The Feast of the Immaculate Conception and Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass and Fiesta

Sacred Heart Church

Sunday Dec. 8

9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses

Advent Mass in honor of the Immaculate Conception

Thursday, Dec. 12

5 a.m. Mañanitas

(Singing to the Virgin Mary)

6:00 a.m. Mass

Sunday, Dec.15

10:30 a.m. Mass (Bilingual)

Followed by

"Family Fiesta"

with music, dancing, food and drink.

Special appearances by

Mariachi San Francisco and Azteca Danza

All are welcome! Bienvenida!

Easter schedule, Mother Ireland report

Please join us for Easter!

EASTER VIGIL - HOLY SATURDAY

 Sacred Heart Church, Olema         March 26         9 a.m.         Morning Prayer
                                                                                     8 p.m.        Mass (Bilingual)
 

EASTER SUNDAY MASS

Sacred Heart Church, Olema           March 27        9 a.m.

                                       10:30 a.m. (Espanol) 

 St. Mary Magdalene, Bolinas           March 27       9 a.m. and 11 a.m.      
      

MOTHER IRELAND POST-EVENT REPORT

According to parishioner Ken Eichsteadt, the "Mother Ireland" event held at the Dance Palace last Sunday and featuring award-winning storyteller Neshama Franklin, was a rousing success!

"It went very well," he says. "About 80 folks attended, monies raised (from the auction, bake sale and drinks) was around $2,600 and all I heard were very positive comments.  It was fun!"

ARCHBISHOP REQUESTS PRAYERS AND ADVOCACY 

FOR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS

At the chrism Mass on March 17, 2016, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone urged the faithful and the clergy to stand with persecuted Christians, particularly in Syria and Iraq.  "Let us especially pray and advocate of our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ, and other religious minorities, heedig the pleas of the bishops of our country and out state to make our voices hear.  The killing must stop."
Please remember them in your prayers.

From Catholic San Francisco:

CATHOLIC TRADITION: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BLESSING OF THE OILS

On March 17, Archbishop Salatore J. Cordileone celebrated a chrism Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral and blessed the oils that will be used in sacramental and liturgical rites by parish churches in the coming year.  

"Before becoming wine and oil, the grape and the olive must first be crushed," Archbishop Cordileone is quoted as saying. "This is what our Savior came to do for us. God's anointed one was crushed for our sins...Our Lord was crushed, like olives in the olive press, in order to bring us the healing balm and sweet fragrance of God's mercy. 

According to the the Archdiocese's director of worship. Laura Bertone in the Catholic San Francisco: 

* Three oils are blessed: the oil of chrism, the oil of the cathechumens, and the oil of the sick.

* The oils are used in baptisms, confirmation, ordination and the consecration of altars.

* Chrism means "annointing" in Greek and Christ means "annointed one"

* In the Mass, the three oils are solemnly processed to the altars in "ampullae"

* The Bishop/Archbishop pours balsam perfume into the olive oil and mixes them

*Both the oil and the balsam reach back to annointing rituals in the Old Testament and early church

*He then breathes over them and prays to the Holy Spirit 

*The blessing of the oils on the altar also blesses the oils from parishes held in lower rooms of the church

FATHER HARRY SCHLITT'S GOD SQUAD BOCCE TOURNAMENT

A fundraiser of TV Mass with a weekly audience of more than 40,000 homebound people

                                                                          April 9

                                                        8:30 a.m.       Warm-up and practice

                                                        9:30  a.m.      Tournament begins

                                                        12 noon        Barbecue lunch (snacks and beverages all day)

Marin Bocce Federation

at Albert Park

550 B St. in San Rafaael

$350 for a team of four 

RSVP: 415.244.0771 

ANNUAL SPRING LUNCHEON

A fundraiser for St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin County

April 20

$45

Marin Country Club in Novato

RSVP: 415.883-3055 or haleyanni@yahoo.com

WEEKLY REFLECTION

"And David said to Gad, "I am in great distress. Please, let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man."   2 Samuel 24:14

Message from Father Rafael, Holy Week and Easter schedule, "Mother Ireland" event this Sunday afternoon

A message from Father Rafael De Avila y Romero,  Pastor:

Easter 2016

One more year, we are about to celebrate the great festivities of our Christian faith: the Passion, Death and Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Holy Week tells us that there is always hope, joy and thankfulness.  Holy Week reminds us, that through generosity, the shadows of death or despair vanish from our lives.  Holy Week shows us that God, our Father, always takes care of the most excellent outcome of his hands - us!

Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,  God our Father is telling us that the light is shining over us, that life is blooming and hope never vanishes.

Easter time tells us that we, mankind, are one just as one the Bread and Wine - the Body and Blood of Christ - are one.  We are always united, not uniformed.  We are the beautiful and colorful tapestry brought to new life by the Resurrection of Christ.  HAPPY EASTER TO YOU ALL.


Un ano mas estamos por celebrar las grandes fiestas de nuestra fe cristiana: la Pasion, Muerte y Resurreccion de nuestro Senor Jesucristo. La semana santa nos dice que siempre hay esperanza, alegria y agradecimiento. La semana santa nos recureda que a traves de la generosidad las sombras de la muerte o de la deseperacion se desvanecen de nuestras vidas. La semana santa nos muestra que Dios, nuestro Padre, seimpre esta cuidando el fruto mas excelente salido de sus manos: NOSOTROS.

Por medio de la muerte y resurreccion de Jesucristo, Dios nuestro Padre nos esta diciendo que la luz esta brillando sobre nosotros que la vida esta floreciendo y que la esperanza nunca desaparece.  

El tiempo de Pascua nos dice que nosotros, la humanidad, somos uno asi como el Pan y el Vino - el Cuerpo y Sangre de Cristo - son uno. Nosotros estamos siempre unidos, no uniformados. Nosotros somos la bella y colorida tapiceria que ha obtenido la nueva vida por medio de la Resurreccion de Cristo. FELICES PASCUAS DE RESURRECCION PARA TODOS.

Holy Week and Easter schedule for Sacred Heart Parish.  Please join us!

PASSION (PALM) SUNDAY MASS

Sacred Heart Church, Olema
March 19    7 p.m.           (Espanol)
March 20    9 a.m.
March 20   10:30 a.m.     (Espanol)


St. Mary Magdalene, Bolinas
March 20    10:30 a.m.

HOLY WEEK - PASCHAL TRIDUUM

Sacred Heart Church, Olema
Holy Thursday   March 24    8 p.m.      Mass of the Lord's Supper
                                                              (Bilingual) and
                                                              Washing of the Feet

Good Friday      March 25    9 a.m.      Morning Prayer
                                             5:30 p.m. Stations of the Cross
                                             6 p.m.      Good Friday Liturgy (Bilingual) 

Holy Saturday/
Easter Vigil        March 26   9 a.m.         Morning Prayer
                                             8 p.m.        Mass (Bilingual)
 

EASTER SUNDAY MASS

Sacred Heart Church, Olema
March 27      9 a.m.
                     10:30 a.m. (Espanol)

St. Mary Magdalene, Bolinas
March 27      9 a.m. and 11 a.m.      
      

 "MOTHER IRELAND"

 A FUNdraiser for Sacred Heart Parish and the Dance Palace

Don't miss our church fundraiser this Sunday afternoon from 2 to 4 p.m.  Storytelling,  Celtic music, Irish dancing, Irish coffee and treats, and a silent auction.  It will be a grand time!

Here's the flyer with more details....

 Happy St. Patrick's Day 

Four-leafed clovers apparently exist but are rare, so if you find one,  you're in luck.  Why?

According to legend, the first leaf is for Faith, the Second is for Hope, the third is for Love and the fourth is for luck!  

Lenten events, Harvest Jams, Job Postings

HARVEST JAMS

The Discalced Carmelite Nuns of San Rafael are selling their gift-wrapped handmade jams -  Peach, Apricot, Bumbleberry and Pear-Plum - from their convent in Terra Linda.   This is the last of the Harvest Season and as soon as these are gone, they're gone.  Perfect for hostess or thank you gifts and even better for your own breakfast muffins or toast.

Available in the convent lobby 

During daytime hours

530 Blackstone Drive in Terra Linda

415.479.4964

srdol@motherofgodcarmel.org

BREAKFAST WITH THE IRISH CONSUL GENERAL

Join the members of the Catholic Marin Breakfast Club for Mass, breakfast and a talk by Irish Consul General Philip Grant.

