Episode Description
 
The Heart of Laguna – “From Street to Sanctuary: Faith, Healing, and the Work of Belonging”

What does it take to walk with someone from life on the street back into community? In this episode of The Heart of Laguna, I sit down with Deacon Joe Seminara of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, a retired law enforcement officer whose career moved from patrol work into deep street-level outreach with people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental illness. Joe shares how his years in a “Quality of Life” unit transformed his understanding of trauma, addiction, and the spiritual hunger beneath human suffering.
 
We explore the devastating realities of fentanyl, untreated mental illness, childhood trauma, and isolation—alongside the power of relationship, community, and grace. From jail ministry to street outreach to his vision for a police chaplaincy in Laguna Beach, Joe offers a grounded, hope-filled view of what real restoration looks like: not just getting people off the street, but welcoming them fully back into community.
 
This episode is about forgiveness already given, dignity never lost, and the radical idea that we don’t rescue people—we walk with them home.

Show Notes
Guest: Deacon Joe Seminara 

• Deacon, St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, Laguna Beach
• Retired Federal and Municipal Law Enforcement Officer (35+ years)
• Former Quality of Life Unit Officer, Long Beach
• Jail Ministry Leader | Street Outreach Advocate
• Candidate for Laguna Beach Police Chaplain

In This Episode, We Explore:
 
1. From Badge to Street Ministry

• 35 years in law enforcement
• Transition from patrol to Quality of Life outreach
• Trading the uniform for a polo shirt and minivan to build trust
• Working directly with:
  • Detox programs
  • Rehab centers
  • Mental health services
  • Social Security
  • Housing placement
• Why relationship—not enforcement—creates real change

2. Trauma, Addiction, and the Reality on the Streets

• Childhood trauma as a primary driver of homelessness
• Domestic violence, chaos, neglect, and long-term emotional injury
• Self-medication through drugs and alcohol
• Why fentanyl has changed everything
• 48,000+ fentanyl deaths last year in the U.S.
• Addiction as symptom—not identity

“People don’t start broken. They become overwhelmed.”

3. Living in the Past, Living in the Future, and the Gift of Now

• Guilt as a prison of the past
• Anxiety as captivity to the future
• Addiction as an attempt to escape consciousness
• Why sobriety requires more than detox—it requires meaning

4. Absolution, Grace, and the End of Spiritual Earning

• Forgiveness isn’t granted—it’s announced
• Christ forgave once, for all
• The role of confession as liberation from shame
• Why guilt empowers despair—but grace restores agency
• The thief on the cross as the Gospel in one sentence

“You are already forgiven. The work is believing it.”

5. The Hard Road Back: Detox, Rehab, and Rebuilding Life

• Detox → Rehab → Sober Living → Medical Care → ID → Income → Housing
• Dental care, disability services, job placement
• The critical role of consistent follow-up
• “What saves people is knowing someone is still there.”

6. Why Community Is the Missing Link in Recovery

• Recovery doesn’t end with shelter
• Without community, relapse is almost inevitable
• Why churches must become long-term spiritual homes, not just emergency responders
• Faith communities as:
  • Anchors
  • Identity-builders
  • Recovery partners
  • Accountability without condemnation

7. A Vision for Laguna: Police Chaplaincy & Church-Based Outreach

• Ride-alongs with officers
• Peer counseling for first responders
• Church volunteers in coordinated street outreach
• Scripture, conversation, Bibles, prayer—and presence
• A vision for:
  • Mobile outreach teams
  • Showers & hot meals
  • Weekend street ministry
  • Faith-based recovery pathways

8. The Crisis of Mental Illness & Structural Failure

• Only 7 indigent psychiatric beds in all of LA County at one point
• Lack of long-term stabilization resources
• How mental illness and homelessness feed each other
• Why this is medical, not moral

“We are not doing enough for the mentally ill—period.”

9. Housing, Wealth, and the Hidden Struggles of Laguna

• Equity-rich, income-poor seniors
• Young families priced out
• The need for low-income and workforce housing
• Wealth does not equal security
• Success measured in dollars vs. dignity

10. A New Vision: A “Welcome Wagon” for Laguna Beach

• Interfaith-led community welcome teams
• Visiting new residents—regardless of wealth or status
• Sharing:
  • Faith communities
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Arts & culture
  • KXFM
• The same welcome offered to:
  • Formerly unhoused
  • New homeowners
  • Long-time renters

“Isolation looks different at every income level.”

11. Youth, Faith, and the Generational Challenge

• Social media overload
• Loss of faith-based schools
• Biblical illiteracy in jail
• Moving from judgment to belonging
• Teaching God’s love—not fear

Central Themes of This Episode

• Trauma and healing
• Grace over guilt
• Presence over punishment
• Community over isolation
• Belonging as the true goal of recovery

A Key Question This Episode Asks
 
What if the greatest healing Laguna Beach can offer is not money, programs, or power—but belonging? 

About the Show
The Heart of Laguna is a weekly conversation from KXFM in Laguna Beach. Each episode explores what holds us together when the world feels like it’s coming apart—through stories, spirit, and service from the soul of the city.🎙 New episodes every Wednesday morning on KXFM at 8:00.