APRIL 24, 2022 THE SISTERS OF THE SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE SACRED HEART ALONG WITH GUESTS AT THE 2019 “COME AND SEE DAY” EVENT AT THE HEART OF JESUS RETREAT CENTER IN SANTA ANA. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART SACRED SPACE HEART OF JESUS RETREAT CENTER AIMS AT REACHING ‘WHOLE PERSON’ THROUGH RETREATS, CATECHESIS PAGE 8 THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM EASTER IN THE DIOCESE PAGE 12
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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
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Confirmations have begun in parishes around the world.
Art Director: Fernando M. Donado
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT
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.
MILESTONES AND AFFIRMATIONS
TIS THE SEASON
Faith is everywhere and everything is about God.
Executive Editor: Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk
HOLY FAMILY CHURCH COMPLETES HOSTS EVANGELIZATION RETREAT
Editor: Patricia Mahoney, editor@occatholic.com
News Ideas: editor@occatholic.com
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840
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The Orange parish brought together several dozen faithful to bring witness to the Risen Christ.
Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams
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The Diocese of Orange, through OC Catholic newspaper, presents local, national and world news about the Catholic Church. Our intention is to give our readers access to a variety of perspectives in order to help them to process the information within the framework of our Catholic faith, but also to better understand the perspectives of those with opposing viewpoints. We hope that ultimately our readers will be better equipped to have constructive conversations that further the growth of the Catholic Church.
Some babies wind up in the cry room because, as the name aptly suggests, they are inconsolable. And some toddlers are clever enough to know what kind of behavior will get them sent there.
BE A VOICE SYNOD
LEARNING TO LOVE
But asking a young child to sit still for any length of time, even at the dinner ta ble with food that he or she likes, is nearly always a fool’s errand. Children want to play. And that’s a good thing, because that’s how they were made.
IN THE '21-'23
4 OC CATHOLIC n APRIL 24, 2022 CONTINUES ON PAGE 14
But I’ve found that parents like me also bring their children there so that
In the diocesan phase of the Synod on Synodality, the Holy Father has asked bishops throughout the world to consult the faithful in their dioceses on the meaning of Synodality ("journeying together") for the Church's mission. In the Diocese of Orange, we have been listening to the faithful through consultations, interviews, and website submissions. Please visit the link below if you would like to contribute your thoughts.
they can be children -- wild, free, curious, bustling with energy. It’s not that asking a child to sit through the Mass is misguid ed. They’ll eventually need the stamina to make it to the final blessing.
That’s why I am glad for cry rooms and vestibules (de facto cry rooms, if we’re honest), that have big open windows. The design is not only good because parents can see out, but because
Participate today! RCBO.org/synod
Fast forward three and a half years later to my life with a toddler and an in fant in tow. I now consider the cry room a sanctuary within a sanctuary, a gift of which only compassionate and loving parent-architects could have conceived. On any given Sunday, my husband and I exchange looks of compassion with the other parents as if to say, “This is the way we pray the Mass now, too.”
FRIDAY
APRIL 24, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 5 DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS
WEDNESDAY
“ It is not the saints who workactsGodbut…themiracles,graceofthatthroughthem.”
ACTS 5:17-26; PS 34:2-9; JN 3:16-21
B
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
ACTS 5:34-42; PS 27:1, 4, 13-14; JN 6:1-15
FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN 1577-1622
ACTS 6:1-7; PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 1819; JN 6:16-21
SATURDAY
— Pope Francis
MONDAY
TUESDAY
ACTS 4:32-37; PS 93:1-2, 5; JN 3:7B-15
SUNDAY
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Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C
N REVELATION, JOHN THE EVANGELIST tells us what we can expect as followers of the risen Jesus: distress, endurance, and a kingdom. Although we are only eight days into our fifty-day Easter feasting, we cannot ignore the distress weighing down our daily lives. Jesus’ resurrection does not erase individual suffering, but his glorious triumph over death cultivates endurance in our hearts. We remember that Jesus did not spare himself, and we ask for the strength to endure as he did. Imitating Christ helps us grow as members of God’s royal family. As beloved citizens of the Kingdom of God, we recognize our kinship with all people. Peter demonstrates his care for others as he heals multitudes of broken, suffering people. In the Gospel, Thomas accepts his own spiritual healing when Jesus helps him to believe. In times of difficulty, sur vival, and glory, we borrow Thomas’ declaration of faith: “My Lord and my God!”
