ST. CATHERINE OF ALEXANDRIA CLERGY
Priests, following the Rite of Ordination, seek to lead God’s People in Love, nourish them by the Word and strengthen them through the Sacraments. Currently, the parish is served by three religious priests, Rev. Sesinando Cajucom, Jr., MSC, Rev. Joseph Christy Yesudass Sunder, MSC, Rev. Luis Alfonso Segura, MSC, all live in the parish rectory. We also have two deacons serving the parish.
Rev. Sesinando Cajucom, Jr., MSC - Pastor
Rev. Sesinando Cajucom Jr. MSC has been a priest since 1998, and pastor at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church since July 1, 2021.
Known in the parish as Fr. Jun, he was born July 16, 1969 in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, the Philippines to his father Sesinando Sr. and mother, Flordeliza Caymo. Most of his family live in the Philippines. Including five brothers and his mother, while his sister lives in Canada. Fr. Jun’s father passed away in 1976.
Fr. Jun entered the collegiate formation of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1985. He received a bachelor of arts in philosophy at the University of San Carlos in Cebu City, Cebu, the Philippines. After finishing college, Fr. Jun became a novice under Fr. Gene Sabio, MSC, former pastor at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church. Fr. Jun professed his first religious vows on June 2, 1990, and took his final vows in 1993. He studied theology at the Loyola School of Theology in Ateneo De Manila University in Quezon City, the Philippines where he earned a bachelor’s of Sacred Theology and a master’s in Pastoral Ministry.
Fr. Jun was ordained as deacon on June 12, 1996 and as a priest on June 13, 1998. Before coming to the United States, his previous assignments in the Philippines included assistant pastor of Sta. Quiteria and St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Caloocan City from 1998-2001; pastor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte from 2001-2005; assistant pastor of St. Sebastian Parish in Muñoz, Nueva Ecija from 2005-2006; pastor of Sto. Niño de Puncan Quasi-Parish in Puncan, Carranglan, Nueva Ecija from 2006-2012; and assistant pastor of Our Lady of Rule Parish and National Shrine in Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu from 2012-2015.
He was assigned to assist at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish in 2015, while Fr. Gene was on sabbatical. He became a parochial vicar in July 2016 until his elevation to pastor in 2021.
In addition to his duties at St. Catherine, he served as Superior for the California community of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart from 2018 to 2021, when he also served as a council member of the Missionaries of the Sacred US Province.
Rev. Joseph Christy Yesudass Sunder Raj, MSC - Parochial Vicar
Rev. Joseph Christy Yesudass, MSC, has been a priest since 2001, and came to St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in 2019.
Fr. Christy, as he is known, was born in Bangalore, India on March 9, 1973 to parents Yesudass Sunder Raj and Mary Francina. He has five brothers and one sister. He graduated from St, Alphonsus High School, in Bangalore, in 1990. He completed his pre-university studies at St. Joseph’s College. He received a Bachelor in Philosophy degree from Franciscan College, a Bachelor of Theology from Dharmaram Pontifical College, and a Master’s in Canon Law from St. Peter’s Pontifical Institute, all in Bangalore.
Fr. Christy joined the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1992 and made his first profession on June 2, 1996 and his final profession on June 2, 2000. He was ordained a deacon on Dec. 3, 2000 and to the priesthood on June 20, 2001.
He was appointed assistant formator in the pre-novitiate house in Bangalore from 1999 to 2001. Then Fr. Christy transferred to St. Mary’s Basilica Shrine as associate pastor from 2001 to 2003. From 2003 to 2005 he was pastor at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Bangalore. Later in 2005 he was appointed Superior of the Formation House for Pre-Novitiate. He was Superior of the Formation House until 2009 and was then appointed Union Superior (Provincial) for the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in India.
In 2014 Fr. Christy came to the United States and began his parish ministry as parochial vicar at St. Patrick and St. Anthony Parishes, Watertown, NY. He then returned to Bangalore, where from 2016 to 2018 he served as Formation Houses, Philosophy and Novitiate House Administrator.
Returning to the United States, Fr. Christy was appointed parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Alexandria Church effective on July 1, 2019.
Rev. Luis Alfonso Segura, MSC - Parochial Vicar
Rev. Luis Alfonso Segura, MSC, a priest since 1999, was assigned to St. Catherine of Alexandria in July 2021.
