CSF March 2024

He has risen as He said!

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Catholic Quiz: How well do you know the Catholic faith?

McCullough Legacy: Stewardship across generations

Confession: An act of contrition (and grace)

Pro-Life Ministry: “Do not be afraid”

Stations of the Eucharist: Why do you attend Mass?

Real Presence: The National Eucharistic Revival pilgrimage

Prognosticator:

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CSF

Fr.

Stained Glass:

Local

Peter

Valerie

Rod Linhares

Mission Advancement

Mary Powers (415) 614-5638

Communications & Media Relations

Editor, San Francisco Católico

LEAD WRITER

Christina Gray

ADVERTISING

Phillip Monares (415) 614-5644

ABOUT THE COVER

Resurrexit Sicut Dixit! (He has risen as He said!). This glorious tapestry depicting the Resurrection hangs in the Vatican Museums in Rome.

Join Catholic San Francisco as Father Jerome Magat, from St. Patrick’s Seminary & University focuses on art and architecture in the Eternal City in coming issues.

PRODUCTION MANAGER

Karessa McCartney-Kavanaugh

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Joel Carrico

BUSINESS MANAGER

Chandra Kirtman

CIRCULATION

COPY EDITOR

Diana Powell

Nancy O’Brien

Cover photo by Dennis Jarvis

Back cover by

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CIRCULATION:

A sign of contradiction

ARCHBISHOP SALVATORE JOSEPH CORDILEONE

During Palm Sunday and Holy Week, I am reminded of a special childhood memory thanks to my maternal grandfather, after whom I am named. My grandfather had an interesting way of crafting a cross out of the fronds of palm branches distributed at the Palm Sunday Masses. I would watch him make several delicate folds and circular manipulations of the fronds to produce an impressive-looking cross, with a tight ring at the intersection that effectively held the cross together.

I cherished these unique icons created by my grandfather, and they served as a reminder during Holy Week of our Lord’s passion on the cross and the triumph of the cross on Easter Sunday.

This is a time of the year when we can deepen our reflection on the meaning of the cross and Christ crucified, which is described in sacred scripture as a sign of contradiction — “a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23).

Yet, as the scriptures also tell us, the wisdom of God is not the same as the wisdom of man. As we read in the prophet Isaiah: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts” (Is. 55:9).

With this reality as a guidepost, and with the help of the saints, perhaps we can in some small way view Jesus on the cross through the lens of our Creator. The

Catholicism video series by Bishop Robert Baron released more than a decade ago is one source that presents the cross as a paradox.

The series quotes St. Thomas Aquinas who said that if you want to see the perfect reflection of the Beatitudes, look to Christ crucified. The word beatitude means joy. St. Thomas said that if we want to be happy, we should despise the things that Jesus despised on the cross and love the things that Jesus loved on the cross. What did Jesus despise? He despised the four things that people typically chase to achieve happiness: wealth, pleasure, power, and honor.

Wealth? Jesus has none of it. He was stripped naked on the cross. Pleasure? Jesus took on the very limits of physical and psychological suffering. Power? Nailed to the cross, He chose to surrender His power; He could not even move. Honor? The bystanders mocked Him as He died on the cross as a common criminal.

Jesus on the cross is detached from the four things that many people strive for in their pursuit of happiness.

What did Jesus love on the cross? He loved doing the will of His Father. Although it seems very strange, Jesus on the cross is the image of a happy – that is to say, a blessed –man. From God’s perspective, the cross is an image of freedom, an image of the path that leads to joy. Where man sees tragedy, God sees triumph in the final outcome.

We learn from the saints that our Blessed

From God’s perspective, the cross is an image of freedom, an image of the path that leads to joy. Where man sees tragedy, God sees triumph in the final outcome.”

Mother had to carry the knowledge of her Son’s suffering and cruel death on the cross all the days of her adult life. She knew from the prophesy of Simeon at the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple that He would be contradicted in everything He would do. Instead of being believed, He would be known as a blasphemer. Despite being of royal descent, He would be despised as a peasant. Although Jesus was God, He was treated as ignorant, a false prophet, a drunkard, and a friend of sinners.

Can you imagine what it would be like if you had to carry such knowledge of the future all the days of your child’s life? Our Blessed Mother pondered all these things in her heart and embraced her suffering in perfect virtue.

In reflecting on the cross at World Youth Day in 2023, Pope Francis challenged the youth to walk in the footsteps of the Savior:

“Let us go up with Him to Calvary, offering Him our dreams, desires, and joys, together with our sufferings, our fears, and all those situations in which we feel hopeless or overwhelmed. Let us join to His experience of abandonment all those times when we feel alone, rejected, and wronged. Let us bring to Him all our hopes for a Church that better reflects His image and for a more just, hospitable, and fraternal world. Let us ask Him once more to take upon Himself every form of injustice, violence, and discrimination, all the horrors of war, and whatever harms the poor or devastates His handiwork in creation.”

May God bless you as you carry your cross during this Holy Week, and may God fill you with His grace as we welcome the triumph of the cross on Easter Sunday. ■

Come

be part of a Welcoming, Warm, Inclusive Faith Community ST. TERESA OF AVILA CATHOLIC CHURCH

“In this house all are riends, all are loved, all ar helped, all are held dear.”

ST. TERES A OF AV ILA

EASTER TRIDUUM

Holy Thursday, March 28 7:30pm

Good Friday, March 29 12:15pm

Holy Saturday, March 30 Easter Vigil, 8:00pm

Easter Sunday, March 31 8:30 & 10:00am

Parish Office (Mailing Address)

390 Missouri St. San Francisco, CA 94107

JOIN US FOR AN EASTER EGG HUNT EASTER SUNDAY FOLLOWING THE 10AM MASS

Email: info@stteresasf.org

StTeresaSF.org

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

1040 Alameda De Las Pulgas

Belmont, CA 94002

(650) 593-6157

www.ihmbelmont.org

2024 HOLY WEEK SCHEDULE

Palm Sunday—March 24

Saturday 5:00 PM Vigil Mass

Sunday Masses 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM

Traditional Latin Mass 4:00 PM

2024 PASCHAL TRIDUUM

Holy Thursday—March 28

Mass of the Lord’s Supper—7:00 PM

Adoration until 10:00 PM (No morning Mass)

Good Friday - March 29

Stations of the Cross at Noon

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion at 1:30PM

Confessions following until 4:00 PM (No morning Mass)

Holy Saturday - March 30

Easter Vigil Mass—8:00 PM

Confessions 3:00 PM—4:00 PM (No morning Mass)

Easter Sunday—March 31

The Resurrection of the Lord Masses 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM & 11:30 AM

Traditional Latin Mass 4:00 PM

How well do you know the Catholic faith?

The Ultimate Catholic Quiz by Catholic Answers’ founder, Karl Keating.

Excerpted with permission and available for purchase from

https://ignatius.com/the-ultimate-catholic-quiz-ucqp/

There are no trick questions, but there are questions that will trip you up if you fail to read carefully. An answer is counted as wrong if any part of it — such as a date or name — is wrong. Your goal is not to find the answer that is least wrong, but the one answer that is wholly right, which may be “none of the above.” On average, most informed Catholics score 50%. How well did you do?

1. The sacrament of confession:

a. almost always must be received before receiving Communion by anyone guilty of a mortal sin since his last confession.

b. is not necessary because you can privately and sincerely confess your sins to God.

c. must be received by all Catholic adults at least once a year (one of the six precepts of the Church).

d. is useless if you have committed one of the four sins that cry to heaven for vengeance – murder (Gn 4:10), sodomy (Gn 18:20-21), oppression of the poor (Ex 2:23) and defrauding workers of just wages (Jas 5:4) - because those sins can’t be forgiven.

e. none of the above.

2. At the Crucifixion:

a. Jesus’ human nature died on the cross.

b. only the human person of Jesus, not the divine person of Jesus, died on the cross.

c. God died on the cross.

d. Jesus’ human and divine natures both died on the cross, but the universe was kept going by the Father and the Holy Spirit until Jesus’ resurrection.

e. none of the above.

3. Purgatory is:

a. a state of natural happiness where souls of

unbaptized infants and the morally good nonChristians will wait until they are judged on the last day.

b. a state of mild punishment for people that were not bad enough to go to hell and not good enough to go to heaven.

c. a state of purification for people who die in the state of grace but without complete love for God.

d. a temporary state where sincere people who do not die in the state of grace get a second chance to do good and thus avoid going to hell.

e. none of the above.

4. Priests:

a. were first ordained by Jesus when he told the apostles, “Do this in remembrance of me.”

b. were first ordained by Paul on his visit to Corinth.

c. first appeared late in the second century, perhaps in Asia minor. Before that, local churches were led by presbyters.

d. first appeared in the late 1200s. Previously, parishes operated on the congregational system, with members choosing a presiding minister from among their own number. Not until the high Middle Ages was this formalized into an ordained priesthood, with the priest chosen not by the congregation but by the bishop.

e. none of the above.

5. An annulment is:

a. the canon law equivalent of a divorce under civil law.

b. a Church-authorized dissolution of a marriage that has failed through the infidelity of one of the spouses.

c. a declaration that no valid sacramental marriage existed in the first place, even if there are children born during the relationship.

d. a declaration that children born in a failed marriage are not illegitimate.

e. none of the above.

Answer highlights can be found on page 38.

ST. CLARE’S RETREAT

recognize

of God’s loving mercy.

“St. Clare’s Retreat is like Heaven on Earth” 2023 retreatant

2381 LAUREL GLEN ROAD, SOQUEL, CA info@stclaresretreat.org | www.stclaresretreat.org

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Make sure you allow the camera to focus on the QR code’s black and white square icon. When your phone clearly captures the QR code, you will see a prompt on your phone’s screen that will allow you to open a new window to access the content. That’s it!

For those without a smartphone, we added the URL link. We hope you enjoy these new magazine features, and we look forward to your active participation!

Stewardship across generations

BY ROD LINHARES Director of Mission Advancement for the Archdiocese of San Francisco

Jeannie (McCullough) Stiles vividly remembers when her father became her hero. He had witnessed a hit-and-run accident. “A car hit a young boy and took off. My dad drove after the car, ran into it and stopped him.”

When her dad arrived home that night, he didn’t mention what he had done. He gathered the family together to pray for the boy. “We found out, the next day, the details of what dad did when we saw pictures and the description of the accident on the front page of the Marin Independent Journal.”

The driver of the hit-and-run vehicle was drunk; he then sued Jeannie’s father for damaging his vehicle. Her father, Robert “Bob” McCullough, fought the lawsuit with support from the people of Marin and prevailed. This case led to establishing California’s Good Samaritan law.