ACTS 14;4-6,40B-41;5:27-32,PS30:2,11-13;RV5:11-JN21:1-19[1-14]
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
SAINT PROFILE
1 PT 5:5B-14; PS 89:2-3, 6-7, 1617; MK 16:15-20
THURSDAY
ANDSURVIVAL,DIFFICULTY,GLORY
ORN IN SIGMARINGEN (GERMANY), MARK ROY studied philosophy and law at the University of Freiburg in Breisgau. After tutoring young aristocrats and traveling Europe with them, he began practicing law in Alsace, where he quickly became “the poor person’s lawyer.” But, disillusioned over other lawyers’ behavior, he gave up the law to follow a vocation in religious life. As an ordained Capuchin named Fidelis, he was renowned for his holiness, preaching and leadership. He was superior at several houses before being invited to eastern Switzerland to call Protestants back to Cathol icism. This mission, complicated by the politics of the time and hatred of the Catholic Habsburgs, became increasingly dangerous and led to his murder by opponents. He was canonized in 1746. C
ACTS 5:27-33; PS 34:2, 9, 17-20; JN 3:31-36
BISHOP KEVIN VANN ADDRESSES CONFIRMANDS AT LA PURISIMA CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ORANGE DURING A CONFIRMATION MASS IN SEPTEMBER 2020. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes it this way: “Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary wit nesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world. We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.”Isthere is a best age to be confirmed? Not according to Ord. “I think con
SPRINGTIME BRINGS THE ANNUAL RITE OF CONFIRMATION TO PARISHES AROUND THE WORLD
“Through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit—wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord—we are strengthened to live our universal call to holiness and sent on a mission,” said Catherine Ord, Youth Ministry Programs Coordinator in the Diocese of Orange. Most often it is teen agers who are confirmed, though adults may be confirmed too.
Benizi Church in Fullerton, parents and siblings are brought into gatherings leading up to the Confirmation Mass so they can be part of the process. Each teen chooses a person to be his or her sponsor, said Nohemi Gutierrez, confir mation coordinator and youth minister at Saint Philip Benizi Church. This is someone who will accompany the teen through his or her faith journey. The Confirmation Mass for Saint Philip Benizi Church will be held on May 11. Confirmation has the most impact when it is approached with thought fulness and an open mind, said Ord. “When teens are pushed through a
6 OC CATHOLIC n APRIL 24, 2022 FEATURE
BY NICOLE GREGORY
This pitfall is one that adults should beware of also.
program that does not consider where they are in their faith journey and they are not accompanied well, the sacra ment can turn into a box they checked for their family,” she said.
“In the same way, an adult who is not given opportunities for personal en counters with Christ may leave the con firmation process with head knowledge without the heart knowledge to fall in love with the Church and her teachings,” said Ord. “I believe the confirmation journey helps people to: understand
Confirmation Masses are both sol emn and joyful—they mark the day, af ter two years of preparation, when those being confirmed complete the Sacra ments of Initiation and are sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit that they first received at baptism, explained Ord.
‘TIS SEASONTHE
N THE UPCOMING WEEKS and months, parishes around Orange County will be celebrating many Confirmation Masses. It is a peak spiritual moment for Catholics.
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firmation is equally as important for adults as it is for children,” she said. “In our Diocese, Confirmation begins in high school and is a two-year journey. I love to read letters young people write to the bishop describing how God is working in their lives. I do not think I can generalize that the experience is more powerful by age group, but I do think that solid formation that allows space for questioning, and encounter does play a role in the confirmation journey.”Thisformation process can have an effect on the whole family of the person being confirmed. At Saint Philip
CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
The Maria Ferrucci Catholic Family Living feature is intended to inspire families to live their faith in the way Maria Ferrucci did throughout her earthly life.
