The Lutheran Church of the Cross in Laguna Woods will host the solemn event on Dec. 21.
ST. JOSEPH PARISH WINTER PROGRAMS
The Placentia parish will offer two new programs to the community for divorced Catholics and people interested in returning to the Church.
14
REJOICE AND BE GLAD!
Today is Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent.
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.
NATIVITY SCENE
READER CALL-OUT
We would like to share our 60-year-old Nativity Scene. It was purchased the first year of our marriage and shared with our three sons, family and friends each Christmas season.
—Janet and Dennis Grogan, St. Vincent de Paul parish in Huntington Beach
Do you have a special Nativity Scene you’d like to share with OC Catholic? Please send a photo and include your name, parish and a brief description to: editor@occatholic. com C
“ Evangelizers are like angels, like guardian angels, messengers of good…” — Pope Francis
SAINT PROFILE
VIRGINIA CENTURIONE BRACELLI 1567-1651
UNABLE TO PERSUADE HER parents that she had a religious vocation, Virginia was married at age 15 to the son of another notable Italian family. But he gambled, lived dissolutely and died after only five years. Virginia, despite her unhappiness in the marriage, nursed him at the end. She vowed to live celibately thereafter, bringing up her two daughters and caring for abandoned children, especially girls. She founded several schools and the Sisters of Our Lady of the Refuge on Mount Calvary. She was canonized in her hometown, Genoa, in 2003.C
MI 5:1-4A; PS 80:23, 15-16, 18-19; HEB 10:5-10; LK 1:39-45
PHOTO COURTESY OF JANET GROGAN
EVERYTHING IS COMING UP ROSES
CELL DOGS HAS MADE MANY ADOPTEES HAPPY, INCLUDING BISHOP VANN AND AN OC CATHOLIC WRITER
BY GREG HARDESTY
SHE WAS FILTHY, A STRAY
black Labrador who had lived outside and wanted nothing to do with people — just to chew on a tattered tennis ball.
But Janette Thomas sensed in her a gentle temperament and a potential to be trained and eventually placed in a loving family.
So, on Feb. 14 this year, Thomas rescued the 1 ½-year-old, slightly undersized Lab from a San Bernardino animal shelter with a high kill rate.
Since it was Valentine’s Day, a name for the pup came quickly to Thomas: Rosie.
UNIQUE PROGRAM
Since 2007, Thomas has overseen the rescue and training of more than 500 shelter dogs like Rosie and had them adopted — including more than 30 service dogs who went on to change the lives of people living with disabilities — through her non-profit organization, Cell Dogs, Inc.
Modeled after Prison Pet Partnership, co-founded in Washington state in 1981 by Sister Pauline Quinn, a Dominican nun — Cell Dogs enrolls rescued dogs in basic obedience training programs in juvenile and adult correctional facilities.
For eight weeks, inmates train the dogs. Then Thomas and her small team finds them homes. A suggested donation to adopt a dog through Cell Dogs is $600, but the 501c3 organization provides service dogs to veterans and first responders
at no cost.
‘A TRIFECTA WIN’
“I honestly think it’s a trifecta win,” said Thomas, who left a successful career as an engineering and executive manager in the global microelectronics industry to launch Cell Dogs in 2007. Growing up in Long Island, N.Y., her dream was to become a veterinarian.
“The dog gets rescued from the shelter, the adopters get a well-trained dog and we have a chance to develop skills sets in the incarcerated youths who are training the dog with the hope of when they get out, they’ll do wonderful things,” continued Thomas, founder and executive director of Cell Dogs.
“And for incarcerated adults not getting out of jail/prison or whose release from custody is uncertain, the program provides the opportunity for loving interaction with dogs for people with a lot of time on their hands.”
‘EVERYONE WANTS LASSIE’
When adopted, graduates of Cell Dogs are crate and potty trained and know all basic obedience skills. All the dogs are spayed or neutered, have all their vaccinations and all their medical issues have been identified and resolved.
“Everyone wants Lassie,” Thomas said, “but most people don’t recognize how much work is involved in getting Lassie as their own pet.”
Less than 1% of Cell Dogs have been returned, and about 70% of the jailed trainers don’t reoffend upon release —which saves millions of dollars that otherwise would have been spent keeping these offenders behind bars, Thomas said.
