Rev. Sebastian Meyer, O. Carm. Pastor
Fr. Sebastian was born in Detroit, Michigan on January 19, 1933. He was baptized Thomas Frederick Meyer. His mother and father were both born in Switzerland and came to this country in 1923. Fr. Seb went to public grammar schools. His high school career began with the Jesuit seminary but he left after six months, realizing that was not his vocation. He spent the next three years working for a bank and accounting firm. While on a retreat with other young adults at lake Michigan, a Carmelite who was giving the retreat, asked him if he ever thought about being a priest. That was the end of May, and in August he entered the College Seminary at Niagara Falls. He did his theology work at the Carmelite house of studies in Washington, D.C. Fr. Seb was ordained on May 26th, 1962 in Joliet, Illinois with four of his classmates.
The first ten years of his ordination were spent in high school ministry. He served five years in Louisville, Kentucky, and five years in Encino, Ca. After his high school ministry, Fr. Seb was assigned as a parish priest in North Hollywood, Ca. In 1977, he and two other Carmelites were sent to Sacramento to eventually establish a parish in Fairfield. In 1978, he returned to Southern California and entered into full time hospital ministry as director of Pastoral Care. In 1981, Fr. Seb was assigned as pastor of St. Jane Frances parish in North Hollywood, where he had once served as associate pastor. 1991 saw another move, this time to Houston, Texas as an associate pastor. In 1997, Fr. Seb returned to Fairfield as pastor of the very parish he was supposed to help establish and eventually build a church.