I am very grateful for the efforts of our hospitality teams at both Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Albert the Great and the wonderful farewell receptions they provided these past two Sundays. Thank you to everyone who was able to be present. As an introvert it took a lot of energy to be present to each and every person who made an effort to express their gratitude and best wishes to me. I never like to be the center of attention, but I delighted in the heartfelt memories and experiences that you shared with me. I wish all of you a great summer. Until we meet again.
On the afternoon of June 14, a rather spirited, fascinating, and unexpected debate broke out on the floor of the USCCB spring meeting in Ft. Lauderdale. At issue was the possibility of reconsidering “Faithful Citizenship,” the 2007 statement of the US Bishops on the formation of conscience regarding matters political. A group of bishops, including myself, had proposed that instead of producing another lengthy document to succeed “Faithful Citizenship,” the bishops ought to write a brief and pointed letter on the political challenges of the present moment and then to create a video or a series of videos bringing forth the salient points of Catholic social teaching.
I have been truly blessed to have served 10 of my 27 years as a priest in the parish of St. Thomas Aquinas: Parochial Vicar (1996-1998); Pastor (2010-2018). I’m fairly certain that 10 years is the longest time any priest has ministered here since “the merger” in 1987. In fact, all three of my cats have spent time with me at St. Albert the Great Rectory.
The ongoing practice of separating children from their parents has already, as of May, left nearly 2,000 children separated from their parents. As Bishop Vásquez, Chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Committee on Migration, and Sister Donna Markham OP PhD, President and CEO of Catholic Charities, remind us - as a nation and people of faith, we can and must do better.
St. Thomas Aquinas Parish operates on a program year which begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. Our annual budget also runs from July to June. We are so very grateful to all who sup- ported the work of our Parish over the past 12 months. Each year, however, the expenses involved in all our parish operations and programs increase, and as always, we depend on our parishioners to help meet these expenses.
Chuck has been serving our parish for the past 15 years as Business and Operations Manager. He will be taking up a new assignment at St. Christopher Parish in San Jose on July 2.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, We are hundreds of miles from the border, yet what has happened along the US-Mexico border over the past few weeks has a direct impact on many of our own people. Images of crying children, separated from their mothers, and the anguish of mothers whose infants have been taken from their arms has increased the anxiety and fear of mothers and children living here in many of our parishes and neighborhoods. I write to assure you that we stand with you, that we support Church efforts to keep families together and to reunite those that have been separated.
Plan to discern God’s will for love in your life! The Dominican Nuns of Corpus Christi Monastery in Menlo Park, California are hosting a Come and See Day on Saturday, July 21st, 2018 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Single, Catholic women between the ages of 18 and 38 years are invited to learn more about discerning God’s call and to experience a taste of the life of a cloistered Dominican nun.
Registration for next year’s classes (including preparation for reception of the sacraments) begins now. Registration forms are available in the vestibule at all churches and on-line. And please consider helping us out as a catechist for these classes. There is always a need for people willing to share their faith with our children. Questions? Contact Susan in the Pastoral Center (650-494-2496, ext. 25).
Our readings this weekend are focused on trees, and plants, and all living, growing things. God makes them grow; God makes all things grow. We can help, a bit, but mostly, we can just marvel at what God is doing all around us. It is God who makes it grow, who makes us grow.
As one St. Elizabeth Seton student said: “I would like to thank the wonderful people in this world -- wherever they are -- for donating money so that I can go to CYO Camp!” And she’s not the only one. Twenty seven St. Elizabeth Seton students will be able to attend CYO Summer camp in Occidental this summer thanks to the incredibly generous donations made by members of the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish.
Meet Daniel in Babylon! A summer camp for children ages 5 through13 will be offered July 30 - August 3 and August 6 - August 10 from 9:00 a.m. to Noon in the Hall at Our Lady of the Rosary.
Attention: All Parish groups who use our facilities. We need your calendar request forms for 2017-2018. If you have any questions, contact Nora Lundin (nlundin@dsj.org). Requests are granted on a first-come, first-served basis.
Throughout June our churches are displaying banners with the above wording. Our parish is participating in the National Religious Campaign Against Torture, sponsored by Pax Christi U.S.A. June is "Torture Awareness Month". Such a public display is rare for our parish. It is not to say that torture is the major issue of Catholic moral teaching - you can think of many others - but it is one of them.
Your parish’s Building & Equipment Maintenance Committee provides periodic updates to the parishioners on significant repairs, improvements and other major facilities-related expenses. This report covers the 6 months from October 2017 through March 2018.
Wednesday June 6 at 10:30 the books were handed out in the second grade classroom by Ms. Evelyn Rosa (Principal) on behalf of the entire parish. Ellen McGuire (Assistant Principal) and Carmel Caligaris (Development Director) and Terry Atkinson of the HCC also were in attendance.
The rhythm of the liturgical seasons reflects the rhythm of life — with its celebrations of anniversaries and its seasons of quiet growth and maturing. Ordinary Time, meaning ordered or numbered time, is celebrated in two segments: from the Monday following the Baptism of Our Lord up to Ash Wednesday; and from Pentecost Monday to the First Sunday of Advent. This makes it the largest season of the Liturgical Year.
You are the God who bears the brunt of the question, “Why didn’t you stay where you belong?" You feel the red-faced embarrassment when we hear, “Keep your distance, you foreigner, with your different-colored skin and your strange-sounding speech, with your culture, food, religion, and clothing that are inferior to my own."
In writing the book we wanted to create a way to learn Spanish and English while discovering the history of customs readers may already know, but not the origins of these customs. Too often these traditions are explained as coming from Spain or other European countries, while ignoring the older Indigenous practices. I am an anthropologist and the other coauthor is my mother, a retired kindergarten teacher who used Spanish in the classroom to encourage the children of migrant farmworkers and temporary workers in Mountain View.
Pope Francis wants young people in Argentina to spend at least two minutes a day reading the Gospel. His strong recommendation came in a May 26, 2018, video message to the boys and girls participating in the Second National Youth Meeting in Rosario, Argentina, that took place from May 25 to 27.