Having inmates train dogs is invaluable because it teaches them responsibility and imparts crucial life and job skills.
“Spanky has been my one and only friend in here and I will forever miss the little guy,” an incarcerated female program trainer said. “He and I had a bond I will never forget, and I am proud to say that I was able to be a part of his life.”
OC CATHOLIC WRITER GREG HARDESTY AND HIS WIFE KATHLEEN POSE WITH THEIR RECENTLY ADOPTED DOG ROSIE AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL CAMPUS. PHOTO BY SCOTT SMELTZER/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5
BISHOP VANN IS A FAN
Cell Dogs has no less prominent a fan than Kevin Vann, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange.
Thomas recalled the rainy day in November 2014 when she met Bishop Vann at the OC Animal Care shelter when it was located next to the Theo Lacy Facility in Orange (OC Animal Care now is in Tustin).
“It was serendipitous how I met the bishop,” recalled Thomas, a parishioner of La Purísima Catholic Church in Orange. “He was walking around the shelter. He’s a very compassionate person when it comes to animals, particularly dogs.”
Thomas was able to secure for the bishop a terrier/Lhasa Apso male he named Griffin and, the following year, a whiteand-tan female cocker spaniel he named Gracie. Both pups spent four months being trained at the California Institute for Women prison in Chino.
After Griffin (named after the bishop’s high school in Springfield, Ill., Sacred Heart-Griffin) died this spring, Bishop Vann found two new puppies through an app and contacted Cell Dogs to train them.
Those scruffy terrier siblings, Beau, and Bree, graduated in late August from Cell Dogs’ eight-week training program at Juvenile Hall, the facility for minors in Orange that is run by OC Probation.
“We try to make the transfer as seamless as possible, so adopters are not just getting a leash and a dog, but a high-valued, trained pup,” Thomas said. “Adopters just need to be consistent with the training we started.”
DONORS SOUGHT
Cell Dogs relies entirely on in-kind corporate and private donations but continues to identify more stable corporate, foundation, and private donor relationships, said Thomas, who hasn’t taken a salary since launching the program in 2007.
“I’ve become a professional beggar,” she said with a laugh.
Thomas’ non-profit recently held its annual “Giving Day” on Dec. 10, with a goal of raising $100,000. Immediate needs include two staff trainers and a part-time program administrator.
Less than 8% of Cell Dogs’ annual revenues are used for administrative costs, noted Thomas, adding that training one service dog costs $30,000.
Plans are underway to extend programming outside the walls of the county jail and probation systems to support individuals in transitional housing.
SECOND CHANCES
Cell Dogs, which has had programs in six county and state jail, prison and probation locations since 2007, is in the business of providing second chances for rescue dogs and individuals who made bad choices.
Rosie is thriving. Now with a shiny
coat, she continues to love chewing tennis balls.
This reporter should know.
My wife and I ended up adopting her through Cell Dogs after learning about the program while I was conducting research for this story.
It wasn’t planned. Someday, we thought, we’d love to have a dog. There were many reasons to wait. We couldn’t.
It all seemed so serendipitous. And it didn’t hurt that I’m a die-hard Cincinnati Reds fan who idolized player Pete Rose in his mid-’70s heyday. And that the middle name of my mother, who died in 2022, is Rose.
So here we are, grateful and happy to be experiencing the joy of witnessing Rosie’s second chance at life.
Hands down, it’s been a big hit. For more information or to donate to Cell Dogs, contact janette@celldogs.org or visit www.celldogs.org. C
ROSIE TAKES A BREAK ON THE CAMPUS OF CHRIST CATHEDRAL. PHOTOS BY SCOTT SMELTZER/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
JANETTE THOMAS IS THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CELL DOGS.
LOVE OF THE EUCHARIST
BY EMANUEL GUERRERO, SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL
THERE’S A MOMENT IN the Mass where all the noise, the stress, the worry disappear and you come face to face with Christ. This is not merely a symbol or a ritual, it is Christ Himself, present and inviting.
