Francis J. Weber

Monsignor Francis J. Weber (born January 22, 1933) is an American Roman Catholic priest, author and archivist. He is a noted Catholic scholar, an Honorary Chaplain to His Holiness, and archivist for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 1962.

Biography Msgr. Weber was born Frank J. Weber in Indianapolis, Indiana to Frank J. and Katherine E. Thompson Weber. He has one sister, Mary Alice Weber. In December 1945 the family moved to Los Angeles, California where he entered Los Angeles College, a Catholic junior seminary, in 1946. Later he attended St. John’s College and St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo.

Father Weber was sent to Washington, D.C. to do post-graduate studies at Catholic University of America. He also earned a certificate in Records Management from American University.

On May 7, 1974, Pope Paul VI designated Father Weber as a “Chaplain of His Holiness” and his ecclesiastical title became the Reverend Monsignor, customarily abbreviated Msgr.

In 1996 the Glasgow Cup was awarded Msgr. Weber by the President of the Miniature Book Society "To a member who has shown a special dedication and above all, friendship to the membership, and who keeps that special spirit so evident at our founding in 1983." He was a charter member of the Miniature Book Society and served as President from 1985-1987.

Published works As author or editor of 175 volumes, Msgr. Weber is one of the most published priests in the Catholic annals of the United States. He has been a columnist, and an author of both books and articles as well as a book reviewer. Msgr. Weber's diverse literary topics range from Buffalo Bills Baptism to Toiletry at the California Missions.

Msgr. Weber has written or edited miniature books for nearly all the top publishers of miniature books over several decades. He has also published many books under his own imprints, Junipero Serra Press and El Camino Real Press.

Selected books 1965: Documents of California Catholic History (1784-1963) 1977: A history of San Buenaventura Mission 1985: Mission in the valley of the bears: a documentary history of San Luis, Obispo de Tolosa 1992: Past is Prologue: Some Historical Reflections, 1961-1991 1998: Magnificat: the Life and Times of Timothy Cardinal Manning 2000: Memories of an Old Country Priest 2000: Encyclopedia of California’s Catholic Heritage 1769-1999 2002: Past is Prologue: Some Historical Reflections, 1992-2002 2003: A legacy of healing:the story of Catholic health care in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles 2004: Cathedral: of Our Lady of the Angels 2005: The California Missions

Selected miniature books 1971: Earthquake Memoir 1975: California on United States Postage Stamps 1978: El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe 1983: The XXIII Olympiad 1988: Angels Flight: A Los Angeles Funicular Railway 1990: Gaspar de Portola 2004: The Veil of Veronica 2016: The Feast of the Nativity 2017: Gregory Peck 2019: Voice of the Hollywood Bowl: Thomas Cassidy 1917-2012 2021: Saint Brendan: legend vs. history