Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom lifted all capacity restrictions on houses of worship Monday after months of highly publicized legal battles against churches and five rebukes from the U.S. Supreme Court. “In response to recent judicial rulings, effective immediately, location and capacity limits on places of worship are not mandatory but are strongly recommended,” read California’s COVID-19 guidance, which was revised Monday. “The linked guidance is in the process of being updated. All other restrictions in the guidance remain in place.” . . . Click on the image to read the complete article published by the DailyWire. com.

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.

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.

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.

There will be one Mass at St. Joseph Church on November 21. It will be bilingual at 12:00 Noon, and Livestreamed on the Mammoth Catholic Church Facebook Page.

Due to Fr. Jorge's illness, the Masses scheduled for Sunday, November 8, at St. Joseph Church are cancelled. Daily Mass is also suspended until further notice. See the video messages below from Fr. Jorge, and please pray for him.

My Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today, we gather to acknowledge All Souls’ Day. Traditionally, the month of November is set aside for us to remember and pray for the faithful departed. As we do so, we know that this year has not been a typical one, to say the least! In early spring, the world found itself under siege by a deadly virus. The outbreak of the Coronavirus turned the world upside down and has altered our everyday lives. As a result of the world pandemic, many lives have been lost, and have been seriously impacted by the prevailing virus. . . Click on the image to read the complete message.

My Dear People of God, As November the 3rd quickly approaches, we are reminded of the importance of participating in our civic duty to vote. I encourage those who have not yet cast their vote to prayerfully do so. As Catholics, we are to approach this duty as informed individuals on the pressing issues at hand. . . Click on image to read the complete address.

On October 3, 2020, Pope Francis signed the encyclical Fratelli Tutti in Assisi, Italy. The encyclical focuses on fraternity and social friendship. Click on the image to link to the encyclical in both English and Spanish, Archbishop Gomez's statement, highlights from the presentation of Fratelli Tutti, and a letter from the Apostolic Nuncio Christophe Pierre.

Brothers and Sisters, It brings me great joy to share some good news with you about the most recent update to our counties' tier status in regard to places of worship. On the second page of this document you will find the status of each county within our diocese. As we start tore-open in some counties, I want to remind you to care for one another by maintaining at least a six-foot distance between those of different households and staying home if you are feeling sick. It is a great blessing to be able to celebrate Mass indoors as a community again. If you and your family are not at risk or vulnerable to the virus, I encourage you to take advantage of this blessing and attend Mass in person. It is recommended to those who are at risk and vulnerable to the virus to participate in the Mass by way of live streaming. With regard to outdoor Masses, they are still encouraged to continue as they allow for greater attendance. . . Click on the image to read the complete update and the Guidelines for Returning to Indoor Masses.

My Dear People of God, As we find ourselves in this time of uncertainty, prayer for our personal peace of mind and heart is urgent at this time. This month of October is the month dedicated to the Holy Rosary. If you and your families have not yet embraced this powerful prayer form, I highly recommend that you do so. It will bring many essential graces for you and your family at this time of difficulty. . . Click on the image to read the complete letter.