At Communion when we receive Jesus in the Eucharist, we encounter God’s profound love as He offers us the greatest gift: the opportunity for eternal life in Heaven. I recall a moment when the Eucharist had a profound impact on me. While I was attending Mass at my middle school, St. Catherine’s Academy, a sense of intense calm came over me as the priest raised the host and recited the consecration. I knew God was with me in that moment. I understood that the Eucharist involves more than just remembering Jesus’ sacrifice; it also encompasses feeling His love in the present. We often look for profound, transformative encounters with Christ but overlook His subtle signals. The Eucharist can be both subtle and profound, inviting us to establish a connection with Christ.
The Eucharist acts as a bridge between the gaps of Heaven and Earth. Communion is where we meet not just God but also all the other believers from the past, present and future: a reminder that we belong to a larger body of love. When receiving the Eucharist, I experience a feeling of satisfaction that other people around the world are doing the same thing, united in faith and purpose.
The Eucharist also leads us to act. When we accept Christ, we are invited to take on His traits— to live a life of holiness. Indeed, holiness is the only path to heaven. Real holiness is to love God with all our heart, mind and soul, as well as our neighbor. Revealed in the sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, this profound love is always present when we participate in the Eucharist.
The Eucharist has been my comfort in moments of despair. No matter how lonely or how crowded life may seem, I know that God is by my side. The Eucharist only magnifies this feeling, providing a tangible way to feel the presence of Christ. Something that always amazes me is
Christ’s humility in the Eucharist. He comes in the humblest of ways, in bread and wine, so that there are no walls between us. He gives us the invitation: “Take this all of you and eat of it, this is my body.” Through the gift of free will, God gives us the opportunity to follow Him.
This is a love that does not impose itself but waits for us with infinite patience and grace.
The Eucharist is, secondly, a celebration of thanksgiving. We have been given so many graces, and to offer our Mass as a chance to show our gratitude for all of them is such an important practice. Even on the hardest days, there is a little something that we can be thankful for: A new day, a kind word and breath in our bodies. Acknowledging these gifts changes our outlook and improves our actual vision of recognizing Christ’s presence.
As I continue my journey of faith in an ever-changing world, the Eucharist remains central. I may never be able to fully comprehend it… and perhaps that is the point. Love doesn’t need to be understood; it needs to be felt and expressed. I affirm that love by receiving the Eucharist and pushing myself to let go of my doubts and fears to take Christ’s steps. The Eucharist refocuses us on the fact that no matter what is thrown at us, God’s love is forever. It is an intimate gift and invitation to a timeless, heavenly event. For this gift, I am profoundly grateful. C
EMANUEL GUERRERO, FAR RIGHT, WITH FELLOW OFFICERS OF SERVITE'S STUDENT AMBASSADOR PROGRAM. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SERVITE HIGH SCHOOL
SERVITE SENIOR EMANUEL GUERRERO LEADS A EUCHARISTIC PROCESSION ON THE SERVITE CAMPUS.
ANNUAL HOMELESS PERSONS’ INTER-RELIGIOUS MEMORIAL SERVICE
BY BRADLEY ZINT
THE NINTH ANNUAL Homeless Persons’ Inter-Religious Memorial Service will take place on Dec. 21, bringing together various interfaith representatives to remember the lives lost in the streets of Orange County in 2024.
The service, which begins at 7 p.m. at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Laguna Woods, takes place symbolically on the first night of winter, which is the longest night of the year. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is among the sponsors.
The service includes reading the names of the lives lost. For each name, a candle is carried across the sanctu -
To report sexual abuse by clergy or church personnel please call: 1 (800) 364-3064
Healing and Hope After Abortion: 1 (800) 722-4356
New Hope Peer-to-Peer Support Line | Mon - Fri 7:30 AM - 9:30 PM | Sat - Sun 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM: 1 (714) NEW-HOPE or 1 (714) 639-4673
dụng tình dục bởi một linh mục/ tu sĩ hay một thành viên trong Giáo Hội gây ra, xin hãy gọi và báo cáo cho Giáo phận ở số điện thoại miễn phí sau đây: 1-800-364-3064, và đồng thời báo cáo cho nhà chức trách địa phương.
본당내의
경우, 교구청의 무료 신고 전화 번호, 1-800-364-3064 및 관할
법 집행 기관에 전화하십시오.
ary space and placed alongside the others, becoming a stark reminder of the magnitude and tragedy. Last year, 511 names were read.
