CSF December 2024

DECEMBER 2024

Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.

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Fr. Patrick Summerhays

Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia

Peter Marlow (415) 614-5636 Communications

Ryan Mayer, Catholic Identity Assessment & Formation

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Christina Gray

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Lessons learned from contemplating the nativity scene

There are many fond memories and cherished, time-honored traditions, rituals and symbols that mark this time of the year – the symbols of the Christmas tree, the ritual of decorating it, the Christmas wreath, stockings by the fireplace, and the wrapping of presents placed under the tree. These traditions make this a very enchanted time of the year. But most of all, the Christmas crèche remains the most cherished and distinctive symbol of Christmas.

HUMANITY: PRESENCE IN TIME

The story is well known. St. Francis was inspired, it is believed, by his pilgrimage to the Holy Land to depict the scene of Christ’s birth in a literal way. As his first biographer, Brother Thomas of Celano, explains it, St. Francis desired to “represent the birth of that child in Bethlehem in such a way that with our bodily eyes we may see what he suffered for lack of the necessities of a newborn babe and how he lay in [a] manger between the ox and ass.” And people from all around flocked to contemplate the scene during Christmas Mass. Francis wanted to emphasize the real human experience of that first Christmas night, that God truly became a human being, born as a baby from a virgin mother. The God beyond us and above us is also among us in the most humble way possible. This is a good lesson for us, especially at this time of the year when it is so easy to romanticize that night when Christ was born. It is good that we put much effort, artistry and love into decorating our nativity scenes, but the beauty of the art should inspire us to contemplate the historical moment in its full reality and not distract us from it.

Francis wanted to make real to us today the humiliation of the Son of God who became a child born in a stable in the midst of squalor and animals and poor peasants, and yet was the model of spiritual perfection. He who is the ruler of all chose to be subject to His creation, to the point of offering His life on the cross to free us from sin. (Augustine Thompson, O.P., “Francis of Assisi: A New Biography” Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 2012, p. 109)

DIVINITY: ENDURING PRESENCE

Our tendency in our own time is to see the Son of God as no more than a friend, a companion, someone who walks with us. While this is true, perhaps some may see Him as too much of an equal. We do well, though, to acknowledge that His dominion over us is not oppressive but liberating. This is the case only when we order our lives according to His way.

As God, He came to liberate us from sin by His passion and death on the cross, which so deeply moved Francis in contemplating our Lord’s birth. The signs of our Lord’s passion are there at His birth: Mary “wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.” These swaddling clothes foretell the burial cloths in which Jesus’ body would be wrapped when placed in the tomb after His crucifixion. The wood of the manger anticipates the wood of the cross, the tree on which He would undo the damage done at the tree in the garden when the serpent deceived our first parents and we lost friendship with God. This is the original religious meaning of the Christmas tree: the tree of the cross, which conquers the tree in the garden, restoring our friendship with God and giving us the gift of eternal life.

Present at this birth are also the signs of God’s enduring presence with us. What is a manger but a trough, a container from which animals are fed? He came to feed us with His very Body and Blood, being born in Bethlehem, a small insignificant town whose name means “house of bread.” He continues to empty Himself by coming down from heaven to be present with us sacramentally under the appearances of bread and wine, the gift of His Body and Blood in the most Holy Eucharist. He thus continues the mystery of His Incarnation by drawing us to Himself through visible signs at each Mass feeding us with His Body and Blood, which is another mystery that moved St. Francis so deeply in contemplating our Lord’s humility.

Could it be that the casual attitude toward the Blessed Sacrament that has become so pervasive in the Church nowadays is a consequence of an attitude that would demote the Son of God from His divinity to being simply a good friend equal to us in our humanity? Failing to recognize His real presence in the Holy Eucharist in turn leads to failing to recognize His divinity under the appearance of His human body in the Incarnation, and so to order our lives accordingly.

Photo by Dennis Callahan

Miracles can happen in our own time, too, if we keep Christ at the center, and fulfill faithfully the responsibilities to which He calls us according to our state of life.”

RIGHT ORDERING OF THE UNIVERSE

While this season of the year is an enchanted time filled with fond memories, we know there is much suffering in our midst and often even in our own families. On the global scale, we are witnessing wars and all kinds of atrocities, most especially in that very land in which our Lord was born. We grieve that the land that we call “holy” has been scarred by wars and atrocities for millennia.

God will not allow His people to be oppressed

indefinitely. He will come to their rescue and set them free from sin and death. How will He do this?

“For a child is born to us, a Son is given us; upon His shoulder dominion rests.” This season, we celebrate the fulfillment of that promise. This King, the Son of God, is the one named “Prince of Peace.” And yet, war is still with us; brutality abounds. Does the birth of God’s Son, the fulfillment of this promise, really make any difference?

Let us contemplate the scene at the center of it all: The Christ child. Immediately surrounding Him are His parents, and then the shepherds, who represent the community of believers. Overlooking the whole scene are the stars and the angels, the physical and spiritual heavenly realities. A rightly ordered universe has Christ at the center, with the family unit nurturing that Christcentered life in the home, supported by the believing community, in union with those who pray for us from heaven.

Christ at the center: this means taking God at His word, trusting that what He teaches is true and seeking to live our lives after the pattern of the altruistic love which He has modeled for us. The history of God’s people is filled with examples of infidelity to God’s covenant and all the misery that that brings into the world. But it is also replete with examples of saints who are lights to us, teaching us the way to peace and salvation by their self-identification to Christ.

CONCLUSION

We can see no greater example of this than in the patron saint of our city and Archdiocese. At that Christmas in Greccio, when St. Francis set up the manger scene in church for the first time and, as a deacon, preached that Christmas Mass, he held the figure of the Christ child in his hands to present to the people for their devotion. After the Mass, the people went into the sanctuary to take pieces of the straw to keep as relics. Reports of miracles then began to circulate. Sick animals that ate the straw recovered their health, and women about to give birth touched the straw and had easy deliveries of their babies. (Thompson, p. 109)

Miracles can happen in our own time, too, if we keep Christ at the center, and fulfill faithfully the responsibilities to which He calls us according to our state of life. We do not have to resign ourselves to being conquered by sin; He gives us the power to conquer it and be set free, free to be healed and to live in peace, free to love, free to know, love and serve Him in this life, and to live perfectly happy with Him forever in heaven. May God grant us this grace. ■

Excerpted from Archbishop Cordileone’s homily at the National Shrine of St. Francis on Dec. 25, 2023.

Priests Retirement Luncheon Coordinator Rose Marie Wong with (from left) Rev. Shouraiah Pudota (retired), Rev. Manuel Curso (retired), Rev. Rolando De la Rosa, Rev. Angel Quitalig and Rev. Dominic Lee.

Celebrating ministry and service

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

The annual celebration of the Archdiocese’s retired priests – the Priests’ Retirement Luncheon – took place Oct. 11 at St. Mary’s Cathedral Event Center.

This, the 14th annual luncheon, was a spirit-filled gathering to honor the special men who have devoted their lives to ministry and service. It included touching tributes to Fathers Paul Rossi and Anthony LaTorre, thoughts from Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and Dcn. Emmanuel Gutierrez, performances from the Good Shepherd and St. Pius School choirs, and more. All was expertly choreographed by Father Michael Liliedahl, master of ceremonies.

Archbishop Cordileone highlighted the ongoing ministry of our “retired” priests. Through celebrating Mass, visiting the sick, hearing confessions, serving as spiritual directors and attending parish events, their ongoing devotion to the faithful is unrelenting.

More than $2.8 million has been raised since the first Priests’ Retirement Luncheon in 2011. This

year, as in 2023, the funds raised are helping renovate and refurbish Serra Clergy House in San Mateo, home to several of our retired priests. Now in its 70th year, the clergy house has critical needs that must be addressed to ensure our retired priests’ safety and security.

Thanks to the generosity provided in 2023, the clergy house has a new roof, new glass patio doors, a functioning irrigation system and refreshed dining room décor and furnishings. Dinner is our retired priests’ primary gathering time, and they enjoy the updated, more comfortable setting.

Funds raised this year will enable electrical panel and seismic upgrades, new landscaping, installation of double-paned windows and painting.

As Rachel Alvelais, the clergy house manager, said, “The money raised in the past two years directly impacts the safety, security and comfort of our retired priests. We are grateful for your generosity.”

Among the luncheon’s largest donors were Phil Hudner, executor of the Louise M. Davies Foundation; the Knights of Columbus, Frank Lindh, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Noonan and Lenore Heffernan. Phil’s piano

playing with Father Mark Taheny before the luncheon set a wonderful tone. The volunteers’ commitment is also an inspiration. In particular, the contributions of Freda Motak, Norma Guerrero, Grace Andrade, Moira Conzelman and Diane Luporini were immeasurable.

In the words of Father Rossi, “As a priest for 50 years, and as pastor of three parishes encompassing 24 years, I have been enriched by the wonderful people I served. I am especially grateful for and feel blessed by the lay ministers – wonderfully talented Catholics dedicated to the Gospel and forming disciples of Christ. Any successes in my ministry were a result of collaboration with these pastoral associates.”

“I was very grateful to be honored at the luncheon,” he added. “I thank all the people who came to the luncheon and all who have supported the retired priests this year and in past years.”

On behalf of our retired priests and everyone committed to their care, we thank you for making the luncheon a fantastic celebration for our retired priests and all the attendees. Join us Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, for the 15th annual luncheon. ■

Photo by Dennis Callahan

CATHOLIC QUIZ

How well do you know the Catholic faith?

InQUIZition: Q&A for the Curious Catholic and the Catholic Curious

BY PATRICK MADRID

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 “hypostatic union” refers to the unique union in Jesus Christ of the following:

a. two persons in one nature.

b. two wills in one mind.

c. two wills in one nature.

d. two natures in one person.

e. two persons in one body.

