Sharing recipes highlights the importance of gathering with family, friends and our broader Diocese of Orange faith community.
Please share your favorite recipes, along with your name and parish. Send your favorite seasonal dish, or a recipe that has special meaning to you or your family. Tell us why it’s important to you! Our editors will pick their favorites to be featured in OC Catholic throughout the year.
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Categories are entrees, appetizers, side dishes, beverages and desserts.
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JANUARY 5, 2025
CONTENTS
7
9
GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU
Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen celebrates Christmas Eve Mass at the Santa Ana City Jail.
CALLED TO GUIDE
Soccer coach Alex Ramirez has found a new home at Servite High School.
14 WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
As we begin a new year, we are called to seek the Lord.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT
The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840
Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com
SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT
Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams Art Director: Ryann Beveridge
Delivered weekly to parishes and homes throughout Orange County, Calif., Orange County Catholic is published by SCNG Custom Content, a division of Southern California News Group that offers content development and design expertise to businesses and nonprofit institutions. The Orange County Catholic editorial staff and editorial council are responsible for the content contained herein. Events and products advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG Custom Content.
ROSARY BEADS
READER CALL-OUT
According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), “The repetition in the Rosary is meant to lead one into restful and contemplative prayer related to each Mystery. The gentle repetition of the words helps us to enter into the silence of our hearts, where Christ's spirit dwells. The Rosary can be said privately or with a group.”
If you would like to share a photo of your Rosary Beads with our readers, please send a photo and brief description (include your name and parish) to: editor@occatholic.com C
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
1 JOHN 3:22–4:6; PSALM 2:7BC-8, 10-12A; MATTHEW 4:1217, 23-25
“ Let us ask the Lord to renew in us his love for the church …”
— Pope Francis
SAINT PROFILE
JOHN NEUMANN 1811—1860
ANATIVE OF BOHEMIA, JOHN entered the seminary and was nearing ordination when he departed for the United States. He joined the Redemptorists and served as a priest in New York, Maryland and Pennsylvania. In 1852 he was named the fourth bishop of Philadelphia. He founded more than 50 churches and greatly expanded Catholic education. John had a fondness for immigrants and knew six languages. His pastoral zeal was evident up to his last moments of life. He collapsed and died in the street at age 48. C
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
TUESDAY
1 JOHN 4:7-10; PSALM 72:1-2, 3-4, 7-8; MARK 6:34-44
WEDNESDAY
1 JOHN 4:11-18; PSALM 72:1-2, 10, 12-13; MARK 6:45-52
THURSDAY
1 JOHN 4:19–5:4; PSALM 72:1-2, 14 AND 15BC, 17; LUKE 4:14-22
FRIDAY
1 JOHN 5:5-13; PSALM 147:1213, 14-15, 19-20; LUKE 5:12-16 SATURDAY
1 JOHN 3:22-30; PSALM 149:1-2, 3-4, 5-6A AND 9B; MATTHEW 4:16
DIOCESE OF ORANGE PARISHIONERS RON AND SANDY SMITH HAVE FOUND THEIR CALLING BY SUPPORTING A SCHOOL IN UGANDA
BY GREG HARDESTY
RON AND SANDY SMITH
were in Africa on their way to the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, a national park in southwestern Uganda that is home to nearly half of the world’s mountain gorillas, when their lives changed.
They saw schoolchildren in purple and red uniforms walking along a dirt road on their way to St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School – a humble collection of classrooms and buildings located in a small town where agriculture and tourism are the main industries.
The following day, the Smiths decided to visit the school. They met Fr. Nestorio Niwagaba of the Kabale Diocese and were moved to action by the dirt floors in the classrooms and a host of other pressing needs for the 700-plus students ages 5 to their late teens.
And so, in January 2023, they formed Friends of St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School, a 501c3 nonprofit organization.
FULL-TIME CALLING
Five years ago, while living in Fresno and running a business, the lifelong Catholics had been considering missionary work.
“God put the idea in our hearts,” Sandy said.
But the COVID-19 pandemic put their missionary plans on hold.
In October 2022, when the Smiths went on that gorilla trek at the end of a missionary trip to Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda sponsored by an Orange County organization, they were ready.