The Homeless Persons’ Interreligious Memorial Service has included representatives from the Catholic, Episcopalian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Assyrian Church of the East, African Methodist, Bahá’í, Muslim and Lutheran faiths.
In addition to the Diocese, the service is sponsored by Lutheran Church of the Cross, Jewish Collaborative of Orange County, Our Father’s Table, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, Volunteer Network OC and the Orange County Interfaith Network.
“On this longest night of the year, and so close to the Christmas break, it is never a conve -
nient time for us to gather,” said Fr. Greg Walgenbach, director of the Diocese’s Office of Life, Justice & Peace. “However, making the time to hold in memory those who have died on the streets of our county is a good reminder to us that no person is ever an inconvenience but is of infinite worth and value. We welcome any and all to come and join us as we pause to remember. It is good to see that there are people in our county who care for one another, and it is an urgent reminder of our need to do better for these dear neighbors.” For more information on how to get involved, join the candle procession or add a name to be read, email info@ourfatherstableus.org or visit ourfatherstableus.org/homelessmemorial Lutheran Church of the Cross is located at 24231 El Toro Road, Laguna Woods, CA 92637. C
THE 2023 HOMELESS PERSONS’ INTER-RELIGIOUS MEMORIAL SERVICE WAS HELD AT ST. TIMOTHY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN LAGUNA NIGUEL. PHOTO BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
OC CATHOLIC RECIPE SWAP
POLISH CHICKEN CASSEROLE
THIS RECIPE IS A FAMILY favorite when we get a big group together or even when I make it for myself. The recipe freezes well so there is no problem with making a lot. I just freeze single or family servings and heat them in the microwave when I want an easy meal. I sometimes change it up a bit. For example, I don’t use almonds because some family members don’t eat nuts and I sometimes use 2 lb. pork sausage, one mild and one spicy, to add some extra flavor.
This casserole is not really Polish, but we have always called it that because Mom’s background is Polish, and this was served at her wedding reception in 1946. Her reception was at her Polish mother’s house and, apparently, all the neighbors each made a casserole dish so there would be enough to serve all the guests.
—Linda Serna, St. Vincent de Paul parish in Huntington Beach
DIRECTIONS
Chop celery, onions and green peppers. Set aside. Brown sausage in frying pan, remove sausage, then sauté your chopped celery, onions and green peppers in the grease. Set aside. Mix sausage and chicken together, set aside. To 9 cups of boiling water, add chicken soup. Boil for 9 minutes, then add rice. Boil for 9 minutes longer. Turn off heat and stir in the mushroom soup.
Layer in a 4- or 5-quart casserole dish: rice, sautéed greens, chicken and sausage, rice, sautéed greens, chicken and sausage, rice. Sprinkle almonds on top if you are using them. Bake for 1 hour covered in 350-degree oven.
This recipe serves 10 people. Enjoy! C
INGREDIENTS
1 large celery
2 cups chicken cooked & shredded
2 large onions
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 green peppers
3 pkgs. chicken noodle soup
2 cups rice, uncooked
1 lb. pork sausage
Optional: 1 cup or less slivered almonds on top
OF LINDA SERNA
ST. JOSEPH PARISH TO OFFER WINTER PROGRAMS
BY CAROL KOPPENHEFFER
ST. JOSEPH’S PARISH in Placentia will host two insightful programs this winter.
The first is called, “Journey of Hope: Healing and Recovery from Divorce” series.
The 13-week series will be held on Wednesday evenings from 7-8:30p.m. from Jan. 8 through April 9. The series offers much needed support, healing and help to answer questions asked resulting from a separation or divorce.
The program is designed to help divorced and separated Catholics recover by more fully learning and living their faith. The sessions will be held in person and online.
Cost of book and materials is $25. To register online at: www.osvhub.com/ stjosephplacentia/forms/journey-ofhope-series-winter-2025
The second winter program is titled, “Returning Catholics Come Home” series for those interested in taking another look at the Catholic Church.
Have you been away from the Catholic Church for any reason and would like to explore coming back to the Church or just take a ‘refresher’ Catholicism 101 course? You are invited to come to a seven week “Returning Catholics Come Home” weekly series at St. Joseph Parish Church being held on Thursday evenings from 7-9 p.m. in the parish center, rooms 3 and 4 from Jan. 9 through Feb. 20.
