Reverend Jerome T. Karcher
Father Karcher was born and raised in Anaheim, California, as one of the twelve children of Carl and Margaret Karcher. He was baptized at Saint Boniface Church in Anaheim, California and attended the parish school for eight years. He then attended Mater Dei High School for one year and was graduated from Servite High School in Anaheim.

Having attended the University of San Diego and Gonzaga University in Florence, Italy, he was graduated from Loyola University of Los Angeles, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. He has also received a degree in Philosophy from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California, where he also studied theology. Theological studies were completed at Saint John's Seminary in Camarillo, California, where a Master of Arts degree in Theology was granted.

On February 12, 1983 Father Karcher was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop William Johnson for the service of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange, California.

He has served at St. Norbert Church in Orange, St. Anne Church in Santa Ana and St. Joachim Church in Costa Mesa, and is presently the pastor at St. Vincent de Paul Church in Huntington Beach, California since July 1, 1995.

Fr. Jerome is the founder and Chairman of the Board of Mercy House Transitional Living Centers which serves and houses homeless men, women and children in Orange County at its various facilities.

For more information on Mercy House, please click on the link below:

Father Jerome's contact information:

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714 842 3000 ext.14

Reverend Antonio Zapata
Parochial Vicar

Fr. Antonio Zapata was born in Guarne, Antioquia, Colombia. He was the second child of a large family. He received the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion at the church of his hometown dedicated to our Lady of La Candelaria.

After his school time he studied and graduated in Philosophy and Humanities at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota. He studied theology and graduated from Pontificia Universitas Gregoriana in Rome, Italy.

On March 30, 1968 Fr. Antonio Zapata was ordained to the priesthood by Cardinal Pocci, Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, Italy in the Saint John in Lateran Basilica.

When he returned to Colombia he served mostly in Medellin and Bogota for about eighteen years. Then he came to this diocese invited by Bishop Johnson through his Hispanic Vicar at that time Bishop Tomas Clavel, on 1986. At that time Hispanic priests were needed to attend the increasing population. Since then, his ministry has been in Santa Ana, La Habra, Anaheim, Orange and now here in Huntington Beach within our diocese of Orange, CA.

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714 842 3000 ext.13