ST. ELISABETH CATHEDRAL IN THE MAIN SQUARE OF KOSICE CITY, SLOVAKIA. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Bells may not call us to our knees these days, but milestones can. C
As the day of First Communion sometimeshighlightremembering.throughremembered.tions.ownOlderprevioustakendresspurchasedvisits.ningrequirements,dressaentscomesConfirmationorcloser,pararemanagingmyriadofdetails,codesandplanpartiesandfamilySpecialclotheswillbeorperhapsanheirloomorveilwillbeworn.Pictureswillbe–andpicturesandkeepsakesfromcelebrationswillbeexamined.folkswillreminisceabouttheirFirstCommunionsorConfirmaSpecialmoments,milestonesThere’sadeeperthreadrunningallthepreparations,alltheSacramentalcelebrationsandemphasizeatruththatcanbelostindailylife.Godis
I remember my oldest son’s, Paul’s Confirmation. Two grandmothers, each traveling from a distance, stayed at our house. There was a party for about fifty family and friends on our patio. I was preoccupied with making sure his suit fit, and the details of the weekend and feeding the crowd. I wasn’t particularly recollected or prayerful. But, when we got to the church, early as required, I had a chance to breathe. And I asked God to help me see the deeper thing at hand, and to pay attention to the moment that was coming, the moment when my son would be “confirmed in his faith” by the bishop.
their identity in Christ, feel part of the body of Christ and feel called to be witness to their faith.”
For Catholics, spring is also “sacra ment season.” First Communions and
deeper reality of God’s presence was evident in daily life. The invisible presence of God was perhaps a bit less invisible due to the rhythms and practices of faith woven into daily life. “….is everything about God?... yes, everything.”
Confirmations are typically springtime events for a reason. “The preferred time to celebrate Confir mation Mass is during the Easter Season, the 50 days that begin at Easter and end with Pentecost—the coming of the Holy Spirit,” said Ord.
I saw the seasonal promotion from Hallmark last week: Moms, Dads, Grads. I know they’re selling cards, but it is indeed one of the signs of spring.
Confirmations are on the horizons –milestones in Catholic sacramental life.
Children have been getting ready for a while, learning prayers by heart, study ing the tenets of Cath olic faith and the stories about Jesus.
MET A WOMAN LAST WEEK who emigrated from Slovakia some years back. She drew a picture of her life in that country which I found fascinating. When she was a child in what was then a Communist state, she said the state didn’t actually interfere with the long enduring Catholic faith of the citizens. Almost everyone in the small country was Catholic (95%), churches were full even on weekdays and when the church bells rang three times a day, everyone fell to their knees to pray no matter where they were. On the sidewalk, on the bus, in the market, when the bells rang, the people prayed. Men and wom en walking from one place to another frequently held the Rosary in their hands and prayed as they walked. She asked her grandmother one day while walking:“Grandmother, is EVERYTHING about God? “And she was answered: “Yes, my dear herwhatwhenofarenotatoTHING.”EVERYIt’sdifficultimaginesuchscene.AndI’msuremykneesuptothetaskhittingthegroundthebellsring.ButIfindattractiveaboutstoryisthewaythatthe
MILESTONES AND AFFIRMATIONS
APRIL 24, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 7 FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6
At Christ Cathedral, the sacra ment of Confirmation follows the same liturgy of Confirmation as all the other parishes. Each parish is allowed to have the liturgies in the language that best serves its communities. To accommodate the large numbers of the confirmands, parishes can also request to perform multiple Confirmation Masses, explained Ord.
BY KATIE DAWSON
For instance, at Saint Cecilia Church in Tustin, Confirmation Masses are performed in three lan guages: English, Spanish and Viet namese — as are the classes leading up to the Confirmation Mass.
“Confirmations have always been geared to our youth,” said Deacon Bill Weeks. For two years, he said, teens at his church have been meet ing monthly or weekly depending on the need. Before COVID, the parish of Saint Cecilia consisted of about 4,000 people. Now it’s about 3,000, with eight in-person Masses performed each weekend.
Ord has strong hopes for every one who is being confirmed in the Diocese this year.
“I want to echo the Pope Francis sentiment for the young people when he says, ‘Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not be afraid to dream of great things!’ My hope for those being confirmed as an adult or a young person is that the Holy Spirit will set their hearts on fire so that they can go and share the Gospel with others.” C
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with us; God extends His love to us and God asks us to pay attention and respond to His action in our lives. In Baptism we were claimed as God’s own, we entered into the death and resurrection of Jesus and with First Communion and Confir mation we are journeying further into that reality, that relationship.
more.Since 1978, the 2.9-acre Retreat Center has served as the primary hub of the works performed by the Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart within the Diocese of Orange. Anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 participants attend retreats at the center during a typical year, according to retreat direc tor Sister High-schoolGabrielle.students seeking service opportunities can participate as youth leaders in the Retreat Center’s Thurs day afterschool program or weekend retreats.“Tosee the ways that they are helping to form the children, the witness that they have and preparing them to be future leaders within the church I think is a huge part of what we do,” Sister Gabrielle said.
THE SISTERS OF THE SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE SACRED HEART AT OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR CHURCH IN SANTA ANA. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART
T
HE HEART OF JESUS Retreat Center in Santa Ana is once again bustling with daily activities after an extended period of mostly virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sister Gabrielle noted that catechesis
SPACESACRED
HEART OF JESUS RETREAT CENTER AIMS AT REACHING ‘WHOLE PERSON’ RETREATS,THROUGHCATECHESIS
8 OC CATHOLIC n APRIL 24, 2022 FEATURE
“When they’re distracted, they’re distracted with art that speaks to their soul,” she Originallyadded.donated to the Diocese by the Borchard family, the Retreat Center
In May 2015, Sister Ida was declared a Servant of God, the first step toward canonization.TheSisters have also served as reli gious educators at a variety of parishes and Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Orange over the years, in cluding Our Lady of the Pillar Church in Santa Ana, where they have served for more than 50 years.
BY BILL QUINNAN
Sister Gabrielle observed that the Retreat Center’s environment fosters a sense of sanctuary and tranquili ty even in the middle of Santa Ana, drawing participants in with everything from the natural beauty incorporated throughout the center to the chapel’s bright, stained-glass windows designed by Isabel Piczek, depicting various mo ments in the life of Christ.
has always been the primary charism of the Sisters. The Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart was founded by Sister Ida Peterfy, who was born in Kassa, Hun gary, (now Kosice, Slovakia,) and began her ministry amid the threat of Nazism and later communism. Sister Ida es caped from Hungary to Canada in 1949 at the urging of her bishop, eventually settling her community in the Archdio cese of Los Angeles.
REACHING THE WHOLE PERSON
already inspiring within Sister Ida,” said Sister“DifferentSusan. people learn in different ways, different people experience God in different ways,” Sister Gabrielle explained. “We try to be comprehensive as much as possible within five hours to give them all of the different dimensions that are behind who we are as persons in our relationship with God, and then ultimately, it’s Him.”
Sister Susan noted that the smaller chapel setting affords a sense of intima cy as children participate in the Mass with their classmates.
The center re-opened for in-person activities last July with a day camp for children. Its current calendar includes school and parish-group retreats, sacra mental preparation, leadership events, Lenten and Advent retreats, family retreats, vocation-discernment days and
Sister Susan Blaschke observed that Sister Ida was well ahead of her time, both in her whole-person approach to catechesis and her use of different teaching methods, including music, crafts, different forms of prayer, and for a time, even a children’s television series.“Alot of what came forth as the fruit of Vatican II, the Holy Spirit was
SANCTUARY IN SANTA ANA
CONTINUES ON PAGE 9
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8 at the“It’scenter.imbedded in the families of our Diocese … it’s become a tradition almost to come to the retreat center,” Sister Gabrielle said.
became a new home to the sisters when the late Bishop William Johnson of Or ange decided to transform Holy Family Parish, where the sisters previously lived and taught, into the cathedral of the new Diocese.
