Reflections of our Parochial Vicar

Corpus Christi: The feast of Corpus Christi, which is the body and blood of Christ calls to mind God’s abiding presence among us in sacramental signs. As the catechism defines, the Eucharist is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ together with his soul and divinity under the appearance of bread and wine.

Through the action of the priest in the process of trans-substantiation the bread becomes the true body of Christ and the wine the true blood of Christ. This singular belief in the real presence distinguishes the Church’s theology of the Eucharist from other Christian Churches who teach that their Eucharist is only a symbol or sign of Christ.

So when we gather on the day of the Lord it is to remember and celebrate and to give thanks because Jesus is truly present in our midst. Today we thank God for the gift of his presence in the Eucharist but also in the church, family and one another. Christ is present to us a Church and as individuals and we ought to always celebrate our unity in the body of Christ and give thanks for his blessings, “for the blessing cup that we bless is our communion in the blood of Christ” (1 Cor 10:16).

As we remember and give thanks today, we also remember those whom God has used to build the body of Christ which is our community. We are certainly very grateful Fr. Daniel Nascimento for his selfless, dedicate, honest and humble service to our Parish in the last five years. His gentle smile, warm, kind, and caring heart has built us into a real loving and caring community, a true body.

Fr. Dan, we will miss you here as you move on to St. Anne’s parish on July 1^st. We entrust you to the power of the Holy Spirit to grant you the enablement to do even greater things in you new assignment. You are “Bonus pastor”.

Meanwhile, I like to remind you that after the 9:30 and the 11:30 masses on Sunday June 29^th we shall have a farewell celebration for Fr. Dan. I would like to encourage all of us to say a “good bye” to him while we will pray for him at all masses.

I thank all of you my dear parishioners, sister and brothers, for your help and support over the last ten months since I came here. You have created a home and family for me among you. You have been overwhelmingly warm and kind to me and have helped me to settle in well. I therefore offer eternal thanks to you but also ask for one more thing: please extend this same kindness and support to our new pastor Fr. Ted Magpayo. He needs your kindness, love and support especially during the transition time, given the fact that I will be away on vacation to visit my mother from July 7^th.

I have heard only good things about Fr. Ted so let us pray for him and show him our love for which St. Brendan is known.

For those who are travelling for summer, our prayers are with you. Sr. Angela has arrived home to be with her family in Italy and has sent warm regards to all of you.

Peace be with you,

Fr. Theo

Happy Father’s Day – An anonymous writer tells the story of a child who was praying one night.  His father overheard his prayer that went something like this.  “Dear God, make me the kind of man my Daddy is.”  Later that night, the father prayed, “Dear God, make me the kind of man my son wants me to be.”  This simple story shows the high ideals many children have of their fathers yet the inadequacy many fathers feel for this awesome task.  Another quote says “Dad:  a son’s first hero, a daughter’s first love.”  Many fathers certainly want to live up to these ideals, yet being human, they’re also aware of their flaws.  Being a spiritual father, I can certainly commiserate with you over my own inadequacies.  I find hope, however, knowing that God will somehow make up for what I lack.  Fatherhood, even spiritual fatherhood, is not a one man job.  We need our Heavenly Father to help us become the man our children need us to be.  So on this Father’s Day, let us pray for all fathers and for each other:

“Heavenly Father, shower your blessings upon all fathers.  Grant them wisdom to guide their

children along right paths.  Grant them the strength to forgive when their children stray from those paths.  Grant them perseverance as they provide for the needs of their families.  May your love shelter them in times of need, and expand their capacity for wisdom, mercy and compassion.  You, who are Father of us all, hold all fathers in your warm and generous heart so that they too may reflect your love and kindness to others.  We ask this, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.”

Have a Restful Summer – How wonderful of God to give us the different seasons and especially for this Season of Summer.  School ended on Wednesday (6/11) and we’re officially on summer break.  Half of the priests were on retreat last week and the other half (myself included), will take some time off this week to reflect upon our work over the past year.  In early July, Fr. Theo will go back to visit his mom in Nigeria for a month.  She’s had some health issues and there was some violence near their home.  So it’ll be good for them to reconnect and visit with one another.  I was hoping to take some time off after the retreat, but unfortunately I will be packing instead.  Fr. Ted Magpayo, the new Pastor, is scheduled to arrive on July 1.  A couple of our school staff will also be retiring, Mrs. Maureen Laval, Staff Assistant, and Mrs. Marie Jean Longa, 3^rd Grade Aide.  Mrs. Phyllis Ciment, Art Instructor and Mrs. Megan Rabbit, our PM Kindergarten teacher will also not be returning.  Mrs. Rabbit will be taking care of her 2 little ones.  Changes are coming, as they often do, nonetheless I wish you all a restful summer filled with memories you’ll make with your family and friends.