2. Which Greek or Latin title refers specifically to Mary’s role as the mother of God?

a. Huperdulía

b. Sedes Sapientiae

c. Mater Dolorosa

d. Theotókos

e. Regina Caeli

3. Which early Church council defended the dogma of the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ (true God and true man) and proclaimed the Marian title of Theotókos?

a. Nicaea (A.D. [CS3] 325)

b. Constantinople (A.D. 381)

c. Ephesus (A.D. 431)

d. Chalcedon (A.D. 451)

e. Constantinople II (A.D. 553)

4. He was Caesar when Christ was born:

a. Augustus

b. Julius

c. Claudius

d. Vespasian

e. Nero

5. The Magi brought baby Jesus in the manger gifts of gold, frankincense and?

a. Pampers

b. myrrh

c. nard

d. bitter herbs

e. hyssop

Answer key is on page 46.

Special Christmas edition Q&A excerpted with permission and available for purchase from Holy Heroes, the official online store for Patrick Madrid products: https://holyheroes.com/ collections/patrick-madrid

Catholic apologist, author of numerous books on the faith, and host of the daily “Patrick Madrid Show” on Relevant Radio

Pilgrims of hope

BY AARON LAMBERT CSF contributing writer from Denver

Amid all the strife, division and unrest that only seems to grow with each day, the world could use a little bit (or rather, a lot) of hope right now.

To that end, and perhaps providentially, Pope Francis has declared 2025 to be a jubilee year

with the theme “Pilgrims of Hope.” With this jubilee, also known as a holy year, the Church will embark on a collective pilgrimage toward “a moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope,’” as the Pope wrote in his bull of indiction proclaiming the jubilee year, “Spes non confudit” (“Hope Does Not Disappoint”). This pilgrimage will be both a figurative

A moment of genuine, personal encounter with the Lord Jesus, the ‘door’ of our salvation, whom the Church is charged to proclaim always, everywhere and to all as ‘our hope.’”

and literal one. Part of the tradition of jubilee years is making a pilgrimage to various holy doors throughout the world as designated by the Pope. Pilgrims from all over the world are invited to journey to each of the holy doors for a special jubilee indulgence granted by the Pope.

For the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, in keeping with the tradition that was established by Pope Alexander VI in 1500, the holy doors at the four major basilicas in Rome will be opened. The first holy door at St. Peter’s Basilica will be opened on Dec. 24, thus marking the start of the jubilee year. The other doors at St. Mary Major, St. Paul Outside the Walls and St. John Lateran will follow in subsequent weeks.

Additionally, the Pope expressed a desire to open a holy door in a prison, writing in his papal bull: “In order to offer prisoners a concrete sign of closeness, I would myself like to open a holy door in a prison, as a sign inviting prisoners to look to the future with hope and a renewed sense of confidence.”

During the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015, Pope Francis invited dioceses around the world to designate their own holy doors for pilgrimage, but that was an innovation specific to that year. The only holy doors for the 2025 jubilee will be those in Rome.

That being said, other pilgrimage sites and sacred places around the world have been designated as a means for pilgrims to receive the jubilee indulgence as well. This includes the three basilicas in the Holy Land (the Basilica of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem and the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth), various other churches and basilicas around Rome and the surrounding areas, the two minor papal basilicas in Assisi, as well as “any minor basilica, cathedral church, co-cathedral church, Marian sanctuary, any distinguished collegiate church or sanctuary designated by the diocesan bishop or ›

I

am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into you and eat with you, and you with me” (REV 3:20)

eparch for the benefit of the faithful, and national or international sanctuaries, ‘sacred places of welcome and privileged spaces for the rebirth of hope’ (“Spes non confundit,” 24), as indicated by episcopal conferences.”

Jubilee years find their roots in ancient Jewish tradition. References to these special years can be found in the Old Testament, most notably in the Book of Leviticus, where they were prescribed by the law of Moses: “You shall hallow the 50th year and proclaim the liberty throughout the land, to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his family. This 50th year is to be a jubilee year for you: you will not sow, you will not harvest the ungathered corn, you will not gather the untrimmed vine. The jubilee is to be a holy thing to you, you will eat what comes from the fields” (Lev 25:10-14).

The purpose of the jubilee year is, simply put, holiness. As a Vatican document issued during the 2000 jubilee notes, “The jubilee is called holy year not only because it begins, is marked and ends with solemn holy acts, but also because its purpose is to encourage holiness of life.”

Historically, jubilees were times of both celebration and reconciliation. During these holy years in ancient times, it was decreed that slaves be granted their freedom and land be returned to original owners. The practice of marking jubilee years was restored by Pope Boniface VII in 1300 and has continued at regular intervals that have fluctuated throughout history, starting at 100 years in 1300, changing to 50 years for the jubilee of 1450 and then to 25 years for the jubilee of 1475, where it has remained to the present day. Popes also have

the authority to proclaim jubilee years outside the regular 25-year interval, which are called extraordinary jubilees. The Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015 was the last extraordinary jubilee. In the Catholic Church, the 2025 jubilee will be the 27th ordinary jubilee and the 32nd overall jubilee.

Since the very first jubilee year, pilgrimage to the holy doors in Rome has been a key component of the celebration. The imagery of the holy door is meant to invoke the path to salvation, who is Christ himself, as he says in the Gospel of John: “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved” (Jn 10:9).

By making a pilgrimage to the holy doors during the jubilee year, the faithful express their hope in Jesus Christ as Lord and thereby renew their own path to the eternal life promised them by Christ “the gate.”

Of course, a door has two sides, and just as He implores us to “knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Lk 11:90), Christ is also knocking at the doors to our own hearts: “I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come into you and eat with you, and you with me” (Rev 3:20).

May the 2025 jubilee be an occasion for the Church to walk through the doors of divine hope and for that divine hope to enter our own hearts. For the hope that Christ offers goes far beyond what the world offers; it is a “hope born of grace, which enables us to live in Christ and to overcome sin, fear and death. This hope, which transcends life’s fleeting pleasures and the achievement of our immediate goals, makes us rise above our trials and difficulties, and inspires us to keep pressing forward, never losing sight of the grandeur of the heavenly goal to which we have been called” (“Spes non confudit,” 25). ■

NOVENA OF MASSES (Simbang Gabi) December 15-23 at 7:00pm (Live Streamed) December 16-24 at 6:00am

VIGIL Tuesday, December 24 4:30pm Vigil Mass 7:30pm Children’s Caroling 8:00pm Children’s Mass 11:00pm Caroling 12:00 Midnight Mass

January 1 at 9:00am & 12:15pm

Make an Impact This Holiday Season

SF Fire Credit Union is a proud sponsor of the SF Firefighters Local 798 Toy Program, who collect over 200,000 toys each year to distribute to 40,000 kids in need in San Francisco.

Perpetual Graces: How five parishes made 24/7

Adoration

a priority

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

Of the mo re than 90 parishes in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, five offer perpetual adoration, which is availability of the exposed Blessed Sacrament to the faithful 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Catholic San Francisco visited each of these parishes to learn how and why perpetual adoration became a parish priority, what it takes operationally and its fruits.

Each parish setting, staff and culture is different. All credit adoration for transforming the parish into a “Eucharistic community” marked by greater Mass attendance, heightened stewardship, unexpected conversions, saved marriages, medical miracles and new vocations.

CHURCH OF THE NATIVITY, MENLO PARK

Mary Ellen Peloso, a parishioner at Church of the Nativity Parish in Menlo Park for 42 years, helped start perpetual adoration at the parish in 1996.

“We really wanted a parish that was spiritually alive,” said Peloso, whose husband Dominick, a deacon at Nativity, was also instrumental in starting perpetual adoration.

At the time, their own adoration practice was limited mostly by availability to nearby Our Lady of Peace Parish, she said. The Santa Clara parish has offered perpetual adoration since 1976.

As Mary Ellen tells it, a movement of the Holy Spirit inspired her to approach then-pastor Father Clement Davenport in 1993 with a request for the parish to offer 24-hour adoration. Father Davenport not only said “yes,” he came in at midnight on First Fridays to begin the 24 hours with the celebration of Mass. Three years later in 1996, the parish had worked itself up in increments to offering adoration 24 hours per day, seven days per week.

Msgr. Steven Otellini, who retired this past summer after ›

by

Photo

Christina Gray

21 years as Nativity pastor, has also been extremely supportive. He did a 4 am holy hour every Thursday.

“It has to be parishioner-run and pastor-supported,” said Mary Ellen. “This is not something that a priest would have the time to coordinate himself.”

At Nativity, the Blessed Sacrament is exposed on the main altar, not in a dedicated chapel. Despite the open-door policy, there have been few security issues according to Dcn. Dominick, who retired after a long career with the Menlo Park Police Department.

An armoire at the side entrance of the church, which remains unlocked at all times, holds the weekly schedule, a sign-in log, prayer cards, books and devotion materials.

Decades into her role, Mary Ellen is still happily in charge of finding parishioners to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in one-hour increments around the clock.

“We do have lulls and spikes,” she said. Occasionally, she gets a late-night phone call from someone who cannot fill their hour, “but after more than 30 years, it now basically runs itself.”

“It really changes your parish,” she said. “It makes it much more prayerful.” She said that Mass attendance has definitely increased, and many different devotions and novenas have sprung up.

Some people can feel uneasy being in front of the monstrance at first, according to Dcn. Dominick.

“Don’t know what to do? Fine, just be there,” he said. “I always tell people it’s like when you go to the beach. It doesn’t make any difference whether you’re swimming, walking, or lying down reading, you’re still going to get sunburned. Just come and let God do His work.”

We really wanted a parish that was spiritually alive.”

STAR OF

THE SEA PARISH, SAN FRANCISCO

Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea Parish, inherited a historic chapel inside the San Francisco church when he was first made administrator more than a decade ago.

The St. Joseph Chapel, located off the west entrance to the church, had aged poorly and in Father Illo’s words, was “no longer an inspiring place.” In 2018, the parish raised $250,000 to renovate it into an Adoration Chapel.

“It’s now a magnet,” he said.

When he was pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Modesto, Father Illo had seen vocations spring from 24/7 adoration.

