CSF December 2022

For

Messiah and Lord

today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is

Giving Thanks

BY ARCHBISHOP SALVATORE JOSEPH CORDILEONE

Awise bishop I once knew had a knack for coming up with short, pithy phrases that sum up volumes of wisdom. One of his favorite was “gratitude is the attitude of the beatitude.” In a world that in so many ways can seem a dark and cynical place, it is important to take time to reflect thankfully on those ways in which truth, beauty and goodness make themselves manifest. And looking back at 2022, it is comforting to recall the many ways in which our schools and parish communities helped to do exactly that, serving as beacons of hope for a very despairing world.

HUMAN DIGNITY

The year began with a vibrant and well-attended Walk for Life, where a peaceful procession from Civic Center Plaza to the Embarcadero shined a bright light on the immeasurable value of motherhood and the child in the womb. What profound gratitude we feel toward the countless advocates who, in so many ways, support and defend the dignity of human life at its very beginning. Their dauntless and ceaseless efforts bore fruit in June of this year with the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. In overturning Roe

More than 400 people joined the Rosary Rally in October in Eucharistic procession through the streets of San Francisco to St. Boniface, where the faithful prayed the Rosary and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

v. Wade, the court, far from denying “rights,” returned to the people the right to decide what the abortion laws will be in their state. While the challenges are now in some ways intensifying, especially here in California, we give thanks to God for this landmark decision that struck a significant blow to the lie of abortion and gives us hope for the day when abortion will be unthinkable in every state in our nation.

It did not take long after the announcement of the decision for attacks on crisis pregnancy centers to erupt all around the country, which continue to this day, often unreported by the media. I am so proud of our many parishioners who share generously of their time, talent and treasure to make possible the work of these lifesaving crisis pregnancy clinics for women in distress. Their tireless work beautifully showcases what it means to truly be pro-life by supporting women before and after their babies are born. These are the advocates for true “choice,” providing pregnant women with accurate information about what’s going on within their bodies, informing them of life-giving options, and linking them with the resources they need to exercise those options. They make visible the truth that the response to a woman in a crisis pregnancy is not violence, death and isolation, but support and tender, loving care.

In confronting the continuing and intensifying challenges, our chancery worked closely with the California Catholic Conference of Bishops to activate our parishes and schools on educating Californians on Proposition 1, the ballot proposition to enshrine into the state constitution the “right” to abortion, without any limitation, all the way up to the moment of birth. The so-called right to “reproductive freedom” (another euphemism, since reproduction has already happened once a new human life is conceived in the mother’s womb) opens up a whole spectrum of other possible violations of human dignity, including the use of taxpayer dollars to fund abortions, even for women coming from out of state. Unfortunately, Prop 1 passed on Nov. 8, which is devastating for women, children and families in California. While this extreme measure will likely be challenged in the courts, we will continue to do our essential work of accompanying mothers in distress.

In continuing with the effort to build a culture of life, in September, we joined Pope Francis in prayer for the abolition of the death penalty, where our intentions focused on the importance of preserving and nurturing all human life. This effort was reinforced when our Archdiocesan Office of Human Life and Dignity and its Restorative Justice Ministry recorded record-setting registrations for the Re-Entry Conference and Resource Fair. This unique event brought together victims, offenders and the community in prayer, offering hope and opportunity to crime survivors, formerly incarcerated youth and adults, and families with loved

Photo by Dennis Callahan

ones in prison. Since San Quentin State Prison, which has housed California’s death row for men, is located within our Archdiocese, I felt a moral obligation to capitalize on this request of Pope Francis by speaking out on the issue.

I am grateful to America Magazine for publishing my opinion piece on the issue and for the interview conducted with me about it on their podcast.

Throughout 2022, we also engaged in the national conversation on the humane treatment of migrants and refugees, highlighting the important legal and humanitarian work of Catholic Charities within the Archdiocese. We were reminded that, while nations have a right to secure their borders, Christian charity makes no distinctions regarding legal status when it comes to providing humanitarian aid to those in need. When people are on our doorstep, we take care of them, regardless of race, creed, language, nationality or which documents they have or lack.

CELEBRATIONS

Our parishes and schools found creative ways throughout the year to spread truth, beauty and goodness—from the blessing of a new statue of Our Lady at Serra High School, to feast-day celebrations of patronal saints at Church of the Assumption in Tomales and St. Finn Barr in San Francisco. Parishes also held milestone anniversaries, including the 150th anniversary of Church of the Nativity parish in Menlo Park, the 75th of Immaculate Heart of Mary in Belmont, and the 100th at St. Kevin and St. Thomas the Apostle, both in San Francisco. In May, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption (delayed one year due to the pandemic). Among my favorite celebrations were the many Confirmations that took place across our parishes. These are significant moments for our faith communities, and signs of how vibrant Church life is throughout our local parishes.

Parishioners from across the Archdiocese also came together in May at St. Mary’s Cathedral for the St. Pius X awards celebration, recognizing catechists for their outstanding work in faith formation. This special event honors the many volunteers who serve the Church by teaching both adults and children about the faith, forming them as disciples of Jesus.

In October, hundreds gathered in prayer for the Rosary Rally and Eucharistic procession from St. Mary’s Cathedral to St. Boniface in the Tenderloin. In the same month, parishioners also joined in prayer to honor Cardinal Robert W. McElroy, the first native son of San Francisco to be made a cardinal.

When the world around us seems hollow, apathetic and dark, it is our faith communities that rise up and light the way to Jesus Christ by living the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. He is the Light of the World, Our Lord and Savior, and as we celebrate His birth at Christmas, let us continue to open our hearts to truth, beauty and goodness, so that we may lead others to Him. ■

We want to hear from you!

PETER MARLOW Executive Director Communications & Media Relations marlowp@sfarch.org

Catholic San Francisco Magazine recently established an Editorial Advisory Board for the purpose of pursuing interesting story ideas from across our schools and parishes and finding new ways to engage with you, our readers! As a result, we will be enhancing our events calendar to make it easier for you to search for and attend Archdiocesan events. We also want to hear from you, so we will be implementing a questions and answers section in the magazine. For your faith-based questions, we will be tapping into the wealth of information available at Catholic Answers (www.catholic.com), one of the largest Catholic apologetics organizations in the world. You can submit questions, which can be faith-based or general in nature, to catholicsf@sfarch.org.

In addition to questions, please also share your ideas for the magazine so that we can continuously improve our engagement with you. We will also be featuring new columnists who will write on topics based on feedback we receive from our readers.

Let’s also have some fun by testing your knowledge of the faith. We will be adding a section to the magazine on Catholic quizzes. A sample of this new feature can be found on the following pages.

Using QR codes and other linking techniques can be helpful in connecting you with additional content on our website related to articles about our parishes, schools or charitable organizations. We may use QR codes to connect you with other helpful third-party sources of information.

HOW TO USE QR CODES

Some of our readers may not be familiar with using QR codes. It’s simple. If you know how to use the camera on your smart phone, you’re all set! Just turn on your camera phone and point it at the QR code on the adjacent page.

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!

We hope you enjoy these new magazine features, and we look forward to your active participation! ■

How well do the Catholic

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

Excerpted with permission and available for purchase from

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 correct, which may be “none of the above”. On average, most informed Catholics score 50%. How well did you do?

1. The Ark of the Covenant a. was built by Noah. b. housed the tablets of the law. c. was burned piece by piece by Caiaphas. d. probably never existed; it was made up to instruct the Israelites about Yahweh’s mercy. e. none of the above.

2. The patron of air travelers is a. Saint Frances of Rome. b. Sister Bertrille, the flying nun. c. Saint Joseph of Cupertino. d. Saint Bona of Pisa. e. none of the above.

3. Who committed the first sin, not counting the fallen angels?

a. Cain, when he murdered his brother Abel. b. Adam, from whom we inherit original sin. c. Eve, from whom we inherit original sin. d. Adam and Eve together, from whom we inherit original sin. e. none of the above.

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption you know Faith?

4. Angels

a. Are whiskerless youths.

b. Are fat babies with wings. c. Don’t have to be believed in. d. Are referred to, but not explicitly, in the Nicene Creed. e. None of the above

5. The Rosary

a. was invented by Saint Dominic. b. is making a comeback among both Catholics and Protestants. c. is necessary for salvation; you can’t be considered a good Catholic without at least occasionally praying the Rosary. d. was prayed weekly by Pope Saint John XXIII. e. none of the above.

6. A priest’s power to confect the Eucharist

a. comes through the people present at Mass; thus, a congregation is needed for a Mass to be valid.

b. is less than a bishop’s power, but greater than a deacon’s power, to confect the Eucharist. c. is given to him through the laying on of hands by his ordaining bishop. d. was not taught by Vatican II, which recognized that the Eucharist is not confected but is made present spiritually. e. None of the above.

7. What is circumincession?

a. the ancient Jewish initiatory rite for male children.

b. the indwelling of each Person of the Trinity in the others.

c. the manner in which the New World was divided up between Spain and Portugal. d. a manner of procession used by concelebrating priests. e. none of the above.