Now the Smiths, parishioners at
St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, are engaged full time in developing a modern, safe and comfortable learning environment for the students of St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School.
After selling their funeral home and moving to Orange County, they’re pouring their own money into helping to refurbish the school and are praying that others will join their cause.
“When we tell people what we’re doing,” Sandy said, “many of them ask, ‘Why aren’t you helping people here in Orange County?’
“But people don’t understand how much of a need there is in Uganda. Until you go, you don’t realize how many people have nothing — and they would starve and die before they would steal something from their neighbors.
“I think the children and all the residents of Rubuguri see hope in what we’re doing.”
Added Ron: “When you get a calling, you must go with it.
“The needs are so huge you could get 10 to 20 non-profits over there and that still wouldn’t solve the problem.”
THOUGHTS FROM A NORBERTINE PRIEST
St. Michael’s Abbey priests Fr. Claude Williams, O. Praem, and Fr. Brendan Hankins, O. Praem, parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist in Costa Mesa, accompanied the Smiths to Rubuguri this past year, during which the couple spent a total of five months in Uganda.
Frs. Claude and Brendan spent 10 days in Uganda.
“First, we went on a safari and saw Uganda’s amazing wildlife including lions, elephants and hippos,” Fr. Brendan recalled. “It was an incredible start to our trip, but
RON AND SANDY SMITH; FR. CLAUDE WILLIAMS AND FR. BRENDAN HANKINS OF ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY; FR. NESTORIO NIWAGABA, PARISH PRIEST, RUBUGURI CATHOLIC PARISH; AND MSGR. JOHN VIANNEY SUNDAY, VICAR GENERAL OF THE DIOCESE OF KABALE, UGANDA. PHOTO COURTESY OF RON AND SANDY SMITH
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
it was only the beginning of what would become a life-changing experience.”
As soon as the group arrived at the school, hundreds of young students welcomed them with singing and dancing — even incorporating their names into their songs. The priests celebrated Holy Mass with Fr. Nestorio and visited the classrooms, giving rosaries to the teachers and students.
After school, Fr. Brendan was able to play volleyball with the members of the girls’ volleyball team.
“Even though I’m 6 foot 3 inches,” Fr.
FEATURE
Brendan said, “these girls gave me all that I could handle!”
Fr. Brendan said visiting St. Kizito had a profound effect on his life and faith as a Catholic priest.
“This area is very poor and the conditions in the school are not close to what we are used to here in Orange County, but the students are very happy and joyful,” he said. “Their frequent singing and dancing kept me smiling the entire time.”
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
The Smiths are starting 2025 with a monthlong trip back to Uganda.
Among the many pressing needs at St. Kizito Rubuguri Primary School, besides basic school supplies such as books, are adding separate dormitories for boys and girls, as well as a lodge for visitors.
“There is plenty of room for expansion,” Ron noted.
Said Fr. Brendan of the Smiths: “They have shown me that we can make a profound difference in the lives of these beautiful children and people by giving
them what we would consider in the United States to be a very small offering.
“Our missionary journey helped me to be so grateful for the abundance of blessings that I have received and to see that sharing a little of it can make the lives of our fellow Catholics so much better.
“My heart and soul still sing and dance with the beautiful people of Uganda and St. Kizito Catholic School whenever I think of them.” C
FR. CLAUDE WILLIAMS, FR. BRENDAN HANKINS WITH RON AND SANDY SMITH DONATING BOOKS TO THE SCHOOL LIBRARY.
FR. CLAUDE WILIIAMS, FR. BRENDAN HANKINS AND FR. NESTORIO CELEBRATE MASS IN UGANDA. PHOTOS COURTESY OF RON AND SANDY SMITH
GOD HAS NOT FORGOTTEN YOU
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN CELEBRATES
CHRISTMAS EVE MASS AT SANTA ANA CITY JAIL
BY GREG HARDESTY
AN INMATE SHAVES THE head of another detainee.
At a table, four others play cards.
A few inmates are on the phone – oldstyle ones mounted on walls.