A native of San Francisco, McCullough attended St. Ignatius College Prep (class of 1948) and then Santa Clara University. He enjoyed a successful career as a stockbroker and investment adviser for many institutions, including the California Jesuits, the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and various religious orders and dioceses.

He met Barbara Hart when they were in kindergarten at Star of the Sea grammar school, and they started dating in high school. Their families’ Catholic lineage in San Francisco was deep – Barbara, a 3rd generation San Franciscan, graduated from Presentation High School. Her father was an altar boy at St. Dominic’s and graduated from Sacred Heart High School. McCullough’s aunt was a St.

Among the McCullough family legacy of philanthropy is the gymnasium at St. Ignatius High School, which serves not only SI student athletes but also elementary school and club sports in the local community

Joseph of Carondelet sister who was principal of Star of the Sea grammar and high school, where she also taught Latin (Robert and Barbara were kindergartners when she was the principal). His other aunt was the novice director of the Notre Dame Sisters in Belmont. McCullough was impacted by the poverty of the sisters, and this spurred him to provide support in the future.

Because of the Church’s influence on their lives, the McCulloughs supported many Archdiocesan organizations. When asked why they gave and allowed their names to be on buildings, both responded, “I want my grandchildren to know what was important to me, faith. We have what we have because of the Church.”

Although Robert McCullough passed away in April of 2007 and Barbara in April of 2023, their legacy in the Archdiocese is extensive. They were generous to Santa Clara University (endowing an accounting chair), St. Patrick’s Seminary, Marin Catholic and St. Ignatius high schools, the Retired Priests Fund, St. Mary’s Cathedral and Mission Dolores. Barbara was especially happy that nine priestly vocations came

from sponsoring trips to Lourdes with Father Tom Daley. She simply stated, “No priests, no Eucharist.”

The McCulloughs also supported many orders of sisters. After Robert died, Barbara assisted the Dominican Sisters of Mother Mary of the Eucharist. She was particularly excited to participate in bringing the sisters to Marin Catholic and furnishing their convent in Mill Valley.

Robert was also a secondgeneration member of the Order of Malta and made several trips to Lourdes. Both he and Barbara were members in the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher, and the family’s involvement in the Catholic faith continued with their children. In addition to Jeannie, there are three boys – her twin brother Bob, Brian and Larry.

We are all called to act as stewards to help reach future generations with the Church’s message of faith, love and hope. Robert and Barbara McCullough’s support and commitment exemplified their deep love of our Catholic faith. They are a great inspiration and their commitment lives on. ■

Photo by Dennis Callahan

An act of contrition (and grace)

What three confessors want you to know about the Sacrament of Reconciliation

BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org

In 2019, Catholic San Francisco, then in newspaper form, ran a feature story called, “Confessors on confession.” We asked four priests to share their personal perspectives on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It was one of our most popular, most well-read stories that year.

It seems that Catholics, even lifelong Catholics, continue to seek a better understanding of and appreciation for the sacrament they first received when they were children.

This time we asked three priests representing three different generations and two different Catholic rites what they wanted to share with readers about confession as we prepare for Easter.

“Our Lord is absolutely forgiving. He wants to bring about who we really are, who He created us to be.”

– FATHER BRUNO GIBSON, O.P.

Dominican Father Bruno Gibson has heard a lot of confessions in his 64 years of priestly ministry. He’s heard them in parish confessionals, like most priests. But he’s also faced penitents in school

hallways, outside on the steps of a church, and even in other spontaneous locations at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Bolinas, a historic mission church where until last year he traveled in semi-retirement from his home in Tiburon to preach or hold retreats.

Penitents have come to him “every which way you can imagine,” said the native San Franciscan, who turns 93 this year. “Sometimes someone will just turn to you.” He’s even had non-Catholics walk into his confessional out of some combination of curiosity and need.

After his ordination in 1960, Father Gibson served at Dominican parishes, universities and centers in Oregon, Washington and California. He was parochial vicar of another St. Mary Magdalene Church, this one in Berkeley.

“We often fail to realize that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is an encounter with the person of Our Lord Jesus Christ, just like the Eucharist is,” he said “He is encountering us, and we respond by saying yes, I am a sinner.”

Confession helps us accept and embrace the reality of our human lives, what is “real and true,” and not what is “illusory.”

Even Christians can think they are “this, that or the other thing,” Father Gibson said. “No one likes to think of themselves as a sinner.”

An examination of conscience and regular confession helps us confront the truth about our lives, and the actions we genuinely seek forgiveness for. Confession makes us whole again. ›

“Our Lord is absolutely forgiving,” said Father Gibson. He wants to bring about who we really are, who He created us to be.”

“Wouldn’t it be great to go back to the original day of your baptism in full purity and grace before God? Great, go to confession. That’s what confession is.”

— FATHER SEBASTIAN CARNAZZO

“One of the most important things for people to understand right off the bat, is that confession was understood in the early Church as something that happened only once in a lifetime,” said Father Sebastian Carnazzo, pastor of St. Elias the Prophet Melkite Church in San Martin.

The Melkite Byzantine Catholic Church is an Eastern Catholic church in full communion with the Holy See as part of the worldwide Catholic Church. Father Carnazzo, who was ordained in 2015, is also an adjunct professor of sacred Scripture and languages at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park and prepares deacons.

In the early church, you hoped you’d never have to make a sacramental confession, he said, especially for a grievous sin, a mortal sin.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation was understood better then to be the restoration of our original baptismal grace.

“Wouldn’t it be great to go back to the original day of your baptism in full purity and grace before God?,” said Father Carnazzo. “Great, then go to confession. That’s what confession is.

“What people need to know is that history, and to understand the power of the sacrament that restores us to our original baptismal grace.”

Confession was done more frequently in both Western- and Eastern-rite churches as custom developed over time, but also, according to Father Carnazzo, because sin was more common.

“Christians today are less serious about living a pure life and walking in the footsteps of Christ every single day than they were in the early Church,” he said. We have become very worldly, and can find ourselves acting “of the world.”

Penitents often say they feel “lighter” after confession, said Father Carnazzo.

Perhaps that is partly guilt being lifted, he said, but what’s really happening is what he called an “Edenic” experience.

What we’re experiencing after confession is a “taste of Eden,” said Father Carnazzo, the restoration of our original relationship with God before the Fall.

“After confession, we can properly eat from the tree of life again and receive the Eucharist in a state of grace.”

“It is this sacrament that washes away the defects of one’s heart and makes the heart ready and welldisposed to receive its divine nourishment”

— FATHER JERALD GERONIMO

Father Jerald Geronimo has been a priest less than two years, but as the parochial vicar at St. Mary’s Cathedral, the young priest has already heard many confessions.

Prayer is the best way to prepare for a good confession, he said. In silent prayer especially, human beings can converse with God and come to acknowledge the ways in which they have offended Him.

“And within prayerful preparation, the soul comes to realize the great mercy and healing love that awaits in the confessional,” he said.

Father Geronimo said it is important to remember that although they may kneel before a priest in a confessional, “they are really kneeling before Christ who is ever present in His minister.”

“It is Christ who they are confessing to,” he said, and he “already knows our sins. It is Christ who gives them counsel, and it is Christ who ultimately utters those sweet and beautiful words, ‘I absolve you from your sins.’”

In this period of Eucharistic Revival, Father Geronimo pointed to the connection between the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

“ The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus that is poured out for us in the confessional is the same Most Sacred Heart that is poured out for us in the Holy Eucharist,” he said.

“The way we conform our hearts to His is by going to confession,” Father Geronimo said. “It is this sacrament that washes away the defects of one’s heart and makes it ready to receive its divine nourishment in the body and blood of the Redeemer.” ■

Holy Week Schedule

Palm Sunday March 24

Saturday 5pm Vigil Mass

Sunday: 8am, 10am (with Solemn Procession), 5pm, 7pm USF Student Mass

Family Stations of the Cross Wed., March 27, 4pm

Holy Thursday March 28

6:30pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and Church open until 10pm for prayer

Good Friday March 29

12 noon Women Preach: Meditation on the Passion 1:45pm Liturgy of the Passion of our Lord Reconciliation: 11pm to noon & 3 to 5pm

Holy Saturday March 30 8pm The Great Vigil of Easter

∗ EASTER SUNDAY ∗ March 31

8am, 10am (followed by Easter Egg Hunt), 12pm

650 Parker Ave., San Francisco | stignatiussf.org

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Holy Week and Easter Triduum Schedule 2024

LIVESTREAMING SCHEDULE

youtube.com/ArchdioceseofSanFrancisco (with Archbishop Cordileone presiding) or youtube.com/CathedralofStMaryoftheAssumption (with Cathedral parish priest presiding) The Chrism Mass

Thursday, March21

5:00 p.m. Mass

Archbishop Cordileone, Principal Celebrant

Annual Archdiocesan Celebration of Renewal of Priestly Ministry by the Clergy, Blessing of Oils of Catechumens, Sick, and Sacred Chrism by the Archbishop Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord

Saturday and Sunday, March 23 and 24

Regular Weekend Schedule of Masses

Saturday, March 23rd 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass

Sunday, March 24

7:30 a.m.; 9:00 a.m. Gregorian Chant

11:00 a.m. Archbishop Cordileone, Principal Celebrant (NOT CONFIRMED)

1:00 p.m. en Español, 4:00 p.m. Palm Sunday Concert

Thursday of the Lord’s Supper (Holy Thursday)

Thursday, March 28

Lent ends at Sundown on Holy Thursday, and the Celebration of The Paschal Triduum begins (NO Confessions and NO 7:30 a.m. or 12:10 p.m. Masses Today) 7:30 p.m.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Archbishop Cordileone, Principal Celebrant

Followed by Vigil and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in the Event Center c oncluding with 10pm night prayer

Friday of the Passion of the Lord (Good Friday)

Friday, March 29

(NO 7:30 a.m. or 12:10 p.m. Masses Today)

We continue to keep vigil

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Confessions

1:00 p.m.

Stations of the Cross

2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. Music in the Cathedral 3:00 p.m.

Liturgy of the Passion and Death of the Lord Archbishop Cordileone, Celebrant Liturgy of the Word, the Adoration of the Cross and Holy Communion

Holy Saturday

Saturday, March 30

(NO Confessions and NO 8:00 a.m. or 5:30 p.m. Masses Today)

Our Paschal Vigil continues throughout the day and night 9:00 p.m.

The Easter Vigil in the Holy Night

Archbishop Cordileone, Principal Celebrant Blessing of the New Fire and Paschal Candle, Liturgy of the Word, and Celebration of the Eucharist.

Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord

Sunday, March 31

Regular Sunday Schedule of Masses

7:30 a.m. Cantor and Organ, 9:00 a.m. Gregorian Chant

11:00 a.m. Archbishop Cordileone, Principal Celebrant (NOT CONFIRMED) (Cathedral Choir) 1:00 p.m. en Español, 4:00 pm Easter Concert

“Do not be afraid”

The Gabriel Project volunteers take pregnant women and families in crisis under their wing

BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org

Pregnant with her sixth child, Evelyn P. and her family were approached outside a local abortion clinic as they were about to make an agonizing decision they felt they had no choice but to make.

“Our volunteers were able to talk with them,” said Jenny Infante, parish coordinator of the Gabriel Project at St. Matthew Church in San Mateo. The couple canceled their appointment at the clinic and, with the help of the prolife ministry, began preparing for the birth of their child.

St. Matthew’s Gabriel Project ministry is one of dozens across the Archdiocese based out of Catholic parishes “staffed” entirely by volunteers referred to internally as “angels.” They are under the auspices of the Respect Life Ministry in the Office of Human Life & Dignity.

Each ministry, whether served by a multi-person team of volunteer angels, or a single angel, accompanies women and families facing crisis pregnancies. They offer pastoral support and the baby essentials that can create financial panic for some women and families (an oftstated reason for choosing to abort).

The ministries are fully self-supporting, said Infante. The strollers, car seats, diapers, wipes, baby clothing, formula and more offered to pregnant women and families are made possible through the gifts of private donors, special parish collections, in-kind donations and the like.

The St. Matthew ministry heard the couple’s despair at bringing another child into the already-crowded home of a friend with whom they were staying. “Evelyn told us they couldn’t provide for the five children they already had, much less a sixth,” said Infante.

Like its namesake angel who told Mary, “do not be afraid” after her pregnancy with Jesus was revealed, the Gabriel Project promised the couple it could help them and assured them of what Gabriel said to Mary: “Nothing is impossible with God.”

“We were able to help this family secure housing by paying the deposit on a one-bedroom apartment,” said Infante. They also received all the necessary supplies

for their new baby as well as basic clothing for every member of the family. The Gabriel Project continues to support the family with diapers.

Infante said the Gabriel Project is about babies, but it is definitely not just about babies.

“If the parents need help, if they are homeless or not in a good place, that affects a new baby and other children in the home,” she said. “We try to support the whole family. If we can do it, we will.”

A MINISTRY SPRUNG FROM ROE V. WADE

The Gabriel Project is active today in many Catholic parishes across the country. Parishes serve as the home

base for individual ministries whose volunteers respond to pregnant women who call a toll-free number.

According to thegabrielproject.com, the movement took root following the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal throughout the United States. The pastor of St. Michael Parish in Houston quietly hung a sign outside the rectory offering practical and pastoral help to women considering abortion: “If you will have your baby,” wrote the late Mgsr. John Perusina, “this parish will help you in every way.”

That commitment to pregnant women in need led to the formation of the Gabriel Project in 1990 by two friends in the Galveston-Houston and Corpus Christi dioceses.

The concept and structure of individual Gabriel Project ministries remains much the same today. Through signs, pamphlets and car decals offering the toll-free hotline, women with a crisis pregnancy know that help is available. ›

Holy Week Schedule

Holy Week Schedule

Saint Robert’s Church

Saint Robert’s Church

1380 Crystal Springs Road

1380 Crystal Springs Road

San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 589-2800

San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 589-2800

ST. ROBERT’S PARISH

Easter 2024

Easter 2024

ASH WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Palm Sunday - March 24 (Palms will be distributed at all Masses)

8:30 AM, 12 NOON, 6:00 PM

Saturday evening Vigil Mass, 4:30 p.m.

Palm Sunday - March 24

7:30 am., 9:30 a.m.,11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

(Palms will be distributed at all Masses)

Holy Thursday - March 28

Saturday evening Vigil Mass, 4:30 p.m.

Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:30 pm

7:30 am., 9:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Adoration in Church till 9:30 pm

Good Friday - March 29

Holy Thursday - March 28

1:00 pm Stations of the Cross, 2:00 pm The Seven Last Words 3:00 pm The Lord’s Passion

Mass of the Lord’s Supper 7:30 pm

Adoration in Church till 9:30 pm

Holy Saturday - March 30

Good Friday - March 29

No Morning Mass, Confessions 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

1:00 pm Stations of the Cross

Easter Vigil Mass 8:00 pm

2:00 pm The Seven Last Words

Easter Sunday - March 31

3:00 pm The Lord’s Passion

7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Holy Saturday - March 30

No 5 pm Mass

No Morning Mass

Holy Week Schedule

Confessions 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Easter Vigil Mass 8:00 pm

Easter Sunday - March 31

No 5 pm Mass

7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.

Holy Week

Radiating the Joy of the Gospel in the Heart of the City

PALM SUNDAY, APRIL 10

PALM SUNDAY, MARCH 24

5:30 pm Saturday Vigil Mass (April 9)

5:30 pm: Saturday Vigil Mass for Sunday (March 23), 7:30 am: Quiet Mass, 9:15 am: Family Mass begins at the Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto, procession into church with donkey, 11:30 am: Solemn Choral Mass, 1:30 pm: Mass (in Spanish 5:30 pm: Mass with Contemporary music

7:30 am Quiet Mass

*9:15 am Mass begins at the Lourdes Grotto, procession with donkey

HOLY THURSDAY, MARCH 28

11:30 am Solemn Choral Mass

7:30 am: Tenebrae followed by a reception in the Siena Room, 7:30 pm: Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 11:20 pm: Last Supper Discourse (church closes afterwards)

1:30 pm Mass in Spanish with Passion Play

5:30 pm Mass with Contemporary music

GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 29

HOLY THURSDAY, APRIL 14

7:30 am: Tenebrae followed by a reception in the Siena Room, 12:00 pm: Stations of the Cross, 12:30 pm: Confessions until 3:00 pm, 12:45 pm: The Seven Last Words of Christ, 1:45 pm: The Passion of Our Lord (simple), 7:30 pm: The Passion of Our Lord (solemn)

*7:30 am Tenebrae

*7:30 pm Mass of the Lord’s Supper

HOLY SATURDAY, MARCH 30

8:00 am: Tenebrae followed by a reception in the Parish Hall, 8:00 pm: Easter Vigil Mass

11:20 pm Last Supper discourse

EASTER SUNDAY, MARCH 31

GOOD FRIDAY, APRIL 15

He is Risen! Truly He is Risen!

*7:30 am Tenebrae

*12:00 pm Stations of the Cross

7:30 am: Mass with Easter Hymns, 9:30 am: Family Mass with trumpet, 11:30 am: Solemn Choral Mass, Schola Cantorum, trumpet, & strings, 1:30 pm: Mass (in Spanish) 5:30 pm: Mass with Contemporary music. No confessions this day. Parish Office closed Easter Monday

12:30 pm Confessions to 3:00 pm

*12:45 pm The Seven Last Words of Christ

1:45 pm The Passion of Our Lord (simple)

*7:30 pm The Passion of Our Lord (solemn)

HOLY SATURDAY, APRIL 16

*8:00 am Tenebrae

*8:30 pm The Easter Vigil Mass

When a woman calls the hotline for help, the coordinator of the Gabriel Project parish ministry closest to where she lives is contacted. One angel is assigned responsibility for ongoing contact with her throughout her pregnancy, and often beyond.

LOCAL HOTLINE: 1-800-910-2848

Maria Martinez-Mont is Respect Life coordinator for the Office of Human Life & Dignity. Martinez-Mont coordinates assigning angels to help when a woman calls the local hotline number 1-800-910-2848.

Montez-Mont oversees the Gabriel Project ministries active in the Archdiocese, training future “angels” who may serve a parish singlehandedly or with a group of others.

Parish coordinators lead the effort at each parish, harnessing human, financial and material resources. They recruit other parishioners to serve as angels or assistant angels and communicate as needed with the pastor.

“The idea is for parish coordinators to solicit donations from their parish community to help build a culture of life there,” said Infante. Parishes without their own Gabriel Project ministry will often raise funds or buy baby goods for other ministries.

Assistant angels provide specific tactical and practical help, like transportation to doctor’s visits or shopping, babysitting and organizing parish baby showers. They also help women tap into educational, employment and community resources that can improve their circumstances.

“You can be an angel, or your parish can be a host of

angels,” states Martinez-Mont on the Gabriel Project website. “The Gabriel Project shows the community that your parish cares about pregnant women in need and that there is no reason for any new mother within its boundaries to feel that she is helpless and alone.”

ST. MATTHEW PARISH: A ‘MODEL MINISTRY’

Martinez-Mont said there are about 14 parishes throughout the Archdiocese with Gabriel Project ministries. She called the one at St. Matthew Parish a “model ministry” in everything from its size and reach, to its fundraising strength through the Knights of Columbus and other donors, to the active support of its longtime pastor, Mgsr. John Talesfore.

“When I see the tender care these angels provide, and the tough situations they courageously enter into, I think of St. Francis de Sales' adage that there is nothing gentler than true strength or stronger than true gentleness,” said Msgr. Talesfore.

Infante said the support of the pastor makes an incredible difference to the success of the Gabriel Project at St. Matthew. The ministry was even given a closet in the church to store baby items and more. That helps angels respond more quickly to the families they serve.

“Our closet is really well-stocked and organized,” said Infante, who admitted that the “closet” is actually a

Gabriel Project volunteers at St. Matthew Parish include, from left: Jenny Infante, Marbella Salas, Danette Magilligan, Rachael Antonini, Adele Bumbaca.

Madelin Salazar, a single mother who works at a local car wash, receives clothes and diapers for her baby girl from the Gabriel Project.

Photo courtesy of Jenny Infante

confessional, stacked high with cribs and strollers and diapers organized by size.

“We were just asked to leave room for the priest,” she said with a laugh.

The Gabriel Project at St. Matthew Parish “covers a big area,” according to Infante, who has a nine-angel ministry team. Many nearby parishes do not have a Gabriel Project ministry, she said, so her team takes on “a lot” of referrals from not only their own city of San Mateo, but also from San Carlos, Burlingame and Foster City.

She said the Gabriel Project’s ability to help women and families is directly related to the number of dedicated volunteers the ministry attracts and the donations it consistently receives.

“We spend about $300 per person, per referral,” said Infante, who manages the ministry budget. The parish averages from 10-15 referrals a year.