Open this QR Code to reveal the answers!

1111 Gough St., San Francisco

Christmas Eve

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Cathedral Closed during the day

4:00 PM –5:00 PM Confessions

5:00 PM Caroling by the St. Brigid School Honor Choir 5:30 PM - Christmas Vigil Mass

11:30 PM Caroling by the Cathedral Choir and Golden Gate Brass Ensemble

12:00 AM - Midnight Mass

Christmas Day Sunday, December 25, 2022

No 7:30 AM Mass

9:00 AM - Gregorian Chant Mass with Cathedral Schola Cantorum 11:00 AM - Solemn Mass with Cathedral Choir

1:00 PM - Misa en Español, Schola Hispana

The Cathedral will close after the 1:00 PM Mass

New Year’s Eve Saturday, December 31, 2022

8:00 AM Morning Mass

4:00 PM—5:00 PM Confessions 5:30 PM Vigil Mass

New Year’s Day

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God Sunday, January 1, 2023

7:30 AM Regular Sunday Mass

9:00 AM - Gregorian Chant Mass with Cathedra Schola Cantorum

11:00 AM - Solemn Mass with Cathedral Choir

1:00 PM - Misa en Español, Schola Hispana

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Sunday, January 8, 2023

Regular Sunday Mass Schedule 7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM (Español)

4:00 PM - Epiphany Lessons and Carols featuring the St. Brigid School Honor Choir and Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers

St. Anthony CEO Nils Behnke walks the Franciscan talk

BY LIDIA WASOWICZ

jobs and pursuing educational endeavors that earned him a top-of-the-class master’s degree and magna cum laude doctorate in economics from the University of Cologne; an adulthood managing the global giants Bain and McKinsey & Company and the private CellControl Biomedical Laboratories.

From a small seaside German town through the heights of corporate America to a destination that amazed his family, friends and colleagues, Nils Behnke has kept to a faith-directed path on his life’s odyssey.

The native of Kiel, on the Baltic coast, sought God’s guidance before stepping down as senior partner at one of the “big three” management consulting firms — and taking a 20% pay cut — to live out the works of mercy as chief executive officer of St. Anthony Foundation in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district.

Two years later, Behnke has no doubts or regrets about leaving Bain & Company for St. Anthony’s, a move proposed by Franciscan Father John Hardin, former executive director of the nonprofit named after a saint who traded his cloak of nobility and wealth for a mantle of servant to the poor.

“I had never planned to be the CEO of St. Anthony’s,” reflected Behnke, whose association with the privately funded comprehensive service center as donor, volunteer, board member and president spanned a decade when the offer came. “Now, it seems so clear my entire life led to this point.”

His life comprised a childhood standing up for his core beliefs in a predominantly non-Catholic neighborhood and learning generosity from his widowed grandmother who fed the homeless in her small apartment; an adolescence working a variety of low-end

“I think most people I know socially and professionally were really surprised about my decision to join St. Anthony’s full time and the depth of my commitment and conviction to our Franciscan Catholic mission,” Behnke recalled.

Even at St. Anthony’s, “it was a bit of a shock,” said board chair Tim Dunn. “It shows his commitment to making San Francisco and the Tenderloin a better place.”

“He has very strong Franciscan values,” agreed Father Hardin, who lived with foundation founder Franciscan Father Alfred Boeddeker at the nearby St. Boniface Friary for five years. “He’s the real deal.”

Behnke sealed the deal in September 2020 after consulting with Linda, his wife of 26 years; sons Vincent, 19, and Francis, 12; spiritual advisers; and the Almighty.

“My role at St. Anthony’s is part of my faith journey,” said the parishioner at St. Dominic’s Church. “I really couldn’t separate one from the other.”

The go-getter, who while at Bain convinced the prestigious firm to provide a milliondollar strategic plan for the foundation pro bono in 2009, set out on the new course with characteristic energy, empathy and expertise.

He instigated programs, invigorated teammates and inspired innovations.

To put everyone at ease and on equal footing, he gave up his executive office for a small, windowless space and met staff on their turf rather than having them come to him. ›

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.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

VINCENT BEHNKE

Aspiring to be “a servant leader,” the man of zeal who enjoys cooking and cycling joined the “front lines” that provide a safety net of food, clothing, shelter, medical and mental-health care, addiction recovery services, technology access and education, job training and other resources aimed at enabling “a move from the streets to stability.”

Aware that about half of the Tenderloin population goes hungry, he augmented the menu to include breakfast in the dining room, which has served more than 47 million meals — currently averaging 1,500 a day — since Father Boeddeker, then pastor at St. Boniface, started handing out sandwiches from the backdoor of the rectory in 1950.

Striving to preserve human dignity for all, Behnke

Jesuit Institute for Family Life

Marriage Counseling Family Counseling Individual Counseling

Is your marriage what you want it to be? Are you struggling to express your need for your spouse? Are your children suffering from lack of communication with your partner? Has your spouse left you emotionally? Have you tried to solve problems like these and found you could not do it alone? This need has given rise to the Jesuit Institute for Family Life; a staff of competently prepared and professionally skilled marriage counselors who are Catholic in religious orientation perceiving marriage as a sacrament and whose training and interest is in dealing with the above questions and areas of growth in family living.

The Jesuit Institute for Family Life provides marriage counseling, individual and couples, family counseling, and group counseling for married couples as a means to meet the need within families to value the presence of individual family members and to improve the quality of intra-family relationships. To want to value one’s spouse and family members is often quite different from actually performing in a way that effectually expresses such value. We find that new skills are often needed and old obstacles to growth must be understood and worked through before effective human relating can be realized. When we do this we relate to Christ as He said, “In you give to these brothers and sisters of mine you give to Me.” (Matthew 25:40)

STAFF:

Robert Fabing, S.J., D. Mn., M.F.T., Director

Michael Neri, Ph.D., M.F.T.

Ann Rooney, S.M., M.A., M.F.T.

Marilyn Neri, M.A., M.F.T.

FOR AN APPOINTMENT

Phone 650/948-4854

Jesuit Institute for Family Life Jesuit Retreat Center 300 Manresa Way, Los Altos, California 94022 www.jiflinet.com

He’s a deeply driven man with a big heart and huge capacity to really push himself and bring out the best in himself and those around him.”

fused best practices from around the nation into a “companionship model” that reaches out with a lending hand and an understanding ear to help reduce chronic homelessness.

He restructured internal operations to increase clarity, creativity and accountability.

He spearheaded the Nov. 1, 2021, opening of the “hygiene hub” in response to unhoused individuals bathing and washing clothes in drinking fountains set up on the street during the COVID-19 lockdowns.

The state-of-the-art bathrooms, washers and dryers along with personal-care products and fresh changes of clothes enable users — 70 percent of whom had lacked such access — to take 20,000 private showers and do 10,000 loads of laundry a year.

With the number of visitors at times reaching 90 a day, expansion plans are on the table, Father Hardin said.

Understanding the need for continuity and consistency, the team didn’t miss a day of accommodating guests during the pandemic, serving them curbside under a tent cover and taking the area’s only free tech lab outdoors.

Such success is par for the course for his father, said Vincent, a summa cum laude graduate of ›

St. Anthony’s CEO Nils Behnke with Chair of the Board Timothy Dunn.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

Stuart Hall High School now double majoring in statistics and political science at Rice University in Houston.

“He’s a deeply driven man with a big heart and huge capacity to really push himself and bring out the best in himself and those around him,” he said, adding that he hopes to emulate his dad in putting service to others above self-interest.

Wanting to bring out the best in the foundation, Behnke is exploring a number of promising plans.

One calls for expanding offerings by partnering with other nonprofits, such as with the San Francisco Food Bank to open a pantry.

Another recommends closing to vehicular traffic a block in the vicinity of the foundation on Golden

Gate Avenue — listed among the 13% of city streets that account for 75% of serious or fatal collisions with cyclists and pedestrians.

Yet another suggests spreading the ministry and mission through increased youth involvement.

To that end, St. Anthony’s has established the Young Professionals Council, boasting some 100 members in their 20s and 30s working in technology, finance and related fields.

“We are a Franciscan Catholic organization which informs everything that we do and how we do it,” Behnke said. “Articulating it to a new generation in San Francisco and attracting young people to the Franciscan movement is key.”

He looks forward to handing the reins over to these future leaders.

“Despite everything that’s going on in the Tenderloin, and it’s not good, let me be clear, it’s a joyful ministry,” he added. “The more you work, the more you understand the miracle happening here.” ■

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT ST. ANTHONY FOUNDATION

We are a Franciscan Catholic organization which informs everything that we do and how we do it.

NILS

BEHNKE

Photo by Dennis Callahan

Nils Behnke and Franciscan Brother Martine work in the new “hygene hub” at the St. Anthony Foundation.

CARDINAL ROBERT W. MCELROY

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

When San Diego Bishop Robert W. McElroy learned in May that Pope Francis had appointed him to the College of Cardinals — the only American among 20 new cardinal-electors — he said in a statement that he was “stunned and deeply surprised.”