Five other detainees walk into a multi-purpose room in a general-population module at the Santa Ana City Jail and take a seat before a makeshift altar.
It is early morning, and Auxiliary Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen and a handful of other Diocese representatives are prepared to begin the Nativity of the Lord Christmas Vigil Mass for the inmates, all wearing tan jail smocks over bright orange T-shirts and who share sparse, two-men cells.
Before Mass begins, Deacon Modesto Cordero, director of the Office for Worship for the Diocese, asks the five who among them plans to receive Communion.
One inmate tells Deacon Modesto he needs to have his confession heard first.
Bishop Nguyen obliges.
Music ministry volunteer Garth Meade then launches into an acoustic guitar version of “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” and Mass is underway.
ON HIS HEART
The Diocese’s Office of Restorative Justice/Detention Ministry held five Christmas Eve Masses at Santa Ana City Jail in 2024 – an annual tradition organized by ministry director Fred La Puzza.
The Santa Ana City Jail primarily houses detainees accused of or sentenced for federal crimes. Men and women detained for state misdemeanor and felony offenses also are temporarily housed into the jail. The average stay is four months to eight
years, jail officials said.
“We wanted to come and bring a little Christmas cheer to you guys,” La Puzza told the five men before Mass.
La Puzza began his ministry with incarcerated populations in 1988 as a volunteer leading Communion service, Bible
studies, and one-on-one visits at Juvenile Hall.
Meade has been involved in the music ministry for incarcerated minors and adults for nearly three decades.
“This ministry has been on my heart for a long time,” Meade, a parishioner
with his wife, Nancy, at La Purísima Catholic Church in Orange, said. “The inmates really appreciate when we visit. They have a real desire for God but just don’t know how to get it done – just like us sometimes.”
NOT FORGOTTEN
Bishop Nguyen said during his opening prayer: “Christmas is saying to us, ‘We have a God. And that God is madly in love with all of us.’
“So, no matter what we do, whatever we wear or who we are, God is madly in love with us, and He sent His son Jesus to be a baby in Bethlehem to grow up and to teach us about love.”
One inmate, with a tattoo on the back of his neck that read, in fancy script, Lil Hoodster, volunteered for both readings.
In his homily, Deacon Modesto said:
“This day reminds us that even amid our struggles, God is with us…whether we are free or behind walls, whether we are filled with joy or carrying burdens, His love knows no boundaries.
“He loves you. And He comes to offer you peace – even here.”
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN CELEBRATED A SPECIAL MASS AT THE SANTA ANA CITY JAIL ON DEC. 24. HE IS PICTURED WITH DEACON MODESTO CORDERO, OFFICER M. MONREAL, FRED LA PUZZA AND GARTH MEADE. PHOTOS BY KIERNAN COLIFLORES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN COUNSELS AN INMATE ON CHRISTMAS EVE AT THE SANTA ANA CITY JAIL.
THE LONGEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR
REMEMBERING LIVES LOST
BY BRITNEY ZINT
THIRTY-ONE MINUTES and nine seconds. That’s how long it took to read each of the 389 names of the unhoused lives lost on the streets of Orange County this year.
The ninth annual Homeless Persons’ Inter-Religious Memorial Service took place at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Laguna Woods on Dec. 21 — the longest night of the year. For each name read, a candle was lit and carried across the church sanctuary.
“We state clearly together, with others in scores of communities across the nation, that their life is of value,” said Paul Kratzer, vice president and council member of the Lutheran Church of the Cross.
Orange County started the service in 2016, when 193 lives were lost. For the last several years, the leading cause of death has been drug and alcohol overdoses, said Gina Marie Seriel, founder and CEO of Our Father’s Table, a nonprofit dedicated to ending the cycle of chronic homelessness.
“This does not take away or minimize the undeniable fact that living on the streets takes a significant deadly toll on the body,” Seriel added. “The mortality rate among folks experiencing homelessness is 3.5 times the mortality rate of housed individuals.”
The interfaith memorial brought out representatives from the Catholic, Bahá’í, Muslim, Lutheran, Christian Scientist, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Unitarian Universalist faiths. The Diocese of Orange was among the event sponsors.