Infante has a full-time job and is the mother to two teenage boys, who often help her deliver baby items to families. She said she accepted the role of parish coordinator for the Gabriel Project because she saw “the great need” for Spanish-speaking volunteers in San Mateo County.

“Most of the angels are not Spanish-speaking, but most of those in need are,” she said.

The women and families are mostly immigrants, said Infante, who work in housekeeping, restaurants or day labor, often unreliable sources of income.

“We really try to encourage pregnant women to have their child,” she said. “They are just very low-income and need support.”

Longtime St. Matthew angel Lisa Cullinane said the Gabriel Project starts as a “baby project” that wants mothers to “think their baby is special whether it’s been born or not yet born.”

“In our parish, we all go over and above,” said Cullinane, who said she speaks some Spanish. “We don’t stop just because the baby has been born.”

A lot of it is housing. As a former property manager, she can help struggling families find an apartment they can afford or apply for Section 8 housing. The Gabriel Project, at times, can help a family avoid eviction by making a late rent payment.

“There is a lot that goes with this,” she said. Cullinane gives the women she serves her own cellphone number and tries to be as “hands on” as possible. That includes seeing opportunities for evangelization.

“I would love for you to come to Mass at our church,” she tells women or families when she sees an opening. “We have a loving community here. Can I give you a ride?” ■

Mission Dolores Basilica

16th & Dolores St., San Francisco

415-621-8203 | www.missiondolores.org

Rev. Francis P. Garbo, Pastor

LIVESTREAM: www.facebook.com/missiondoloressf

2024 Easter Liturgies

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion - March 24th

Masses: 5 p.m. (Sat. Vig.), 8 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 noon (Span.) Blessing of Palms and Procession at 10 a.m. & 12 noon Masses

Holy Thursday - March 28th

8:00 p.m. - Solemn Mass of the Lord’s Supper [Bilingual] followed by procession and adoration until 11 p.m.

Good Friday of the Lord’s Passion - March 29th

12:00 noon - Stations of the Cross and Meditation Prayer

6:30 p.m. - Liturgy of Good Friday [Bilingual] followed by Santo Entierro Procession

Holy Saturday - March 30th

3:30 - 5:00 p.m. - Sacrament of Reconciliation

8:00 p.m. - Easter Vigil Liturgy [Bilingual]

Easter Sunday - March 31st

8:00 a.m. - Mass [cantor and organ]

10:00 a.m. - Mass [Basilica Choir – brass and organ]

12:00 noon - Mass [Spanish – Coro y organo]

Holy Thursday, March 28

Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00PM Bi-Lingual Adoration until 12:00 Midnight

Good Friday, March 29

12:00 to 2:00PM English

Hymns and Meditations

2:00PM English

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

5:00PM Bi-lingual

Live Way of the Cross re-enacted from Jack Farrell Park—Fordham St. & Michigan Ave. to the Church

7:00PM Spanish

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

Holy Saturday, March 30

Confessions 10:30AM to 12:00PM and 3:30 to 5:00PM

8:30PM Easter Vigil, Bi-lingual

Easter Sunday, March 31

7:30AM English

9:30AM Spanish

12:30PM Bi-Lingual followed by Easter egg hunt.

Holy Thursday, March 28

Mass of the Lord’s Supper at 7:00PM Bi-Lingual

Adoration until 12:00 Midnight

Good Friday, March 29

12:00 to 2:00PM English

Hymns and Meditations

2:00PM English

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

5:00PM Bi-lingual

Live Way of the Cross re-enacted from Jack Farrell Park—Fordham St. & Michigan Ave. to the Church 7:00PM Spanish

Celebration of the Lord’s Passion

Holy Saturday, March 30

Confessions 10:30AM to 12:00PM and 3:30 to 5:00PM

8:30PM Easter Vigil, Bi-lingual

Easter Sunday, March 31

7:30AM English

9:30AM Spanish

12:30PM Bi-Lingual followed by Easter egg hunt

Why do you attend Mass?

Editor’s Note: The following is part one of a two-part presentation taken from Eucharistic Revival preacher Father Jonathan Meyer at a Catholic men’s conference. This is one of many Eucharistic reflections that will be published by Catholic San Francisco magazine as part of the U.S. Catholic Church’s Eucharistic Revival (eucharisticrevival.org) that began on June 19, 2022, on the feast of Corpus Christi, and continues through Pentecost 2025.

Why do people not go to church when we’re in the midst of a national Eucharistic Revival?

A study came out that said 70% of Catholics do not believe that Jesus is truly present in the Blessed Sacrament. I don’t think that’s the problem. There’s a deeper problem I want to reveal. I want you to turn to the person to your left or to your right, and I want you to tell him why you go to Mass. What is the reason you go to Mass? I want to prove the fact that most of you get that answer completely wrong.

I’ve been giving talks across this country during the national Eucharistic Revival, and I can tell you that these are the top reasons why people say that they go to Mass. They go to Mass for community and fraternity. They go to Mass to hear God’s word proclaimed through the sacred Scriptures. They go to Mass to hear the homily. They go to Mass for the music. For those who are really pious, they’ll say they go to Mass to receive the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ in the most Holy Eucharist.

All of those answers – community, Scripture, homilies and sermons, music and reception of Holy Communion – are not sufficient. If you said those answers, you don’t know why we go to Mass. Those answers represent the fruits of the main reason we should be going to the holy sacrifice of the Mass. The Mass re-presents the sacrifice of Jesus on Calvary. That’s what the Mass is, and out of that everything flows. Let me prove my point.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been to Mass where you didn’t receive Holy Communion. Every hand should be up because at the age of 8, you couldn’t receive Holy Communion. If you’re in the state of mortal sin, you should never receive Holy Communion. Raise your hand if you’ve ever been to Mass where there’s no music? Praise the Lord for that sometimes, right? Raise your hand if you’ve been to Mass where there’s no homily? That’s

double praise the Lord! The reality is that you’ve been to Mass at times where you haven’t listened to the Scriptures or the Scriptures were proclaimed in another language, and it still counted for your Sunday obligation. There are times when you go to Mass and you’re on vacation and you want to slide in and slide out and not talk to anyone. In fact, all these examples are actually things that can take place better outside of Mass.

You want a great community? Join a small group. You want great Scripture? Join a Bible study. You want great preaching? Go to a Protestant church! You want great music? Go to Spotify. You want to receive Holy Communion? I bring the Blessed Sacrament to people in their homes all the time, and I will tell you, those are profound, deep encounters with the body, blood, soul and divinity of Jesus Christ.

So the reality is, if those things are not the Mass, then what is the Mass? If some 70% of selfproclaimed Catholics don’t believe that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, I will tell you that 90%-plus do not have any idea what the Mass is. Again, the Mass is the re-presentation of Calvary. The Mass is the eternal sacrifice of the Lamb of God for your sins, for my sins, that saves the entire world. That’s what the Mass is.

If you’ve ever prayed the Stations of the Cross, you can appreciate a similar meditation that we will do together today called the Stations of the Eucharist. There are 14 meditations along the way, and it begins in the Book of Genesis.

THE FIRST STATION:

THE SACRIFICES OF CAIN AND ABEL.

God blesses Adam and Eve with two children, Cain and Abel. We know that Cain kills Abel out of envy. What caused the envy? The brothers offered sacrifice to God. Cain offered vegetables, and Abel offered a lamb. God doesn’t accept the vegetables. He only accepts the sacrifice of a lamb. Why? Because the lamb is a foreshadowing of the only sacrifice that God will receive for the salvation of mankind. We are saved by the blood of the Lamb. The death of the first human being was brought about by a misunderstanding of what constitutes an appropriate sacrifice. How many people spiritually die because they don’t know what the sacrifice of the Mass is? Countless.

THE SECOND STATION: MELCHIZEDEK, A GREAT PRIEST WHO SHOWS UP OUT OF NOWHERE.

He was a king and a priest, and he offered a sacrifice of bread and wine. A king and a priest who offers a sacrifice of bread and wine? This is important because Jesus is a king and a priest who offers a sacrifice of bread and wine, but that’s not just why it’s important. It’s important because Melchizedek was not from the tribe of Levi, which hadn’t even come about yet. But once the 12 sons of Jacob are established, only one group is allowed to offer sacrifice. Only one group of men are allowed to be priests, and those are the Levites. And what tribe was Jesus from? He was from the tribe of Judah, which means, according to the Mosaic Law, He can’t actually offer worthy sacrifice. But it’s clearly proclaimed in Scripture that Jesus Christ is a priest from the order and the line of who? Melchizedek, which means that Jesus starts a new priesthood, an eternal priesthood, which allows Him to offer a sacrifice of bread and wine, which I and my brother priests stand in the line of.

THE THIRD STATION:

THE SACRIFICE OF ABRAHAM.

Now once again, there are 30 connections between the sacrifice of Abraham and his son Isaac and

the sacrifice of God the Father and His Son Jesus. Thirty direct connections, and I’m going to tell you we can get lost in that and forget why this biblical passage is so powerful. God asked Abraham to do one thing. What did God ask Abraham to do? Kill his son. And then an angel comes and stops Abraham. But just because the angel stops Abraham doesn’t mean that a sacrifice is not demanded. Abraham knows that a sacrifice is demanded. So what does Abraham do? He sees a lamb caught in a thicket. What’s a thicket? A crown of thorns. He sees a lamb caught in thorns. What lamb do you know of that was caught in thorns? That’s called a replacement sacrifice. The lamb that replaced Isaac caught in a crown of thorns was a replacement sacrifice. It replaced his son. Why is this so important? Because Jesus is your replacement sacrifice who should have died for every single time that you’ve lied, that you’ve stolen, that you’ve looked at pornography, that you’ve committed adultery, that you’ve cheated. Who should have died? You and me. There is one replacement sacrifice, and it is the sacrifice of Jesus who dies in our place as the lamb died in the place of Isaac crowned with thorns. ›

Adoration of the Lamb by Van Eyck.

If some 70% of self-proclaimed Catholics don’t believe that Jesus is present in the Blessed Sacrament, I will tell you that 90%-plus do not have any idea what the Mass is.”

THE FOURTH STATION: THE JEWISH PASSOVER.

You’re a slave in Egypt. Moses and God have sent 10 plagues and none of them have convinced Pharaoh. But the 10th one does what? The 10th plague that is sent is the angel of death who comes to kill anyone who does not sacrifice a lamb. And do what? Two things. Number one, you need to eat the flesh of the lamb, and number two, its blood must be on your doorpost. St. John Chrysostom clearly interprets this: We as the people of God in slavery, must eat the flesh of the Son of God and His blood must be on our doorposts. Where are our doorposts? Our lips. On the day of your baptism, you became a temple of the Holy Spirit and there must be blood on your lips. If not, the angel of death will not pass over you. What does Jesus say in John chapter 6? “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life within you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I’ll raise him up on the last day.” The fulfillment of the Passover is the re-presentation of Calvary, which we then enter into in Holy Communion.

