About 1,500 people filled the pews Monday at the Christ Cathedral for the funeral Mass of the late Bishop Tod D. Brown, who led the Dioceses of Orange for more than a decade.
Brown shepherded the diocese during a period of great growth from 1998 until his retirement in 2012, including seeing its membership in the county double and making the decision to purchase the 35-acre cathedral campus in Garden Grove, which has since become the centerpiece of the diocese.
Brown died Oct. 15 at the age of 86.
Members of the Knights of Columbus flanked Brown’s casket Monday morning as the rosary was recited in Vietnamese, English and Spanish – the three most-used languages of the diocese – and congregants began to fill the cathedral.
Brown leaves behind a brother, Daniel Brown, sister-in-law, Jeanne Brown, and nieces and nephews and other family. Brown’s family had a private moment with the casket before pallbearers carried it to the alter as the funeral ceremony began.
A procession of clergy dressed in cream robes entered the quiet cathedral to start the service, followed by clergy from across the West Coast and abroad including Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez and Bishop Kevin Vann, who succeeded Brown when he retired.
“All of you here present are a witness to the ministry and the life that Bishop Brown offered to God and our local church,” Mahony said, opening the service and welcoming Brown’s family.
Rev. Msgr. Wilbur Davis, now retired and a priest in residence at Our Lady Queen of Angels in Newport Beach, delivered the homily, offering stories and memories of his friend.
While his work with the diocese is memorable, those close to Brown found he was not only a fierce leader, but also a great friend, Davis said.
“Bishop Brown gave so much of himself to us. He was an easy person to be with. He was gentle, kind, thoughtful,” he said. “He was also clear-minded, objective and strategic. He knew how to be a really…
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