Many of those who’ve known him for some or most of his 68 years are a bit less surprised. Catholic San Francisco spoke to some of them after he accepted the cardinal’s biretta on Aug. 27 at St. Peter’s Basilica.

“Years ago, we knew he’d be cardinal one day, maybe even pope,” said St. Gregory parishioner Kathy Michel, after a Mass of thanksgiving for Cardinal McElroy on Sept. 18 at St. Gregory Parish in San Mateo. It was a celebratory homecoming for the new cardinal, who served as pastor there for nearly 14 years.

Christina Wadsworth has known the McElroy family since “Bob” was a boy. She said his exceptional mix of mind and heart always set him apart.

“It’s a very rare combination to be so

Cardinal McElroy celebrates Mass on Sept. 18 at St. Gregory Parish in San Mateo, where he served as pastor for nearly 14 years.

Photo by Michael Collopy

Intelligent, yet unassuming. Commanding, yet collegial. Pastoral to the core. Local Catholics respond to the elevation of San Francisco’s native son to the College of Cardinals

intelligent and to also have so much compassion for others,” said Wadsworth.

Cardinal McElroy is the fifth American to be named a cardinal by Pope Francis.

The newly appointed cardinal said he believes “forging unity” by pushing past an American worldview is one of two major roles of U.S. bishops.

The first, he said in an Aug. 27 interview with Vatican News, is to “constantly be assigned a source of unity with the Holy Father on both the doctrinal and the affective levels.” And the second “is to, particularly with the U.S., focus on the global and universal nature of the Church.”

SAN FRANCISCO’S HOMETOWN PRELATE

The story of Cardinal McElroy’s journey to the cardinalate is a profoundly local one. At the St. Gregory Mass, he thanked first his 97-year-old mother, Roberta, seated in the front pew with others in the McElroy clan.

Cardinal McElroy was born in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 1954. He attended Our Lady of Mercy School in Daly City until his family moved to Burlingame, where he attended Our Lady of Angels School.

Cardinal McElroy felt called to the priesthood at a young age and entered St. Joseph’s College

Seminary (high school) in Mountain View. He later graduated from St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park.

In the 10 years that followed, he earned six academic degrees, starting with undergraduate and graduate degrees in American history from Harvard College and Stanford University, respectively. He later earned a doctorate in political science from Stanford.

In 1979, he earned his master’s of divinity from St. Patrick’s Seminary & University and was ordained to the priesthood at St. Mary’s Cathedral on April 12, 1980.

Cardinal McElroy also has a licentiate in sacred theology from the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University in Berkeley and a doctorate in moral theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

A PASTOR AT HEART

Cardinal McElroy’s first priestly assignment was to St. Cecilia Parish in San Francisco, where his parents met as schoolchildren and later married. He served Archbishop John R. Quinn as priestsecretary for three years before returning to parish life at St. Pius Parish in Redwood City as parochial vicar from 1989 to 1995. After being named vicar general for the ›

A fifth-generation San Franciscan, he lived until he was 10 years old in Daly City, attending Our Lady of Mercy Elementary School. His first assignment as a priest was St. Cecilia Parish in San Francisco, which was the parish where both of his parents had grown up and attended grammar school and the church where they were married.

We were here to witness that ceremony, the coming together of this great Cathedral, which was such a beautiful aspiration to the heavens, linking heaven and earth in its architecture, its design and its love for God. It is beautiful to be with you here tonight and to join you for a moment of prayer in this place.”

Archdiocese in 1996 and an honorary prelate of His Holiness, St. John Paul II, he served as pastor of St. Gregory Parish from 1997 to 2010.

Parishioners and staff said he revitalized the parish, renewing sacred and social traditions, including the annual parish festival.

“He brought life, community and humor back to the parish,” said Marty Leahy, who with his wife, Mary, has been a St. Gregory parishioner since 1990.

He was an astute parish fundraiser too, said longtime front office worker Brigid Bellone.

“We used to tease him that we weren’t going to purchase the big raffle tickets anymore because he had a knack for getting the winners to donate the money back to the parish,” she said.

Barbara Gilmore has also known Cardinal McElroy

“since before he was a priest.” Her mother and his mother were best friends when their families belonged to neighboring parishes in Burlingame, St. Catherine of Siena and Our Lady of Angels.

“He is the nicest, most unassuming person,” she said. He is brilliant, she agreed, but not aloof. “He speaks on the level with anyone and everyone, no matter who they are.”

A “SYNODAL” STYLE OF LEADERSHIP

Cardinal McElroy was appointed auxiliary bishop of San Francisco by Pope Benedict XVI on July 6, 2010, and was consecrated at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Sept. 7, 2010.

Retired Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco William J. Justice and Cardinal McElroy served together as auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese for five years.

CARDINAL ROBERT MCELROY, DIOCESE OF SAN DIEGO

Cardinal McElroy addresses parishioners at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. Prior to Vespers, Cardinal McElroy and Archbishop Cordileone enjoy time together.

Photos by Dennis Callahan

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Bishop Justice recalled noticing his leadership strengths right away in priest council meetings.

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“He would speak, shall we say, very directly but very politely about things he didn’t like,” said Bishop Justice. “That is always good to have.”

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On April 15, 2015, he was installed as the sixth bishop of San Diego, a role in which he now continues. He also maintains his role as president of the California Catholic Conference of bishops. His fellow bishops elected him as president of the CCC in 2019.

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In a statement to Catholic San Francisco, Bishop Oscar Cantu of the Diocese of San Jose described Cardinal McElroy’s leadership capabilities as one of synodality.

“He truly believes in engaging all members of the conference, asking for their thoughts, opinions and inclinations — not just the more outspoken members,” said Bishop Cantu. “It is in hearing all voices that the promptings of the Holy Spirit become clearer, and thus prayerful discernment can take place.”

PRAYER AND REUNION

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Parishioners from across the Archdiocese joined in prayer on Oct. 27 to honor Cardinal Robert McElroy, the first native son of San Francisco to be made a Cardinal. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone hosted the Cardinal for Vespers and a reception.

In his homily, Cardinal McElroy reflected upon the significance of the event, having been a seminarian in 1971 at the blessing of the new Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, being ordained and consecrated a Bishop in the same Cathedral, and now coming back to the Cathedral as a Cardinal.

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“We were here to witness that ceremony, the coming together of this great Cathedral, which was such a beautiful aspiration to the heavens, linking heaven and earth in its architecture, its design and its love for God,” said Cardinal McElroy. “It is beautiful to be with you here tonight and to join you for a moment of prayer in this place.”

The Cardinal continued, “The Good Shepherd is the Responsorial Psalm that we’re going to pray in a minute, and it encapsulates the beauty of God’s love for us, which is tender and constant and caring and without reserve. I give thanks for the faith which I received in my own life from my family and from all those who helped form me….I give thanks also for so many of you whom my life has overlapped with at various points as collaborators in this great work of ours, which is the life of the Church.” ■

SCAN HERE TO ENJOY MORE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT!

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Mater Dolorosa

307 Willow Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080

Simbang Gabi Masses

December 15th through December 23rd at 7:00 p.m.

CHRISTMAS MASS SCHEDULE

December 24th

8:00 a.m. Daily Mass

8:00 a.m. Byzantine Mass in Monastery

9:00 a.m. Latin Mass

Christmas Eve:

5:00 p.m. Christmas Vigil Mass

10:00 p.m. Christmas Midnight Mass

December 25th - Christmas Day Mass

8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., & 12:00 p.m.

St. Dunstan Church 2022 Mass Schedule

St. Dunstan Church 2022 Mass Schedule

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 - CHRISTMAS EVE: 4:30 PM and 9:00 PM

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24 - CHRISTMAS EVE: 4:30 PM and 9:00 PM

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 - CHRISTMAS DAY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25 - CHRISTMAS DAY

7:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM

NO 5:00 PM MASS

7:00 AM, 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM NO 5:00 PM MASS

Christmas is the commemoration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, whose message is one of good tidings and great joy, peace and good will. Let us renew our determination to follow His example. On behalf of Fr. Joe, Fr. Tom, Fr. Casey, Fr. Al and the staff of St. Dunstan Parish, Merry Christmas to you and your families. May God bless you and keep you safe.

Christmas is the commemoration of the birth of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, whose message is one of good tidings and great joy, peace and good will. Let us renew our determination to follow His example. On behalf of Fr. Joe, Fr. Tom, Fr. Casey, Fr. Al and the staff of St. Dunstan Parish, Merry Christmas to you and your families. May God bless you and keep you safe.

DO YOU HEAR WHAT I HEAR?

A song, a song, high above the trees With a voice as big as the sea

The Advent and Christmas seasons bring many sensory delights, but few offer as much joy as music and song.

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

Churches and schools throughout the Archdiocese of San Francisco have been preparing for weeks for special Advent and Christmas musical programs (check your parish bulletin or website). Here are three unique musical opportunities from each of the three counties of the Archdiocese.