THE FIFTH STATION: THE MANNA THAT CAME DOWN FROM HEAVEN.

If you went to a Catholic school, that means that you went to either daily Mass or at least Mass two or three times a week. Do you go to daily Mass? Because if you don’t, there’s a problem. Many of our Catholic schools have a major problem. Many of our children go to school without making the connection that daily Mass is one of the greatest gifts that the Church has. Once the Israelites were set free, they were in the desert starving to death. They were in a world where there was nothing, and they were starving. What does God send them? Manna coming down from heaven. How often did that manna come? Daily, except for the Sabbath. But they gathered manna twice on Friday. God sent daily bread. I want to challenge you right now. Our churches should be packed not just on Sunday but every day. If you have never made the commitment to get to daily Mass, I want to change your life. I want you to know freedom of peace and joy. Daily Mass will change your life. It fed the Israelites. It’ll feed you.

THE SIXTH STATION: THE ARK OF THE COVENANT.

God the Father created us, He made us, He knows us. And what did He do? He created a place for us to go. He knew that we as human beings have a desire to physically go to a place to worship Him. In the Old Testament, they went to one place. In the New Testament, the new covenant, every Catholic church has an ark of the covenant, a place where we physically can go and be with the Lord. In my four parish assignments right now, I have seven churches, and we opened a perpetual adoration chapel, and we are opening our second one. Why? Because we are literally dying as human beings. We need a place to know with certitude that we are encountering the presence of God. Every tabernacle in the world should be surrounded by faithful, devout people who love the Lord. Think of how much time you waste watching sports or being on your phone. How much would your life, your marriage, change if you spent that time with the Lord? We have a place to go.

THE SEVENTH STATION: BETHLEHEM.

The word actually translates into “House of Bread.” Jesus was born in a town called the House of Bread because He would say I am the living bread that has come down from heaven. He’s found lying in a feeding trough for beasts, for animals to eat. Who are those beasts, those animals? You and me. And yet when we eat this food of immortality, it changes us. It restores us to who we are called to be. ■

Part two of Father Meyer's presentation will be featured in the June issue of Catholic San Francisco magazine.

SCAN TO WATCH THIS POWERFUL MESSAGE TO ALL CATHOLICS FROM FATHER JONATHAN MEYER or visit sfarch.org/what-is-the-mass/. For a copy of the 14 stations of the Eucharist, email servantsofgodfj@gmail.com.

ST. DUNSTAN CHURCH

1133 Broadway Millbrae, CA 94030 | (650) 697-4730

Holy Thursday

8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer

7:00 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until 11:00 p.m.

Good Friday

8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer

8:30a.m.Confessions

12:00 p.m. Stations of the Cross

2:00 p.m. Seven Last Words

3:00 p.m Solemn Liturgy and Holy Communion with the dramatization of the Passion

Holy Saturday

8:00 a.m. Morning Prayer

8:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. Confessions

EASTER VIGIL: 8:00 p.m

Easter Sunday

Masses at 7am, 10am & 11:30am

Holy Week at Saint Cecilia Church

Seventeenth Avenue and Vincente Street

The Parkside District in San Francisco Live Church Broadcast: www. stcecilia.com

Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord, March 24th Palms will be blessed at the beginning of every Mass.

Saturday Vigil – 5:00 PM

Sunday Masses – 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM, and *11:30 AM *Solemn Procession at the 11:30 AM Mass

Monday, March 25th

6:00 – 7:00 PM – Lenten Penitential Service with Individual Confessions

Holy Thursday, March 28th

9:00 AM – Morning Prayer

7:30 PM – Mass of the Lord’s Supper and Eucharistic Exposition until 11:00 PM (Church remains open from 9:00 AM – 11:00 PM)

Good Friday, March 29th

9:00 AM – Morning Prayer

12:00 PM – Stations of the Cross, 7 Last Words, Good Friday Liturgy, and Divine Mercy Novena (Church remains open from 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM)

Holy Saturday, March 30

9:00 AM – Morning Prayer

8:00 PM – Easter Vigil (Church closes after the morning prayer and reopens at 7:00 PM)

Easter Sunday, March 31st

Masses at 7:30 AM, 9:30 AM and 11:30 AM

2024 Holy Week Schedule

Holy ThursdayMarch 28

7:00 PM

Mass of the Lord’s Supper Th h h ill

Good FridayMarch 29

7:00 PM

Lord’s Passion

The church will be open for prayer from 12-3 PM

Easter Vigil March 30 8:00 PM

Easter Sunday March 31

AM

Lent, Holy Week, & Easter 2024

St. Agnes Catholic Church

Easter Vigil

The National Eucharistic

The launch from the West with the St. Junipero Serra Route, May 19, 2024

The bishops of the United States have called for a three-year grassroots revival of devotion and belief in the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. The revival launched nationally on the feast of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body & Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), June 19, 2022. It will continue through the National

Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis on July 17-21, 2024, and Pentecost 2025. The centerpiece of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival will be the Indianapolis National Eucharistic Congress.

Leading up to the National Congress, there will be a National Eucharistic Pilgrimage beginning from four points

in the United States: Archdiocese of San Francisco; Diocese of Brownsville, Texas; Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota; and the Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut. Each route of the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage will begin on Pentecost weekend (May 18-19, 2024) and arrive in Indianapolis on July 16. ■

Diocese of Crookston, Minnesota

Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut

Diocese of Brownsville, Texas

Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana

Archdiocese of San Francisco, California

Eucharistic Revival Pilgrimage

SCHEDULE

Saturday, May 18

6:30 p.m. Solemn Vespers and Holy Hour

Mission Dolores Basilica 3321 16th St, San Francisco

Sunday, May 19

11 a.m. Pilgrimage Kick-off Mass with Archbishop Cordileone

St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco

1 p.m. Pilgrimage begins to the Golden Gate Bridge

3:30 p.m. Estimated time of Golden Gate Bridge crossing

4:30 p.m. Sunday Pilgrimage Concludes at Fort Baker (Marin side)

Monday, May 20

12:30 p.m. Eucharistic Adoration

St. Sebastian Catholic Church 373 Bon Air Rd, Kentfield, California

1:30 p.m. Eucharistic procession to Mission San Rafael via Albert Park 151 Andersen Dr, San Rafael, California

2:45 p.m. Eucharistic procession continues from Albert Park to Mission San Rafael

3:15 p.m. Eucharistic Pilgrims arrive at Mission San Rafael for Eucharistic Adoration

5 p.m. Solemn Vespers and Eucharistic Holy Hour

St. Raphael Catholic Church 1104 5th Avenue, San Rafael, California

Note: Procession arrival/departure times are approximate and route subject to modification.

The history and mystery of the Divine Mercy devotion

BY AARON LAMBERT Writer from Denver

It’s one of the most recognizable sacred images from history, and it’s also one of the most mysterious. It adorns countless parishes and sacred spaces around the world and is the source of much devotion and adoration.

Tradition holds that the original Divine Mercy image was painted under the guidance of St. Faustina based on a mystical vision she had of Jesus. The image depicts Christ standing and looking downward with a compassionate and merciful gaze, His right hand raised, while His left hand holds His alb open at His chest as rays of red and white light radiate from His Sacred Heart. The words “Jesus, I Trust In You” are inscribed underneath — a signature for the painting that Jesus specifically told St. Faustina to include as she relayed to Polish artist Eugeniusz Kazimirowski how the image was to be rendered.

The history of the Divine Mercy image is as fascinating as the mystery of it, and the two are inextricably linked. Most of all, the image is reflective of a profound truth that Christ desired to communicate with the world prior to the outbreak of World War II in 1934 and a truth that He perpetually communicates through the image wherever it is venerated today.

THE HISTORY

The humble origins of the Divine Mercy devotion originate with a poor and uneducated nun in Poland, St. Maria Faustina Kowalska. There was nothing particularly remarkable about this young woman, but Jesus chose her to communicate an important message of mercy from Him to the world.

On the night of Feb. 22, 1931, while St. Faustina was in her cell at the convent she was stationed at in Płock,

Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’ I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world.”

Poland, Jesus appeared before her in a wondrous apparition. He was wearing a plain white garment with red and white rays emanating from His chest. As she recounts in her diary, St. Faustina received the following message from Jesus:

“Paint an image according to the pattern you see, with the signature: ‘Jesus, I trust in You.’ I desire that this image be venerated, first in your chapel, and then throughout the world. I promise that the soul that will venerate this image will not perish.”

St. Faustina was not an artist, but in 1933, when she was restationed to the town of Vilnius in what is now modernday Lithuania, she was introduced to Kazimirowski by her confessor, Father Michael Sopoćko, and he painted the original image under the direction of St. Faustina and Father Sopoćko.

The painting was completed in 1934. On Good Friday in 1935, St. Faustina received further instruction from Jesus to dedicate the image and venerate it publicly on the Sunday after Easter. This marked the first time the image was revealed to the public.

A few months after the image was made available for public veneration, St. Faustina received another vision from Jesus, this time of the Divine Mercy chaplet, which is an equally important aspect of the Divine Mercy devotion. The Divine Mercy chaplet is routinely prayed on Fridays at 3 p.m. by faithful all around the world in remembrance of Our Lord’s passion.

St. Faustina died from what is believed to be tuberculosis in 1938. Five years after her death, another rendition of the Divine Mercy image was painted by the Polish artist Adolf Hyła.That image resides in Krakow, while the original image can still be found in Vilnius today.

THE MYSTERY

Daniel DiSilva, founder of the Original Divine Mercy Institute, has dedicated his life to uncovering the mystery surrounding the original Divine Mercy image and spreading its message around the world.

“I think it is as significant today as it was the day it was painted,” DiSilva said. “Maybe even more.”

While many commonly associate Divine Mercy with St. Faustina’s diary, DiSilva points out that Jesus never speaks about the diary to her, nor does Jesus make any promises to those who venerate the diary.

“A lot of people think that the diary is the biggest fruit of Divine Mercy, but Jesus didn't come for the diary,” he said. “Jesus was not the one who asked her for the diary. He came for the painting.”

St. Faustina wrote the diary under the suggestion of Father Sopoćko, who thought it prudent for her to record her conversations with Jesus.

“There are no promises made to people who will read the diary,” DiSilva said. “There are only promises made to people who will venerate the image.”