Fr. Lucho, as he’s known, was born on July 30, 1971, in Bocas de Satinga, Narino, Colombia, to Manuel Santos Segura and Graciana Ibarbo. His parents had three sons and three daughters, one of whom died in 2021.
Fr. Lucho entered the formation program of the USA Province of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in Colombia in January 1990, and the novitiate in August 1993. His novitiate took place in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
He professed his first vows on September 8, 1994, in Bogotá and was ordained a deacon on Nov. 28, 1998. He was ordained a priest on Nov. 13, 1999 in the Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Jamundi, Valle, Colombia.
Fr. Lucho studied at Centro Pastoral de Filosofia (or Pastoral Center of Philosophy) in Bogotá and at the Univerdidad Santo Tomas, where he received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and literature. In 1995 he began his studies of theology at Javeriana University in Bogotá. He finished with a civil degree, or “diplomado,” in theology and an Ecclesiastical Bachelor of Theology. In 2006, he started work on a master’s in psychology with an emphasis in education at Catholic University in Bogotá.
Fr. Lucho’s first assignment after ordination was as assistant pastor at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish in Jamundi, Colombia. In January 2002, he began studies in formation with the National Conference for Religious in Bogotá. During the second semester he helped with aspirant and pre-novitiate students in Bogotá, Colombia.
Later in 2002, Fr. Lucho was assigned to Illinois. He studied English and assisted the formation director with a community of Colombian seminarians in Chicago. In 2003 he was appointed the formation director of the MSC Chicago formation program. In 2004 he returned to Colombia and was assigned as a formation director of the postulancy program in Bogotá. He was a superior in Colombia for three terms from 2009 to 2018. In 2016 he was named pastor of St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque Parish, south of Bogota.
In 2019 Fr. Segura was assigned as a parochial administrator of St. Therese of Jesus Church in Aurora Ill., and in July 2021 he was assigned parochial vicar of St. Catherine of Alexandria Church.
Deacon John De Gano
Ordained in May 2005, Deacon John De Gano is no stranger to most at St. Catherine of Alexandria. With his wife Cheryl, they have been parishioners since 1992, serving principally through the Ministry of Social Concerns (and, prior to diaconate formation as members of the RCIA team). They also minister together with Baptismal Preparation, Life Teen and Faith Formation.
Deacon John served as the Diocesan Archivist (1999 – 2005) and authored the Diocese of San Bernardino’s 25th Anniversary book entitled, ‘1978-2003: A Journey of Hope”. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from CSU, Fresno, and when he isn’t writing, he likes to read, travel, create art, solve Sudoko puzzles, and share experiences of Jesus Christ with others, especially young people.
Deacon John attempts to daily live out his personal mission statement ‘to encourage and reconcile,’ by sharing God’s love through preaching, by welcoming the stranger, and through the joyful celebration of the blessing of throats and the blessing of the animals.
Deacon Richard "Dick" Heames
July 2014 retired from 9 years as Pastoral Coordinator of St. Patrick's in Moreno Valley. Following this, Deacon Dick left and walked the Camino de Santiago de Compostello, a 500 mile pilgrimage across Spain to pray and sort through his many years of life and ministry.
He is married to Marianne, his wife and companion as "Pilgrims of Faith" for 50 years; together they have 8 children, 7 sons, one favorite daughter, and 12 grandchildren. Their children have been their teachers and helped form them in ministry because of the myriad of experiences they shared in life. They are enthusiastic about the work of faith in all aspects of living.
Deacon Dick comes with a wide range of parish experience and education. A graduate from Loyola University with a BS in Psychology he then joined the Navy as an officer for 24 years. He has a Masters in Communications Management from the Naval Post Graduate School and a Masters in Pastoral Ministry from the University of San Francisco. He and Marianne attended the Deaconate formation program and was ordained in Tucson, Arizona in 1996. He was the Director of Faith Formation and Life Teen in their Arizona parish for several years after which they moved to Oregon for 6 years and worked at 2 parishes as a Pastoral Associate. From Oregon they came to the Diocese of San Bernardino and to St. Patrick's Parish. His ministry experiences include all aspects of parish life.
Marianne is a Catechist and animator for the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd (a Montessori approach to the faith formation of the very young). She has assisted in bringing this to 7 parishes in our Diocese and continues to do so through the Office of Catechetical Ministry along with Deacon Dick. Retirement from full time work has given them the time needed to strengthen their relationships with their family for which they are grateful.