The service coincided with purple flags planted around the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange campus in Orange in memory of the homeless who died in 2024.
ANNUAL HOMELESS PERSONS’ INTER-RELIGIOUS MEMORIAL SERVICE WITH TOOK PLACE AT LUTHERAN CHURCH OF THE CROSS IN LAGUNA WOODS ON DEC. 21.
The religious leaders noted that their respective faiths call to help the poor and marginalized and treat all as brothers and sisters regardless of faith, ethnicity or distance.
In Islam, caring for the vulnerable is not considered an act of charity, but a fundamental expression of faith, said Deana Helmy of the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California.
“Homelessness is not simply a condition; it is a reflection of systemic iniquities and collective neglect,” Helmy said. “Our faiths teach us to see beyond labels and circumstances, recognizing that dignity is God-given, and it cannot be stripped by poverty or circumstance.”
Fr. Gregory Walgenbach, director of the Diocese’s Office of Life, Justice & Peace, reiterated calls to love one another with the reading of Psalm 84 and the First Letters of St. John, Chapters 3 and 4.
“We love because He first loved us,”
DURING THE NINTH ANNUAL HOMELESS PERSONS’ INTER-RELIGIOUS MEMORIAL SERVICE, CANDLES WERE LIT FOR THE 389 LIVES LOST ON THE STREETS OF ORANGE COUNTY THIS YEAR. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Fr. Gregory quoted. “If anyone says, ‘I love God’ and hates his brother, he is a liar. For he who does not love his brother who he has seen cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”
Orange County’s service is a localized version of a national event that started
in 1990 to honor those who have died on the streets each year, Seriel said.
“We wanted to honor those who died in our community, in our neighborhoods of Orange County,” Seriel said. “In many cases, this service will be the only commemoration of their lives.” C
FR. GREGORY WALGENBACH ADDRESSES ATTENDEES OF THE NINTH
PURPLE FLAGS WERE PLANTED AROUND THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF ORANGE CAMPUS IN ORANGE IN MEMORY OF THE HOMELESS WHO DIED IN 2024.
Deacon Modesto talked about how in the time of Isaiah (the first reading was from the Book of Isaiah) the people of Israel were living in exile, longing for freedom and restoration.
“They needed to hear that God had not forgotten them,” he said. “In the same way, you may feel exiled – cut off from loved ones, from freedom or even from hope. But the message of Christmas is that God has not forgotten you. He is with you, and He offers a peace that the world cannot give.
“For many of you, this may feel like a season of darkness – cut off from family, freedom or a sense of purpose. But remember, Jesus is the light that no prison, no mistake, no sin can extinguish. Open your heart to His light today and let Him bring hope to your soul.”
ALL WILL BE OK
Meade led the men in more songs, including an a cappella version “Happy Birthday” to the infant Jesus. The Mass ended with a rousing “Feliz Navidad” singalong, complete with handclapping.
The inmate who gave his confession to Bishop Nguyen and received Communion – he has a wife and a 7-year-old daughter – said how grateful he was for the opportunity to celebrate Mass behind bars.
“I’ve been here for four months already, and I haven’t attended church for a very long time – more than 10 years,” he said. “I took this opportunity to come here.
“I got reconnected with God in here, just reading the Bible and missing my family and talking to my family, and I came to understand what I did was my fault, and that I was wrong.
“I asked God for forgiveness, and He calmed me down and because of this opportunity I have confessed my sin to the bishop, which makes me feel very light.
“I want to thank him and everybody for giving us this opportunity. I’m going to go call my family now and tell them what you guys did for me and that I know that everything’s going to be OK.” C
CALLED TO GUIDE
ALEX RAMIREZ SAYS HIS POSITION AS SERVITE SOCCER COACH IS A CALL FROM GOD
BY LOU PONSI
SOME MIGHT DESCRIBE the sequence of events that placed Alex Ramirez in the position as Servite High School’s new soccer coach as a mere fortuitous coincidence.
Ramirez is certain there was a much higher calling at play, that God closed a door and opened new doors, guiding the longtime coach to exactly where he needed to be, which is to help form young men into “faith-filled, intellectual, confident leaders with knowledge, wisdom and character for success in college and life,” as stated as part of Servite’s mission.