What he didn’t expect was a doubling of Mass attendance, more marriages, more saved marriages, a strong youth group, stories of healing and a doubling of parish income.

“When I came to this parish, I told myself that’s what I needed to do here,” he said.

The parish has a hybrid model: the Blessed Sacrament is exposed in the main church until after the last Mass of the day. The Blessed Sacrament is then taken to the Adoration Chapel overnight. The Blessed Sacrament is returned to the tabernacle before the morning Mass.

The parish moved to an online signup software, AdorationPro.com, whereby

MARY ELLEN PELOSO, about she and her husband Dominick, a deacon at Church of the Nativity, Menlo Park

Photo by Christina Gray

parishioners could log in on their phones or computers to register for an hour time slot.

Since the parish installed a coded side door, registrants now receive a code for entry to the Adoration Chapel after the church closes its doors for the day.

“We added on a day at a time until we got to seven days per week,” said Father Illo.

Making adoration a “central part of your parish” is most natural when adoration is central to the pastor himself, he said.

“I’ve been 33 years a priest, but there have been some really rough patches,” he said. “I wouldn’t be a priest today if it weren’t for my daily holy hour.”

Two or three weekends per year, Father Illo preaches on adoration at all Masses. He includes the fundamentals of adoration, including what it is, why we do it and how to do it.

An Adoration Committee of about a half-dozen parishioners plan Adoration Awareness Weekends and hospitality events after Mass and meet regularly with Father Illo.

There are so many good things that come from adoration, he said. Stewardship is one of them.

“With adoration, people begin to become stewards of their parish instead of stepping in and stepping out,” Father Illo said. ›

Christmas Eve

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

5:00 PM Caroling by the Cathedral Choir School

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

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

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

New Year’s Eve

Tuesday, December 31, 2024 8:00 AM - Morning Mass

New Year’s Day

Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION

7:30 AM Morning Mass 11:30 AM Confessions 12:10 PM Mass

The Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord Sunday, January 5, 2025

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 Cathedral Choir School and Golden Gate Boys Choir and Bellringers

Photo by Christina Gray

OUR LADY OF LORETTO, NOVATO

Father Tony Vallecillo has been at Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Novato since 2019, first as administrator, and now as pastor. On Easter Sunday 2022, the parish opened the 24/7 Joseph and Mary Adoration Chapel.

Part of the pastor’s decision to offer 24/7 adoration at OLL was his own experience with it. He said he has done a holy hour every day for the past 20 years.

He was also inspired after learning about a priest whose first task upon being assigned to a new parish was to set up 24/7 adoration. The graces always flowed at his parishes.

“That’s been the case here, too, I have found,” said Father Vallecillo.

He brainstormed the idea of perpetual adoration with the parish manager and parishioners. Like at all parishes, practical questions needed considering. What location was best? How would access to the chapel be handled?

The decision to repurpose the former baptismal chapel inside the church vestibule was made. Security was a fundamental concern.

“We decided we could not keep our church open 24/7,” said Father Vallecillo. A manual lockbox and a digital doorbell at the side exit was the solution, one that has worked well for the parish.

“I would say it is pretty low maintenance,” said Father Vallecillo.

Like Star of the Sea Parish, OLL uses AdorationPro software for holy hour scheduling online. Adoration coordinator Juan Alvarez sends registered parishioners a code for entry.

In less than two years, the Joseph and Mary Adoration Chapel has become a focal point of prayer for the parish and school.

“It’s a big blessing for our school,” said Father Vallecillo.

The parish came together and it was the most beautiful thing to experience. I want other parishes to know it can be done.”

JULIETTE KULDA

Our Lady of the Pillar parishioner

“Some teachers have made a habit of bringing their classes here for 10 or 15 minutes of silent prayer. Other school prayer projects utilize it.”

Father Vallecillo launched a fundraiser with a rosary marathon in the Adoration Chapel after the parish was hit by a staggering $700,000 estimate for repaving the church’s crumbling parking lot. People signed up for different mysteries of the rosary, he said, and prayer in both Spanish and English stretched more than 26 hours and 20 minutes.

Nearly a year after the fundraising campaign started, the parish received a large check and met its $700,000 goal. The parking lot was repaved in July.

Photo by Christina Gray

Photo courtesy Our Lady of the Pillar Parish

ST. BRUNO PARISH, SAN BRUNO

The Virgin of Guadalupe hangs above the altar in the Adoration Chapel at St. Bruno Parish in San Bruno. Her gaze appears directed to her feet where dozens of candles represent the intentions of the parish community who have come to spend a holy hour with her Son.

Executive Secretary Roger Tellez said the 24/7 Adoration Chapel is set up in the room that used to be the family “crying” room.

The monstrance was purchased in Italy by a parish prayer group, and the stand was built by a former deacon.

“It is very simple,” said Tellez. “The reality is that the majority of people really don’t care how it looks. The stories of hope and healing are the beautiful things.”

The system is also simple, he said. The door to the church and adjacent Adoration Chapel are open during parish business hours but are locked at 5 pm. Anyone who wants to enter just knocks.

While the schedule and access appears more informal than other parishes with 24/7 adoration, it has been working well largely without incident for for nearly 20 years.

There are people who do have keys, who ensure the hours are covered, and are often there themselves to open the door when someone knocks.

“We know these people,” said Tellez. “We trust them; they’ve been coming here a long time.”

Security is an ongoing concern due to the parish’s proximity to a rehabilitation facility. But small issues have not deterred the parish from continuing 24/7 adoration.

“This is a calling for our parish,” said Tellez. “No matter what it takes to provide this place, your parish and your parishioners will benefit in more ways than I can tell you.

I have seen it.”

OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR PARISH

In the space of about one month, the Half Moon Bay parish transformed a former crying room adjacent to the main sanctuary into a perpetual adoration chapel. It opened on Sept. 8 after a special Mass, blessing and Eucharistic procession.

For more than 20 years, Juliette Kulda and her husband Derek had been “very passionate” about the parish having an adoration chapel. The timing and momentum didn’t align, she said, until the parish united in prayer as a response to some challenges it faced this past summer.

“We went from getting our pastor’s (Father Jose Corral) permission on Aug. 9, to painting the next day,” she said. Two weeks later, an altar arrived from Florida, pews from Indiana and lights from a

100-year-old church in Santa Barbara. The parish raised $50,000 to pay for the chapel.

“The parish came together, and it was the most beautiful thing to experience,” she said. “I want other parishes to know it can be done.”

Father Corral made an announcement at the six Sunday Masses for the parish community. “The money just started coming in,” said Kulda.

He said it is not unusual to see more than a dozen people in the chapel during the day, and even two or three in the middle of the night. ■

SCAN HERE FOR AN ADORATION SCHEDULE FOR ALL PARISHES, or

Photo by Deb Greenblat

The Eucharist: A parish primer

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

Longtime St. Veronica parishioner Sandra Kearney told Catholic San Francisco she was disappointed to be unable to attend the 10th National Eucharistic Congress this past summer. But that didn’t stop her from extending its formative spirit to fellow parishioners at the South San Francisco church where she has worshipped for 47 years.

“I thought it would be beneficial for the parishioners in our parish who, like me, were not able to participate in the Congress,” said Kearney, who retired in May from the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Worship but continues to serve her parish as evangelization coordinator.

The 10th Annual Eucharistic Congress held July 17-21 in Indianapolis was attended by over 60,000 Catholics from around the country. The Congress was the apex of a threeyear National Eucharistic Revival initiative launched by the U.S. bishops in 2022.

The program included daily Mass, adoration, confession, rosary prayer, exhibits and dozens of speakers, including Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries (wordonfire.org).

Kearney said she was “profoundly moved” after watching video available on the Congress website of Bishop Barron’s presentation on day four of the Congress on the theme, “This Is My Body” — also the title of the bishop’s most recent best-selling book.

Kearney had actually purchased Bishop Barron’s study program on the Eucharist from the Word on Fire website several years ago, not realizing the best time to share the short course which included a book, a workbook and a film “would be now.”

With the blessing of pastor Father Patrick Driscoll, she led a group of the same 20 parishioners through the study program over four weeks in August in 90-minute sessions.

Small group discussion and participation was a breakthrough for many of the lifelong Catholics, according to Kearney.

“So many of the participants were raised Catholic, had gone to Catholic schools or to faith formation classes,” she said. “But they still didn’t personally understand a full encounter with the Eucharist.”

“The beauty of this series is that Bishop Barron just breaks it down in very simple terms that anyone can understand,” she said. The small group format seemed to work as a “very safe place” for participants where they could articulate their confusion and see that they are not alone.

“I witnessed a lot of ‘aha’ moments” from people,” said Kearney, including from 92-yearold Bev Stookey, a St. Veronica parishioner for 70 years.

“It was so enlightening,” said Stookey. “I came away with a much better understanding of what is happening during the Mass.”

Stookey said she counted herself among the lifelong Catholics who “didn’t have a real understanding of what is going on and why.”

The Presentation High School graduate said “we never talked about these things” in Catholic school back then.

“You did what you did because you were told to, but then you get older or go through a crisis of faith because you realize you don’t know what it’s based on.”

Stookey said that since the course, daily adoration has become a cherished daily habit.

The Eucharist is not a luxury, but a necessity. For without it, in the spiritual sense, we would starve to death.”

BISHOP ROBERT BARRON, Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, and the founder of Word on Fire Catholic Ministries

I have

found myself lately wanting to go each day

and sit and be one with Christ. I never felt that way before.”

BEV

STOOKEY,

St. Veronica parishioner for 70 years

“I have found myself lately wanting to go each day and sit and be one with Christ,” she said. “I never felt that way before.”

She asks her friends and family now to hold their calls to her during her holy hour because “I have very important time to spend with a special friend.”

Kearney plans to offer the four-week course on the Eucharist at St. Veronica again this fall, as the Archdiocese looks toward the apostolic “Year of Mission” in 2025. It is the final year in the National Eucharistic Revival.

