Msgr. Helmut A. Hefner

Msgr. Helmut A. Hefner was born in a German speaking farming community in the former Yugoslavia in 1943. In 1944, he and his family were forced to leave their home and flee to Austria where they lived in a refugee camp until 1955. In the fall of 1955 they immigrated to the USA, settling in the Los Angeles area. Msgr. Hefner completed his grammar school education at St. Helen's in South Gate and graduated from St. Pius X High School in Downey in 1961. After attending one year of College (St. Mary's, Moraga, CA), Msgr. Hefner entered St. John's Seminary. He was ordained in 1969 and served as an Associate Pastor at St. Bernard's Church in Los Angeles. He was appointed to the Archdiocesan Tribunal in January of 1971 where he served in various canonical capacities until 1989. While assigned to the Tribunal, Msgr. Hefner received a Licentiate in Canon Law from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome, in 1974, and a Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, in 1983. In 1989, Msgr. Hefner was appointed Pastor of St. Christopher Church, West Covina. While pastor, he joined the faculty of St. John's Seminary as Adjunct Assistant Professor in Canon Law in 1994 and became full-time Assistant Professor of Canon Law and Associate Director of Field Education in the fall of 1995. He was appointed Rector- President of St. John's Seminary in June, 2001. After completing this assignment last year, Msgr. Hefner was granted a sabbatical and was subsequently appointed Pastor of St. Mel's Parish, effective July 1, 2008.