Born and raised in the Philippines, Fr. Leo Ortega, studied Occupational Therapy at the University of the Philippines, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree. He continued his studies in the same field at the University of Southern California receiving his Masters degree in 1995. As a board-certified occupational therapist, he has worked in neuro-rehabilitation for many years. He entered St. John’s Seminary in 2002 and was ordained for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in 2008. Fr. Ortega served in the following parishes: St. Thomas the Apostle, Los Angeles, 2008-2012 (Associate Pastor); St. Stephen Martyr, Monterey Park, 2012-2016 (Pastor). In 2016, he was sent to Rome to pursue doctoral studies in Dogmatic Theology at the Pontificia Università della Santa Croce. He successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in January 2021, entitled: The Sign of Kenosis in the Theology of David N. Power: Its Resonances with the Argentine Theology of the People, The Church of the Poor.