›

Student members of the St. Brigid School Honor Choir perform at a Christmas concert.

Photo courtesy of Christoph Tietze

PATRICK’S SEMINARY & UNIVERSITY CHAPEL, MENLO PARK

Once a year, a special choir is assembled for only one Advent performance at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University Chapel in Menlo Park. This year’s performance is Dec. 11 at 2 p.m.

The name of the group is Schola Seraphica. The theme for this year’s concert is “The Spotless Rose,” a musical homage to Mary, the Blessed Mother.

What makes this seasonal choir unique is that it is comprised of adults — mostly parishioners and teachers of nearby Church of the Nativity Parish and School — and teenagers from the chamber choir and string ensemble from St. Francis High School, a Catholic prep school in Mountain View.

Msgr. Steven Otellini, Nativity’s longtime pastor, is all in, too.

“He has a solo every year,” said Margaret Durando, choral director at St. Francis High School and a longtime parishioner. She started Schola Seraphica in 2006 because she wanted to form a local community choir that could include her students.

Msgr. Otellini suggested the name, Schola Seraphica, to honor the school’s patron, St. Francis, who founded the Franciscan order, which became synonymous with the Seraphic choir of angels.

“I just thought, let’s do this once a year at Christmas,” she said. Longtime Nativity music director Jill Mueller was, and continues to be, instrumental in getting the whole production off the ground. ›

Church of the Nativity pastor, Msgr. Steven Otellini, far left, in a Christmas 2017 Schola Seraphica performance at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University Chapel. The combined choir and student string quartet as seen on the same date.

Photos courtesy of Church of the Nativity Parish

Choir has brought me closer in my relationship with God, and I appreciate everything it has done for me.”

The call to join Schola Seraphica goes out to the wider community through various channels each year. There’s no audition or vocal requirements, she said, but it has historically attracted singers from Nativity Parish, St. Raymond Parish and even Stanford University.

“Every year, it changes,” she said, with people coming and going. Participation was impacted by COVID-19 the past two years, so it’s still working its way back up to its usual size of approximately 20 adults and 40 young people.

It’s a formal, family event, she said, with men wearing tuxedos and women gowns. Tickets include an afterconcert reception hosted by Nativity parishioners Gene Kates and Katy Kelly.

Tickets are $20 for general seating and $15 for seniors or students.

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SENAI GAIME, ST. BRIGID SEVENTH-GRADER

Church of the Nativity sells tickets for the concert outside the church after Sunday Masses, but tickets can also be obtained at the door.

“Father Mark Doherty wants a full house this year,” said Durando of the St. Patrick’s Seminary & University rector.

ST. BRIGID SCHOOL HONOR CHOIR ST. MARY’S CATHEDRAL, SAN FRANCISCO

“If you look at the students in the choir, they are the face of San Francisco,” said choir director Christoph Tietze of his fifth- to eighth-grade students in the St. Brigid School Honor Choir.

Tietze is the choir director and organist at St. Mary’s Cathedral. In 2009, the cathedral entered into a partnership with nearby St. Brigid School to establish a choir school. St. Brigid Parish was closed in 1994, but the cathedral staff has provided support to the school, which remained open.

The five-stage music program led by Tietze and St. Brigid School music teacher Marni Strome is designed to develop “musically literate” students.

Studies have shown that the study of music enhances the analytic development of the child, said Tietze.

“A lot of people think of music programs like they do sports, another fun activity,” he said. “But music can enhance overall academic performance.”

The Honor Choir and the more elite Chamber Choir ›

The St. Brigid Honor Choir, seen here in a 2018 Advent concert, will return again this year for its annual “Cookies and Carols” event at St. Mary’s Cathedral Dec. 18.

Photo courtesy of Christoph Tietze

sing for school, cathedral and archdiocesan events such as the Rosary Rally.

The St. Brigid Honor Choir will return for its annual “Cookies and Carols” performance at St. Mary’s Cathedral on Dec. 18. The popular family event features performances of seasonal favorites, followed by a cookie reception. The choir will also perform on Christmas Eve in a Carols concert at 5:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s vigil Mass.

“Choir has brought me closer in my relationship with God, and I appreciate everything it has done for me,” said St. Brigid seventh-grader Senai Gaime.

MOST HOLY ROSARY CHAPEL

ST. VINCENT’S SCHOOL FOR BOYS, SAN RAFAEL

Conservatory-trained cellist, pianist and vocalist Doug Harman has played at many concert halls and venues in his lifetime. But the Texan ranks the acoustics at Most Holy Rosary Chapel in San Rafael right up there with the best.

“The place has such a great sound,” said Harman. “The people who go to St. Vincent’s love the place. They just love to sing because the sound is so amazing.”

The imposing Hearst Castle-like chapel is the dominant feature on the grounds of St. Vincent School for Boys, a Catholic orphanage opened in 1853 following a cholera epidemic. Today, Catholic Charities of San Francisco continues to care for traumatized boys there by running a licensed residential therapeutic treatment program.

Harman and keyboardist and vocalist Debra Chambliss, former longime music director at St. Anselm School, play each Sunday for a congregation from all around Marin County and beyond at the chapel’s 9:45 a.m. Mass. The chapel is not a parish itself; it is under the auspices of the pastor of nearby St. Isabella Parish. You wouldn’t know

it’s not a parish, though, judging from the full pews and how slowly the parking lot empties after Mass.

Longtime celebrants include Spokane Bishop Thomas Daly when he was at Marin Catholic High School and his successor, Msgr. Robert Sheeran. Currently, Msgr. Harry Schlitt celebrates the weekly Mass.

Harman’s musical roots run deep. He remembers crawling under the family’s Steinway piano as a child to hear his father play. The piano arrived by train for his grandfather as a surprise gift from a member of the Steinway family who heard him play.

Harman and his wife Debra Couey played the Mass together until nearly four years ago when she died unexpectedly minutes after the recessional song.

For many years, Harman, his wife and son James Harman, the choir director at St. Anthony of Padua in Novato, presented Advent concerts together for Most Holy Rosary Chapel. Harman and his son have continued that tradition with a night of holy music.

He said these are not “concerts” and asks the congregation to withhold applause.

The applause might be harder to contain, though, on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, according to Harman.

The music program both days will include classically trained jazz violinist Jeremy Cohen, a student of IsraeliAmerican violinist Itzhak Perlman. His son Gabriel Cohen, also a violinist, will join them. ■

HERE TO WATCH A VIDEO!

The people who go to Most Holy Rosary Chapel love the place. They just love to sing because the sound is so amazing.”

DOUG HARMAN

Conservatory-trained musicians Doug Harman, left, and Debra Chambliss, lead songs of praise at the Sunday Mass at Most Holy Rosary Chapel at St. Vincent School’ for Boys in San Rafael.

Photo by Christina Gray

SCAN

REJOICE!

The history and hope of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel”

BY AARON LAMBERT Writer from Denver

You enter your parish church and purple adorns the altar. The Advent candle stands ready to be lit. There is a somber yet anticipatory ambience about the nave, punctuated by the cooling weather outside. The priest begins to process in, and the familiar melody of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” fills the air as the voices of the congregation echo off the walls and rise, carried by the incense as prayers to the heavens above.

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, and in the Catholic Church, these are all clear signs that the Advent season is here, that season of joyful expectation in which we await Our Lord’s shocking arrival into the world as a tiny babe, nestled in His Blessed Mother’s arms.

While the physical and visual elements of the holidays capture our immediate attention, it is the music that captivates our imaginations and draws us ever deeper into the mystery of the Incarnation. And while there are many songs and hymns that have become indelibly linked to the Advent and Christmas seasons, there’s

something quite singular about “O Come, O Come Emmanuel.”

The hymn itself is an adaptation of the “O Antiphons,” a tradition within the Church dating back to the eighth century in which the faithful chant special verses to accompany Mary’s Magnificat canticle in the seven days leading up to Christmas. The hymn was always sung in Latin with the title “Veni, Veni Emmanuel,” until 1851, when an Anglican priest and scholar by the name of John Mason Neale gave us the first English translation of the treasured song. His text slightly differed from the version that’s sung in churches throughout the world today, but its essence was the same.

As for that beautifully haunting melody, no one actually knows who composed it. What is known, however, is that it is based upon a tune found in a 15th-century French missal that was discovered in a library in Lisbon, Portugal. The melody was solemnly chanted during funeral processions as the deceased was carried from the funeral Mass to the burial site. It seems

only fitting, and perhaps even providential, that a melody once sung to mark the end of someone’s life was unearthed to become one we sing to mark the beginning of the liturgical year — a new spiritual life, as it were, gifted to us in the form of Christ Himself.

This image of being brought out of death and into new life — or, to put it another way, out of bondage and into freedom — is reflected most aptly in the lyrics of the hymn. The first verse is the most wellknown, and indeed, suffices on its own to capture the spirit of the Christmas season; however, it’s worth taking a deeper look at the subsequent verses to fully reveal the profound beauty of this song.