It’s important to have people at our parishes who have gone through that encounter with the Eucharist themselves, she said.

“Don’t think you need to be a teacher, be a witness,” Kearney said. There’s a big difference.” ■

SCAN TO LEARN ABOUT BISHOP

ROBERT BARRON’S STUDY PROGRAM ON THE EUCHARIST, or visit wordonfire.org/resources.

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Christmas presence

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

Helping the bereaved find meaning in loss is the lifeblood of the Archdiocese’s grief and consolation ministry

My mom died at Christmas last year. I remember lights twinkling in the darkness outside the window as I lay with her in the irrevocable silence. An empty syringe and a bottle of morphine sat on top of a stack of unopened holiday cards she would never read.

Ten months later, the changing light and leaves of my favorite season made me feel oddly uneasy, physically threatened somehow, angry, even.

“What we tell people is that your five senses are on high alert when you are grieving,” Mercy Sister Toni Lynn Gallagher, longtime coordinator of the grief and bereavement ministry for the Archdiocese of San Francisco, told me. I was approaching the season in which I had lost my favorite person on the planet.

CHRISTMAS

IS FULL OF SENSORY MEMORIES

“The senses hold our memories,” she said in a compassionate hourlong conversation that was part interview, part personal grief support session. “Christmas is full of sensory memories.”

Grief is defined as the emotional and physical response to a loss, while bereavement is usually understood as the period of time in which someone experiences that grief.

Grief is a journey with no map and no time zone, said Sister Toni Lynn. Its nonlinear progression is the reason it can be so disorienting, whether the loss was 12 days, 12 months or 12 years ago. Add to that the fact that everyone grieves differently and at a different pace. “You can be walking along feeling just fine but suddenly you’re in tears for what seems like no reason,” she said.

You might have seen your loved one’s handwriting on an old gift tag. You heard a Christmas song your family sang together. The smell of a traditional holiday dish made you suddenly ache for the person who prepared it each year with love.

GRIEF AND BELIEF ARE NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE

Christians are “not immune” to the emotions that attend a loss or the memory of a loss, according to Sister Toni Lynn. She and others who serve in grief support ministries agree that feelings of loss can

resurface or become more pronounced during the Christmas season.

“Christmas is about love,” she said, the people you love and the people who love you. “After losing someone, where is the love between you supposed to go?

“Christians can sometimes feel guilty about the depth of their emotions after a loss,” she said. They may feel that if their faith is strong and true, it should override or temper feelings of sadness or despair or even anger.

Christmas is about love. After losing someone, where is the love between you supposed to go?”

MERCY SISTER TONI LYNN GALLAGHER, grief and bereavement ministry coordinator for the Archdiocese of San Francisco

“We are excited that Christ is coming again and that we are part of this wonderful story that has emanated throughout the centuries,” said Sister Toni Lynn. “But if we are grieving, that’s a really tough one.”

Deacon Chuck McNeil leads grief support-faith sharing groups at St. Dominic Parish in San Francisco.

“This is a place where death is put in the perspective of the Christian story,” he said. The death of a loved one is sad and can be a traumatic event, he said. But loss can also lead to a process of transformation and conversion. “It is about teaching the virtue of hope.”

Still, people of faith experience a range of feelings just like anyone else does, he said. He’s heard well-meaning Catholics tell friends or family members they should “snap out of it” because they are people of faith. Grief support groups are a place where grief and faith are not mutually exclusive.

“When a Catholic breaks a leg, it is still going to hurt,” he said.

Beverly Hibbs, a former suicide hotline worker, has offered grief support to the St. Isabella parish ›

Archdiocese and trains volunteers.

community for decades. She puts it this way: “Our Lord, I don’t believe he expects us to act happy all of the time. That’s just being human.”

GRIEF REMINDS US THAT WE NEED EACH OTHER

Sister Toni Lynn represents a network of parishbased Catholic grief support volunteers that function within her oversight under the auspices of the Office of Pastoral Ministry. Some of the most visible parish grief support ministries can be found at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Dominic’s Parish, St. Pius Parish and St. Veronica Parish.

“But in every single parish, great things are happening quietly,” she said.

A list of faith-based grief support groups, including one for those who have lost a loved one to suicide at St. Dominic’s, and one for those diagnosed with a life-threatening illness at St. Mary’s Cathedral, are listed at sfarch.org/grief.

Hospitals and fire and police departments within the Archdiocese have their own chaplaincy

programs, according to Sister Toni Lynn, as does the restorative justice ministry.

Sister Toni Lynn’s own cell phone number, (415) 317-4436, effectively serves as the Archdiocese’s grief and bereavement hotline. As the chief for grief, she helps steer callers toward parish-based or other community resources that might best suit their needs.

Whether a parish offers a robust series of wellpromoted grief support groups or the presence of a single volunteer, help is not limited to parishioners or defined by parish boundaries.

“We want to be very clear that all are welcome,” Catholic or non-Catholic, said Sister Toni Lynn. “You don’t have to be anyone other than someone acknowledging you need some help with grief.”

Her lifelong commitment to consoling the sorrowful (one of the seven spiritual works of mercy) took root when Sister Toni Lynn was a young sister serving the suffering families of a local parish during the Vietnam War.

“Grief reminds us that we really need each other,” she said. “Grief says, I can’t do this alone.”

Deacon Fred Totah, director of the Office of Pastoral Ministry, said pastors can’t be expected to personally or professionally treat a person’s grief and personal struggles, “but they should be able to respond pastorally and know what to do to get the person the help they need.”

“The simple act of listening is a reminder to us all that we are truly never alone in the light of God’s presence,” he said. ■

SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO GRIEF AND CONSOLATION MINISTRY, or visit sfarchdiocese.org/grief. Or call Sister Toni Lynn Gallagher at (415) 317-4436.

Prayers for healing, death and consolation

Jimmy Aitchison and Anthony DeBellis describe themselves as “two regular Catholic guys who want to get to heaven.” The fellow parishioners of St. Elizabeth Seton in San Diego want to put traditional Catholic prayers into the hands of the sick, the dying and the grieving.

“We are often thrown into the deep end with grief without a life preserver,” said Aitchison, who lost his wife earlier this year. “Our Catholic prayers can be a bit of a life preserver.”

They created sitstandkneel.com, a site that offers six prayer card collections under the title, Prayers in the Pew. In addition to the All-Souls edition, prayer card editions are offered for Church, Family, Eucharist, Marian and Pro-life. Sitstandkneel.com has an imprimatur, which is an official declaration by the Catholic Church that a printed work may be published.

“These prayers can be like giving water to a dry tree,” said Aitchison. “It would be beneficial for every parish consolation ministry to have a stack of these available.”

Visit sitstandkneel.com to learn more and to order cards.

Sister Toni Lynn Gallagher oversees parish-based grief ministries for the

Photo by Christina Gray

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CHURCH

1425 Bay Road, East Palo alto 650/322-2152

Mass Schedule For Christmas and New Year

Confessions

Saturday, December 23, 2024 10:30 am to12:00 pm and 3:30 pm to 6:00 pm

Christmas’ Eve & Day Masses

Tuesday, December 24, 2024 8:00 am- English

6:00 pm- Children Mass Spanish 12:0

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

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16: CHRISTMAS CONCERT 7:30* p m

MONDAY, DECEMBER 16: CHRISTMAS CONCERT 7:30* p m

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17: RECONCILIATION SERVICE

PENANCE SERVICES

Wednesday, December 11th 7 pm

Wednesday, December 18th 7 pm

CHRISTMAS EVE MASS

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

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES

Wednesday, December 25th 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 am; 4:00pm (TLM)

SOLEMNITY OF MARY, MOTHER OF GOD

Tuesday, December 31st 5 pm Wednesday, January 1st 9:00 and 12 pm (TLM)

12:00 Noon – 1:00 p m (no evening service)

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 17: RECONCILIATION SERVICE

12:00 Noon – 1:00 p.m. (no evening service)

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18: CANDLELIT COMPLINE with meditations on the great “O” Advent Antiphons 7:30* p m

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18: CANDLELIT COMPLINE with meditations on the great “O” Advent Antiphons 7:30* p m

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24: CHRISTMAS EVE

4:00* & 6:00 p m Masses

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24: CHRISTMAS EVE

11:15* p m Carol Service followed by Mass at Midnight

4:00* & 6:00 p m Masses

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25: CHRISTMAS DAY

11:15* p.m. Carol Service followed by Mass at Midnight

12:00* a m Solemn Christmas Midnight Mass

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25: CHRISTMAS DAY

8:30 & 11:00* a m Masses, (No 5:30 p m Mass)

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29: HOLY FAMILY

12:00* a m Solemn Christmas Midnight Mass

8:30 & 11:00* a m Masses, (No 5:30 p m Mass)

5:30 p m Saturday Vigil for Sunday, December 28

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29: HOLY FAMILY

5:30 p.m. Saturday Vigil for Sunday, December 28

7:30, 9:30* & 11:30 a.m.; 1:30 (in Spanish) & 5:30 p.m. (Regular Sunday Mass schedule)

Christmas Mass Schedule

ST IGNATIUS CHURCH XMAS

Christmas Eve

4:00 pm: Christmas Eve Family Mass with Pageant 6:30 pm: Christmas Eve Mass

Mass During the Night

NEW - JOEL 10/24

10:00 pm: Mass During the Night Carols begin at 9:30 pm

Christmas Day

7:30, 9:30* & 11:30 a m ; 1:30 (in Spanish) & 5:30 p m (Regular Sunday Mass schedule)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025: MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD

8:30* a.m. Morning Prayer, 9:30* a.m. Parish Mass

5:00* p m Evening Prayer, (no 5:30 p m Mass)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2025: MARY, THE MOTHER OF GOD

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

8:30* a m Morning Prayer, 9:30* a m Parish Mass

5:00* p.m. Evening Prayer, (no 5:30 p m Mass)

our website for any and all updates: https://stdominics.org All liturgies and events subject to change. *livestream

8:00 am: Christmas Morning Mass 10:00 am: Christmas Day Mass 12:00 pm (noon): Christmas Day Mass

650 Parker Ave., San Francisco | stignatiussf.org

St. Francis and the Eucharist

Editor’s Note: The following reflection on the Eucharist is taken from the writings of St. Francis of Assisi by Father Robert Barbato, O.F.M. Cap., rector of the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi in San Francisco. 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.

