Pancake Breakfast – I want to thank Mr. Kevin Morrison, this year’s Men’s Club President, and his officers for offering to do a fundraising for the parish. Mr. Morrison, a convert to the Catholic faith, has served as a member and as the Chair of the Parish Advisory Board. He continues to serve as a member of the Finance Committee and was chosen this year to be the Men’s Club President. As one who has seen the inner workings of the parish and is aware of its various needs, he generously offered to do a fundraising for the parish. The breakfast will be served on Sunday, September 8, following the 9:30am mass. In order to avoid the big rush following the mass, they have planned to have 2 different serving times. One, immediately following the mass at about 10:30am, and the second one at 11am. Kevin and his hand-picked cooks have planned and prepared for this day. Our youth will also be on hand to help serve. Thank you all for your generosity and support.
Thank You, Bishop Emeritus Daniel Walsh – We’ve been blessed that since August, the retired Bishop of Santa Rosa, who is now in residence at his home parish of St. Anne of the Sunset, has generously come over to help us with the Sunday masses. He was originally a priest of this Archdiocese, ordained in 1963. He served as an Associate Pastor at St. Pius in Redwood City, taught at Junipero Serra High School in San Mateo, served as Chancellor for the Archdiocese (similar to a CEO), and later on as Archbishop McGucken’s private secretary. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco in 1981, became Bishop of Reno-Las Vegas in 1987, and was chosen to be Bishop of Santa Rosa in 2000. He retired in 2011 and said he’s happy being a simple priest again, celebrating the sacraments with the people of God. Parishioners have commented on how wonderful it was to have him celebrate mass with us, because he celebrates the Eucharist with dignity, the way they remembered it. I too am grateful for his kindness, because he comes not as one who seeks to be served, but as one who serves, with a shepherd’s heart.
Enlisting Your Help – As I shared with the faculty and parents at the beginning of the school year, what’s important to me as your Pastor, is not only that you and our children do well in life. What’s more important still, is your immortal soul. So I shared with them that with the other priests and sisters of the parish, we pray daily for you. But I also want to enlist your help to pray for the members of this parish. I ask that you’d also consider, on the Fridays throughout the year, to make a simple sacrifice. Prior to the 2nd Vatican Council, the common sacrifice was meatless Fridays. After the Council, we were still encouraged to take up a simple penance, although we were free to choose another penance, other than to give up meat. Regrettably, the part that most people heard was that we didn’t have to give up meat on Fridays anymore, and missed the part about doing another sort of penance. So I ask you to join me on Fridays, besides praying for the members of this parish, but also to offer a small sacrifice for this intention. The small sacrifice can be giving up a cup of coffee, or skipping a meal, or offering a decade of the rosary. Let us pray and sacrifice that the members of this school and parish may grow deeper in our faith and be authentic disciples of Jesus, willing to bring the Light of Christ to all who live in darkness.
Parish Picnic – Our yearly parish picnic will be on the last Sunday of September, 9/29 at Blackberry Farm in Cupertino. Please save the date. More information will follow. As I will be leading a pilgrimage from 9/26 – 10/5, Fr. Theo will be celebrating the mass at the picnic at 11am, while Bishop Walsh will celebrate the 9:30 & 11:30 am masses here that day. Registration for the Picnic will follow.
