About Reverend Msgr. Arthur A. Holquin, M.Div., M.A., S.T.L.

Photograph courtesy of Lesley Bohm

Monsignor Arthur A. Holquin was born in Los Angeles, California on April 29, 1948. He was raised in the San Fernando Valley, the son of the late Arthur and Bertha Holquin. He attended St. John Baptist de la Salle parochial school in Granada Hills as well as Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills. In 1966, upon graduation from Alemany, he entered St. John’s College Seminary in Camarillo, California. He received his B.A. in Philosophy in 1970. His studies for the priesthood continued at St. John’s Seminary where he received a Master’s Degree in Divinity.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles on May 25, 1974. His first priestly assignment was as parochial vicar to Holy Family parish in Orange. In 1976, the new Diocese of Orange was created from the Archdiocese and Msgr. Holquin subsequently became a priest of the new Diocese of Orange with its first Bishop, William R. Johnson. In 1976 he was briefly assigned to St. Boniface parish in Anaheim as parochial vicar. From 1977 to 1979, Msgr. Holquin attended the Catholic University of Louvain (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) in Belgium for post-graduate studies. In 1979 he was awarded a Licentiate Degree in Sacred Theology (S.T.L.) with a concentration in Sacramental Theology as well as a Master’s Degree in Religious Studies.

On his return from studies he was appointed Director of the Diocesan Office for Liturgy and Music and Director of the Office for Evangelization. Msgr. Holquin subsequently was named Director of the RENEW program for the Diocese. Msgr. Holquin has been actively involved in the liturgical planning for major diocesan and national liturgical celebrations including the installation liturgies for three diocesan bishops in Orange. In the Fall of 1986, he was appointed by Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles as Event Chairman for the Papal Liturgy at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, September 15, 1987, on the occasion of the Pastoral Visit of His Holiness, Pope Saint John Paul II to Los Angeles. In July, 1988, Msgr. Holquin was appointed the third Rector of Holy Family Cathedral in Orange. After serving 15 years as Rector of the Cathedral, on July 1, 2003, he was appointed by Bishop Tod Brown as Rector and Pastor of Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano and 34th successor of Saint Junipero Serra.

Along with his responsibilities as Pastor of Mission San Juan Capistrano, Msgr. Holquin has served as a visting professor of Liturgical Studies at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, Loyola-Marymount University, Los Angeles and Mount St. Mary’s College, Doheny Campus and at the Pastoral Ministry Institute of the Diocese of Orange. He has served as Chair of the Council of Priests from 1999 to 2001. He has served on the National Board and the Executive Committee of the National Federation of Priest’s Councils. He is an appointed member of the College of Consultors for the Diocese and the Diocesan Council of Priests. He serves as a consultant to the Liturgical Commission for the Diocese of Orange as well as a member of the Building and Renovation Committee. He is a member of the Retirement Plan Committee that oversees the Pension Plan for Priests of the Diocese of Orange.

In 2009, he was named a Chaplain to His Holiness (Cappellano di Sua Santità) with the honorific title, “Reverend Monsignor,” by Pope Benedict XVI.

In 2010, he was diagnosed with an extremely rare motor neuron disease (Primary Lateral Sclerosis) that has gradually impacted normal mobility and speech.

On July 1, 2014, Msgr. Holquin became Pastor and Rector Emeritus of Mission Basilica.

For leisure, he enjoys listening to classical music and reading historical non- fiction.