St. Francis of Assisi is known for his radical following of Jesus Christ. He did not do this alone, but as a part of the Church. Central to his Catholic faith was his belief in the Real Presence of Jesus in the sacrament of the Eucharist. He did not write many things, but in his writings the theme of the Eucharist is very strong.

“Let everyone be struck with fear, let the whole world tremble, and let the heavens exult when Christ, the Son of the living God, is present on the altar in the hands of a priest!” (Letter to the Whole Order, 26, “Francis of Assisi: Early Documents,” Regis Armstrong, J.A. Wayne Hellman and William Short, editors, New City Press, New York, 1999, vol. 1, 118)

BY FATHER BOBBY BARBATO, OFM CAP. Rector, National Shrine of St. Francis

St. Francis marveled that Jesus Christ would give us His Real Presence in the Eucharist. What amazed him all the more was the materials Jesus chose for this sacrament. We know that Jesus could have chosen anything to become His Real Presence among us. It might have been diamonds or gold or a dark cloud with thunder and lightning. Jesus chose very deliberately how He would give Himself to His Church sacramentally. Francis of Assisi reflected deeply on this mystery. He knew how Jesus chose to be present in the Blessed Sacrament was not only to be admired, but also a way to guide us in our own lives as His followers.

That Jesus Christ, the Son of God, would choose to use any material thing to give us His sacramental presence was for Francis, as for all Christians throughout the ages, an amazing thing, an act of generosity that can never be fully comprehended. It keeps before our eyes what St. Paul tells us about the Incarnation itself: “Though He was in the form of God, Jesus did not cling to Godliness but emptied Himself, becoming a slave.” (Phil 2) This, Francis knew, was the great act of God bending down to us, what he called “the humility of God.” What does Jesus tell us about Himself (and us) by this continuing mystery of divine humility we find in the Eucharist?

The elements that Jesus chose are very common things, the stuff of everyday life, food and drink. These are not spectacular things, but they are essential to everyone in the world. No one can live without food and drink. In this way, Jesus reveals to us in the sacrament how much we need to have Him as part of our everyday lives, how essential He is to our growth.

Jesus wants to nourish us, body and soul; He wants us to communicate with Him, not only for an hour on Sundays, but every moment of our lives. Just as we need to eat and drink constantly to maintain our bodily life, we find Jesus giving us the means for our spirits to grow each time we approach Him in the Eucharist.

This is why St. Francis made the Eucharist a central part of his life, even to daily Mass, and why he invited his followers to do the same. “Contrite and having confessed … let them receive the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ with great humility and respect, remembering what the Lord says: Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” (Earlier Rule, XX.5, “Francis of Assisi: Early Documents,” vol. 1, 78)

In the Eucharist, Jesus Christ gives Himself to us under sacramental signs that does not remain merely external. We don’t just admire food and ›

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Man should tremble, the world should vibrate, all heaven should be deeply moved when the Son of God appears on the altar in the hands of the priest.”

ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

drink; for them to do us any good, we have to take them in. Jesus gives Himself to us, then, under sacramental signs not just to be admired from the outside, but as something we take into ourselves. As many saints have reminded us, however, that when we take in the Body and Blood of Jesus, something marvelous happens. With regular food and drink, what we take in becomes part of our own bodies. When we receive the blessed sacrament, however, we become the very Body of Christ we consume. This is why St. Francis always approached Communion with both reverence and awe, but also great confidence in the love of God.

Another aspect of the sacrament of the Eucharist that so amazed St. Francis is that Jesus Christ gives us Himself in a form that is very vulnerable. Francis asked for the Eucharistic elements to be handled reverently, but he knew from experience that this was not always the case. He had seen priests and others who had treated this sacrament very casually, without due care and devotion.

He of course urged them to realize the great responsibility they had toward the Eucharist. At the same time, however, Francis could only marvel that Jesus would continue to give Himself in such a manner and let Himself be vulnerable, as when He had let Himself be crucified for the sake of the world.

Francis of Assisi realized too that it was not enough just to marvel at the action of God in the Eucharist, to be untouched by the humility of God shown us in this sacrament. Every time Jesus gives Himself to us in this sacrament, it is a call to imitate the generosity and love of God poured out.

As he told his followers:

“Brothers and sisters, behold the humility of God and pour out yourselves before Him! Humble yourselves that you may be exalted by Him! Hold back nothing of yourselves for yourselves, so that He who gives Himself totally to you may receive you totally!” (Letter to the Whole Order, 28-29, “Francis of Assisi: Early Documents,” vol. 1, 118) ■

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‘No Questions Asked’ nourishment

For 50 years, the Padua Dining Room has fed the body and lifted the spirit of anyone that comes through its front doors

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

Dominic Pereira was making his living as a restaurant cook when he realized he had bigger fish to fry. He envisioned a place where elderly folks on limited incomes, the working poor, newcomers, the unemployed, the homeless, and really anyone down on their luck or struggling to feed themselves or their families could come for a free, home-cooked meal served with a warm welcome.

On Sept. 8, 1974, Pereira’s dream was realized with the opening of the Padua Dining Room.

For 50 years, the free dining room located at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Menlo Park has nourished the body and lifted the spirits of anyone who comes through its front doors. Today it serves 300-400 hot meals a day, Monday through Saturday, from 11 am to 1 pm.

Clients can find the Padua Dining Room in a large gymnasium–size building in the back of the church at 3500 Middlefield Road.

Menlo Park has a cost of living 111% above the national average, according to the Economic Research Institute, erieri.com, using data on housing, food, transportation and health care costs.

“I’m glad to know that this is a place that I can always come to and I’m welcomed,” a regular named Kirk said in a recent video tribute of the dining room’s 50th anniversary.

The tables have turned for Mario Garcia, once a client of the Padua Dining Room, now a volunteer. It was difficult to make enough money to feed his family at first when they came to this country. “St. Anthony’s was open to us and welcomed us and fed our family for a few years,” he said.

The impact of the Padua Dining Room over the span of five decades is “incalculable,” according to Father Tom Martin, administrator of St. Anthony of Padua Parish.

“One of the things that is so incredible about the mission is that those who come for support are always going to find it,” he said. A warm meal, offered with dignity and respect, “really helps to heal some of the challenges facing individuals and family life.”

A VISIONARY COLLABORATION

Pereira didn’t open the Padua Dining alone. It was the fruit of a visionary collaboration between himself and Father John Coleman,

Dominic Pereira

Father John Coleman

One of the things that is so incredible about the mission is that those who come for support are always going to find it. A warm meal, offered with dignity and respect, really helps to heal some of the challenges facing individuals and family life.”

FATHER

St. Anthony of Padua Parish,

TOM MARTIN

administrator

then-pastor at St. Anthony Parish (who died at age 98 earlier this year). Father Coleman took the idea to the San Mateo Central Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, which provided initial funding.

Over the years, the Padua Dining Room has been able to expand its core services beyond hot meals. It also offers grocery basics, clothing and bedding, and on-site health services. On alternating days, new and used clothing items are available for men, women and children, including infants, as are sleeping bags and blankets. A volunteer nurse is on-site from 10:30 am to 1 pm to offer basic health care advice and services such as blood pressure testing, vaccinations and referrals.

The comprehensive services and large,

well-oiled volunteer work force are reasons the Padua Dining Room has been designated a disaster relief center for San Mateo County.

“We charge no fees, ask no questions, turn no one away,” said Maximillian Torres, operations manager. He’s been at the dining room since 1982 when Pereira convinced him to leave Mexico for the job. He is grateful, he said, for so much, but mostly to be able to serve “the least in our community, the least favored.”

THE GRACE OF VOLUNTEERS AND DONORS

While the Padua Dining Hall is a part of St. Anthony of Padua Parish, it is financially independent from it, said Rickey Ono, a St. Anthony parishioner and chairman of its advisory council. ›

Photo by Christina Gray

It’s a wonderful place to be. I’ve seen some come through here with their children and now some of them are coming with their their grandchildren … This is their home.”

COLE, Padua Dining Room volunteer

Today, Padua Dining Room operations are fueled by individual donations, foundation grants, memorial gifts and bequests, corporate gifts, food donations and hundreds of committed volunteers.

Food donations come through Second Harvest of Silicon Valley, which receives funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Safeway, Costco, Bimbo’s Bakery, Chavez Supermarket, local farmers markets and other businesses.

“We’ve got a tremendous food source at the produce terminal in South San Francisco,” said Larry Purcell, a founding volunteer. Every Tuesday and Friday he makes the drive in a St. Anthony truck and loads it with 10,000 pounds of donated produce.

“I do that because I think that’s who we are as human beings,” he said. “We’re supposed to become one and serve each other.”

A popular Christmas event for the past 30 years has been the Padua Dining Room/Menlo Park Fire Department toy drive and giveaway for underprivileged youth.

Students at Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, Woodside Priory and Menlo School have made turkey drives benefiting the Padua Dining Room an annual tradition. An average of 400 turkeys are donated each year.

A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Many of the Padua Dining Room’s several hundred volunteers have been working there for decades. They said the dining room is as important to them as it is to the clients they serve.

“It’s a wonderful place to be,” said a volunteer named Cole. “I’ve seen some come through here with their children and now some of them are coming with their grandchildren….This is their home.”

Troy, a local firefighter, was 10 when he first came to the Padua Dining Room. His mother brought him and his brothers and sister there for meals after his father left the family home. “Now I get a chance to come down here and help myself.” ■

Photo by Christina Gray

From Canada to California

Photo courtesy of Little Sisters of the Holy Family

Mother Marie Léonie during her visit to St. Patrick’s Seminary & University in 1908.