Wrapping up Capital Campaign – Over the Summer break, we’ll be finishing off the final Capital Campaign projects.  The 2 remaining projects are the Convent & School tiled roofs.  If you haven’t completed your pledge yet, may I ask if you could remember us as we’ll need your pledges to finish the projects?  We’ll also be doing some work in the Kindergarten area so that there’ll be room for 2 full day kindergarten classes.  Everything should be completed before school begins in late August.  Again, thanks for all your support that has made St. Brendan a bright attractive community both physically and spiritually.  May God be pleased with our efforts.

Fr. Dan

Congratulations Graduates – When I first began my ministry as Pastor at St. Brendan, the current graduating class was only in 3^rd grade.  It’s always wonderful to see our children grow, flourish and succeed.  This last week of school was filled with memorable activities.  One of them was the Faculty versus 8^th graders Volleyball game on Tuesday (6/3).  For many years, the Faculty dominated the game.  However, the year before last, the 8^th graders won 2 out of 3 games.  And last year, the Faculty won 2 out of 3.  At the time of this writing, the game has not yet been played, but I’m sure it’ll be another close match.  On Wednesday night (6/4) the 8^th graders had a class dinner at the school library at 6:30pm.  Afterwards, their parents met them outside the Church Hall, and the students escorted their parents into the hall for an evening of dance and fun.  Mrs. Geraldine Washburn, their Folk Dancing Instructor, was the DJ for the evening.  The following morning, they and the 7^th grade Altar Servers were treated to a day at the Raging Waters amusement park, in gratitude for their service to the parish all year.  Our Altar Servers not only serve at the Sunday liturgies, but they also serve during the weekday masses even in the summer months when school is out.  This was a treat from the parish for their faithfulness.  And having served at different parishes, I can say with all honesty that we have here, some of the best Altar Servers in the Archdiocese.  The school year ended with a Graduation Mass for the 8^th graders on Friday morning (6/6) attended by the entire student body, followed with Graduation in the evening at 5pm.  This has been a wonderful memory filled week that they will not soon forget.  Thank you Graduates for the memories you share with us and Congratulations on your achievements.  We’ll be praying for your success.

Congratulations Fr. Roger – the parish celebrated another milestone, as we witnessed the final year of formation for Roger Gustafson.  When Roger first began the academic year with us in September, he was in his final year at the Seminary.  He was assigned here so he’ll have the opportunity to practice celebrating the Sacraments, especially Baptism, Marriage, Anointing of the Sick & of course, Eucharist.  In November 2013, he was ordained a transitional Deacon and on Saturday, June 7 @ 10am at St. Mary’s Cathedral, he with 3 other men were ordained priests for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.  Being a Diocesan priest, as opposed to a Religious one like the Jesuits, Dominicans or Franciscans, our charism (ministry) is to build up the local church.  Whereas missionary priests come to plant the seed of faith, the work of diocesan priests (the local clergy) is to help that seed grow and blossom.  We’ve been blessed to have Roger with us this past year and he’ll be celebrating his first mass with us here on Sunday, June 8 at 9:30am.  Congratulations, Fr. Roger!

Sound System Demo – with the help of the Building Committee, we will be trying out another company to set up an improved sound system for our parish.  Currently, our sound system consists of only 2 speakers in the front of the Church.  While this is sufficient for most masses, however, at the Sunday 9:30am mass, where many young families and children attend, that has been the complaint that the sound does not carry all the way to the back.  The sound system company will set up on Saturday, June 14 and we will get a demo of it over the Father’s day weekend.  In addition, we’re also asking them to offer, for those with hearing impairment, a device that can help them hear better.  The company has proposed a device that can be worn around the neck and we will explore its suitability.

Fr. Dan

My dear friends,

It is with sadness that I write to you about my upcoming change of assignment.At Archbishop Cordileone’s request, I will be assigned as Pastor of St. Anne of the Sunset Church, effective July 1, 2014. As many of you know, that was my home parish growing up, it was where I did my internship as a Seminarian, and where my last assignment was before becoming your Pastor here.