Those wishing to help support the
Sisters may do so through prayer, volunteering their time or donations. Sister Susan noted that in addition to financial donations, some volunteers assist the retreat center by purchasing snacks for the center’s retreat partici pants. Financial donations can be made online at joyfulapostolate.org, and even small donations are gratefully ac cepted. Volunteer opportunities include assisting with retreat preparations, food service, facility maintenance and more.
The Sisters also serve the Archdio cese of Los Angeles and the dioceses of Orange and San Bernardino through the Sacred Heart Retreat Camp in Big Bear Lake.
APRIL 24, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 9 FEATURE
Those who feel that they may have a vocation to the order may speak to the Sisters directly or fill out an interest form online at sacredheartsisters.com under “Contact Us.” C
SUPPORTING THE SISTERS
SISTER CHARIS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLCHILDREN. THE SISTERS WORK WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART
Some 44 years since the retreat center opened, it is not unusual for the Sisters to encounter “second-gen eration” retreat participants, children whose parents also attended First Communion retreats or other events
The center’s largest fundraiser of the
year, the Gentlemen’s Haberdashery, will take place Thursday, April 28 at the Balboa Bay Resort. The event will fea ture 40 of Orange County’s most promi nent male executives modeling a full range of menswear. More information about the event is available at gentlemenshaberdashery.comwww.
.
“As Catholics, we are often unaware of what is so good about the ‘Good News’ and how the Gospel applies to our lives today. By proclaiming each piece of the Kerygma and sharing examples of how God has been active in our lives, others are able to make the connection to how He is present and active in their ownRetreatantlives.”
“All of the speakers were relevant to their respective topics,” she said. “They were very encouraging and brought hope to many.”
According to Holy Family Director of Evangelization Rebecca Soto, the retreat is “three days to reflect, renew and restore“Thisfaith.”weekend serves to refresh and replenish your faith, sharing the beauty of the Holy Spirit from the Sacraments of Initiation to Christian community focusing on the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.”
HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLETES EVANGELIZATION RETREAT
These testimonies were followed by small group discussions where retreat ants discussed the talks and how they related to their own faith journeys with the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit.
OLY FAMILY CATHOLIC Church completed its 10th Evangelization Retreat the weekend of March 25-27 at the parish campus in Orange.
the retreatants as they continue their respective paths to conversion.
Sixteen men and 20 women from Holy Family and nearby parishes gath ered to spend the weekend encountering the Risen Christ and to focus on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives furthering to nurture the development of small faith communities.
In addition to spiritual guidance and support provided by parish clergy Fathers Patrick Moses, Rudy Alumam, Cheeyoon Chun and Deacon David Her nandez, a team of over 100 volunteers served over the weekend. Some worked as table leaders while others prepared meals in the kitchen, planned the litur gy, performed in the music ministry and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament in the adoration chapel during the entire duration of the retreat.
10 OC CATHOLIC n APRIL 24, 2022 DIOCESAN NEWS HOLY ORANGEDIOCESESTEVENORANGE.CHURCHCATHOLICFAMILYINPHOTO:GEORGES/OF
The first Evangelization Retreat was held in Mexico in 1978 and is based on the book Evangelization: God’s Love for Man, by Father Alfonso Navarro Castel lanos, MSPS and translated into English by Sister Mary Rachel Moreno, CDP.
The weekend consisted of a series of speakers presenting personal testi monies about their own faith journeys. Each subsequent testimony builds upon the earlier talks and is intended to guide
Gloria Briones gave high ratings to the speakers and their testi monies.