Each verse contains clear allusions to the coming of Christ and His victory over sin and death. The aforementioned “O Antiphons” serve as the basis for each verse, and in the original Latin, each antiphon contains a different name for Christ: Sapentia (wisdom), Adonai (Hebrew word for God), Radix Jesse (stem or root of Jesse), Clavis David (key of David), Oriens (dayspring), Rex gentium (king of the Gentiles) and Emmanuel. All of these names are from the Old Testament.

Interestingly, each of these names were deliberately chosen to reveal a hidden meaning within the “O Antiphons.” When the first letters of each of these words are combined, it spells the acronym SARCORE. When read backwards, the letters reveal a two-word acrostic, “Ero cras,” which translates to “I will be present tomorrow.”

Although the most familiar version of “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” doesn’t utilize all of these titles of Christ over the course of the song, the relationship between the hymn and the antiphons are readily apparent. What’s more, this is one of those rare cases where the new version may be better than the old. The poetic lyricism of each verse evokes a time in history when the people of Israel longed for the fulfillment of God’s promise to his people. You can feel that deep desire in the words, and it is a desire that Christians in Advent share with the people of Israel. We yearn to feel Christ in our midst, who will put death’s dark shadows to flight and close the path to misery.

Thanks be to God, we know this promise has been fulfilled and that Christ is indeed among us as Emmanuel; he hears our cries and he answers them in full. So, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Savior at Christmas, who has come to ransom his people, we have but one task before us that’s befitting of the coming of the King of Kings and one that has been echoed throughout the ages: Rejoice! ■

Christmas Mass Schedule

Christmas Eve

4:00 PM Mass, Pageant & Carols * 6:00 PM Christmas Eve Mass

Midnight Mass

12:00 AM Christmas Midnight Mass

Christmas Day

8:00 AM Christmas Mass 10:00 AM Christmas Mass * 11:30 AM Christmas Mass

* Livestream @ stignatiussf.org 650 Parker Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94118

850 Judah St., San Francisco, CA

2022 SCHEDULE

Lessons and Carols for Advent December 4 , 4:00 p.m. Adult Choir

Advent Novena Masses

December 15 – 23, 6:00 p.m. Light refreshments provided after Mass

Christmas Eve Masses

Saturday December 24 5:00 p.m. Adult Choir with Orchestra Carol prelude at 4:15 p.m. 8:00 p.m. Saint Cecilia School Children’s Choir

Christmas Day Masses

7:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. Adult Choir with Orchestra Carol prelude at 9:10 a.m. 11:30 a.m. Sung Mass with Cantor and Organist

Overcoming adversity, Mary Merrick brings wonder and joy to children during the Christmas season through the Christ Child Society.

“The Giver of All Good Gifts”

BY TOM CROWE

Crowe is a freelance writer and co-host of the American Catholic History podcast. He and his wife, Noëlle, love sharing the history of Catholics in America through the pod cast, pilgrimages, talks and more. Learn more at americancatholichistory.org.

“W

hat do you want for Christmas this year?” Mary asked.

“A red wagon!” Paul exclaimed. And then the boy’s face fell. “But we’re not having any Christmas at our house; my father’s got no work.”

“Write a letter to the Christ Child and ask him for the red wagon.”

“Who’s he?”

“The giver of all good gifts.”

Mary Virginia Merrick was an odd one to talk about the good gifts given by the Christ Child. Mary, you see, was an invalid.

Born in Washington in 1866, she suffered a fall when she was 14 that had left her paralyzed from the neck down. But she was the second child of very wealthy parents, so every facility was made to provide for her. Paul was hired to be her errand boy.

A few days after her encouragement, Paul brought his letter, as well as the letters of more than a dozen of his siblings and friends.

To Mary, a promise made was a promise kept, so she enlisted the aid of her sisters and friends. By Christmas, every single one of those letters to the Christ Child was filled. This was 1883, when Mary Merrick was 17. Her actions that Christmas

were the beginning of one of the most significant lay charitable works in the Church: the Christ Child Society.

And to those who knew Mary Merrick, what happened next was no surprise at all.

Before her fall, Mary had desired to become a Sister of Charity. She had seen the sisters daily at Mass. She often played with the orphans whom the sisters cared for. After receiving her First Communion she had solemnly resolved to “serve Our Lord in the poor.”

After her accident, Mary wrote in her diary, “What shall I do with this great yearning for sympathy which possesses me? Shall I allow it to embitter me? No, I shall give it to Him, glad that I pray for it and want it, that I thusly may have somewhat more to give up to Him. Then turn and give sympathy generously to all around me.”

From her bed of pain and physical helplessness she put this resolution into action.

For Christmas 1884, she organized her band of helpers to make a layette for an expectant mother whose husband could not work.

And things snowballed from there. The Christ Child Society was formally established in 1887, with the objective of providing clothing for children under 12 and “to give to the little ones a happy Christmas.”

Members of the society were required to provide financial support for the work and to contribute their own industry to the making of “as many garments … as time and circumstances will permit.”

For Christmas 1890, the society produced and distributed 390 individual garments and 12 complete layettes, and they responded to 250 Christ Child Christmas letters.

This incredible output all was organized by a ›

24-year-old woman who couldn’t even lift her own head, let alone walk or knit.

But she could pray. She could offer her own sufferings. And she could do it all, no matter how small, with great love.

In 1891, the society, still a phenomenon unique to the Washington area, launched a new initiative: the Fresh Air Program. Through Fresh Air, the Christ Child Society brought the Christmas spirit to the summer. They rented cottages in a rural area on the outskirts of the city where, for two weeks every summer, children who lived in adverse circumstances in the densely populated city could enjoy fresh air and fun activities, free from the burdens of their lives at home.

The growth continued as more volunteers joined the cause. In 1898 the society numbered 352 members in Washington. Among them they produced 2,200 layettes and 300 other Christmas gifts, with 30 children participating in the Fresh Air program.

Chapters began to spring up in other cities beginning in

1904, with the first in Baltimore. Six others followed just a few years later, and in the decades since, in New York, Massachusetts, Ohio, Nebraska, Maryland and Illinois.

Now, more than 130 years since its founding, the society boasts 45 chapters across the U.S., including here in California at Monterey Bay, San Jose, San Diego and Pasadena. Every year, more than 5,500 members fulfill Christmas wishes to the tune of 400,000 hours of volunteer work, spending more than $4 million aiding 78,000 families in the name of the Christ Child.

And all of this good work grew from the simple desire of one young woman — a paralyzed and seemingly helpless woman — to “serve Our Lord in the poor.”

Mary Merrick died in 1955 at 88 years old. She had led the national organization personally for 61 years, giving herself utterly to bringing the joy of the Christ Child to others.

Her cause for canonization opened in 2003, giving us here on earth hope that she is enjoying the eternal Christmas with the Christ Child, the giver of all good gifts, whom she loved so tenderly and whose love she shared so eagerly. ■

Every year, more than 5,500 members fulfill Christmas wishes to the tune of 400,000 hours of volunteer work, spending more than $4 million aiding 78,000 families in the name of the Christ Child.

Two members of the Christ Child Society lay a wreath on the grave of Mary Merrick, who is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery in Georgetown.

December 24th (Saturday) Christmas Eve Carols (9:30) Mass 10:00pm

December 25th (Sunday) Christmas Day Mass 8:00am | 10:00am

St. Patrick Church

756 Mission Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 Christmas Schedule 2022

Confession

9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Monday, Thursday, & Friday in the Rectory.

By appointment or walk in.

December 16 23, 2022

6:00 a.m. Misa de Gallo

8:00 a.m. Mass

12:00 p.m. Mass

December 24, 2022

6:00 a.m. Misa de Gallo

12:00 p.m. Mass

8:00 p.m. Traditional “Mass at Midnight”

Sunday, December 25, 2022

Christmas Day Holy Day of Obligation

Masses 8:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Saturday, December 31, 202 2

Masses 12:00 a.m., and 5:00 p.m.

Sunday, January 1, 2023

New Year’s Day Holy Day of Obligation

Masses 8:00, 10:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Marin’s chronically homeless get new lease on housing

BY LIDIA WASOWICZ

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.

Members of the St. Vincent de Paul HOT program’s leadership team include Deborah Walker, Jeff Helvig, Christine Paquette, Kathleen Woodcock and Montel Totty.

Photo by Debra Greenblat

When those seeking shelter come to St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin, there is room at the inn – and sustenance and services and support.

In an outreach to the most vulnerable, the nonprofit works with local government agencies and private entities to house, feed, clothe, transport, safeguard, counsel and comfort the chronically homeless, who are least likely to secure a stable roof over their heads.

The collective aims to assess and attend to their needs in an equitable, unconditional, comprehensive, sustained manner, one person at a time.

The Homeless Outreach Team initiative, implemented at SVdP in 2016 and countywide the following year, boasts a 94.8% success rate in permanently placing veterans and other clients who have lacked steady housing for a year or more and who experience developmental, physical, mental or other impairments that impede independent living.

As of Aug. 10, 518 men, women and children, along with numerous pets, have come in from the cold for good.