Newly canonized saint served Christ by serving His priests

BY MARY POWERS Assistant director of communications and media relations, Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco

“When we learn to serve, our every gesture of attention and care, every expression of tenderness, every work of mercy becomes a reflection of God’s love.”

Pope Francis’ reflection on the profound beauty of service in his homily for the canonization of new saints on Oct. 20 finds a powerful echo in the life and mission of Mother Marie Léonie Paradis, the founder of the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.

Founded in 1880, her congregation has long dedicated itself to living a “life of prayer and humble and joyful service,” supporting priests spiritually and materially.

EARLY YEARS

Mother Marie Léonie was born in 1840 in L’Acadie, Quebec, and at the age of 9 she was sent to live with the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre-Dame in La Prairie, Quebec. Five years later, she entered the Marianite convent in Saint-Laurent, Quebec, the female branch of the Congregation of the Holy Cross. Holy Cross founder Father Basile Moreau admitted her to make her vows on Aug. 22, 1857.

Early on in her vocation, she felt a desire to support the ministry of priests. It wasn’t until the fall of 1874 when she moved to Memramcook, New Brunswick, to take charge of the sisters and young Americans who performed domestic work at St. Joseph’s College that this charism began to take shape and flourish.

Her work at the college began to draw vocations of generous young women to a life of service, leading to the founding of her institute: the Little Sisters of the Holy Family.

In 1895, Bishop Paul LaRocque invited the sisters to establish their motherhouse

in Sherbrooke, Quebec, and to help serve at the seminary and his residence. Mother Marie Leonie accepted his invitation and transferred the motherhouse and novitiate to Sherbrooke.

ARCHDIOCESE OF SAN FRANCISCO

In 1900, Bishop LaRocque traveled to California due to health issues and met San Francisco Archbishop Patrick Riordan. Upon hearing about the Little Sisters of the Holy Family, Archbishop Riordan inquired in 1901 as to whether they could come to California to serve at the new seminary he built in Menlo Park: St. Patrick’s Seminary.

“We opened some two years ago a seminary under the care of the Sulpician Fathers and had the hopes that we should be able to secure the services of a sisterhood to take charge of the domestic arrangement,” wrote Archbishop Riordan to Bishop LaRoque in 1901. “I have just learned through the president of the seminary that your Lordship has a community in your diocese that we might possibly secure. We have a beautiful building, admirably suited for sisters and would do everything in our power to make them comfortable.”

Upon hearing of the invitation, Mother Marie Léonie responded to the Archbishop in November of that year to say they would not be able to come until 1903 due to needing time to form the sisters in novitiate before sending them to the West.

A contract was drawn up in early 1903 and signed upon the sisters’ arrival that same year. The nine sisters who first came to Menlo Park arrived with the hope of more to come to support the seminary and the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

St. Patrick’s Seminary & University was ›

Always have great respect for the priest, who is the representative of our Lord.” MOTHER MARIE LÉONIE

home to the Little Sisters of the Holy Family from 1903 until 1994. Over the years, 184 sisters served at St. Patrick’s Seminary, St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Mountain View and in the Archbishop’s residence.

Responding to a letter from Sister Nativité, one of the first sisters in California, Mother Marie Léonie wrote, “You are all in our thoughts, especially in our prayers at the novitiate; you are so far away, so far away! (God watches over you.)”

Mother Marie Léonie came to visit her sisters and the seminary in 1908. Not much is recorded of her visit, but one can imagine that she cherished the time with her sisters there — seeing their work and encouraging them in their mission — while also meeting with Archbishop Riordan and planning the expansion of the order in California.

She always held fast to her mission and insight to support priests in their vocations.

“Always have great respect for the priest,” she once told her sisters, “who is the representative of our Lord.”

A year later, a novitiate was opened at the seminary, and St. Patrick’s became a place of formation not only for future priests of the Church but also for the Little Sisters of the Holy Family. Diary entries from sisters living at the seminary at the time show that there were many professions of all levels done in the chapel, and the sisters flourished in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

MEMORIES OF THE SISTERS

Priests who remember the sisters said that

at first the seminarians did not have much contact with the sisters. They cooked for the men — serving them through slots in closed doors — and did their laundry. As time went on, there was more contact with the sisters, and they were a joyful presence on campus.

Father Larry Goode, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in East Palo Alto, remembers the sisters fondly, recounting the time the seminarians organized a trip to a local iceskating rink. The sisters loved the outing since they had a frozen lake close to their motherhouse in Canada where they would skate, so being able to skate again was a joy for them. The seminarians and the sisters took turns skating at the rink.

Over the years, the sisters who served at St. Patrick’s and St. Joseph’s regularly requested the prayers of the students and faculty for the canonization of Mother Marie Léonie. It was also well known that in turn, the sisters kept an eye out for students who may be having a difficult time and offered special prayers for the intercession of Mother Marie Léonie to especially assist these students in their time of need.

With their prayers answered, the priests of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, among many others, have a special patroness looking out for them from heaven. ■

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MOTHER MARIE LÉONIE PARADIS or visit www. centremarie-leonieparadis. com/en/mere-marie-leonie/.

Left, 1908 photo taken at St. Patrick’s Seminary and University of Mother Marie Léonie, Sister Marie-de-la-Nativité, Mademoiselle Delphine LaRocque (a relative of Bishop LaRocque of Sherbrooke) and Sister Marie-de-l’Assomption. Right, Sisters preparing a meal at St. Joseph Minor Seminary in Mountain View, California.

Photos courtesy of Little Sisters of the Holy Family

A school is born

BY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO

San Francisco is home to a rich history of Catholic schools, and the list is now growing. On Aug. 21, after nearly two years of prayer, planning, recruiting and fundraising, Nativity High School officially opened its doors. Seventeen eager and brave pupils attended an opening Mass and their first classes in newly refurbished classrooms. After the academic day, parents and supporters gathered to hear the story of the origin of the school, a remarkable account of the more than 40 people who played significant roles in developing and opening Nativity. Nativity was conceived by Diana and Alex Adamson, San Francisco residents for the past 14 years. Alex works in finance and Diana has extensive experience as a high school math teacher and leading nonprofit organizations. When asked what sparked this idea, Alex said, “We knew a few families who moved out of San Francisco in search of a smaller high school experience with a classical orientation. When we visited those schools in other cities, we were impressed by the caliber and devotion of the students. They were reading and debating complicated literature and outlining complex Euclidean geometric proofs. They were singing sacred music in four-part harmonies and painting beautiful masterpiece replicas, and all so full of joy. It was really those students that inspired this work.”

The Adamsons wondered if there might be interest in a similar school in San Francisco. After a handful of phone calls, they were joined by an energized board of directors and an advisory board that shared a similar vision: a classical orientation alongside the highest-level math and science curriculum. Diana, a math and computer science major said, “Mathematics are the study of the order of the universe and increasingly determine college access, so we take it very seriously. Faith and reason go together.”

The board and advisory board include senior software

engineers at Google, the former head of admissions at the University of Notre Dame, the CEO and founder of the Hallow prayer app and even renowned Catholic sculptor Tim Schmalz.

One of the early phone calls was to Father Joseph Illo at Star of the Sea Parish in the Richmond District. When he offered Nativity his encouragement and a physical home on the parish campus, the idea became a reality. “Without Father Illo’s support, this would not have been possible,” said Alex. “We are so grateful for him and his trust in us.”

With a physical campus and a network of supporters, donors and board members, Nativity High School was born. Nativity High School’s chaplain is Father Michael Hurley, OP, pastor of St. Dominic Church in San Francisco. Father Hurley regularly offers one of the twice-weekly

Our mission is to imitate Christ in the way we know, love, and teach our students. So creating an atmosphere where the teachers and students know each other deeply is important.”

DIANA ADAMSON

Masses for the students. Father Roger Gustafson at St. Hilary in Tiburon is also an advisory board member.

Nativity is an independent Catholic school approved by the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Nativity’s first class is composed of students who hail from eight different grade schools and commute from all parts of the city. The school plans to accept only 40 students per class to maintain a close-knit community. For the 2025-26 school year, Nativity expects to have more applicants than openings.

“Our mission is to imitate Christ in the way we know, love and teach our students,” Diana said. “So creating an atmosphere where the teachers and students know each other deeply is important.”

As its inaugural head of school, Nativity selected Marisela O’Cochlain, a native of Los Angeles whose parents

immigrated from Mexico. Raised in a large Catholic family, she attended Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California, and has worked at classical Catholic schools her entire career. Together with the faculty and staff, she embodies her favorite descriptor of the school: “joyfully Catholic.”

The founding faculty members all came to Nativity through personal referrals. “When you consider the background and expertise of our founding teachers,” O’Cochlain said, “it truly points to the providence and goodness of God.”

“Our science teacher, Tyler Popa, taught at one of the best boarding schools in southern California before earning his master’s in divinity at Notre Dame. Our Latin and geometry teacher, Brother Athanasius, OP, worked as a software engineer at Boeing before discerning a call to religious life. Our humanities teacher, Ian Parelius, graduated at the top of the classics program at St. Mary’s College in Moraga and then went on to earn his master’s in theology from Boston College. Our music teacher, Karolina Zapolska, is a native of Poland, an extraordinary expert in chant and ancient sacred music, and she was raised and taught the faith by her grandmother, an Auschwitz survivor. Our faculty is such a remarkable group of people from so many walks of life. It is such a privilege to watch them build the school together.”

Nativity will outgrow its current space and in 2026 plans to take over the lease of the former Star of the Sea High School building, a refurbished four-story structure currently serving as a temporary home to the Temple Emanu-El Preschool.

Nativity welcomes school visits, which can be easily scheduled by calling the school or through its website, nativityhs.org. The school is currently accepting student applications and is recruiting for two additional teaching roles for the 2025-26 school year.

“If you want a full glimpse of Nativity’s culture, join us for our first community event on Monday, Dec. 16,” said Alex.