The change will take place because the Pastor of St. Anne, Fr. Ray Reyes, has been asked by the Archbishop to become the next Vicar for Clergy (Head of Priest Personnel). Currently Auxiliary Bishop Justice holds that position but he will become the Vicar General. So in the eyes of the Archbishop and the Priest Personnel Board, I was the best choice to replace the current Pastor.

Fr. Ted Magpayo, currently the Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Daly City, will take my place effective July 1, 2014. He not only has a Masters in Bioethics, but he’s also musically gifted. He plays various musical instruments and is trained in choral conducting, music arrangement and liturgical composition. I know you will show him the same love, support and encouragement that you have given me.

I truly enjoyed my assignment here with you and wish I did not have to leave so soon. But we are ordained to serve and the needs of the People of God supersede my personal wish.

I’ll miss you and thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Pastor. Wishing God’s blessings upon you,

With love and prayers,

Fr. Daniel Nascimento

New Mothers’ Club Officers Installed – On Thursday, May 15, the school community celebrated a mass of thanksgiving for the women who served as Officers and Class Representatives of the Mothers’ Club.  And new Officers and Class Representatives were also installed at this mass for the next school year.  At the homily, Fr. Dan reminded those present, that their work was not just an occasion to build lasting friendships, nor solely to raise funds to keep tuition down, but they were also helping to build God’s Kingdom in this little corner of San Francisco.  The outgoing officers were:  Karen Pierotti, President; Lisa Ikeda, Vice-President; Kerry Canellos, Secretary; Jill Peterson Kaplan, Treasurer; Rita Cenni, Financial Secretary; and Fiona Connolly, Parliamentarian.  The incoming officers are:  Lisa Ikeda, President; Jenny Nelson, Vice-President; Kathleen Darling, Secretary; Kerry Kelleher, Treasurer; Jill Peterson, Financial Secretary; and Karen Pierotti, Parliamentarian.  After the mass, the Mothers’ enjoyed a lunch and bid farewell to those whose children will be graduating and leaving the school.  It was a wonderful event as they recalled the many years they worked and spent time together.  Thank you ladies for your hard work and dedication to our students, our staff and to God!

Men’s Club Recent Events – On Friday, May 16, our Men’s Club held a Golf Tournament at Harding Park.  Their fundraising activity supports the Athletic Program which allows all students to participate in any sport without cost.  This year, part of the proceeds will go towards the O’Brien family, who recently lost their father, Robert O’Brien.  For those who do not golf, there was a dinner afterwards in the Church Hall.  As one father described the day, “it was like having a long weekend,” as they took Friday off for this worthwhile event.  I want to thank “Professor” Robert Nelson, Esq. for chairing the event, the Men’s Club officers as well as members of the Mother’s Club who came out to support this fun(d)raising event.  On Thursday, May 22, the Men’s Club also had a dinner to recognize and thanked those members whose children will be graduating and leaving the school.  And on May 29, they will host a Coaches’ Dinner to thank and recognize all the volunteers who served as coaches for our children throughout the year.  As we near the end of the school year, time seems to be speeding up.  But they’re filled with wonderful memories that will last us a lifetime.

Scout Sunday at St. Brendan – On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country, to help people at all times, and to live by the scout law (slightly paraphrased).  What wonderful ideals they hold for our young people as they learn to serve one another and to develop confidence in themselves.  Next Sunday (6/1) at the 9:30am mass, the Daisies, Girl Scouts, Cub scouts, Boy scouts and Eagle Scouts will do their duty to God by worshipping with us.  I want to thank them and their troop leaders for their service to the community and to remind us, that we’re all called to live by those same ideals.  Scout Law:  a scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. 

Fr. Dan

Graduations & Ordinations – As we near the end of our academic year, the 8^th grade students of St. Brendan will celebrate a mass together with their family and the parish community at this Sunday’s 8am mass.  Many of you have supported them through the monthly 2^nd collection for our school, which not only lowers the tuition for each student, but also provides assistance for our school to stay modern, especially in the areas of technology.  Following the mass with the parish, they will have a brunch over at the Olympic Club with their parents, teachers and staff.  During the brunch, the students will share their memories of their time in the school and express their gratitude to their parents, teachers and staff.  Their Graduation will be on Friday, June 6.  Please hold them and their families in your prayers as they come to the end of a chapter in their lives.