A short time before accepting the position at Servite, where Ramirez will coach soccer and teach English, he had started the process of converting to Catholicism.
He is currently taking “Rite of Cristian Initiation of Adults” classes at his family’s home parish of St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point.
His conversion to Catholicism will be officially complete on Easter Sunday.
At about the same time, the husband and father of three, also made the choice to leave Savanna High School, where he served as the head soccer coach for 17 years, winning the Orange League Championship in 2024 and being named Orange League Coach of the Year.
While Ramirez was exposed to Catholicism through father, the religion wasn’t part his everyday life, he said.
His father grew up
Catholic, as did his mother. But she converted to Protestantism before Ramirez was born.
“I grew up in a divorced family and with my mom's side,” he shared,” and I grew up Protestant.”
Before Ramirez and his wife Jennifer married and were discussing wedding plans, both agreed that the marriage would take place in the Catholic Church.
Jennifer was a lifelong Catholic and the couple wanted the Church to recognize the validity of the marriage.
“I was comfortable with that,” he said. “I wanted them to have that relationship with God or that foundation of what faith can bring them.”
As he became involved in his children’s lives and attended Mass on Sundays, the calling to convert became more profound.
Several months before coming to Servite, Ramirez had begun praying for wisdom.
ALEX RAMIREZ WILL COACH SOCCER AND TEACH ENGLISH AT SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL. PHOTO COURTESY OF SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL
SERVING GOD
OLIVER COUGHLIN ORDAINED AS NEWEST TRANSITIONAL DEACON
BY RON KUZLIK
SEMINARIAN OLIVER Coughlin was ordained a transitional deacon in the Diocese of Orange by Bishop Kevin Vann during a ceremony at Christ Cathedral on Saturday, Dec. 14.
For Seminarian Coughlin, ordination as a transitional deacon is the last stage of preparation before full ordination to the priesthood. This time will serve as a pastoral, liturgical and educational preparation period for the priesthood.
The rite of ordination began with the calling and presentation of Seminarian Coughlin as the sole candidate.
Ordination to the transitional diaconate brings about a profound change as Seminarian Coughlin made the transition from lay to the clerical state. During the ordination ceremony, he made several promises, including obedience to Bishop Vann and his successors, maintaining a life of chaste celibacy and being a man of prayer.
Then, during the Litany of Saints, Seminarian Coughlin prostrated himself face down on the altar.
This was followed by Bishop Vann’s laying of hands upon his head and the prayer of consecration.
Afterwards, Bishop Vann offered this blessing upon him:
“Send forth the Holy Spirit upon him oh Lord, we pray that he may be strengthened by the gift of your sevenfold grace to carry out faithfully this ministry. May he remain firm and steadfast in Christ.”
Seminarian Coughlin then stood to be vested with his stole (a sash-like vestment that is worn from the left shoulder across the chest that marks recipients of Holy Orders) and the dalmatic (a deacon’s outer robe). He was vested by his classmates Deacons Christian Morquecho and Jorge Moncada who were both recently
ordained as transitional deacons for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
Finally, Bishop Vann placed the Book of the Gospels in the hands of the new deacon with the words, “Receive the Gospel of Christ, whose herald you have become. Believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you preach,” giving Deacon Coughlin the responsibility to proclaim the teachings of Jesus Christ to the community thereby acting as a messenger of the Good News.
Growing up, Deacon Coughlin attended St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Costa Mesa and La Purísima Catholic Church in Orange. Since entering seminary, his home parish has been St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church in Anaheim.
He was born and raised in Orange County into a large Catholic family. The second oldest of seven kids, he has two brothers and four sisters.
Prior to entering seminary, he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a juris doctor (J.D.) from Notre Dame Law School.
After working as a litigation attorney for a period of time in Chicago, Deacon Coughlin continued his discernment to become a priest of Jesus Christ.
“Several things inspired me to discern the priesthood,” he shared, “including the example of holy priests that I’ve had the blessing to know during my life, especially as a young adult.”
He points out that his friends and family have been very supportive of his decision.
