"Along with my brother bishops, we stand in solidarity with Archbishop Gomez and our sisters and brothers who are sadly impacted by the current situation. Let us recognize we are all God's children, called to be compassionate toward one another." - Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ

Localize, evangelize, love with adaptability | Catholic Charities’ Mario Alioto’s calling is to remind the East Bay that ‘the work that we do is for the people who you know.’

The Bishops of California have declared Saturday, July 26, 2025, the Jubilee of Marriage, to be celebrated as part of the Church’s broader Pilgrims of Hope Jubilee Year. This special day honors married couples as “pilgrims of hope” and encourages those who aspire to the sacrament of marriage. They are a profound sign of hope for both the Church and the world.

Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ, preached this homily in May 2025 at the concluding Mass for 400 pilgrims attending the Order of Malta Pilgrimage, many of whom were suffering from terminal illnesses, at the historic Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Lourdes, France.

“In a few minutes, your life will be changed. A different man will walk down the aisle exiting the cathedral than the man who came in."

Read about many of the organizations and individuals living out the Corporal Works of Mercy within our diocese in the summer issue of The Catholic Voice magazine.

Six East Bay parishes combine efforts to help pregnant and parenting mothers - turning pro-life calling into solidarity and action.

Called in their vocation to Oakland for a two-year teaching fellowship in the University of Notre Dame's Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), Riginos and Nash are two of the six ACE teachers assigned to Oakland's Catholic schools in the 2024-25 academic year.

Anna Rossi and the Order of Malta Legal Clinic seek to collaborate for community good

The funds collected through the Bishop’s Ministries Appeal (BMA) support more than 70 ministries at the diocesan and parish levels including seminarian education, care for retired clergy, religious education and Catholic schools. These ministries contribute to the life of the diocese in critical ways, serving the faithful and the wider community.

Join us for an evening of discernment! Multiple dates available in 2025.

17 days throughout California. 21 missions. 15 years of Jubilee sites. At least 20 eucharistic processions. More than 1,200 miles. And a convergence with the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage culminating with the Feast of Corpus Christi. For details, itineraries, and ways to sign up or donate: caminodecalifornia.org

Mark Diamond, then an Augustinian novice and now the business manager for The Cathedral of Christ the Light, poised with other novices and then-Bishop-elect Robert Prevost in 2014. Now Pope Leo XIV, Bishop-elect Prevost had returned to Chicago to celebrate Mass before leaving for his installation in the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru.

Representatives of Asociación Jóvenes y Adultos Para Cristo (AJAPC), also known as Young Adults for Christ, brought the fruits of their fundraising efforts for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) through Operation Rice Bowl to the Cathedral of Christ the Light on May 8.

"I welcome the newly elected successor to St. Peter. Pope Leo XIV. While many are surprised the cardinals chose an American, with his experience in both South and North America as a member of a worldwide religious order, this new pope will have a world vision. I am really encouraged by the new Holy Father’s emphasis on bridge-building, which we need in the Church right now. Our prayers and loyalty are with him!" Most Rev. Michael C. Barber, S.J. Bishop of Oakland

Prior to his election as Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis, Cardinal Prevost, was Prefect of the Dicastery for the Bishops. Here you can find the biography of the 267th Bishop of Rome.

Predicting when the smoke will rise from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel is not an exact science. The time needed for the cardinals' prayers, discussions and vote counting can vary.

Sarah Hart, Steve Angrisano and Jesse Manibusan to play at El Cerrito parish May 16

“SPM through the Decades,” a museum-in-a-school unique exhibit, allowed hundreds of alumni, students, families and community members to learn about the history of St. Peter Martyr Catholic School in Pittsburg and to share their own reflections on the 75-year history of the school.

One of Pope Francis’ first official acts after being elected to the papacy in 2013 was to name a new bishop of Oakland, his Jesuit brother Michael C. Barber. Bishop Barber honored the late pontiff with a memorial Mass on April 26, hours after Pope Francis was laid to rest at St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome.