The death of a loved one is unlike any other loss. Although there is no right or wrong path, there are stepping stones that are part of each grief journey, and we will explore them in our eight week workshop in September and October.

California-based religious organizations, including individual congregations of mosques, synagogues, temples and churches along with regional or state-wide bodies, are invited to sign-on to the following letter. While this letter was delivered to Gov. Newsom's office on September 7, 2023, we invite additional sign-ons for future use of the letter and showing support for the California Mandela Act (AB 280). AB 280 passed off the California Senate Floor on September 13, 2023. It became a two-year bill and Governor Newsom has until this Sept 30, 2024, to act on it. Details and letter through link.

Bishop Michael C.Barber, S.J. has made the following appointments effective September 2, 2024 Fr. Jesus Hernandez is appointed Pastor of St. Clement Parish, Hayward Fr. Jesus Nieto is appointed Pastor of St. Peter Martyr Parish, Pittsburg Fr. Luis Lopez, while remaining Parochial Administrator of Corpus Christi Parish, Fremont, is appointed Pastor of Our Lady of The Rosary Parish, Union City.

Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, has joined at least 25 other Catholic bishops from the United States and around the world in denouncing the “grotesque and blasphemous depiction of the Last Supper” during the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympics in Paris.

El plazo de presentación de solicitudes para los programas de la Escuela de Pastoral y del Instituto Catequético Serra se ha extendido hasta el 28 de agosto. La información de la solicitud está disponible a través del enlace.

The application deadline for the School for Pastoral Ministry and Serra Catechetical Institute programs has been extended to August 28. Application information is available through the link.

Kiona Medina MFT, Coordinadora de Ministerios de Vida y Justicia Social está ofreciendo un evento HeartShop de 2 horas para las parroquias de la Diócesis de Oakland. Este evento titulado "Un enfoque católico para la curación del trauma y la salud mental: un taller interactivo del corazón. Estas reflexiones interactivas de 2 horas de duración combinan creatividad, fe católica y salud mental. Información e inscripción a través del enlace.

Kiona Medina MFT, Coordinator of Life and Social Just Ministries is offering a HeartShop 2-hour event for parishes in the Diocese of Oakland. This event titled "A Catholic Approach to Trauma Healing and Mental Health: An Interactive Heartshop. These 2-hour long interactive reflections combine creativity, Catholic faith and Mental Health. Information and registration through the link.

Celebrating 90 years of supporting children, youth, families and seniors, Catholic Charities is looking for volunteers to make a difference for all our neighbors. Learn more about these meaningful, great opportunities through the link. Support Catholic Charities TODAY.

Bishop Cozzens shares his statement on the prayers and Mass events during the Eucharistic Congress. His statement also shares the collective outrage surrounding the opening ceremonies of the Paris Olympics and the heinous depiction of the Last Supper. His remarks are followed by a request to "commit ourselves this week to greater prayer and fasting in reparation for this sin. Perhaps you could attend Mass once more this week or do an extra holy hour? " Read the entire statement through the link.

Fr. Lawrence D'Anjou, Vicar General of the Diocese of Oakland and Pastor of the St. Bonaventure Catholic Community shares highlights from the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. "The first night 40,000 plus gathered in the stadium as pilgrims who carried Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament from 4 corners of the U.S. entered the stadium. Then the lights went down, and Jesus was brought into our midst in a beautiful, large monstrance blessed by Pope Francis. Read the entire piece through the link.

​Catholic Charities East Bay Immigration Legal Services, in collaboration with other agencies, hosted an Immigration Forum on Saturday, July 27, 2024 at Contra Costa College. The legal team offered free consultations, a Know Your Rights Presentation, and a DACA workshop. Learn more about Catholic Charities through the link.

We pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost their jobs.

The Office of Worship has issued the following guidelines for the upcoming implementation of two revised Liturgical texts: Holy Communion and Worship of the Eucharistic Mystery outside Mass and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults.

OptionsUnited.org is approved by the Catholic Conference of Bishops as the statewide hotline serving all California pro-life organizations including 170+ pregnancy centers. The centers that Options United serves provide essential medical and material support to women in local communities. Read through the link to learn how your assistance in making this life-affirming service known is urgent.

In July Bishop Barber blessed the expanded Order of Malta Clinic, which provides free medical care. You can read more about this in the August issue of The Catholic Voice. Click through this link to find pdfs that can be used in parish bulletins and digital channels to promote this important service.

CURSILLO FALL WEEKENDS: Men's, Women's and a combined weekend event at St. Elizabeth Seton in Pleasanton. Details and application information through the link.

Are you passionate about social justice and dedicated to working with people? Are you bilingual and enthusiastic about bridging the service gap for the Latino community in Contra Costa County? The Society of St. Vincent de Paul may have the perfect opportunity for you if you are interested plaese contact Stephen Krank at s.krank@svdp-cc.org. See full description through the link.