“The support of my family who raised me in the faith and fostered my vocation as well as devotion to the Eucharist and Our Lady through practices such as Eucharistic adoration and the Rosary.”
He also recently earned a Master of Divinity (MDiv) degree.
Deacon Coughlin has been assigned to St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Huntington Beach where he will be called to proclaim the Gospel, distribute the Eucharist, give instruction in Holy Doctrine, prepare for the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and to preside over baptisms, marriages, funerals and public prayer. He may even be called upon to preach the homily at
Mass.
After completion of this final stage of preparation, Deacon Coughlin is scheduled to be ordained into the Priesthood of Jesus Christ in June 2025.
For more information on vocations in the Diocese of Orange, go to: https://www.rcbo.org/ocvocations/ or call (714) 282-3033. C
OLIVER COUGHLIN IS PICTURED AT THE CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS AHEAD OF HIS TRANSITIONAL DIACONATE ORDINATION. PHOTO BY EVERETT JOHNSON/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
DEACON OLIVER COUGHLIN IS PICTURED WITH FR. ANGELOS SEBASTIAN, BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN, BISHOP KEVIN VANN, BISHOP TIMOTHY FREYER AND FR. CHEEYOON CHUN. PHOTO BY THERESE VASQUEZ
Ramirez excelled during his 17 years at Savanah, serving in a variety of roles at Savanna as soccer and track & field coach, English and math teacher and athletic director.
For years, Ramirez had been trying to guide the Rebels to a league championship.
Several teams had come close before the league title finally became a reality in the 2023-24 season.
“There was this piece of me where I always knew that one of my goals was to give these boys that nobody believed in something tangible,” Ramirez said. “And I was super proud of all those groups and all their coming up short against bigger competition. But then God had this miraculous moment where we were league champions against all odds.”
About a month after capturing the league title, Ramirez received a Reduction in Force notice, informing him that he would be let go at the end of the school year.
While the notice was rescinded, Ramirez had already made the decision to move on, not because of any ill will towards Savanna or the district.
“I knew this was God’s response to me,” Ramirez said. “He said, ‘You've done what you came here to do.”
When his wife heard about the opening for a soccer coach at Servite, Ramirez
told her he had no chance of being hired.
The Friars have a storied history of winning CIF Southern Section titles and CIF State Regional titles, capturing both last season.
“I’d be good at that job, but they are never going to consider me,” he recalled saying.
With some slight prodding from his wife, Ramirez applied anyway.
“I came into the first interview, and I really loved what I saw,” he recalled.
“How much care they put into this place, that they put into the Catholic side of their school. It was clear that it was very important in the process to hire someone who's good for their boys athletically, but also in terms of formation.”
After his second interview, Servite athletic director Matthew Marrujo walked Ramirez to the statue of Mary and comforting her Jesus, situated in the school’s quad.
At the base of the statue, an inscription of the bible verse John 2:5 reads, “Do whatever He tells you.”
At that moment, Ramirez believed strongly that God was calling on him to guide young men at Servite.
“Every member of this school that I know who is working with kids is pulling in the same direction of trying to build faith-filled leaders,” he said. “To me, it was a mission alignment immediately. I love this place.” C
“It’s Your Turn, Lead”
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THE SOUNDS OF CHRISTMAS
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE'S SCHOLA CANTORUM HOSTS FIRST ADVENT LESSONS AND CAROLS SERVICE
BY BRITNEY ZINT
HOLDING A SINGLE CANDLE each, the choir of eight processed to the altar in the dimly lit sanctuary. The sopranos, altos, tenors and basses added their voices, blending the sounds into a sepulcher resonance that captured the attention of all and set the mood for the night’s festivities.
The Schola Cantorum of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in La Habra hosted its first Advent Lessons and Carols
“And we have truly experienced that this evening,” he added. “I believe that music has the power to touch hearts in the season of Christmas like no other. It brings us back to where we were born, our families, those who love us, those who taught us and those who taught us how to pray.”
as guest organist before and during the concert.
Mueller, the music department chair and organist at Concordia University, also performed a prelude recital.