As recounted in St. Faustina’s diary, Jesus makes several ›

St. Brendan Catholic Church 2024 Easter Schedule

St. Brendan Catholic Church

Palm Sunday, March 23rd & 24th

2023 Easter Schedule

Saturday 5pm

Palm Sunday, April 1st & 2nd

Sunday 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 am

Saturday 5pM

Holy Thursday, March 28th

Sunday 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 am

Good Friday, March 29th

Holy Thursday , April 6th

12:00 - 1:00 pm Stations of the Cross

6 pm Mass of the Last Supper

Good Friday , April 7th

3:00

Holy Saturday, March 30th

3

promises to those souls who venerate the image, pray the Divine Mercy chaplet and who honor and spread the worship of Divine Mercy, among others.

So what did Jesus desire to show the world through the Divine Mercy image?

“The message that Jesus is trying to communicate to the world through St. Faustina is in the painting,” DiSilva said. “There are details in this painting that reveal Divine Mercy. It doesn't reveal mercy, and it doesn't reveal divinity. It reveals Divine Mercy to the world through St. Faustina.”

While there are many aspects of Divine Mercy that the painting reveals, DiSilva shared three that are most significant. The first is that, as Jesus told St. Faustina, His mercy is unfathomable.

“In the painting, clearly, the rays that are emanating from Him are unfathomable, and that simply means they can't be measured,” he said. “When we look at the original painting, and the original only, because the other paintings don't have this, the mercy, which is represented by the rays, no one can see where they start, and no one can see where they end. They're unmeasurable.”

Secondly, the painting shows that Divine Mercy is freely given.

“In the original image, Jesus is opening up His alb,” DiSilva explained. “In the other paintings of Divine Mercy, he's simply pointing, or touching, at best. But in the original image, he's lifting his alb, and he's giving it. That's Divine Mercy. God gives it. It's not taken from Him. It is a giving. It's a true gift.”

Third is the downward gaze from Jesus in the image, which is not one of the details that St. Faustina gave Kazimirowski as he was painting the image. That feature came from Jesus Himself.

“She didn't give the direction for the downward gaze, but the downward gaze was there, and she asked Jesus, ‘Why, in the painting, are your eyes downward cast?’ And Jesus' answer was, ‘My gaze in the painting is similar to my gaze from the cross,’” DiSilva said. “Only in the original masterpiece is His gaze downward. Why is it important? Because if He's looking for us, He's looking for us at the foot of the cross. That's where we're supposed to be to receive His mercy. And that's a big deal.”

THE DEVOTION

While the Divine Mercy devotion grew steadily in

the years after St. Faustina’s death, it was after she was canonized and Divine Mercy Sunday was instituted by St. John Paul II in 2000 that awareness and practice of the devotion began to become more widespread.

In fact, it was St. John Paul II who advocated for the 1958 ban on the Divine Mercy devotion to be lifted. At the time, some Polish bishops were skeptical of St. Faustina’s claims and found the similarity between the red and white rays and the Polish flag to be concerning.

When the pope officially instituted Divine Mercy Sunday as an official liturgical celebration in the Church, it marked an important catalyst for the spread of the Divine Mercy devotion.

“I think it signified that starting now and going forward, mercy is going to be very important,” DiSilva said. “He obviously was the first Polish pope, and I think that it was a beautiful thing for Poland to have her elevated, especially after her writings and devotion to Divine Mercy were forbidden.”

Living the Divine Mercy devotion is transformative for those who strive to heed Jesus’ commands regarding it. Mercy lies at the heart of the Gospel, and as St. Faustina stressed, being merciful is something we should never grow tired of.

“She said, never be satisfied,” DiSilva said. “Wherever we are with mercy, with receiving, or giving or being merciful, we should never be satisfied. That's the first step to being devoted to Divine Mercy, is to never be satisfied.”

Jesus intended for the Divine Mercy devotion to be a perpetual emanation of mercy from the hearts of His faithful. St. Faustina spent her life trying to convey this message in her time, as DiSilva is now. Jesus told St. Faustina that rays of mercy in the image represent blood and water, and as we pray in the Divine Mercy chaplet, they gush forth from Jesus as a fount of mercy for us. This fount is an inexhaustible stream that can always be accessed, so long as we place our trust in Jesus.

“Being merciful is not just an exterior, but an interior movement,” DiSilva concluded. “To be merciful, we have to do exactly what Jesus said when He put words in our mouth and said, I want the image accompanied by the quote, ‘Jesus I trust in you.’ That's our signature. It's not His signature. It’s ours, and we have to trust in Jesus.” ■

Wherever we are with mercy, with receiving, or giving or being merciful, we should never be satisfied. That’s the first step to being devoted to Divine Mercy, is to never be satisfied.”

ST. FAUSTINA KOWALSKA

“Lord, teach us how to pray”

This is the Year of Prayer. How to improve your prayer life now

BY CHRISTINA GRAY

Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org

You wouldn’t be alone if you’ve ever felt awkward, uncertain or ineffectual as a pray-er. Even the disciples who walked side by side with Jesus in the days of His earthly ministry sought help with prayer as told in Luke 11:1.

After watching Jesus pray one day, a disciple asked him: “Lord, teach us to pray.”

Jesus responds to this earnest request with what we have come to refer to as “the Lord’s Prayer” — a deeply beautiful and simple model for engaging in conversation with God.

“Prayer is where we meet God,” master catechist John Michael Reyes told Catholic San Francisco. “Jesus didn’t tell them to read the Torah,” he said. “He was saying, ‘I just talk to My Father.’”

Reyes is director of adult spirituality at St. Ignatius College Preparatory in San Francisco. As the campus minister for all adults on campus, including faculty, staff, administration and parents of students, one of his missions is to show them how to pray, why to pray and the many ways to pray.

The native San Franciscan who attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory was raised in Holy Name of Jesus parish. He was spiritually nurtured there by the Canossian Sisters in a love for the liturgy and sacraments.

In February, Reyes was the featured speaker at a two-day workshop for catechists and others on “Catechesis of Prayer” sponsored by the National Community of Catechetical Leaders promoted by the Archdiocese of San

Prayer is not just the words that you say, but how you come into relationship with God as you say them.”

JOHN MICHAEL REYES, master catechist

Francisco’s Office of Faith Formation. He has a master’s of divinity degree from the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University at Berkeley and a graduate certificate in liturgical art and architecture from St. John’s University School of Theology and Ministry.

Adult Catholics often want to know that they are “praying right,” according to Reyes. He recalled a teacher who came to him concerned that he was, as he wryly observed, only “getting a C in prayer.”

“I said, ‘That’s great that you noticed that,’” he said. “What do you mean by that? Let’s talk about it.”

We want to have that satisfaction that our prayers are being heard, he said. Some cling to rote prayer, but “our tradition teaches us there are so many ways to pray and a lot of it is personal prayer.”

“My hope is to open eyes and hearts in recognizing that prayer is not just the words that you say, but how you come into relationship with God as you say them,” said Reyes.

POPE FRANCIS’ SCHOOL OF PRAYER

In Advent of last year, Pope Francis announced 2024 as a “Year of Prayer” in preparation for the 2025 Jubilee, a major Church event held every 25 years. The Jubilee, according to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, will be a “year of hope.”

Pope Francis explained that the year is dedicated to rediscovering the “great value and absolute need for prayer, prayer in personal life, prayer in the life of the Church, prayer in the world.”

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization's section for new evangelization, which is coordinating the Holy Year, said Pope Francis hopes to set up a "school of prayer" for 2024.

"This will be a series of moments of encounter with specific groups of people to pray together and better understand the various forms of prayer: from thanksgiving to intercession, from contemplative prayer to the prayer of consolation, from adoration to supplication," the archbishop said.

The Year of Prayer, he said, is "a time to discover how to pray, and above all, how to educate the people of today in prayer, in this age of digital culture, so that prayer can be effective and fruitful.”

WHY DO WE PRAY?

In his workshop, Reyes asked participants: What is prayer? Who taught us to pray? And why does prayer matter?

His presentation states that 61% of Americans pray. A full 70% pray to connect with God, 45% to feel less anxious and 41% to find a solution to a problem. A full 87% said they have had a prayer answered.

Just as people pray for different reasons, he said, they also pray in different ways. “There is no wrong way to pray.”

Focusing on oneself in prayer rather than on the relationship with God can be paralyzing, however, said Reyes, and lead to tension and resistance.

“Our relationship with God is like every other relationship that we have in that we need to invest our time and energy into it,” he said.

When asked if he had any suggestions for how Catholics can begin to cultivate that relationship, he turned to the daily Examen. The Examen is part of the spiritual exercises developed by St. Ignatius Loyola.

The Examen is not to be confused with the examination of conscience in preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, though both require self-reflection.

The Examen (ignatianspirituality.com) is a simple review of the events of the day in order to detect God’s presence and discern his direction for us, said Reyes.

“A big part is noticing where God has been throughout your day,” he said. “You are praying not just with yourself but with God to see your day through God’s eyes.” ■

SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE YEAR OF PRAYER or visit www.iubilaeum2025.va.

Sister sprinkles March Madness with San Francisco spirit

EBY LIDIA WASOWICZ

ven halfhearted followers of March Madness can find religion in the sport when spotting an iconic fixture at the home games of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team — a 104-year-old dynamo known to her fans as Sister Jean.

The San Francisco native’s unwavering devotion to the Ramblers and school athletics in general over the decades has attached a celebrity status warranting lunches with the president of one of the nation’s largest Jesuit colleges, major media attention, star-studded birthday celebrations, a Chicago train station named in her honor and bobbleheads bearing her likeness.

“I’m just myself, and I go with the flow,” chuckled Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, a go-to for information about and insight into the sport she has played, practiced, preached and/or promoted for nine decades.

With two full months of court action and 12 conference games in the lineup at the time of the Jan. 30 telephone interview with Catholic San Francisco, she deferred making bracket or playoff predictions for 2024.

However, the Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary confessed she retains long-shot hopes her beloved Ramblers — elevated to the Atlantic 10 conference on July 1, 2022 — can pull off another “Cinderella” upset like the one that catapulted them and her to instant fame in 2018.

That season, they qualified for March Madness for the first time in 33 years, then shocked their opponents and observers by shooting their way to the “Final Four” remaining teams vying for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I crown. The Ramblers had traveled that distance only once before, in 1963, on their journey to the national championship.

Can they do it again?

“This is only our second year in the A-10 conference so nobody should expect (us) to go all the way,” noted Sister Jean, the Ramblers’ spiritual adviser since 1994.

“If we get the right bracket (seed-based roster of teams

Award-winning journalist Wasowicz, former West Coast science editor and senior science writer for United Press International, has been writing for Catholic San Francisco since 2011.

facing off in a single-elimination game), we might get there … we’re going to do our very best.”

