Congratulations to Fr. Jorge as he celebrates his 40th Anniversary of ordination into the Priesthood. This month he will travel to all the parishes in California where he has served during his many years here. He will be celebrating special Masses in those parishes according to the following schedule. . . Sunday the 6th in Mammoth Lakes and the Missions. . . Saturday June 12 in Our Lady of Fatima in Modesto, CA at 6:00 PM. . . Sunday June 13 in The Holy Family Center in Tracy, CA at 1:30 PM. . . Monday June 14 in Saint Timothy Church in San Mateo, CA at 6:00 PM. . . Tuesday June 15 in Our Lady of The Pilar in Half Moon Bay, CA at 6:00 PM. . . Wednesday June 16 in Saint Peter Church in San Francisco, CA at 12:00 PM. . . Saturday June 26 in Saint Emydius Church in Lynwood, CA at 7:00 PM. . . Tuesday June 29 in Holy Cross Church in Moorpark, CA at 7:00 PM. . . Also, click on the image to read Fr. Jorge's essay: "My First 40 Years of Priesthood."

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we leave the month of May, dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary, we now move into June, the month dedicated to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. As the home is referred to as the domestic church, there is a custom to have homes & families consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To have the enthronement of an image of the Sacred Heart has been a popular Catholic devotion over the years. . . Click on the image to read the complete message.

Bishop Cotta and the Diocese of Stockton released new messages on May 17 and June 8, 2021. While ignoring the CDC, the science, and the freedom enjoyed by worshippers in other states, Bishop Cotta states on May 17: "all those attending Mass are to continue to wear a mask and practice social distancing according to the established norms." That message was updated on June 8: "Bishop Cotta will continue to seek the guidance of county health officials so that the Diocese of Stockton can set forth recommendations and guidelines that are specifically tailored for our parishes.. . Click on the image to read the complete messages.

Congratulations to Fr. Jorge who is celebrating his 40th anniversary of ordination into the priesthood, on Penticost Sunday, June 6, 1981.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, As we enter the glorious season of Easter, let us reengage and reconnect with the faith community which is our parishes. This is the perfect season to allow oneself to be renewed by the Easter Sacraments, especially, that of the Holy Eucharist. . . Click on the image to read the complete message in English or Spanish.

We are Mark and Gail Struble and we teach Natural Family Planning through the Couple to Couple League in the Reno Diocese. CCL was founded in 1971 and has grown into an international Catholic non-profit organization with an interfaith mission: to build joyful marriages by teaching Natural Family Planning (NFP), couple to couple. Mark and I are an experienced teaching couple, and in the Reno Diocese we have been teaching in both English and Spanish for over twenty years. We attend St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church in Carson City. . .Click on the image for more information.

The USCCB has expressed serious concerns regarding the use of abortion-derived cell lines in the development and production of COVID vaccines. "Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines raised concerns because an abortion-derived cell line was used for testing them, but not in their production. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine, however, was developed, tested and is produced with abortion-derived cell lines raising additional moral concerns." . . . If you have any questions regarding the moral concerns of the vaccine, Bishop Cotta would like to encourage you to contact the diocesan Life & Dignity Coordinator, Robert Poncini at rponcini@stocktondiocese.org. . . Click on the image to read the complete letter.

Brothers and Sisters, Just do It! Years back, the Nike company utilized this marketing phrase to entice the public to buy their popular recreational and athletic shoes. By wearing their product, the public was being encouraged to get up; to get on their feet; and to get out there and become physically active -in other words, don’t just think about doing it: “Just do it!” . . . Click on the image to read the complete message in English or Spanish. Also, here are important anniversaries Bishop Cotta is celebrating this month: March 15, his third anniversary as Bishop of Stockton; March 21, his birthday; March 28, his seventh anniversary of Ordination as a Bishop. Please pray for Bishop Cotta.

The Diocese of Stockton has issued Guidelines to comply with Covid requirements for church services to be held during Holy Week. Click on the image to read the guidelines.