The Schola Cantorum performed popular tunes like “Silent Night” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” as well as ecclesiastical songs like “O Magnum Mysterium,” “A Hymn to the Virgin,” and “The Lord at First Did Adam Make.”
“I hope they will take away a deeper Service, entitled: “A Festival of Lessons and Carols Celebrating Advent and the Nativity,” on Dec. 20 — the final Friday before Christmas, which happened to be the last night of the parish’s second annual European-style Christmas market, El Mercado del Niňo Jesus.
Bishop Kevin Vann attended the concert, gave the final blessing and joined the market afterward. During his blessing, Bishop Vann referred to how music “is a fair and glorious gift of God.”
The concert featured the parish's professional choir, the Schola Cantorum, which performs with and alongside the parish's volunteer choir, the OLG Parish Choir. In addition, Dr. Tom Mueller performed
“It was great,” said parishioner Cecilia Castellanos. “I thought I was in Europe somewhere. It really touches you.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe Music Director Connie Salazar said she found the music uplifting and beautiful, and she hopes the audience walks away with its deeper meaning.
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE’S CHOIR, THE SCHOLA CANTORUM, PERFORMS CHRISTMAS CLASSICS AND ECCLESIASTICAL SONGS DURING ITS FIRST ADVENT LESSONS AND CAROLS SERVICE HELD ON DEC. 20. PHOTO BY STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
sense of the Incarnation, the beauty and richness of our Catholic faith, the beautiful heritage of our music and what it does to our hearts and souls,” Salazar said. “It opens us up to prepare us to receive Christ in our hearts.”
Fr. William Goldin, parochial administrator of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church, shared his thoughts on the evening.
"It was such a joy to welcome Bishop Vann for our wonderful Schola Cantorum's first Lessons and Carols service, and to join our community in praising the Nativity of Christ in word and song."
At the Christmas market, community members enjoyed the festivities for the final night. El Mercado del Niňo Jesus began on Dec. 8 and ran for 13 nights.
Lena Miller said she wanted to come again for the closing night.
“The team that has put it together has worked so hard, and for the last two weeks it’s been full of people just finding joy and community and coming together with the parish,” Miller said. “It’s really nice. It captures the holiday spirit.”
El Mercado del Niňo Jesus has been a chance to meet a lot of wonderful people, said Jeff Acton, who was volunteering his time at the Blessed Knight Cafe booth, a local nonprofit that incorporates art and coffee to create Catholic art in accessible ways.
“It’s been humbling and fruitful,” Acton added. “It’s been very relatable to see different people here than where we’re normally located. It’s been nice to see a community come together too, trying to support each other and have a nice festival for everybody to celebrate.”
Entering the market under an archway covered in garland and lights, a neon sign read, “Mercado del Niňo Jesus,” before opening up
the European-style market. A creche hung with hundreds of lights welcomed visitors, as did a massive artificial Christmas tree surrounded by seven-foot real trees.
Adults also enjoyed “Santa Claus’ Tavern,” a tent filled with chairs, couches and tables for a bar serving mulled wine, beer and pomegranate skinny margaritas.
Nearby, Santa’s Workshop attracted toddlers who could color, play with wooden toys and dig in a sensory bin. Engrossed by the toys, children were given another surprise: a toddler-sized Christmas plush toy that played music.
Visitors munched on quesadillas, taquitos, pozole and funnel cakes as they browsed wares — everything from jewelry and Christmas gifts to necessities like diapers, Kleenex and kitchen gadgets. Pantry staples were also available for $1 a bag.
The jewelry booths were the perfect spot for Miller’s 8-year-old son to do all his Christmas shopping.
“He picked out for his aunt and his grandmas, and he was so excited,” Miller said.
As the night wore on, the festivities got merrier with line dancing lessons. Adults and three little boys boot scooted to “God Blessed Texas” as the instructor called out the steps.
“My grandkids just did line dancing, and I took a bunch of videos,” said parishioner Chiky Awad. “It was so cute!” C
OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE’S CHOIR, THE SCHOLA CANTORUM, HOSTED ITS FIRST ADVENT LESSONS AND CAROLS SERVICE ON DEC. 20.