Outside, biennial “point-in-time” street canvassing recorded a nearly 30% drop in the number of Marin’s chronically homeless between 2017 and 2019 – from 359 to 257.

That figure rose to 284 during the COVID-19 outbreak, which delayed the onenight count conducted in January of every odd year and flipped the slide.

The Feb. 17 survey showed a 7% pre-COVID-19 decline in the overall unhoused population – from 1,117 individuals in 2017 to 1,034 in 2019 – but turned to an 8.4% increase over the next three years, totaling 1,121 in 2022.

That the reversal fell significantly short of dire projections based on pandemicpropelled spikes in rent, inflation and job loss testifies to the program’s staying power, said Christine Paquette, co-founder of HOT and executive director of SVdP in Marin.

“We continued to offer all of our services during COVID,” she said. “Nothing was interrupted, and, in fact, we were able to house more people … because we had more essential resources, like access to motels.” ›

The team put in long hours to set and secure its objectives.

“Our secret sauce was intensive collaboration, holding each other accountable, working one name at a time and refusing to accept barriers to housing folks,” said HOT co-founder Howard Schwartz.

The former SVdP director of strategic initiatives, who retired in November 2021, ran into barriers on every front.

He first ran into them in trying to find affordable housing for an 82-year-old woman who spent her entire government check on a motel room. His search yielded only 20 out of 30,000 San Francisco Bay Area units with any potential openings, and each had a long wait list.

He ran into barriers in attempting to relieve the “unbearable” plight of an 83-year-old woman with addiction and mental-health challenges sleeping in a city park every night. It took a host of HOT hands and hearts to help her switch a bench for a bed, where she has laid her head for the past five years.

He ran into barriers in his efforts to make a home for a middle-aged construction worker who turned to the bottle and the streets for two

decades after losing part of his hand in an industrial mishap.

By the time the Vincentians leased an apartment for him, he was so used to living outdoors, he would not close his door.

“He was in his 50s when he passed away, indoors, not on the street, and with an improved quality of life and far fewer visits to the emergency room,” Schwartz said.

“He was in our top 20 of the most vulnerable” – considered the highest priority for housing –during an initial meeting of the Marin collaborators gathered to start implementing their version of a HOT venture they had observed in San Mateo.

The approach caught their attention during tours and on-site visits in search of solutions to an increasingly polarized debate and growing public outcry in San Rafael that reached “a crescendo” at the start of 2016, said Andrew Hening, the city’s former director of homeless planning and outreach.

The local leaders’ and service providers’ efforts shifted focus with their “critical

Volunteers assist in serving those who need companionship or a hot meal. Each year, the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin serves more than 200,000 meals to those in need.

“If we address homelessness when a person first becomes homeless, then chronic homelessness and all of the horrors that go with it are not going to proliferate.”

CHRISTINE PAQUETTE, CO-FOUNDER OF HOT AND SVDP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARIN

Photos by Debra Greenblat

realization that the vast majority of these public concerns was generated by a small minority of the overall homeless community – the chronically homeless,” said Hening, who recently wrote a book and founded a consulting company to share the best practices he discovered in Marin.

“Not only did we know most of them by name, we had been serving many of them year after year, in many cases decade after decade; for whatever reason, they were not getting back inside.”

To get them back inside, the group adopted the “housing-first” model, which secures stable shelter without such stipulations as employment, sobriety or adherence to other requirements mandated in so-called “treatment-first” plans.

The “most vulnerable individuals, the ones constantly falling back out on the street” are housed first, with support for handling everything from paperwork to daily indoor living skills, Schwartz explained.

Convening frequently, “we work to solve the total needs of one chronically homeless person at a time.” ›

Meredith Parnell, director of Homelessness Prevention, works with the program staff to end chronic homelessness.

CHRISTINE

Those needs are met in ways Jesus would approve.

“We never feed anyone anything we ourselves wouldn’t eat,” said Fredy Esquivel, manager of the SVdP dining room in San Rafael.

“And we wouldn’t house anyone anywhere we wouldn’t want our daughter or son to live,” added Paquette, recipient of the Heart of Marin Excellence in Leadership award, which noted the program she champions saves taxpayers some $6.4 million annually in emergency room, medical, mental-health and judicial costs.

“This doesn’t have to be difficult,” Paquette said. “Treating others as you would have them treat you makes it simple.”

Failure often stems from complex systems too complicated and convoluted to navigate, she said.

“If we address homelessness when a person first becomes

homeless, then chronic homelessness and all of the horrors that go with it are not going to proliferate,” Paquette said. Confident in the strategy, the coalition has set its goal at eliminating veteran homelessness and halving the number of the chronically unhoused by May 2024.

“When we put our efforts and dollars toward ending chronic homelessness, then catch newly homeless people and serve them immediately, this will change the landscape of every community battling this issue,” Paquette concluded. ■

When we put our efforts and dollars toward ending chronic homelessness, then catch newly homeless people and serve them immediately, this will change the landscape of every community battling this issue.”

PAQUETTE, CO-FOUNDER OF HOT AND SVDP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MARIN

The St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin provides crisis assistance, housing help, hot meals and legal assistance for those in need.

Photos by Debra Greenblat

SCAN HERE TO VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM SVDP!

St. Brendan Catholic Church 2022 Christmas Mass Schedule

St. Brendan Catholic Church 2022 Mass Schedule

Christmas Eve • Saturday, December 24, 2022 4:00, 6:00 & 10:00 pm (our midnight Mass)

Christmas Eve Saturday, December 24, 2022

4:00, 6:00 & 10:00 pm (our midnight Mass)

Nativity of the Lord Sunday, December 25, 2022 • 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30am

Nativity of the Lord Sunday, December 25 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 am

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph Friday December 30, 2022 • 8:15am

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Saturday, December 31, 2022 • 5:00pm

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary & Joseph Friday, December 30, 2022 8:15 am

Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God Saturday, December 31, 2022

The Epiphany of the Lord Saturday, January 7, 2023 • 5:00pm Sunday, January 8, 2023 • 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 am

St. Brendan Parish Church 29 Rockaway Avenue, SF, CA 94127 415-681-4225 www.stbrendanparish.org

5:00 pm Sunday, January 1, 2023 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 am

The Epiphany of the Lord Saturday, January 7, 2023 5:00 pm Sunday, January 8, 2023 7:30, 9:30 & 11:30 am

St. Brendan Parish Church 29 Rockway Avenue, SF, CA 94127 415.681.4225 www.stbrendanparish.org

St. Brendan Parish Church 29 Rockaway Avenue, SF, CA 94127 415 681 4225 www.stbrendanparish.org

CHRISTMAS AT

The long-running Mercy Burlingame tradition helps fund scholarships to the historic all-girls Catholic high school

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

Make no mistake, Christmas at Kohl is not Christmas at Kohl’s.

Christmas at Kohl is a beloved annual holiday “boutique” that for more than 30 years has

school and local community together at Kohl Mansion, the stately English Tudor-style estate that is Mercy High School Burlingame.

The Sisters of Mercy purchased the 40-acre mansion and grounds in 1924 from the family of businessman George Frederick Kohl (no connection to Kohl’s department store). It served as the order’s convent until 1931, when the Sisters opened its first local Catholic high school, Mercy Burlingame. The school is one of a shrinking number of single-sex Catholic high schools.

“People come here year after year to do their Christmas shopping and see the mansion decorated for Christmas,” said Mary Lund, director of advancement for Mercy Burlingame.

The mansion’s wood-paneled halls are decked each year with boughs of holly and more that attracts hundreds of alumnae and their families, local pre-Christmas cheer seekers, and architecture and history buffs.

School administrative offices are located in the mansion, according to Lund, though classes are ›

CHURCH OF THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

1040 Alameda De Las Pulgas Belmont, CA 94002

(650) 593-6157 | www.ihmbelmont.org

PENANCE SERVICES

Wednesday, December 14th 7 pm Wednesday, December 21st 7 pm

CHRISTMAS EVE MASS

Saturday, December 24th Carols 4:30pm Mass 5:00pm

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES

Sunday, December 25th 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

Saturday, December 31st 5 pm Vigil Sunday, January 1st 7:30 am, 9:30 and 11:30 am

THE EPIPHANY OF THE LORD

Sunday, January 8th 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am Traditional Latin Mass 4 pm

Photo courtesy of Todd Rafalovich

People come here year after year to do their Christmas shopping and see the mansion decorated for Christmas.”

MARY LUND, MERCY BURLINGAME.

now held in an adjacent building. During the weekends or evenings, the imposing mansion building is a source of financial support for the school as a popular wedding event venue.

Christmas at Kohl “opens the Kohl Mansion doors to our neighbors and local community so all can enjoy the beauty of the Kohl Mansion during the holiday season,” said Head of School Natalie Cirigliano Brosnan, Class of 2002.

A shuttle from nearby Our Lady of Angels Parish in Burlingame helps guests who drive in from all parts of the archdiocese and beyond to browse the tables of more than 50 artisans. Holiday music, light refreshments and food, and a docent presentation of the mansion is included in the $15 admission ($10 for seniors and children).