The event is headlined by the nationally beloved Father Mike Schmitz. The evening will include student and faculty interviews as well as musical performances from the St. Mary’s Cathedral Children’s Choir and Nativity students.

“There will be a lot of energy and excitement,” said Alex. “We have a couple hundred people who have reserved a spot, but there’s room for more. It’s been a long time since a new Catholic high school opened in San Francisco. It’s worth coming together to be grateful and celebrate.”

The event will be held at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. It is named for Nativity’s unique choice of mascot – “Camelcade.” ■

SCAN FOR TICKETS TO NATIVITY HIGH SCHOOL’S CAMELCADE or visit nativityhs.org/camelcade

Student artist from St. Cecilia Catholic School wins national art contest

Perspectives from Catholic school students on topics of faith

Each year, nearly 20 Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of San Francisco participate in the the Missionary Childhood Association annual Christmas Artwork Contest. This year, the winner of the Archdiocesan contest was Kristina Kim, a seventh grader at St. Cecilia Catholic School in San Francisco. Her artwork was also selected as one of the 15 national winners and two grandprize winners. Kim’s artwork will be on display this Advent and Christmas in Washington D.C.

Founded in 1843, the MCA began as a way for children of France to help children around the world.

Bishop Charles Forbin-Jansen, who was traveling to speak in missionary territories in the United States, Canada and Africa, received a request from missionaries working with children in China for assistance and support. The bishop spoke with a friend, Blessed Pauline Jaricot, who later went on to found the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. She suggested connecting French children with children living in China and having them support the missions abroad in small ways.

From there, the Missionary Childhood Association has grown into a worldwide effort under Bishop Forbin-Jansen’s vision of “children helping children.”

According to its website, the Missionary Childhood Association provides for more than 2 million children enrolled in catechesis and Christian formation programs, more than 600,000 children from nursery

school to secondary school, and more than 700,000 children benefiting from programs for “protection of life.” Services include basic health care rehabilitation and other services for children with disabilities and special needs, and advocacy for orphaned children, street children, child soldiers and victims of human trafficking. The program also provides food and water.

Children from the Archdiocese of San Francisco have played an important role in supporting the Missionary Childhood Association. Their contributions make possible for many children to receive basic necessities, and their prayers help many children to feel God’s love and care.

One of the many ways children participate in the MCA is through the annual Christmas Artwork Contest. The contest takes place during the season of Advent, and children are asked to illustrate a theme from the Christmas story. Twelve winners are selected based on submissions to the

Archdiocese of San Francisco, which then sends them to the MCA national office in New York for the nationwide contest. Twenty-two winners as well as two grand-prize winners are selected, and artwork of the grandprize winners become the official art for the national Christmas card of the Pontifical Mission Societies. The artwork is also displayed at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington during Advent and Christmas. ■

Information for this the article was gathered from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith as well as the Archdiocesan Missions office.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE MISSIONARY CHILDHOOD ASSOCIATION or visit https:// sfarchdiocese.org/missionssf/.

Applications are now available on our website or can be picked up at the school.

The Fr. Sauer Academy exists to support under-served students; therefore, family income is a consideration for acceptance.

academy.siprep.org • (415) 731-7500 ext. 5030 • fsa@siprep.org

Aplicaciones disponibles en nuestro sitio web o bien puede recogerla en la oficina de la Academia Padre Sauer. La Academia Padre Sauer existe para apoyar y servir a alumnos con menos oportunidades y cuyas famllias son de bajos ingresos.

• (415) 731-7500 ext. 5030 • fsa@siprep.org

it time you take care of him?

FR. RAY ALLENDER, SJ, devoted more than half of his 60+ years as a priest in San Francisco serving Catholics at St. Ignatius College Prep and St. Agnes Church. To his parishioners, he was a beacon of warmth and inclusion. To his students, he was the “fox they couldn’t outfox.” But to all, he was that genial, persistent voice inviting them to find God in all things. Now retired, Fr. Ray lives at the Jesuit West Province’s healthcare/retirement community in Los Gatos, CA.

HONOR HIS LIFE of service and his fellow senior Jesuits by making a gift to Jesuits West’s Senior Care today!

CONTACT:

Barbara Harris Regional Director of Advancement Northern California

bharris@jesuits.org

Christmas joy for those in need

BY FRANCISCO VALDEZ Reporter, Catholic San Francisco

What occupies our minds during the Advent and Christmas seasons?

Often, it is activities such as spending time with family, buying gifts and working on our favorite holiday recipes. What about those people without a stable family life or those grappling with poverty? During this holy season, the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Office of Human Life & Dignity hosts events that help struggling families.

Christmas Angels is a festive event centered on recognizing the birth of our Savior, Jesus, and includes a gathering that offers children Christmas gifts, food and drink, and photos with Santa Claus. Most of the beneficiaries of the Christmas Angels event are single moms with children whose fathers are not present in the home.

“Christmas Angels is all about the joy and hope of the holiday based on Christ,” said Julio Escobar, coordinator of the Restorative Justice Ministry. “This special annual event sponsored by the Archdiocese of San Francisco creates for families in need a safe

place that offers the hope, love and peace that they deserve.”

Many people with stable families and incomes take Christmas traditions for granted. Some of the families attending the Christmas Angels event do not even have the space or money for Christmas decorations. Escobar recounts hearing a child at the event say to a volunteer in a Santa costume, “I’ve never seen Santa!” The child touched the volunteer and said to Santa, “Are you real?” These experiences, along with sharing the meaning of the holy season, are touching to families that would not have anywhere else to spend Christmas.

CARDS OF MERCY

Along with the Christmas Angels event, Escobar also heads the Cards of Mercy program, which provides those in prison with four blank Christmas cards so they can write to their loved ones. These cards are delivered by Restorative Justice volunteers, along with holiday treats. The driving force behind this program is mercy, even to those who have committed crimes. “While justice for those in prison is important, we believe in rehabilitation along with justice,” said Escobar. “Mercy and the grace of the Lord can change hearts.”

ADVENT GIVING TREE

Another activity sponsored by the Office of Human Life & Dignity is the annual Advent Giving Tree, a holiday event where people donate gifts to those in need during the Christmas season. Maria MartinezMont, Respect Life coordinator in charge of the Gabriel Project Ministry, told Catholic San Francisco that this event is a way to support pregnant women in need as we celebrate the season. Donations support the Gabriel Project, which helps pregnant women throughout the year through volunteers who are called “angels” at parishes in the three counties of the archdiocese.

“The Advent Giving Tree is our annual fundraiser to support the ministry of the Gabriel Project,” said Martinez-Mont. “The Gabriel Project is a ministry that helps pregnant moms in need, and the need means either material need, spiritual need or emotional need. Donations are used throughout the year to help support mothers with baby clothes, diapers and other necessities.”

“We invite everyone to get involved, to participate in these special ministries and experience the joy that comes with working with vulnerable families,” said Escobar. “The Holy Family of our Lord Jesus Christ depended on the help and kindness of others during this season,” said Martinez-Mont. ■

Those interested in donating or volunteering to be a Christmas Angel or participate in the Advent Giving Tree program can visit sfarch. org/christmasangels-adoptafamily or https:// sfarch.org/gabriel-project-advent-tree/ .

SAINT ELIZABETH CHURCH

CHRISTMAS EVE VIGIL Tuesday December 24, 2024 4:30 pm

CHRISTMAS DAY MASSES

Wednesday December 25, 2024 at 8:30am and 10:30am

2024 SCHEDULE

Lessons and Carols for Advent December 20 | 7:00 p.m. | Adult Choir

Advent Novena Masses (Simbang Gabi) December 16 - 19, 20,23 | 5:30 p.m. December 15,21,22 | 5:00 p.m.

Christmas Eve Masses Tuesday December 24 5:00 p.m. | St. Cecilia Choir with Organ & Instrumentalists

Carol Prelude at 4:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. | Sung Mass with Cantor

Christmas Day Masses | Wednesday December 25 7:30 a.m. 9:30 a.m. | St.Cecilia Choir with Organ & Instrumentalists

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

by

Filipino traditions light the way for Christmas

BY MARY POWERS

Assistant director of communications and media relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco

Joining Mary and Joseph on their journey to Bethlehem, many cultures spend the last nine days of Advent remembering the nine months Mary spent with Jesus in her womb. The practice of these early morning Masses before work began in Europe and spread as missionaries evangelized new lands.

The traditional Spanish morning Masses called “Misa de Gallo” spread to the Philippines around the time Magellan came to the islands and during the conversion of the Filipino people. This tradition was further strengthened by the German Augustinians who came later carrying their tradition of the “Rorate” candlelit Mass. Over time, in addition to morning Masses, the “Simbang Gabi” novena of evening

Masses evolved, which Filipinos celebrate around the world.

In the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the Filipino Ministry holds an annual Simbang Gabi Commissioning Mass in early December to prepare for the novena of Masses that begin Dec. 16.

As part of the Commissioning Mass, each parish brings their “parol” to be blessed in anticipation of the novena. The star-shaped, lighted lantern is another Filipino Advent and Christmas tradition that dates back hundreds of years.

The Filipino word “parol” comes from the Spanish word “farol,” which the Spanish used to describe the lanterns the Filipino people would use. While the Christmas lanterns began as a way for Catholics to get to the early morning Masses in the dark, over time these lanterns were fashioned into stars for Christmas using flexible bamboo sticks and Japanese paper called “papel de japon.”

“For me, the parol is the visible sign of God’s greatest gift to humanity, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!” said Father Angel Quitalig, pastor of St. Mark Church in Belmont and vicar for the Filipino community. “The light of the parol on Christmas, the incarnation of Christ, is the same light we illuminate at the celebration of the Easter Vigil, Christ’s resurrection, the victory of Christ over the darkness of sin and death.”

Symbolically, the lighted star represents the Star of Bethlehem, but one can also see that the traditional parol and Simbang Gabi Masses are symbols of the faith of the Filipino people journeying with the Holy Family to Bethlehem to welcome the Light of the World.

