Director of Deaf Ministry
Fr. Steve Correz was born in Fullerton and raised in Yorba Linda. He is the youngest of 5 children in his family. His parents, John and Mary Correz still live in Yorba Linda, and attend St. Joseph Parish in Placentia. While attending St. Joseph as a child, he and his twin brother, Stuart received their 1st Holy Communion from a newly ordained priest assigned to the parish, Fr. Sera.
As they got older, he and his twin brother studied in the Seminary together. However, his twin brother died before he was ordained to the priesthood due to complications of his heart problems that he had been born with. Fr. Steve was ordained in the year 2000 and has served in the parishes of St. Edward the Confessor, St. Martin de Porres, St. Columban, Our Lady of Guadalupe (La Habra), Our Lady of Assumption (Ventura), Our Lady of Fatima, San Felipe de Jesus, Christ Our Savior, and St. Joachim. He has previously served as a pastor/administrator at Christ Our Savior and Our Lady of Assumption. He also has worked in the Mission Office at the Pastoral Center of the Diocese. He has ministered to the Catholic Deaf Community for over 25 years. He can communicate in English, Spanish and ASL. He is looking forward to serving and getting to know the parish community of St. Mary in Fullerton.
Deaf Ministry Interpreter/ Coordinator
(In progress)
Fr. Scott Allen
Fr. Scott is an OC native. Born and raised in Yorba Linda. Spent a good portion of his life studying Business Administration at Santa Ana and Santiago Canyon College. He transfered to Cal State Fullerton and obtained his Bachelors in Business Administration with an emphasis in management in 2008. He also spent a good number of years in the fire service fighting brush fires prior to entering the seminary. He also had the experience working on an Ambulance in both Orange and Los Angeles Counties.
Along the way he stumbled upon American Sign Language in 2004 at Santa Ana College. After his first class he was approach to become a tutor to other hearing students. A year later he was hired to be an assistant teacher for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing as well as to serve individuals with cerebral palsey needing a individualized education plan. Approximately around this same time, he connected with the Diocese of Orange Catholic Deaf Community. He assisted in teaching first communion and confirmation classes in ASL. As his experience grew in the Deaf World, he enrolled in Mt. San Antonio college’s ASL interpreter training program (ITP). He graduated the ITP in 2011, just two weeks prior entering the seminary.
Fr. Scott was sent to Saint Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, CA where he met a good number of Deaf Catholic leaders in the region. Nearly two years later, Fr. Scott was sent the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Italy for his theological education. There in the eternal city he met many Deaf Catholics from various countries as well as prominent Catholic leaders.
Fr. Scott is active in the general-local Deaf community by regularly attending events and socials. He aims to grow and boost the Deaf Catholic community in the diocese and beyond.
You can reach Fr. Scott by email at [email protected]