Mercy students offer free gift wrapping (donations accepted).

At its heart, Christmas at Kohl is a fundraiser with a focused mission: to provide a Mercy education to other girls through scholarships. The event was conceived by the Mercy Alumnae Association in the early 1990s, said Caroline Bottoms, Class of 1977.

“My grandparents came from Ireland, and a Catholic education was what it was all about,” she said. Her working-class father was challenged to send his daughter to Mercy.

“It’s absolutely a privilege to help support other girls in getting a Mercy education,” she said.

Mercy Burlingame alumnae are grateful and generous with their alma mater, according to Cirigliano Brosnan, “paying the gift of a Mercy education forward, year after year” with Christmas at Kohl.

Last year, ticket sales and proceeds from vendor tables at Christmas at Kohl raised more than $10,000 for student scholarships.

In addition to offering a four-year scholarship each year to one incoming student whose mother is an alumna of Mercy Burlingame, the association also helps fund the general financial aid program, which provides assistance to families with documented financial need.

“As an alum, I know firsthand what a truly lifechanging gift this is for a young woman,” said Cirigliano Brosnan.

Olivia Langridge, Class of 2023, received a scholarship funded by the proceeds from Christmas at Kohl. Her grandmother, mother, aunts and cousins all attended Mercy Burlingame.

“Just as I had hoped, Mercy Burlingame helped me to become the best version of myself, as a leader, athlete, scholar and a person of faith, to which I will be eternally grateful,” she said. ■

Mercy Burlingame alumnae reunite each year to deck the halls of the historic Kohl Mansion for its annual open house and boutique. Christmas at Kohl proceeds help fund Mercy scholarships.

Photo courtesy of Mercy Burlingame

M

MONDAY, DECEMBER 19, CHRISTMAS CONCERT

7:30* pm

7:30* pm

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, RECONCILIATION SERVICES

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20, RECONCILIATION SERVICES

12:00 Noon 1:00 pm & 7:30 8:30 pm

12:00 Noon 1:00 pm & 7:30 8:30 pm

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, “O” ANTIPHON MEDITATIONS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, “O” ANTIPHON MEDITATIONS

7:30* pm

7:30* pm

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, CHRISTMAS EVE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 24, CHRISTMAS EVE

4:00* & 6:00 pm Masses

4:00* & 6:00 pm Masses

11:15* pm Carol Service followed by Mass at Midnight

11:15* pm Carol Service followed by Mass at Midnight

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, CHRISTMAS DAY

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, CHRISTMAS DAY

12:00* am Solemn Christmas Midnight Mass

12:00* am Solemn Christmas Midnight Mass

8:30 & 11:00* am, 1:30 pm Masses (no evening Mass)

8:30 & 11:00* am, 1:30 pm Masses (no evening Mass)

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, NEW YEAR’S EVE

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 31, NEW YEAR’S EVE

PRAYER SERVICE

PRAYER SERVICE

10:30* pm followed by Mass

10:30* pm followed by Mass

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023, MARY, THE HOLY

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1, 2023, MARY, THE HOLY

MOTHER OF GOD

MOTHER OF GOD

5:30 pm, Saturday Vigil, December 31

5:30 pm, Saturday Vigil, December 31

8:30 & 11:00* am, 1:30 pm Masses (no evening Mass)

8:30 & 11:00* am, 1:30 pm Masses (no evening Mass)

Visit our website www.stdominics.org for any and all updates

All liturgies and events subject to change. *livestream

BUSH STREET AT STEINER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115, 415.567.7824

Visit our website www.stdominics.org for any and all updates All liturgies and events subject to change. *livestream 2390 BUSH STREET AT STEINER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94115, 415.567.7824

“This day is born who is Christ the

BY MARY POWERS

Ten years after the devastating 1906 earthquake, San Francisco hosted the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition celebrating the newly rebuilt city. Constructing a “city within a city” by filling in part of the bay to create the Marina District, the exposition lasted from February to December 1915. The organizers constructed buildings covered in jewels and highlighted the latest inventions, including the first transcontinental telephone call. Daredevil pilots flew the skies and the occasion even included a visit by the Liberty Bell, sent across the country to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal. Today, the Palace of Fine Arts stands as a reminder of the magnificent event.

In the midst of a city in celebration, a church only blocks from the exposition expanded their Mass hours to accommodate the international crowds. St. Vincent de Paul, originally established by Archbishop Patrick Riordan in 1902 with pastor Father Martin Ryan, had recently completed its church structure at the corner of Green and Steiner Streets, in what is known as “Cow Hollow.” Dedicated Oct. 26, 1913, St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church served a diverse community, which at times over the years included the military members stationed at the Presidio.

Over time, the parish expanded to include a school run by the Daughters of Charity (sent from St. Louis, Missouri) with a convent and gym.

In 1944, pastor Father James Long wrote to the Archdiocesan Building Commission to request approval for new stained-glass windows for the church. “The present amber glass allows a flood of light to penetrate the building making it garish at times,” said Father Long. “There is practically no color in the building.” Today, Father Long’s vision for the windows is on display — full of color, illuminating events in the Old and New Testaments and honoring the patron saint of the church.

The artist chosen for the project was Carl Huneke of Century Stained Glass Studio in San Francisco. Huneke, a native of Germany, had recently worked with Charles Connick Studios of Boston on installing the windows at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and designed the

Assistant Director of Communications and Media Relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco

Photo by Mary Powers

a Savior Lord.”

(Lk 2:11)

windows of St. Mary’s Church (now Cathedral of the Annunciation) in Stockton. According to research conducted by Father John Ring for his history of the parish, Huneke told a reporter in 1953 that it was his love of color that drew him to stained glass, “No other craft deals in light as brilliant or as elemental. … It may seem hard and laborious work to you, but if you love it, as I do, the harder the task is, the better you like it.”

Within the central transept of the church lies the story of the Incarnation mirrored by the sacrifice on Calvary. The series of Incarnation windows include Old Testament prophesies of the Messiah and their parallel New Testament stories. For example, the lowest scenes of the windows (reading left to right) depict the promise from God in Genesis, “I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed.” The Annunciation follows with, “The Holy who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” Next is the Adoration of the Magi in the third set of windows, “They found the child and His mother, and falling down they adored Him.”

In the center, one finds the pastoral scene from Bethlehem. Over the Nativity sits God the Father surrounded by angels with the Holy Spirit hovering over the manger in blessing and the words from Luke’s Gospel, “This day is born to you a Savior who is Christ the Lord.” Over the biblical windows sits a rose window of the baby Jesus with symbols including a burning candle showing Christ as Light of the World.

Directly across from the windows depicting the expectant hope and joy of the Savior lies the reason for His coming into the world — His saving passion and death on the cross. In the central set of windows, the dominating scene depicts the crucifixion with the words, “It is consummated,” indicating the completion of the old law and sealing of the new covenant.

The series of windows reflect God’s faithfulness to His promises and love for mankind, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life” (Jn 3:16-17).

St. Vincent de Paul Church is truly a treasure of San Francisco that stands as a testament to an indomitable city. While the jeweled buildings of the exposition no longer exist, the jeweled windows of St. Vincent de Paul continue to illuminate the glorious truths of our redemption. ■

THE JOY OF ADORATION

Editor’s Note: This reflection on the Eucharist by St. Teresa of Calcutta is one of a series by Catholic authors and saints that will be published by Catholic San Francisco Magazine as part of the U.S. Catholic Church’s Eucharistic Revival (eucharisticrevival.org/) that began June 19, on the feast of Corpus Christi, and continues through Pentecost 2025.

BY ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA

The Holy Eucharist is the continuation of Christ’s incarnation on earth. The mystery of the Eucharist gives us the joy of having Christmas every day. When we come to the Blessed Sacrament, we come to Bethlehem, a name which means house of bread.

Jesus chose to be born in Bethlehem because He would dwell with us forever as the “Living Bread” come down from heaven. When the shepherds and Magi came to adore Him, they brought Him so much joy with their humble visit to Bethlehem that their visit has been praised and retold down through the centuries. God has never stopped honoring them for honoring His Son in

We are as privileged in being called to adore Him today as were Mary, Joseph, the shepherds and Magi then, because here, Jesus continues His incarnation on earth. Here, Jesus loses His heart to us in love. Love expresses itself to the object of its affection; the Eucharist is the continual expression of God’s perfect, unselfish love for man. The Word again becomes flesh and dwells among us, veiled under the species of the Sacred Host, where the same Jesus born 2,000 years ago as a little babe in Bethlehem is truly, really, bodily and personally present to us in this Most Blessed Sacrament.

The greatest love story ever told is contained in the Sacred Host. Here, we see His glory in the depth of His humility, for God Who created the whole world and Whom the whole world cannot contain, contains Himself in the Blessed Sacrament for love of us, to be our Good Shepherd who leads us to life-giving waters, to be our Divine Physician who heals the brokenhearted, to be our Divine Companion in our pilgrimage throughout life. Here, you behold His glory IN THE MIRACLE OF HIS LOVE, for He becomes small in the Sacred Host so that He may give Himself to you where “you are filled with the fullness of God.”

