Father John Wayne Love, D.Min. was born in St. Louis, Missouri into a surgeon’s family. In the late 60’s, his family settled in Santa Barbara where his grandparents had settled after World War II. Mostly locally educated, Fr. Love enrolled at Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA majoring in Political Science and Economics, and graduating in 1984. After some soul-searching and work in San Diego, he entered St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo and was ordained to the Roman Catholic priesthood in June, 1990. He has served as a diocesan clergyman in parish work for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, CA for over three decades. He holds a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min.) degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, focusing his research on the moral formation of medical students. Father Love has since published several peer-reviewed articles on the relationship between medicine and religion.
Father Love has served in 13 pastoral assignments as associate pastor, administrator, pastor, and dean in all five regions of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. He is currently pastor of the 7,000 family Santa Clara Church and Chapel in Oxnard, CA. Additionally, he is magistral chaplain of the Western Association of the Order of Malta, an international hospitaler Roman Catholic organization founded in 1048, and directed toward those suffering from sickness and extreme poverty. In this capacity, he serves as the principal chaplain for the annual Lourdes pilgrimage for the sick. He is also the wing chaplain at the 146th Air Wing, Air National Guard, Channel Islands, CA.
To learn more about the Order of Malta, click here and for the Western Association, here. To learn more about the Air National guard, click here.