Hear stories from those who have made their journey back to their Catholic faith as they share their renewed experience, strength and hope through the Returning Catholics Come Home
ST. BONAVENTURE CELEBRATES FAMILY MASS WITH BISHOP NGUYEN
BY LOU PONSI
ST. BONAVENTURE PARISH in Huntington Beach recently welcomed a special guest to the church’s monthly family Mass.
The church was nearly filled to capacity when Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen, auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange, served as the main celebrant for the 9 a.m. family Mass on Nov.17.
A key component of the family Mass, which is celebrated on the third Sunday of the month, is the active participation of St. Bonaventure School students.
Each month a different class assumes key roles during the Mass and on Nov. 17, it was the sixth graders’ turn to serve as greeters, ushers and lectors.
The children’s choir also performed.
St. Bonaventure’s pastor, Fr. Vincent Pham, said the special family Masses have drawn larger congregations each month.
“I like to involve the children into the liturgy and singing, doing the reading,
serving, ushering, greeting and all of those things,” said Fr. Vincent, “because they are the future of the Church.”
For his homily, Bishop Nguyen spoke on the spiritual principle of hope and directed his remarks to the children.
“Everyone needs hope,” Bishop Nguyen said. “I need hope, you need hope, we all need hope. People will say you need food, water, air and shelter to live but I could also add hope.”
Hope is the antidote for fear, the bishop said, and fear causes people to view the world in terms of division and fractured relationships.
“And so, if you and I don't learn to let go of our fear, then we may end up losing hope. God, you are my hope. Keep me safe, from Psalm 16 is a beautiful reminder for all of us that true security comes from placing our faith in God, placing our trust in God and despite challenges and difficult times, we still find peace and joy by keeping God close to us.”
As a way to celebrate the importance
process. Catholics Come Home is a safe place where you can ask questions, share your hurts and concerns as well as find answers, spiritual connections and reconciliation. For those who are looking for a Catholicism refresher course, this series answers questions that you and others have about the Sacraments, Church teachings and practices.
St. Joseph parish is located at 717 N. Bradford Avenue in Placentia. For more information on these programs, please contact Carol Koppenheffer at ckoppenheffer@stjosephplacentia.org or call (714) 528-1487 Ext 221.C
ST. JOSEPH PARISH WILL OFFER TWO INSIGHTFUL AND HEALING PROGRAMS THIS WINTER. PHOTO BY JEREMY BISHOP ON UNSPLASH
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN GREETS PARISHIONERS AFTER MASS ON NOV. 17 AT ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. PHOTOS BY STEVE
SIMBANG GABI — AN ADVENT NOVENA OF MASSES
FILIPINO CATHOLICS
PREPARE FOR THE BELOVED ADVENT TRADITION
BY GREG HARDESTY
DO YOUR KIDS GET up super early on Christmas morning?
That’s great!
How about on Dec. 16, and every morning after that at 4 a.m. or earlier, for nine straight days through Dec. 24? That’s even more impressive.
Becky Tamondong fondly recalled her childhood in the Philippines when she and her sisters would do just that.
They excitedly would pounce out of bed at 3:45 a.m. to the sounds of a brass band passing down the street playing Christmas music to wake people up.
She and her sisters then would attend nine predawn Masses at their home parish in the city of Imus in the province of Cavite, culminating in a midnight Mass on Christmas Eve.
They would participate every year in the beloved Advent tradition in the Philippines known as Simbang Gabi, a devotional, nine-day series of Masses that Filipino Catholics attend in anticipation of Christmas. The Mass held on Christmas Eve is called Misa de Gallo (“Mass of the Rooster”).
Simbang Gabi, introduced in 1669 during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, continues to be widely practiced by Filipino Catholics worldwide.
KICKOFF CELEBRATION
In the Diocese of Orange, the San Jose Filipino Ministry announced it would host a kickoff celebration of Simbang Gabi on Saturday, Dec. 14 at Christ Cathedral. The festivities begin with a procession in the church. Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen celebrates Mass with the Holy Rosary Philippine Chamber Chorale providing liturgical music. The Mass will be followed by food, games, raffles, singing and more
in the Large Gallery.
Tamondong is vice chair of the San Jose Filipino Ministry and helped organize this year’s Simbang Gabi kickoff event.