Jesus becomes poor in the Blessed Sacrament, “emptying Himself” of His glory and majesty, that He may make you rich with the abundance of His grace, “transforming you from glory to glory” and making your soul everlastingly more beautiful with each Communion and each visit you make to Him in the Blessed Sacrament. “For your sake, He made Himself poor though He was rich, so that you might become rich by His poverty.”

The Eucharist is Divine Love made visible in the Sacred Host! This is why the angels continue to sing to Him here as they did in Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will.” COME LET US ADORE HIM for here Jesus continues to come to us “filled with enduring love” as the Word becomes flesh in the Holy Eucharist and makes His dwelling among us. “IT IS HE WHO IS OUR PEACE.” ■

Excerpt from “Rosary Meditations from Mother Teresa of Calcutta: Loving Jesus With the Heart of Mary: Eucharistic Meditations on the Fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary” Paperback. By V Lucia (Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, 1984). Copyright, Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament. All rights reserved. Used with permission. To order the book, or for more information on the Holy Eucharist and Adoration, contact: Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, PO Box 1701, Plattsburgh, NY 12901. www.ACFP2000.com

My spirit finds joy in God my Savior.”

San Franciscan receives 2022 St. Bridget Humanitarian Award

Margaret McAuliffe received the 2022 St. Bridget Humanitarian Award from the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians on July 15, exemplifying a woman, like St. Bridget, of faith and action. McAuliffe, a native of County Longford, Ireland, immigrated to the United States in 1959.

An active member of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, McAuliffe has shared her time, talent and treasure with her parish of St. Philip the Apostle Church in San Francisco and organizations such as St. Martin de Porres Society, Alpha Pregnancy Center, Good Shepherd Grace Center and as the incoming president of the San Francisco Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women.

Her involvement in the community includes helping the unborn to the elderly and those dealing with life challenges with alcohol and drug addictions.

She is also very active in the Irish community of San Francisco. As an immigrant herself, she works with the Irish Immigration Pastoral Center.

“When you think of our motto of friendship, unity and Christian charity, you not only think of Margaret, you see it in every action and everything she does,” said State President Kathleen McCarthy in her nomination form. “She is the true spirit of what a member of the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians should be.”

Cathy Mibach, the current president of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, has worked with McAuliffe on many projects and helped compile the nomination for the award, listing the many organizations and projects McAuliffe is involved in. Commenting on her dedication, Mibach said, “If you ask her to do something, she gets stuff done.” ■

St. Thomas More Society honors former

Catholic Charities CEO

BY MARY POWERS Assistant Director

The St. Thomas More Society gathered at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in North Beach for its annual Red Mass on Oct. 20, celebrated by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, and also honored the 2022 St. Thomas More award recipient, Jilma Meneses. Held at the opening of each court year, the Red Mass seeks blessing, guidance, and inspiration for those involved in the legal and justice systems, and for all who seek justice.

In his homily, Father Roger Gustafson, the St. Thomas More Society’s chaplain, encouraged the faithful in their work within the legal system, bringing the light of hope and justice to those who need it most.

The St. Thomas More awardee has answered this call from Christ. Jilma Meneses has lived a life of service from assisting with missions in Latin America, to helping young women and children in orphanages and schools in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Most recently, Meneses led Catholic Charities of

Francisco as its CEO and now serves as the Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services for the State of Washington. ■

San

of Communications and Media Relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco

Archbishop Cordileone and St. Thomas More Society President Ethan Niedermeyer present the 2022 St. Thomas More award to Secretary Jilma Meneses.

Photo by Mary Powers

Bethlehem is the city in which Jesus was ___

A prophetess who was in the Temple at the Presentation

He held the baby Jesus in the Temple

STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

All employees of the Archdiocese of San Francisco shall be employed without regard to race, color, sex, ethnic or national origin and pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal history.*Principals who are not in possession of both educational qualifications, must complete the requirement within a three year period of time from date of hire.

Button Law Inc. Elizabeth M. Button,

Trust & Estate Attorney

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Sensitive to those Struggling with Loss. Serving the Entire Bay Area Woman Owned & Operated Free consultations. 1052 Filbert Street San Francisco, CA 94133 Call Today: (650) 703-6038 www.buttonlawsf.com

HELP WANTED CATHOLIC ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS SOUGHT FOR ARCHDIOCESAN SCHOOLS

The Department of Catholic Schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, is seeking elementary principal candidates for the 2023-2024 school year. Candidates must be a practicing Roman Catholic in good standing with the church, possess a valid California Standard Teaching Credential or the equivalent from another state, a Master’s Degree in an educational field and/ or California administrative credential or the Certificate in Catholic School Administration from Loyola Marymount University *, be certified as a catechist at the basic level** and have five years of experience in teaching and/or in administration with Catholic school experience.

*Principals who are not in possession of both educational qualifications, must complete the requirement within a three year period of time from date of hire.

** Principals who are not in possession of basic certification in religion at the time of hire, must complete the process before they start their position.

Application materials may be downloaded from the official DCS website by visiting: www.sfarch.org/employment.

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

The requested material plus a letter of interest should be submitted before Feb. 28 to: Christine Escobar, Human Resources Manager

Department of Catholic Schools One Peter Yorke Way San Francisco, CA 94109

Salary will be determined according to archdiocesan guidelines based upon experience as a teacher or administrator and graduate education. Medical, dental, and retirement benefits are included.

ARCHDIOCESAN STATEMENT OF NON-DISCRIMINATION

The Archdiocese of San Francisco adheres to the following policy: “All school staff of Catholic schools of the Archdiocese of San Francisco shall be employed without regard to race, color, sex, ethnic or national origin and will consider for employment, qualified applicants with criminal histories.” (Administrative Handbook #4111.4)

FENCES AND DECKS

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IN-HOME CARE

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SENIOR CARE SERVICE

Irish Caregiver San Francisco / Peninsula Days / Evenings / Nights 650-255-5165 cjtreacy@aol.com

LANDSCAPING & GARDENING

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Clean up, Weed Removal Lawn Services, Trimming Fences and Cement Serving SF; 415-664-1199

RETREATS

VALLOMBROSA CENTER Conferences and meetings, Retreat and spirituality programs.

Overnight accommodations 250 Oak Grove Avenue Menlo Park, CA 94025 www.vallombrosa.org 650-325-5614

SEEKING USED CAR / TRUCK / RV TRANSPORTATION NEEDED

Private person seeking to buy a used car, truck and RV Call Grant: 415.517.5977

NOVENAS PRAYER TO THE

BLESSED VIRGIN NEVER KNOWN TO FAIL

Most beautiful flower of Mt. Carmel Blessed Mother of the Son of God, assist me in my need. Help me and show me you are my mother. Oh Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth. I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart to help me in this need. Oh Mary, conceived without sin. Pray for us (3X). Holy Mary, I place this cause in your hands (3X). Say prayers 3 days. T

ST. JUDE NOVENA

May the Sacred Heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved & preserved throughout the world now & forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus pray for us. St. Jude helper of the hopeless pray for us. Say prayer 9 times a day for 9 days. Thank You St. Jude. Never known to fail. You may publish. T

HEALTH CARE

SCAN QR CODE OR VISIT SFARCH.ORG/ EVENTS, to see the comprehensive calendar of events,

DECEMBER 16:

Women’s Healing After Abortion Retreat

If you have been carrying a burden from a past abortion, you are invited to the next healing retreat for women. If you are interested, call (415) 6145567 or email projectrachel@ sfarch.org.

DECEMBER 22: Christmas Angels Restorative Justice Event

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 12:00 p.m. –4:00 p.m.

JANUARY 14, 2023: Annual Santo Niño Fiesta Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 11:00 a.m.

JANUARY 20, 2023: Walk for Life Vigil Mass St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, 5:00 p.m.

JANUARY 20, 2023: All night Adoration Sts. Peter and Paul’s, 8:00 p.m

JANUARY 21, 2023: Walk for Life Mass Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 9:30 a.m.

The 2023 Walk for Life West Coast Mass with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone will feature the St. Brigid School Choir in a specially commissioned Mass by composer Chris Mueller.

Read more at sfarch.org/newprolife-mass/.

Rally and Walk for Life Civic Center Plaza, 12:30 p.m.

JANUARY 28, 2023: Chinese New Year Mass Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 2:30 p.m.

FEBRUARY 4, 2023: Annual Anniversary Mass Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 10:00 a.m.

FEBRUARY 11, 2023: World Day of the Sick Mass Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, 11:00 a.m.

COME OUT AND JOIN US!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR THE ARCHDIOCESAN EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS!

SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 10, 2023

“My flesh for the life of the world.”

The Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone invites you to the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Eucharistic Congress

Keynote Speaker: The Most Rev. J. Peter Sartain, Archbishop Emeritus of Seattle Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption www.sfarch.org/ eucharistic-revival

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION

Glory to God in the highest

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

- LUKE 2:14

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