Bring the tradition of the parol star into your home! Visit: www.sfarch. org/advent.

Find Simbang Gabi Masses near you: www.sfarch.org/simbang-gabi

Photo

Dennis Callahan

Saint Robert’s Church

1380 Crystal Springs Road, San Bruno, CA 94066 (650) 589-2800

MERRY CHRISTMAS CONFESSIONS

Saturday, December 23rd 3:00 - 4:15 pm

CHRISTMAS MASSES

Christmas Eve

Tuesday, December 24th

4:00pm, 6:00pm & 9:00pm

Christmas Day, Wednesday, December 25th

7:30 am, 9:30 am & 11:30 am No Evening Mass

NEW YEAR’S DAY

Wednesday, January 1, 2023 9:30 am

FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY

Saturday, January 7th 4:30 pm

Sunday, January 8th 7:30am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, 5:00 pm

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Oct 23- Nov 3, 2024 Poland, Prague, Austria, Munich and Medjugorje

Nov 4-18, 2024 Introducing Our Lady of Einsiedeln, Switzerland. The Holy Chapel is known to have been consecrated by Jesus himself 948 A.D.) Marian Shrines: Medjugorje, Fatima, Lourdes, Montserrat, Barcelona, Loreto, Padre Pio, St. Francis of Assisi and Rome

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Sep 23 - Oct 3, 2025 In the footsteps of the New Testament

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In a beautiful and peaceful park setting that includes many prayer and meditations spots*, we will host your group’s retreat or conference. You may also sign up for a private retreat. We especially invite you to attend one of our five-day silent retreats which are very powerful and reasonably priced.

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*The meditation spots available include: Lourdes, Fatima, St. Joseph, St. Mother Theresa, St. Francis, Spiritual Works, Corporal Works, Adoration Chapel, and (coming fall of 2024), a large (50’ x 12’) crucifixion scene by Timothy Schmaiz.

Synod on Synodality

Walking together with Christ

The synod on synodality concluded Oct. 26 after three years of work at the diocesan, national and international levels of the universal Church. Pope Francis ratified the final report, approved its immediate publication and said he will not publish a separate post-synodal document.

Read more at sfarch.org/synod

Photo by Vatican Media

Buena Vista Manor House

1. The “hypostatic union” refers to the unique union in Jesus Christ of the following:

D. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 461: “Taking up St. John’s expression, ‘The Word became flesh’ (Jn 1:14), the Church calls [the] ‘Incarnation’ the fact that the Son of God assumed a human nature in order to accomplish our salvation in it. In a hymn cited by St. Paul, the Church sings the mystery of the Incarnation: ‘Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross’ (Phil 2:5-8).”

2. Which Greek or Latin title refers specifically to Mary’s role as the mother of God?

D. Greek: Θεοτόκος = God bearer. Latin: Dei Genitrix or Mater Dei = mother of God. “This is the declaration of the correct faith proclaimed everywhere. This was the sentiment of the holy Fathers; therefore they ventured to call the Holy Virgin, the mother of God (theotókos), not as if the nature of the Word or His divinity had its beginning from the Holy Virgin, but because of her was born that holy body with a rational soul, to which the Word being personally united is said to be born according to the flesh” (Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431).

3. Which early Church council defended the dogma of the hypostatic union of Jesus Christ (true God and true man) and proclaimed the Marian title of Theotókos?

C. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 495: “Called in the Gospels ‘the mother of Jesus,’ Mary is acclaimed by Elizabeth, at the prompting of the Spirit and even before the birth of her Son, as ‘the mother of my Lord.’ (Luke 1:43). In fact, the one whom she conceived as man by the Holy Spirit, who truly became her Son according to the flesh, was none other than the Father’s eternal Son, the second person of the Holy Trinity. Hence the Church confesses that Mary is truly [the] ‘mother of God’ (Theotókos).”

4. He was Caesar when Christ was born:

A. The grandnephew of Julius Caesar, his reign and rise to power was fraught with civil wars and ruthless, violent retribution toward enemies, and other dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Many of the events of his reign are recorded in Christian history, the most notable being his call for a census, which resulted in Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem (Lk 2:1).

5. The Magi brought baby Jesus in the manger gifts of gold, frankincense and?

B. Myrrh is mentioned 11 times in the Old Testament. Its Hebrew root word, mor, is “bitter.” It was often used as one of the spices for embalming the dead, which is why it contributes to the mystery of the gifts to the infant Jesus — gold for a king, frankincense for a holy sacrifice and myrrh for a burial.

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January 18-February 4

Footsteps of St. Paul in Greece: A Journey to Athens, Corinth, Thessaloniki and Philippi April 26-May 7

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May 24-June 8

Holy Land September 6-17

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October 11-25

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Come out and join us

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

Dec. 18: Roráte Mass

Archbishop Cordileone will celebrate a Pontifical Low Roráte Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption Dec. 18 at 5:30 am. The Roráte Mass is a votive Mass in honor of the Virgin Mary for the season of Advent, lit only by candles. The Mass takes its title, Roráte, from the first words of the Introit, which are from Isaiah 45:8: “Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain the just: let the earth be opened and bud forth a Savior.”

Dec. 20: Christmas Angels Event

The archdiocesan Restorative Justice Ministry’s Christmas Angels program is designed to support children affected by homicide, children with a parent in prison, and children affected by domestic violence and abuse. With your support, we can bring extra joy into their lives during the Christmas season. The project will culminate with a family Christmas event Dec. 20 from noon to 4 pm at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. At this festive event,

gifts will be distributed, food and drinks will be served, and children will have the opportunity to get their photo taken with Santa. Email Julio Escobar for more information: escobarj@sfarch.org.

Dec. 24:

Christmas Eve and beginning of the Jubilee Year of Hope

Dec. 25: Christmas Day

Jan. 11:

Ninth annual Santo Niño Fiesta

Join the archdiocesan Filipino Ministry for the 9th annual Santo Nino Fiesta Jan. 11 at 11 am at St. Mark Catholic Church. The “Santo Nino” (or Holy Child Jesus) is a symbol of the birth of Catholicism in the Philippines more than 500 years ago when Magellan presented a statute of the Santo Nino to Queen Juana of the Philippine Island of Cebu in 1521. The faithful are encouraged to attend and to bring their own Santo Nino to receive a special blessing after the Mass. https:// sfarch.org/event/9th-annualsanto-nino-fiesta/

Jan. 24-25:

Walk for Life Vigil and Walk for Life West Coast

The 21st annual Walk for Life

will be held Saturday, Jan. 25, at 12:30 pm at the Civic Center in San Francisco. Join in prayer with the Walk for Life Vigil Mass Jan. 24 at 5 pm at St. Dominic Catholic Church, all-night adoration at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church and the Walk for Life Mass at 9:30 am Jan. 25 with Archbishop Cordileone at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. Join us in praying and standing for life: https://www. walkforlifewc.com/event-info/ event-schedule/

Feb. 1:

Archdiocese of San Francisco’s Women’s Conference

Join in the Archdiocese of San Francisco’s 2025 Women’s Conference in the Jubilee Year of Hope Saturday, Feb. 1, at the Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Belmont from 9 am to 3:30 pm. The conference theme is “Women of the Church: Anchors of Hope,” and the event will include Mass with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, keynote talk by Timmerie Geagea, host of Relevant Radio’s “Trending with Timmerie,” as well as Eucharistic Adoration, the sacrament of reconciliation and lunch. Learn more at: sfarch.org/womensconference.

At Catholic Charities of San Francisco, our mission—since 1853—has been to serve our brothers and sisters, with LOVE . Your donations help us reach over 100,000 people in the Bay Area, all of whom are worthy of dignity, hope, and of course, LOVE . Join us in this calling to serve our brothers and sisters, and help us in our mission to spread LOVE .

We See the Unseen

J e s u s , M a r y , a n d J o s e p h h a d n o w h e r e e u , M a r y , n d J o p h w h e J s M a r y , a d J o s p h h a d n o h r t o l a y t h e i r h e a d s . . . t l y h e i r h e d . . . t o l a y t h e r h a d s .

B u t w i t h t h e k i n d n e s s o f y o u r h e a r t s , a n a v e r a g e o f 5 0 0 t w t t h e k n d n e s s o f o r e a r t s , a n a v e r a g e o f 5 0 B u w i h e k i d n e y u t , a v e r 0 0 i n d i v i d u a l s w i l l h a v e a s a f e a n d w a r m p l a c e t o s l e e p i n d i v i d u a l s w i l l h a v e a s a f e a n d w a r m l a c e t o s l e e i n i v d u a l s i l h a e a s a e a n d a r m p l a c e o s l e e p

t o n i g h t . t g h t . t o n i h t .

M a y H i s l o v e b r i n g w a r m t h a n d

M a y H i l v e b r i n g w a r m t h n d a H s o e b i g w a r t a n d

g r a c e , l i g h t i n g t h e w a y f o r g r a c l g i n t h f o r g r a c e l i g h t n g t h e w a y f r

t h o s e w h o a r e o f t e n u n s e e n . o s e w h o a r e o t e n n s e e n . t h o w h o a e f u e .

T o g e t h e r , l e t u s s t r i v e t o b u i l d a o g e t e , l e t u s s t i v e t o b u l d a o g e t h e r l e t u s s r v e t o i d a

m o r e e q u a l a n d j u s t w o m r q u l n d j u s t w o m o e e u a l a d u s t o

W i s h i n g y o u a n d y o u r l o v e d o n e s a h o l i d a y s h i n g y o u a n o r l o e o n e s a o l d a y i i y u y u o v o h o i a y

f i l l e d w i t h j o y a n d c o u n t l e s s b l e s s i n g s . f i l e d t h j o y a d c o u t l e s s b l e s s i n s l e d w i h o a n d c o n t e s s l e s s n g s . M e r r y C h r i s t m a s ! M e r r y C h r i s t m a s !

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The St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco offers hope and service on a direct person-to-person basis, working to break the cycles of homelessness and domestic violence.

We See the Unseen