“My sisters and I made it a point to attend all nine days of the early morning Mass novena,” Tamondong recalled. “For us, complete attendance at the Simbang Gabi novena was a big achievement, and we repeated this year after year.”
Indeed, a well-known belief among Filipino Catholics is that if a person completes all nine days of the Simbang Gabi, God may grant a request to him or her as part of the novena.
A PAPAL FIRST
Simbang Gabi (literally, “Evening Mass,” but also known as “Mass at Dawn”) is intended to prepare the hearts, minds and spirits of the Filipino faithful for the arrival and birth of the baby Jesus. The tradition of holding nine dawn Masses leading to Christmas Eve (called Misa de Aguinaldo) is practiced in the Philippines and in Puerto Rico.
For Filipinos, it’s a festive and joyous tradition of family and friends gathering in camaraderie that includes indulging in Filipino delicacies such as a bibingka (rice cakes), puto bumbong (steamed purple rice pastries served with butter, grated
coconut and brown sugar) often paired with tsokolate (hot chocolate) or salabat (ginger tea).
Why the early start?
Back in the old days, the predawn start was meant to accommodate agricultural workers before they went out to work the land.
That tradition has been upheld, although these days, many churches hold the novenas — liturgically celebrated in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary as well — in the evenings, too.
On Dec. 15, 2019, Pope Francis led the celebration of Simbang Gabi for the Fil-
DEACON DAN DIESEL, LEFT, AND FATHER THOMAS PAUL K. NAVAL, RIGHT, CELEBRATE MASS AS VARIOUS BABY BABY JESUSES SIT AT THE ALTAR DURING CHRISTMAS EVE MASS. ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLICS OF FILIPINO DESCENT CELEBRATE THE CULMINATION OF A NINE-DAY NOVENA OF MASSES KNOWN AS SIMBANG GABI AT SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA CHURCH IN LAKE FOREST. PARISHIONERS AND VISITORS BROUGHT INFANT BABY JESUSES FROM THEIR NATIVITIES FOR A BLESSING.
PHOTO BY ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
ipino Catholic community at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City — the first time a pope led the traditional Mass.
A BELOVED TRADITION
Tamondong started attending Simbang Gabi in the sixth grade and continued through high school in Imus.
FEATURE/DIOCESAN NEWS
She missed going to the Simbang Gabi when she started college and stayed in the dorms at the University of the Philippines campus away from home.
She said one of the highlights of Simbang Gabi came after Mass.
“Everyone trekked out to the snack stands on the church patio, which was filled with vendors selling treats,” she recalled. “My friends and I would meet up after Mass to savor this early morning treat, chat a little, and then get ready for school the rest of the day.”
She recalled wearing her Christmas finery — a new dress and shoes that her parents bought for her and her siblings every year — for the midnight Misa de Gallo on Christmas Eve.
“We would go to the Misa de Aguinaldo with our hearts filled with glee having completed the novena of early morning Masses to joyfully welcome the newborn Baby Jesus into our hearts.”
And the beloved tradition of Simbang Gabi continues in Orange County — and beyond. C
of family involvement in the Church, St. Bonaventure recently added a Traveling Crucifix devotion to the family Mass.
Each month a parish family is presented with the Traveling Crucifix, which they keep for the month.
The chosen family is asked to pray with special intentions for the school, the church and the community.
“We know that the school is a ministry of the Church,” said the school’s principal Dr. Richard Yoon, who started the Traveling Crucifix devotion. “And so, we have to work together in the connection there. Evangelizing, getting
more students here to be part of the Church and its ministries of service. Those are things that we really deem important.”
Parishioners Bethany and Thomas Day and their five children were selected as the Traveling Crucifix Family for the month of November.
“We are honored to receive this mission to pray for St. Bonaventure School,” Bethany Day said. “This school and parish community mean so much to our family, and we'll be asking special intercessions from our mother Mary for guidance and protection of the St. Bonaventure community.” C
PAROLS (FILIPINO CHRISTMAS LANTERNS) HANG OUTSIDE A HOME FOR SIMBANG GABI. PHOTO BY DANIELLE TAYABAS
PARISHIONERS CARRY PAPER STARS IN THE OPENING PROCESSION OF CHRISTMAS EVE MASS AT SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA CHURCH IN LAKE FOREST. PHOTO BY ANA VENEGAS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN BLESSES A FAMILY DURING ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC CHURCH’S FAMILY MASS CELEBRATED ON NOV. 17.
BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN CELEBRATED A FAMILY MASS ON NOV. 17 AT ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC CHURCH IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. THE FAMILY MASS IS CELEBRATED ON THE THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH WITH ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF ST. BONAVENTURE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
REJOICE AND BE GLAD!
BY SISTER DIANE HEISS, SDSH
ARE YOU MORE OPTIMISTIC
(your glass is half full) or more pessimistic (your glass is half empty)? What does this have to do with the upcoming holiday on Dec. 25, you wonder? A lot, since today is Gaudete Sunday, which in Latin means rejoice or be glad. Sometimes it might be difficult to see reasons for rejoicing, especially when we look at our poor world, so wounded and broken by sin. The number of conflicts, violence and wars around the world is appalling, not to mention the amount of abuse, addiction and poverty found everywhere. Take heart, for today reminds us of the reason we can and should rejoice. Our Liturgical (Church) year begins on the first Sunday of Advent and continues for four Sundays until Christmas. It is a time of spiritual preparation to celebrate the two comings of Jesus: His birth in a cave (or stable) in Bethlehem approximately two thousand years ago, and His second coming at the end of the world. God our Father infinitely loves each of us and sent His Son, Jesus, to show His love in person. Jesus willingly offered His life on the cross to give us the opportunity to live forever with Him in heaven. The deepest hunger of the human heart is to love and be loved. When we invite God into our heart and life through Baptism and the other Sacraments; believe and trust in God’s love for us; try our best to love God in return and show our love for God through our love for our neighbor; then we are not only fulfilling the two Greatest Commandments (love God and love our neighbor) but also preparing well for Christmas. It can be easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of Christmas preparations: cards, decorations, gifts and parties, while missing the true reason for our celebration: to rejoice in the birth of Jesus and anticipate His return in glory.
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, …” (Mt. 25: 31) Jesus’ coming at the end of the world is nothing to fear if we prepare well for Him now. Perhaps we have seen Christmas cards and ornaments featuring the phrase “Jesus is the reason for the season,” and this is true. So then, let us prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of our Savior, the true reason for the Christmas season.
FOR YOUR FAMILY:
■ Read and share reasons for joy found in today’s Mass readings: Isaiah 61:1-2A, 10-11; Luke 1:46-48, 49-50, 53-54; 1 Thessalonians 5:1624; John 1:6-8, 19-28.
■ Prepare an Advent Wreath consisting of evergreens symbolizing God’s unending love and invitation to eternal life, and four candles (three purple and one pink) reminding us that Jesus is the light of the world. The pink candle is lit the third (or Gaudete) Sunday, and the purple
ones the other three.
■ Prepare hand-crafted gifts rather than buying them; then donate the money saved to the poor.
■ When decorating your home, prepare a Nativity Scene and pray there daily.
■ Each week of Advent has a theme: hope, peace, joy and love. Plan to incorporate these into their corresponding weeks.
■ Prepare a Jesse Tree (a real or drawn branch) and daily place an ornament or picture representing Jesus’ ancestors starting with Jesse, the father of King David (Isaiah 11:1-2)
■ Prepare room in your heart for Jesus through extra prayers, acts of kindness, fasting, penance, sacrifices and a change of lifestyle as necessary, to bring your thoughts, words and actions into harmony with Jesus’.
■ Attend Mass during the week as well as Sundays and receive Jesus in Holy Communion. C
PHOTO BY DAVID BEALE ON UNSPLASH
OC Catholic Afar
We just returned from a fabulous trip to Salzburg, Austria with lots of our fellow OC Catholics! Pictured are Ralph and Oonagh Linzmeier, Mary Beth Dorst, Ann & Craig Rommel, Sharon Nugent, and Susan and John Garcia.
—Submitted by Ann Rommel
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.
Msgr. Quinn’s
Christmas DINNER
SHCHRISTMASDINNER@SAINTHEDWIG.ORG
WEDNESDAY
25 AT 12:00 NOON
DECEMBER 11482 LOS ALAMITOS BLVD. LOS ALAMITOS CA 90720