BISHOP KEVIN VANN AND FR. WILLIAM GOLDIN ARE PICTURED DURING THE CLOSING NIGHT OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE LA HABRA) PARISH’S SECOND ANNUAL EUROPEANSTYLE CHRISTMAS MARKET, EL MERCADO DEL NIŇO JESUS. PHOTOS BY STEVEN GEORGES/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE
WHO ARE YOU FOLLOWING?
BY JOAN PATTEN, AO
WHO ARE YOU following? Do you know where they are going? Who is following you? Do you know where you are going? I am hopelessly disoriented when it comes to navigating directions. Before modern GPS, I constantly got lost while navigating from one place to another, asking for directions from strangers and calculating where the sun was in the sky to determine if I was going east or west. Not knowing where I was going impacted my self-confidence and my ability to make decisions.
Nevertheless, God does not call the equipped, instead, He equips those He calls. Years ago, I assisted college students on a service trip to New York. I was appointed as the “point person” to lead the students through the streets of New York to our service sites. I felt dismayed about my ability to lead and afraid I would lead the students in the wrong direction.
As I brought these thoughts to the Lord in prayer, I recalled a statue of Our Lady in the chapel at the Pro Sanctity Spirituality Center in Fullerton. The statue is unusual because Mary’s head is turned sideways as if she is giving her full attention to something. The statue is oriented in the chapel to the left of the crucifix and the tabernacle. Mary’s body points to what we should look at as we enter the chapel.
This is what a “point person” looks like: someone to follow because they are guided not only by someone far superior to themselves but also by someone trustworthy. God is both, and Our Lady invites us to see what she sees. Mary spent her life contemplating the face of Jesus,
pondering His words and actions, and reflecting on these things in her heart. At times, Mary does not know where she is going or what will happen, but she knows who she is following, and she maintains her gaze upon the Lord while relying on His goodness and mercy.
At that moment, I found relief and confidence, knowing that all I had to do in leading others was to keep my eyes on Mary, who was keeping her eyes on Jesus. The confidence also helped me understand I had greater navigational skills than I thought and gave me the courage to proceed with hope.
Christmas continues with the celebration of the Epiphany of the Lord, and the story of the magi following the star to the newborn king is not meant to simply charm us as we conclude our Christmas experience. Instead, the magi’s example serves as a place of examination for our spiritual journey as we seek the Lord and His truth.
We are all following someone, but do we know who they are following and listening to? In this modern age, following someone often refers to tracking influencers on social media who we find relatable, entertaining, or informative. While some information that is gleaned from these platforms is beneficial, we know that there are clear limits to what is received, and ultimately, our hearts are seeking encounters with people who know and love us.
As disciples of Jesus, we begin the new year with the invitation to seek Jesus and pay attention to the many signs and “point persons” who come into our lives. May the feast of Epiphany be an opportunity to examine who we are following and if they are leading us closer to the Lord. The more we trust like Our Lady and are easily led by the Holy Spirit, the more capable we will be to lead others to Christ and be a guiding star in a world that seeks Him.
PHOTO BY PATRICK FORE ON UNSPLASH
OC Catholic Afar
I'd like to share a beautiful photo of my family visiting the Church of the Cristero Martyrs in Guadalajara, Mexico. We were there visiting familia during Thanksgiving break.
My name is Alfredo Zarate, Jr. and from left to right are my wife Jannethe, my daughter Bella and my son Johannes. The concrete and stainless steel, mega-structure sits on a prominent hill heading towards Zapopan.
Just to the left of the impressive altar, below the podium, is a Holy Relic Display containing the bone fragments of each of the Cristero Saints who were executed shouting, "Viva Cristo Rey," during the height of the Cristero War, 1926-1930. We all left with an awe-inspiring memory of this important date in church history.
—The Zarate Family are registered parishioners at both Holy Family Catholic Church in Orange and St. Joseph Catholic Church in Santa Ana
We want your photos! Send your pictures of “OC Catholic Afar” — of you, family or friends visiting Catholic churches and other interesting places — to editor@occatholic.com. Please include a brief description of the photo, the name of the person(s) featured in the photo and their home parish.