On a similar note, Deacon Roger Gustafson’s academic year at the Seminary ended on May 16.  He was with us this year as part of his Field Education, getting experience not only in preaching, but also in preparing and celebrating the Sacraments of Baptism and Marriage.  In addition, he also joined us in ministry over at Juvenile Hall.  He will be ordained a Priest on Saturday, June 7, 2014 at 11am at St. Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco.  As you have been part of his formation, you are invited to join him on that special day of his ordination.  Along with him, 3 other men, Mark Doherty, Andrew Spyrow and Tony Vallecillo, will be ordained as priests for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.  Deacon Roger will be celebrating his first mass here with us on Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2014 at 9:30am.  You’re all welcome to attend.

Welcome New Parishioners – Twice a year, we welcome new members to our parish.  One takes place at the Parish Thanksgiving Party, and the other at the celebration of our Parish’s Feast Day.  The Feast of St. Brendan is on May 16, a Friday this year.  So instead, we’ll be celebrating it on Sunday, May 18 at the 9:30am mass.  We have approximately 100 households registering in the parish each year.  I want to thank the Chairs of the Welcome Committee Deborah Nysather and Paige Olson, and their members for organizing and making this event possible.  Welcome to St. Brendan!

Archbishop Cordileone Mother’s Passing – On Thursday, May 8, the mother of Archbishop Cordileone, Mary Cordileone, passed away in San Diego.  Fortunately, he was able to fly back and be by her side before she passed.  The funeral was held on Monday, May 12 in San Diego.  I wrote the following note, on your behalf, to the Archbishop:

  Dear Archbishop, please accept our condolences for the loss of your mother.  Know that we held her in our prayers at mass and will continue to do so for her, for you and your family. We pray that the good Lord will comfort you in your sorrow and strengthen and unite your family in the days ahead. 

With love and prayers, the Priests, Sisters, Staff and the People of God at St. Brendan Church. 

A check of $500 was also sent to help them with the funeral expenses.  Eternal rest grant unto Mary, O Lord, and let perpetual Light shine upon her.

Fr. Dan

St. Brendan: Pray For Us

The joy of the resurrection fills the earth and invites us to share this good news with all our folks. Somehow, the events of the resurrection changed the direction of all those who witnessed it. The women who went to the tomb early on Sunday morning changed their destination and headed for where the Apostles were gathered; when the Apostles became part of the experience of the resurrection power, they headed straight for Galilee; not leaving out the disciples who had taken the painful whole-day journey to Emmaus who when they discovered the risen Lord in the breaking of the bread had to make a u-turn and head back to Jerusalem.

Over time, ages and centuries, humanity has continued to encounter the risen Lord in different circumstances beginning from the apostolic times to our day, and have also continued to respond to these encounters through a change in the direction of their lives.

The Apostles found themselves, some in Italia, some in Rome, others in Asia Minor, and still other in India and many other places including Jerusalem itself. Paul’s Encounter with the risen Lord changed not just his physical direction but also the direction of his life from being a fierce persecutor of Christians to ardent preacher of the good news, such that he would later say, “I preach Christ Crucified”.

In the coming week we shall celebrate the feast of our Patron whose encounter with the risen Lord changed his direction in life and navigated him to preach the good news of Christ to Islands. St. Brendan the Navigator was born in Ciarriaghe Luachra, near the present city of Tralee, County Kerry, Ireland, in 484 AD. After being ordained a priest in 512, St. Brendan built monastic cells at Ardfert, and at Shanakeel, at the foot of the Brandon hill. It was from here that he set out on his famous seven year voyage for the land of delight.

Some traditions have it that while celebrating mass on the ship, even the fishes would come to listen while others stories also postulate that St. Brendan’s seven year voyage got him to North America and would later inspire the Voyage of Christopher Columbus. St. Brendan is the patron of Navigators.

We too are on a voyage, a voyage of life and we need the gracious intercession of St. Brendan our Patron Saint to help us as we strive to reach God daily. The feast is on May 16^th 2014 but shall have the normal weekday program, then on Sunday at the 8:00 mass, we shall a special graduation mass for our beloved children in 8^th grade and at the 9:30 mass, we shall have a special mass of welcome for all our new parishioners.

May St. Brendan the Navigator pray for us.

Fr. Theo