The spunk and strength, wit and wisdom with which she does her very best — from sending scouting reports to coaches to emailing individualized assessments and accolades to players to holding team prayer and strategy sessions based on her analysis of the opponent’s techniques before every game to fielding questions from reporters, anchors and talk show hosts — have earned her legions of admirers.

“I have seen Sister Jean and her devoted fans each year (and) admire the smart way she speaks and presents herself,” said Giovanna Kampmeyer, a parishioner at St. Hilary Church in Tiburon and self-described “fairweather fan” interested solely in the winners.

“I only pray that I can keep my mind as sharp as hers as I age.”

With similar sentiments, former Oregon State Beavers William McShane and his son Kevin have kept an admiring eye on Sister Jean since their alma mater beat the Ramblers, 65-58, in a March 27, 2021, Sweet 16 matchup.

“The spirit, literally and metaphorically, Sister Jean has woven into that program and collegiate athletics has been wonderful to experience, and the impact she has had will live on,” said Kevin McShane, 35, who shot hoops for OSU, three times as team captain, from 2008 to 2012.

His father and fellow partner, vice president and wealth manager at Steward Partners in Lake Oswego, Oregon, pointed to the “amazing doors” she has opened through her vitality and visibility.

“We have immense gratitude for her and her impact on those lucky enough to hear her story,” said William McShane, 65, on the OSU team from 1977 to 1981, when it was ranked No. 1 in the nation.

That lucky group can expand with the Feb. 28, 2023, publication of Sister Jean’s debut memoir, “Wake Up With Purpose!: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years.”

Co-authored by award-winning sports writer and broadcaster Seth Davis — whom she accepted after refusing proposals from six other men because he promised she would talk and he would type — the book got off to a swift start with its selection for distribution to the 2,969 incoming freshmen, required to read the same work over the summer for a common discussion in the fall.

“I hope all these young people will come back to God,” Sister Jean said in explaining why she undertook the 20-month collaboration in addition to the array of activities on her ample agenda.

“That’s what I tell parents when they worry about their children: I say, ‘They need God, they will come back to God.’ I’m a firm believer in that.”

Her faith was firmly ›

Wake Up With Purpose!: What I’ve Learned in My First Hundred Years

the bay another way, joining 200,000 pedestrians on the Golden Gate Bridge during its inaugural opening to the public.

“I loved every moment,” she recollected.

Her most profound love awakened in a third-grade class at the Most Holy Redeemer Elementary School taught by a BVM sister, who inspired her life’s calling.

Known to millions as simply “Sister Jean,” the Loyola Chicago matriarch and college basketball icon shares her memoir filled with history, wonder and common-sense wisdom for this century and beyond.

planted during her formative years in San Francisco, home to generations of her devoutly Catholic family, shaken by the marriage of her paternal grandmother to a nonbeliever who wound up converting on his deathbed at the behest of his beloved daughter-in-law, Sister Jean’s mother.

The city had such a strong Catholic identity in those days, residents responded with the name of their parish when asked where they lived, she reminisced.

“My San Francisco roots mean a lot to me,” said Sister Jean, the first of three children of Joseph and Bertha Schmidt, born on Aug. 21, 1919, less than a year after the end of World War I.

Events during her childhood in Eureka Valley, today more commonly called the Castro, left lasting impressions and lifelong commitments, from acceptance of immigrants to appreciation of sports.

Among her fondest memories, she recalled listening to her mom and dad, both football fans, talk about sports and participating in weekly gatherings of neighbors in the oversized garage where her father would set up 30 to 40 chairs for adults and make floor space for youngsters to listen to the popular radio variety show “Blue Monday Jamboree.”

On other days, she looked forward to culturally expanding visits to Chinatown to watch Sunday shoppers select ducks hanging in the windows and other exotic fare and to weekend excursions to Marin County where her father and uncle purchased an ark in Escalle, an area now incorporated into Larkspur that was marked only by a train station and a chicken house on the rustic road.

A half-hour ferry ride Fridays after school would set off three days of swimming, fishing, picnicking and other outdoor pleasures.

On May 27, 1937, Sister Jean and her mother crossed

From then on, she prayed: “Please God, let me know what you want me to do, but please say you want me to be a BVM sister.”

He did.

As soon as she graduated from St. Paul’s High School in 1937, she boarded a train for a two-day, three-night ride to Dubuque, Iowa, where 19 pioneering sisters had established their first motherhouse in 1843.

She professed her final vows Aug. 15, 1945.

Keenly recalling the void in having no sports options in grammar school and the vitality in playing basketball in high school, she started athletic programs everywhere she was teaching or administering if they were lacking.

From Southern California to Northern Illinois, from bringing athletics to St. Charles Elementary School in North Hollywood to pairing students with seniors at the 53-story Clare retirement tower in Chicago where she resides, she has left an indelible imprint.

Her achievements have inspired the creation of bobblehead dolls, the declaration of a “Sister Jean Day,” the dedication to her of the Loyola train station plaza and official proclamations by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and former Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot.

For her 104th birthday, she celebrated at a block party organized by the university, threw the first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game and visited with students.

“I don’t have a typical day,” she mused during the CSF interview, pushed back by half an hour because her monthly lunch with LUC President Mark Reed at the Damen Student Center, where she ate pizza and talked basketball, ran long.

Rising at 5 a.m., she prepares for whatever lies ahead. Since the Ramblers were playing, that particular day would not end until after 10:30 p.m.

When asked what keeps her going, she pointed to paternal genes that had her father and many on his side of the family living into their 90s.

“I tell people I eat well, sleep well and hopefully pray well,” Sister Jean said. “It’s a matter of going along and doing what you can to live a good life.” ■

The blood of Christ Our source of salvation

BY MARY POWERS Assistant director of Communications and Media Relations, Archdiocese of San Francisco

The night before He died, Jesus gathered with His apostles in the upper room for the Passover meal. This Passover, however, was different. It was the transition from the old covenant to the new. On Holy Thursday night, Jesus gave the world the Eucharist—His body, blood, soul and divinity—and established the priesthood commanding his apostles to “do this in remembrance of me.” (Lk 22:19)

The blood of Christ, shed for mankind, opened the door of mercy—establishing the sacramental life of the Church and the forgiveness of sins, opening the gates of heaven and making us sharers in His eternal glory.

The stained-glass window of the Last Supper at St. Anne of the Sunset Church in San Francisco vividly depicts this moment in time and its echoes through the history of the Church.

The main scene is, at first glance, a typical depiction of the Last Supper with Jesus and the apostles in the upper room. Judas is in the corner with his 30 pieces of silver turning away from Jesus. On closer examination, this representation is unique, focusing on the blood that Jesus shed in His passion and the institution of the priesthood.

Most depictions of the Last Supper show Jesus at the center of the table surrounded by His apostles, similar to Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting in Milan. The window at St. Anne’s shows Jesus standing at the head of the table, lifting the chalice in thanksgiving to His Father and offering it to His apostles (Mt 26: 27-28) as the high priest in the line of Melchizedek, modeling the priesthood to come. His apostles are shown kneeling in adoration.

Below the Last Supper scene lies images representing the Lamb of God who was slain for the forgiveness of sins and a mother pelican with her chicks—a Eucharistic symbol of a mother giving her lifeblood to save her children.

On either side of the Eucharistic symbols are images of priests carrying on Jesus’ command to “do this in remembrance of Me,” through the gift of the priesthood. A bishop giving a chalice to a newly ordained priest is on one side, and on the other side is the same priest offering the Blood of Christ on the altar during the consecration. The Last Supper image of the first Mass in the upper

…this is My blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”

portion of the stained-glass window is carried down through apostolic succession below the main image.

Just as Jesus laid down His life for others, priests follow His example, becoming the sacrificial offering in persona Christi at the altar. Referencing a quote from Msgr. Ronald Knox in his book, The Priest is Not His Own, the Venerable Fulton J. Sheen writes of the connection between Christ as victim on the altar and the role of the priest both inside and outside the liturgy, “He still comes to me in the posture of a victim. And He wants to impress something of Himself on me; I am to be the wax, He the signet ring. Something then of the victim He wants to see in me.”1

Bordering the expansive window are images of

a vine full of grapes—representing the offering of the “fruit of the vine” that will become the blood of Jesus in the consecration. It also refers to Jesus’ request in St. John’s Last Supper discourse. “Remain in Me as I remain in you…whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit.” (Jn 15:4-5). And again, in John 6: “Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood remains in Me and I in Him.” (Jn 6:56-58). The vine remains fruitful because of our communion with our Lord in the Eucharist and through the priesthood—the continual offering of the sacrificial victim at the altar at every Mass.

As the Church celebrates the institution of the Eucharist and the priesthood on Holy Thursday each year, the stunning window at St. Anne’s is fit for meditation, giving us a glimpse into the beauty of the new covenant and the gift of the sacramental life of the Church, carried on by her priests in apostolic tradition. ■

1 Ven. Fulton J. Sheen, The Priest is Not His Own (San Francisco: Ignatius Press , 2004), 269

Archdiocese of San Francisco announces new superintendent of Catholic schools

BY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

The Archdiocese of San Francisco announced on Feb. 15 that Chris Fisher will be the next superintendent of the Department of Catholic Schools. Fisher will assume the position of superintendent on July 1, 2024, after completing his role as executive director of the Portsmouth Institute for Faith and Culture at Portsmouth Abbey and School, a Benedictine monastery and Catholic boarding school in Rhode Island.

“We are pleased to welcome Chris Fisher to the Archdiocese of San Francisco as our next superintendent of the Department of Catholic Schools,” said Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone. “He is passionate about guiding students toward truth and virtue, and his experience as a teacher, administrator and board member has prepared him well to assume this new role.”

Fisher is a prominent leader in Catholic education. For the past decade, he has demonstrated transformative leadership at the Portsmouth Institute, a renowned center for advancing the Catholic intellectual tradition. In his tenure, the Portsmouth Institute launched the innovative Center for Science and the Liberal Arts at Portsmouth Abbey School and an experiential summer program for students to study English Catholic literature at Oxford University. He has partnered extensively with Catholic teachers, schools, dioceses and universities to establish nationally recognized teacher formation programs, coaching new and veteran teachers

and principals in Catholic pedagogy and curriculum development.

Fisher has published internationally on the mission of Catholic education, with articles in the Catholic Herald (UK), the University of Notre Dame’s Church Life Journal and Our Sunday Visitor. He also edited and contributed to Cluny Media’s collection of essays by John Henry Cardinal Newman, “A Benedictine Education.” A distinguished speaker on Catholic education and evangelization, Fisher has presented at prestigious institutions including Yale, Benedictine College and the University of Notre Dame.