BY RON KUZLIK
The next part of the weekend was about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit is an active part of our“Bylives.unpacking the promises God made to send His Holy Spirit and the ways in which the Holy Spirit is work ing, retreatants come to understand the Trinity, the Sacraments and their own role in the Church in new ways,” Soto explained.Aspecial Liturgy of Consecration was held on Saturday evening where retreat ants were invited to call upon the Holy Spirit to offer themselves completely to Him, honoring Him, blessing Him and proclaiming His greatness.
“What a wonderful experience,” Alexandra Gomez said. “This is how one experiences God’s love and the power of
H
“The first part of the weekend focused on the Gospel message and the Kerygma, that is, the Gospel (or “Good News”) proclamation of salvation through Jesus Christ,” Soto said.
the Holy RetreatantsSpirit.”were able to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, pray in the adoration chapel and worship at Sunday Mass with the Holy Family parishCarloscommunity.Ramirez is a Shepard, one of several table leaders that facilitates and moderates discussions following each of the“Italks.attended my first retreat in 2005 at the urging of our parish priest at St. Irenaeus in Cypress, Fr. Patrick Moses (now pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church).“Icontinue as a team leader because of a renewed faith and a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the HolyTheSpirit.”next Evangelization Retreat is scheduled for Summer 2022. For more information, please contact Rebecca Soto at (714) 639-2900, or via email rsoto@hforange.org. C
Catholic Charities Auxiliary will host a benefit luncheon honoring inspirational Catholic women on Friday, April 29 at 10 a.m. at the Arboretum on Christ Cathe dral campus, Garden Grove.
For more information, visit www. rcbo.org/voterday C
ACADEMIC DECATHLON
VOTER SESSIONSINFORMATIONAL
“WORKING ON THEIR WINGS”
Last month, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School (Yorba Linda) students took first place at the National Junior High Academic Decathlon competi tion for the first time in school history. The team took first place in the “Logic” portion of the intellectual competition and second place in the “Super Quiz” category. Individually, seventh-grader Benjamin Bernard took first place in math, eighth-grader Julianna Bacolod took second place in religion, and eighth-grader Samantha Elizarraraz, took third place in science. The com piled results put them above 160 other schools from across the country and garnered them the title of National Champions.“Facingoff against talented minds from multiple states was a thrilling expe rience,” said St. Francis Principal Jean nette Lambert. “We are just so proud of our team and their perseverance!”
n May 3 - 7 p.m. in English
Catholic Charities Auxiliary promotes Catholic Charities of Orange County through community service, outreach and fundraising efforts.
n May 3 - 8 p.m. in Spanish
APRIL 24, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 11 DIOCESAN NEWS
OURAROUNDDIOCESE
Tickets are $70 and can be purchased by visiting the website (https://ccoc.org/ auxiliary) or texting Auxiliary to 91999.
TEAM TAKES FIRST PLACE IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
topics:
The Office of Communications and the Office of Life, Justice & Peace have
n History of voting
n Elections
THE 2022 ACADEMIC JUNIOR HIGH DECATHLON NATIONAL CHAMPIONS - ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC SCHOOL, YORBA LINDA. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI SCHOOL
The sessions will be nonpartisan, available online through Zoom links and sponsored by the Orange County Registrar of Voters, the government agency of the county that organizes elections. They will cover the following
n Orange County voting model: Vot er’s Choice Act
n Orange County Registrar of Voters
n Language assistance
organized a series of multilingual voter informational sessions in early May, in advance of California’s June primary. They will be on:
n Voting registration
BY STAFF
n Voting rights act compliance report
n Social media
CHARITIESOFCOURTESYGRAPHICCATHOLIC
Many of the services and Masses throughout the Diocese were cel ebrated in-person as well as lives treamed. C
FR. EUGENE LEE, PASTOR OF ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC CHURCH, IRVINE, WASHES THE FEET OF A PARISHIONER ON HOLY THURSDAY APRIL PHOTO14.COURTESY OF KIERNAN COLIFLORES/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE
One celebration unique to Orange County is the annual Blessing of the Streets, which began in 1993 in response to a surge in violence and gang-related shootings in Santa Ana.
