Phoenix, AZ in the mid seventies. From 1976 to 1982, he
worked as a casino worker in the slot department as well as dealing 21 and
craps. St. Francis Retreat House in San Juan Bautista, CA knew him as a gardener
in 1982. Ministry to the Sick and Housebound in the Tenderloin area of San
Francisco, St. Boniface Church occupied Fr. Bill's life during 1983. He has been
a Deacon, Assistant Pastor and Parochial Vicar. We now know him as a Retreat
Master at Mission San Luis Rey. Fr. Bill's varied experiences, and his sincere
devotion to Franciscan Spirituality and his willingness to share, make him a
valuable resource to retreatants and staff.
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Fr. Anthony Garibaldi, OFM, Extension
146
Fr. Anthony Garibaldi, OFM was born in
Sacramento, CA on November 1,1948. Fr. Anthony grew up in Sacramento attending
Holy Angels Grammar School. Anthony did his high school at St. Anthony's
seminary in Santa Barbara, CA from 1962-1966. He then moved to San Luis Rey and
attended here from 1966- 1967. Fr. Anthony was asked to leave San Luis Rey and
was given the option of returning once he had completed his college degree. Fr.
Anthony received his BA in Philosophy from Sacramento State College in June
1970. During that time, he worked as a civil servant for the State of California
in the Legislative Bill Room of the State Capitol. In 1971, Fr Anthony
re-applied to the Franciscan formation program. He was accepted back into the
program and began his theological training at the Franciscan School of Theology
in Berkeley, CA. Fr. Anthony was ordained on June 19. 1976 in Oakland,
CA.
His first assignment was teaching at St. Anthony's Seminary. He
taught religion, remedial math and political science. After one year, Anthony
was stationed at St. Mary's Parish in Phoenix, AZ. He served there for three
years as well as serving on the Diocese of Phoenix matrimonial tribunal. Ss.
Simon & Jude of Huntington Beach was the next appointment for Fr. Anthony.
He served in this parish for 5 years. Fr. Anthony began his retreat ministry in
1986 at the Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, AZ. Here Fr. Anthony gave
retreats, worked at the matrimonial tribunal and televised "Mass for Shut-lns";
an early morning televised Eucharist for those who could not get to church.
Anthony moved to Serra Retreat in Malibu in 1994. In 1997, the Province asked
Anthony if he would be the full time Ongoing Formation Director with his office
here at San Luis Rey. Anthony accepted and moved to the Old Mission in August
1997. The majority of his time is spent doing Ongoing Formation for the
Province, but he still manages to give retreats, days of recollection, say Mass
in neighboring parishes as well as here at San Luis Rey. Fr. Anthony deals with
persons in twelve step programs, divorced and separated, PWA's as well as
regular retreats.
Fr. Anthony's hobby is stamp collecting, so don't throw
those stamps away, give them to Fr. Anthony for his
collection.
VISITING RETREAT TEAM
MEMBERS:
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Sr. Joan Kowalski, OP, Ph.D.
Sr. Joan Kowalski, OP, Ph.D. is a
Dominican sister from Adrian, Michigan who has been ministering in Southern
California for twenty-three years. She was an elementary educator in an earlier
lifetime, trained as a pastoral minister in the Detroit Archdiocese and has been
involved in administration, Religious and Adult Education, school counseling and
virtually all aspects of Pastoral Ministry in the "Parish" context.
Sr. Joan holds a Ph.D. in clinical
psychology and was associated with the San Diego Center for Psychotherapy for
sixteen years, during which time she also held positions in government-funded
mental health facilities and various Parishes and schools in the Diocese of San
Diego. She has been a consultant for Healthcare and Social Service agencies,
churches, Religious Congregations and Diocese and will be joining the retreat
team at the San Luis Rey for the Spring sessions.
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Click
here to register for a retreat.
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Mission San Luis Rey, 4050 Mission Avenue, Oceanside, CA
92057
(760) 757-3651
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