Services held for Fr. William Olivas, Ojai associate pastor
Funeral Mass was held Feb. 9 at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Ojai for Augustinian Father William Olivas, 86, who died Feb. 6. Ordained a priest at age 76, he ministered for nine years as an associate pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas where he had previously served as a permanent deacon for nearly 20 years.

A native of Ojai, his family had lived in Ventura since mission days, descendants of Spanish army captain Rimundo Olivas, who built the historic Olivas Adobe, a Ventura landmark. As a youth, Olivas attended Villanova Preparatory School and Los Angeles College, where he planned to study languages before entering the seminary. World War II intervened, however, and he left school to join the Army after deciding he wasn't worthy to become a priest.

He discovered his first career: professional wrestling, while still in the army serving in England. The former high school wrestler agreed to substitute as his friend's wrestling opponent in a professional match and continued to wrestle every Friday night before he left for the Normandy invasion where he was among those who landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day. Following the war, he participated in televised wrestling for nearly 25 years, traveling the world as "Elephant Boy" and "The Wild Man of Borneo."

He married his wife, Martha, in 1961, and the two embarked on a 3 1/2-year world tour that included a private audience with Pope Paul VI. Returning to Ojai, the couple stepped forward to lease the Matilija Hot Springs from the county, which was going to close the facility because it was losing money. After spending a year studying hydrotheraphy and massage, the couple opened their Matilija Hot Springs Health Center in the mid-'60s.

A decade later, Olivas applied to the archdiocesan permanent deacon formation program and was one of 23 men accepted out of more than 250 applicants. He became the archdiocese's first permanent deacon in Ventura County when he was ordained to the permanent diaconate on June 4, 1977. As a deacon, Olivas concentrated on serving the sick and elderly, having already had much experience with the infirm during his second career running the Hot Springs.

In the late '80s, following the death of his wife, Olivas asked to become a friar of the Order of St. Augustine and became a brother in 1991. Soon after, he commenced seminary studies at St. John's Seminary and was ordained June 16, 1997 as an Augustinian priest.

Father Olivas continued serving at his home parish of St. Thomas Aquinas Church as an associate pastor and was beloved in the community for his caring devotion to the sick and dying. He served as an assistant to Santa Barbara Auxiliary Bishop Thomas Curry for several years. In 2003, he was named a Living Treasure by the City of Ojai.

"Father Olivas was a native of Ojai who grew up and dedicated his life to the spiritual health of everyone in the valley. He was greatly loved and will be greatly missed evidenced by the tremendous turnout for his funeral," said Augustinian Father Michael McFadden, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Burial was at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park in Ventura.

Sr. Patricia Rocap, BVM
Funeral Mass was held Jan. 31 at Marian Hall in Dubuque, Iowa, for Sister of Charity Patricia Rocap, who died Jan. 27. She had been a Sister of Charity for 63 years.

Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, she graduated from Mundelein College, Chicago, before entering the BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1944. She was a high school drama and social studies teacher for many years, serving in Arizona, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa.

From 1973-89, Sister Rocap served on the staff of Franciscan Communications. She served as a parish minister at St. Bede in La Caņada (1989-92). Memorial donations may be sent to the Sisters of Charity, BVM Retirement Fund, 1100 Carmel Dr., Dubuque, Iowa 52003.

Sr. Mary Thomas, OP
Funeral Mass was held recently for Dominican Sister Mary Thomas Franich, 87, who died Jan. 28 after an extended illness at the Cloistered Dominican Monastery of the Angels in Hollywood. She had been a member of the Adrian Dominican Congregation for 62 years.

Born in Detroit, she graduated from St. Joseph Academy in Adrian and received a B.A. in history from Siena Heights College in Adrian and an M.A. in reading from the University of Arizona in Tucson.

Sister Hebestreit spent 41 years ministering in education throughout the Midwest and the West. Locally, she taught at St. Raphael School in Los Angeles (1968-69). Memorial gifts may be made to Adrian Dominican Sisters, 1257 E. Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI 49221.

Sister Maria Angela Mesa, CSJ
Funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 4 in Los Angeles for St. Joseph of Carondelet Sister Maria Angela Mesa, who died Jan. 29 at Carondelet Center after a long illness. She was 63.

The oldest child of Manuel Mesa and Angela Padilla, she was born Mary Angela Mesa on March 25, 1944 in East Los Angeles, where she attended Assumption School. She graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes School, Tujunga, and became student body president at Bishop Alemany High School, Mission Hills.

She joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1962, taught in elementary schools for seven years, and served as religion coordinator at Santa Clara High, Oxnard. She later taught Spanish and religion at Star of the Sea Academy, San Francisco.

For eight years, Sister Mesa was director of Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Fresno where she trained parish evangelization teams to carry the church to farm labor camps, and was spokesperson for the Chicano Civil Rights Network. In recognition of her consistent contribution to the Hispanic community of the city, El Concilio (a group of 21 Hispanic organizations) honored her as an outstanding citizen in 1987.

In 1988, Sister Mesa moved to the Padre Hidalgo Center in San Diego, working in the Imperial Valley alongside her brother, Father Manuel Mesa, pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Niland.

In 1994, she became campus minister at Mt. St. Mary's College's Doheny Campus, Los Angeles. Under her leadership, campus ministry expanded its usual activities to include helping Mother Teresa's Brothers feed the homeless on Saturdays and visit with youth at Juvenile Hall on Sundays after the Mass.

Sister Mesa served eight years at Doheny, until her Parkinson's disease made it too difficult to continue, and moved to Holy Family Community at Carondelet Center. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City.

Sr. Angelista Klobucher, BVM
Funeral Mass was held Feb. 5 at Marian Hall Chapel in Dubuque, Iowa, for Sister of Charity Angelista Klobucher, 98, who died Feb. 1. She had been a Sister of Charity for 80 years.

Born in Chicago, she graduated from St. Mary High School before entering the BVM congregation in 1927. She ministered as a music educator in California, Illinois, Iowa and Kansas.

Locally, she taught music at three schools: St. Brendan, Los Angeles (1932-34); Holy Family, Glendale (1934-45); and Conaty High School, Los Angeles (1945-52). Memorial donations may be sent to the Sisters of Charity, BVM Retirement Fund, 1100 Carmel Drive, Dubuque, IA 52003.