LA Archdiocese’s legal counsel, four SoCal priests honored at Seminary gala

The St. John’s Seminary Gala honored Marge Graf, the longtime general counsel for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and four priests during a dinner on September 19. More than 800 guests attended the outdoor event at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels plaza to support men studying for the priesthood at the Camarillo based seminary.

Graf received the Evangelii Gaudium Award for her assistance to clergy, archdiocesan staff, and victims of abuse. Heather Banis, head of the archdiocese’s Victims Assistance Ministry, stated that the award is inspired by the first apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis and noted that Graf embodies the spirit of a supportive and involved community.

The gala also recognized four distinguished alumni. The honorees included Bishop Albert Bahhuth, Msgr. Frank Hicks, and Father Vaughn Winters from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, as well as Father Steve Sallot from the Diocese of Orange. Father Andrew Hedstrom accepted the award on behalf of Bishop Bahhuth. The event included seminarians from the dioceses of Fresno, Orange, Monterey, and El Paso, Texas.