BISHOP KEVIN W. VANN AND THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE REVIVED A LONGSTANDING TRADITION ON PALM SUNDAY WITH THE RETURN OF THE BLESSING OF THE STREETS IN SANTA ANA. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
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BISHOP KEVIN W. VANN CELEBRATES THE CHRISM MASS ON MONDAY, APRIL 11 AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL, GARDEN GROVE. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
DIOCESAN NEWS
T
HE FAITHFUL WITHIN THE Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange recently celebrated Holy Week, the most sacred period of the Liturgical Calendar.
Holy Season 2022 observances in cluded Palm Sunday [April 10], which observes Jesus’ return to Jerusalem and marks the beginning of Holy Week; Chrism Mass [April 11], where sacred oils are blessed; the observance of the Sacred Triduum [Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday] fol lowed by the Resurrection of the Lord on Easter Sunday [April 17].
BY STAFF
THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE CELEBRATES HOLY WEEK
EASTER SUNDAY MASS IS CELEBRATED AT ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY, SILVERADO CANYON ON APRIL 17.
APRIL 24, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 13 DIOCESAN NEWS
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
GOOD FRIDAY IS OBSERVED ON APRIL 15 AT STS. SIMON & JUDE IN HUNTINGTON BEACH.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIERNAN COLIFLORES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
EASTER SUNDAY MASS IS CELEBRATED AT ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY, SILVERADO CANYON ON APRIL 17.
PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
everyone else can see in.
14 OC CATHOLIC n APRIL 24, 2022 GUEST COLUMN CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Portola Hills ûù GIANT ùû GARAGE SATURDAY,SALE4/30 Ç 8am - 12pm É 100+ Homes!! Maps on Saddleback Ranch Rd. Sponsored by: Kanoa & Zandra Watt, REGENCY LOSE 15-30 LBS IN 30 DAYS! I work with Clergy and successfully!ParishionersEasy&Safe.GilYurly714-206-0443 GarageSales Fitness-WeightLoss GarageSales Merchandise
can be described in terms of playfulness:
Family-friendly spaces are hard to come by these days. I find myself rejoicing when I find a public restroom that fits my double stroller or an air port terminal that has a play area. In a world that encourages us to delay having children and to limit our family size in pursuit of other goods, the cry room stands as a symbol of accommodation, of making room for the joyful chaos of familyThelife.Mass is the church’s greatest prayer. It is solemn and serious. In today’s world, it’s often the one space where people can escape the pull of their phones and the noise and distraction of screens. Quiet and stillness are necessary for real communion.ButtheMass is also where heaven meets earth. It’s when angels who exist only for God’s glory praise and dance in exultation. The liturgy, according to theo logians like Father Romano Guardini,
PHOTO: SEAN HILLER
There are Sundays when I long for the prayer life that I had as a single person, which was more focused, more peaceful. But in this season when I find myself peering out from the cry room, wiping sticky hands and runny noses, I’m grateful for a space that allows me to participate in the foretaste of heaven with my children, who I hope will play before God for all eternity. C
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A BABY ATTENDS MASS WITH HER MOTHER AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL IN JULY 2019.
“The child, when it plays, does not aim at anything. It has no purpose. It does not want to do anything but to exercise its youthful powers, pour forth its life in an aimless series of movements, words and actions, and by this to develop and to realize itself more fully. ... And be cause (play) does not aim at anything in particular, because it streams unbroken and spontaneously forth, its utterance will be harmonious, its form clear and fine; its expression will of itself become picture and dance, rhyme, melody and song” (“The Spirit of the Liturgy”).
your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: editor@occatholic.com
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APRIL 24, 2022 n OC CATHOLIC 15
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Fr. Nicolas Nguyen recently baptized the newborn babies at St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church in Anaheim.
—Photo Submitted by Shaun Nguyen
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