Fr. Jorge is conducting a survey on the Parishioners' preferred Sunday Mass time. Click on the image to go to his message on Facebook and participate in the survey.

There will be adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Thursdays during Lent at 5:30 PM in St. Joseph Church.

There will be Stations of the Cross on Fridays during Lent (except March 19) at 5:30 PM in St. Joseph Church.

My Dear People of God, The month of February holds a special place in the hearts of many with the annual celebration of St. Valentine’s Day. Everywhere we look, with the help of the advertising world, we see the ever-popular symbol of St. Valentine’s Day -the heart. . . Click on the image to read the complete message.

Brothers and Sisters, We give thanks for the recent Supreme Court ruling recognizing that the prohibition of indoor worship is a violation of our religious liberty. At the same time, we do not in any way wish to downplay the seriousness of the pandemic. We will be returning indoor services, not only because of this ruling but also because we know that it can be done safely. . . Click on the image to read the Memorandum on Indoor Mass from Bishop Cotta and the Directives for Indoor Masses.

January 20, 2021 . . . "My prayers are with our new President and his family today. I am praying that God grant him wisdom and courage to lead this great nation and that God help him to meet the tests of these times, to heal the wounds caused by this pandemic, to ease our intense political and cultural divisions, and to bring people together with renewed dedication to America’s founding purposes, to be one nation under God committed to liberty and equality for all. . . . "I must point out that our new President has pledged to pursue certain policies that would advance moral evils and threaten human life and dignity, most seriously in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender. Of deep concern is the liberty of the Church and the freedom of believers to live according to their consciences." . . . Click on the image to read the complete press release.

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, As we continue our celebration of the Christmas season, I would like to wish all of you: clergy, religious and laity, a Happy New Year filled with God’s blessings. On January 1, we honored Mary as Mother of God and entrusted the New Year to her maternal protection. As we continue to face the reality of the pandemic, with all of its “ups and downs,” let us do so, with a steadfast spirit. All of us know, without a doubt, that the ups and downs will surely come, but we must not allow fear to get a foothold in our lives. We now have the lived experience of 2020 behind us and it gave us the insight to seriously, and prayerfully, prioritize our everyday lives with God at the center of it all. With fortitude, patience and inspiration we have avoided, by God’s grace, what could have been, an experience of spiritual paralysis. . . Click on the image to read the compete message.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, This Advent Season, with the beginning of a new liturgical year, offers to us, in the midst of the darkness of the pandemic, the opportunity to step into the light of this season of new beginnings! It is a time to be alert and prepared for the coming of the Lord! It is a season to make straight the way of the Lord. By repenting, reconciling and reflecting upon our relationship with God and our neighbor, we, with minds and hearts renewed, will be better prepared to come and adore Jesus this Christmas. . . Click on the image to read the complete reflection.

Effective Sunday, December 6 at 11:59 p.m., Mono County (as part of the Southern California Region) will be formally placed under the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) Regional Stay-At-Home Order [https://covid19.ca.gov/stay-home-except-for-essential-needs/#regional] (Order). The Order, which will be in effect for a minimum of three weeks, prohibits private gatherings of any size, and closes sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail in an effort to limit the transmission and spread of COVID-19 (Coronavirus). . .The following sectors now have additional modifications, in addition to 100% masking and physical distancing: Places of worship and political expression: Allow outdoor services only. . . Click on the virus image to read the complete press release from Mono County.

Effective December 2, the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has reassigned Mono County to the most restrictive Tier 1 Widespread (Purple) of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy (Blueprint), the State’s “stringent and slow plan for living with COVID-19 (Coronavirus).” According to the latest order, "Places of Worship (are) Open outdoors with modifications". . . Click on the image to read the press release from Mono County.

The Covid-19 pandemic has marked 2020 as the year when everything changed for society, politics, healthcare, education and even parish life. Individuals, families and systems have been impacted in ways that may be forever changed. Becuase this continues to be a time of financial difficulty for many people, we want to make sure that you are aware of some important resources that Catholic Charities is able to provide between now and the end of December for families in need. . . Click on the image for more information.