He received his master’s in Catholic studies from the University of St. Thomas (Minnesota), a graduate certificate in school leadership and management from Harvard Business School and earned a bachelor’s in political philosophy from Salve Regina University.

He has served on the board of trustees of Saint Benedict’s Classical Academy, a celebrated Catholic classical school in Natick, Massachusetts, and on the Classic Learning Test Board of Academic Advisors.

“With trust in God’s providence and profound gratitude to His Excellency Archbishop Cordileone, I am deeply honored and humbled to assume the role of superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of San Francisco,” said Fisher. “I look forward to meeting the pastors, leaders, teachers, families and students at our wonderful schools in the months ahead.”

The Archdiocese extends a special thanks to the Superintendent Search

Committee for their significant work in providing an impressive pool of candidates.

“We look forward to welcoming Chris, his wife Lauren and their two children Frederick and Felix to the Archdiocese of San Francisco this summer,” said Father Patrick Summerhays, vicar general and moderator of the Curia at the Archdiocese of San Francisco. “We are confident that Chris will build upon the success and positive momentum provided by Superintendent Pam Lyons as we continue our efforts to elevate Catholic education for our families and young people throughout our communities.”

The Archdiocese of San Francisco Department of Catholic Schools provides support to more than 24,000 students and nearly 2,300 teachers, principals and school staff. In collaboration with parents, pastors, parish leadership and the faith community, Catholic schools teach and model Gospel values and the faith of the Catholic Church, forming witnesses of Jesus Christ through comprehensive religious, academic, co-curricular and service programs.

Chris Fisher

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Wedding Anniversary Mass honors witness of love in Sacrament of Matrimony

BY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

Nearly 300 people braved the threat of rain on Saturday, Feb. 3, to enjoy the annual Archdiocese of San Francisco Wedding Anniversary Mass with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone at St Mary’s Cathedral. The wedding anniversaries ranged from four years to 69 years for Alfred and Josephine Romine (pictured above), who have been regulars at the event for the past several years. In all, eight couples celebrated 60 years or more of Holy Matrimony,

and an additional 19 were celebrating 50 years or more. Couples reaching “milestone” anniversaries (5 years, 10, 15, 20…) in 2024 were recognized during the Mass.

Archbishop Cordileone blessed the rings of the married couples and encouraged them in their witness to love:

“On this occasion today when we celebrate your wedding anniversaries and the beauty of God’s plan for marriage, I pray He may bless you with the grace and wisdom to live that plan well to the very end, so

that you may teach us about His love for us and you yourselves may be brought into the perfect communion of His life and love forever in heaven when you pass from this life to the next.”

The Mass was followed by a reception in the cathedral’s Patron’s Hall, featuring a “then and now” slide show of the couples. Each couple also received a certificate, noting the anniversary year they celebrated.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

The O ce of Child and Youth Protection at the Archdiocese of San Francisco

is responsible for creating a safe and compassionate environment for abuse victim-survivors to come forward. Every allegation is treated seriously and discreetly, and immediate steps are taken to protect the confidentiality and the rights of both victim-survivors and alleged abusers.

As a result of the diligent work and dedication of the staff and clergy who participate in the program, new cases of sexual abuse are rare today in the Archdiocese. Yet, we remain steadfast in our commitment to protect children, report allegations and remove perpetrators from ministry.

All those whose ministry or job involves interacting with minors must be fingerprinted and participate in a training course every three years on recognizing, preventing and reporting suspected abuse prior to beginning their employment or volunteer work. The Victim Assistance Coordinator supports and advocates for victim-survivors of sexual abuse through counseling and programs.

Deacon Fred Totah Director of Pastoral Ministry (415) 614-5505

Karen Guglielmoni Safe Environment Coordinator (Youth) (415) 614-5578

Twyla Powers

Safe Environment Coordinator (Adults) (415) 614-5576

Rocio Rodriguez Victim Assistance Coordinator (415) 614-5506

24,139

children are taught safe environment lessons to assist them in personal safety, abuse recognition and prevention. The serves our parishes and schools by assisting with training and implementing our Safe Environment Program.

19,294

employees, educators and volunteers are fingerprinted and submit to background checks in compliance with the USCCB Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People.

474

priests, deacons and candidates for ordination are fingerprinted and submit to background checks in compliance with the USCCB charter.

If child abuse is suspected, first call local authorities, then the Archdiocese Victim Assistance Coordinator at (415) 614-5506.

MARIN

Child & Family Services 24-hour Abuse & Neglect Reporting Hotline: (415) 473-7153

SAN FRANCISCO

Family & Children’s Services 24-hour Reporting Hotline: (800) 856-5553

Police Department Non-Emergency Number: (415) 553-0123

SAN MATEO

Child Protective Services Child Abuse & Neglect Hotline: (650) 802-7922 or (800) 632-4615

Sheriff's Department Non-Emergency Number: (650) 363-4911

How well do you know the Catholic faith?

1. The sacrament of confession

Answer a is correct. If you have committed a mortal sin, you may not receive Communion until you have gone to sacramental confession “unless there is a grave reason and no opportunity to confess” (Code of Canon Law, 916).

2. At the Crucifixion

Answer c is correct, because the person who died on the cross was a divine person, commonly called the Son of God. Since that person is God, it is proper to say that God died on the cross, even though that sounds odd and may make some unthinking people conclude that it means that God ceased to exist, which, of course, was not the case. (If you were sure this answer could not be right, don’t fret – you’re in good company. Most people miss this question because the correct answer just doesn’t sound right.)

3. Purgatory is

The correct answer is c, because purgatory is a state in which the last vestiges of selflove are removed, so we might enter heaven according to Revelation 21:27, which says that “nothing unclean shall enter it.”

4. Priests

You should have no trouble seeing that a is correct. See Luke 22:19, which is part of the account of the Last Supper: “And He took the bread, and when He had given thanks He broke it and gave it to them saying, ‘This is my body which has been given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’” Here Christ establishes the sacrament of the Eucharist. He instructs His apostles to do in their turn what He is doing in His: offer the sacrifice of his body. One who offers a sacrifice is a priest, and Christ is the high priest of the new covenant.

5. An annulment is

The correct answer is c, because the existence of children from another relationship is not a bar from being granted a decree of nullity.

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“Heschmeyer opens the scriptures to reveal deep theological and mystical realities anchored in the Eucharist. The shocking new Christian message isn’t that we can now ‘pray to God directly.’ The shocking new Christian message is that our God wants to dwell in us—in our bodies—as He once dwelt in the Temple in Jerusalem.”

- Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco

AVAILABLE NOW : EucharistIsReallyJesus.com

HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS

(415) 614-5506 This number is answered by Rocio Rodriguez, LMFT, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Rocio Rodriguez.

(415) 614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this number. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.

(800) 276-1562 Report sexual abuse by a bishop or a bishop’s interference in a sexual abuse investigation to a confidential third party. www.reportbishopabuse.org

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TRAVEL

JOIN FRANCISCAN

FR. MARIO DICICCO FOR HIS 2024 TOURS Japan and Korea

A Far East Adventure April 5-23

Exploring the Eastern Balkans: Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Prague, Budapest May 15-31

Holy Land Pilgrimage September 7-18 (My 48th year of leading pilgrims there)

The Silk Road Exploring Central Asia October 10-28

For a brochure, write or call: Fr. Mario DiCicco, O.F.M. 110 West Madison St Chicago, IL 60602 (312) 888-1331

mmdicicco@gmail.com

FrMarioTours.weebly.com

Button Law Inc.

Elizabeth M. Button, Trust & Estate Attorney

Probates * Wills * Trusts Sensitive to those Struggling with Loss. Serving the Entire Bay Area

Woman Owned & Operated

Free Initial Phone Consultation 1052 Filbert Street San Francisco, CA 94133

Call Today: (650) 703-6038 www.buttonlawsf.com

SAVE THE DATES! Come out and join us

SCAN TO SEE THE COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS or visit sfarch.org/events

April 28: Respect Life Essay Contest Award Mass

The Archdiocesan Office of Human Life & Dignity will host a special Mass and awards ceremony with Archbishop Cordileone at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption at 11 a.m. to recognize the winners and honorable mention recipients of the 35th annual Respect Life Essay Contest.

May 18: Foster Care Mass

May is Foster Care Awareness

Month. As we celebrate the important role that foster parents play, all those connected to the foster care system are invited to a special Mass at St. Stephen Catholic Church at 4:30 p.m.

June 14-16: Save the Date: Project Rachel Healing After Abortion Retreat

The Archdiocese of San Francisco sponsors Project Rachel which helps women and men heal the pain of abortion and to find the path to peace and reconciliation. The next Women’s Retreat for Healing After Abortion will take place

June 14-16 at a confidential location. Bilingual in Spanish and English. Talks will be in

English. The retreat will be led by Father Vito Perrone, COSJ and Father James Liebner, SVD. The retreat will include Mass, Sacrament of Reconciliation and counseling.:

https://sfarch.org/event/ womens-retreat-for-healingafter-abortion-6/

June 15: Save the Date: Presbyteral Ordination of Deacon David Mees

Join Archbishop Cordileone for the Presbyteral Ordination of Deacon David Mees at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption at 10 a.m. on June 15.

May 18: Vespers and Eucharistic Holy Hour at Mission Dolores Basilica at 6:30 p.m.

May 19: 11 a.m. Mass with Archbishop Cordileone and pilgrimage across the Golden Gate Bridge

May 20: Pilgrimage through Marin County ending at St. Raphael Church

More information: www.sfarch.org/eucharistic-revival

RENEW LIVES WITH COMPASSION AND GRACE in the Tenderloin

The Franciscan community invites you to be a part of the enduring legacy of St. Anthony Foundation. Rooted in the global 800-year Franciscan mission and inspired by the virtuous lives of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi, St. Anthony’s recognizes and honors the sacred dignity of every person. We address the challenges of homelessness, poverty, and addiction in the Tenderloin and greater San Francisco community. We o er a sanctuary where every individual, irrespective of their journey, can experience the presence and compassion of Christ, illuminating the path toward healing and renewal.

Volunteers are the hands that extend God's love and grace, making our mission possible. Their engagement with our guests enables a personal connection with God, facilitated through acts of compassion and understanding. If you wish to join us on our sacred mission of renewal and creating a world where everyone can flourish, we invite you to volunteer.

Volunteer opportunities are available in our Dining Room, Free Clothing Program, and Tenderloin Technology Lab.

592-2728