$15

7 a.m. Friday March 4

St. Sebastian Church

Sir Francis Drake Blvd. at Bon Air Road in Greenbrae

415.461.0704 (between 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.) 

or email sugaremy@aol.com

WALK THE STATIONS OF THE CROSS

7 p.m. Fridays during Lent

at:

St. Patrick Church

114 King St. in Larkspur

415.924.0600

St. Sebastian

373 Bon Air Road in Greenbrae

415-461.0704

St. Isabella

One Trinity Way in Terra Linda

415.479.1560

SAINT RITA'S LENTEN SOUP AND LECTURE SERIES

7 p.m. March 8

Saint Rita Catholic Church 

100 Marinda Dr. in Fairfax 

415.456.4815

JOB POSTINGS

The Archdiocese of San Francisco is looking for a manager of payroll.
Applicants must have a Bachelors Degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Administration or equivalent work experience, comprehensive knowledge of payroll systems and five years of payroll experience.  Certified Payroll Professional preferred.   Apply to Patrick Schmidt at schmidt.patrick@sfarch.org

The San Francisco Archdiocese of San Francisco's Department of Catholic Schools hosts a Jobs Fair for Marin County teachers of pre-school through Grade 8 for school year 2016 - 2017. 

10 a.m. to 12 noon 

Saturday,  March 19 

St. Hilary School in  Tiburon

LENTEN REFLECTION

"The confessional is not a torture chamber, but the place in which the Lord's mercy motivates us to do better." - Pope Francis

Lenten Events in Marin Parishes

Walk the Stations of the Cross

7 p.m. Fridays during Lent

at: 

St. Patrick Church
 114 King St. in Larkspur 
415.924.0600

St. Sebastian Church
 373 Bon Air Road in Greenbrae  
415.461.0704

 

St. Isabella Church
 One Trinity Way in Terra Linda  
415.479.1560

Saint Rita's Lenten Soup and Lecture Series

Rev. Msgr. Harry Schlitt, president of San Francisco's God Squad Productions will discuss "Mercy in the Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass)"

 7 p.m. March 1

Saint Rita Catholic Church

100 Marinda Dr. in Fairfax

415.456.4815

Nazareth House Auxiliary Annual Day of Recollection

Join retreat master Fr. Brian Costello as he discusses the New Testament. Bring a bag lunch.  Coffee, tea and dessert will be provided. The day ends with Mass and blessings. 

9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on March 2

245 Nova Albion Way, San Rafael

Suggested donation is $10.

RSVP: Peggy Walker at 415-453-9305

St. Sebastian Lenten Bus Pilgrimage

Deacon Cris Sandoval leads a special day visiting three San Francisco monasteries, celebrating Mass in one of them, venerating the relics of Saints Francis and Clare, the True Cross and the Holy relic of St. Jude. The day concludes with a walk through one of the Bay Area's Jubilee Holy Door to obtain the Papal Indulgence. 

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Saturday March 5

Departing and returning to St. Sebastian Church

373 Bon Air Road in Greenbrae

Please bring a bag lunch.

$30

RSVP ASAP: 415.461.0704

Annual St. Patrick’s Day Family Potluck

The Marin Irish American Club presents an evening of Corned Beef and Cabbage, Celtic Music, Irish dancers, Irish Soda bread contest, children’s activities and prizes, and raffle. No host bar.

6 to 9 p.m. Sunday, March 6

St. Isabella Parish Hall
One Trinity Way in Terra Linda

$10 Guests

RSVP to Rose Feeney at 415-515-9116

or rose.feeney@comcast.net

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone comes to Marin 

Join the Archbishop as he speaks on his role as Archbishop.

6 p.m. Thursday March 10

Star of the Sea

180 Harrison Ave. in Sausalito

RSVP: staroftheseamensclub@gmail.com

  

Save the Date - March 20

Palm Sunday Brunch

A fundraiser for St. Mary’s Church

March 20

 Nicasio

Save the Date - March 20

“Mother Ireland”

A fundraiser for Sacred Heart Parish

And

The Dance Palace

Featuring award-winning storyteller Neshama Franklin, Irish coffee, dancing and music

$10

Are you in need of prayers or a Holy Mass?

“If two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.”  Matthew 18:19

If you would like the parish to agree with you in prayer for the needs of yourself or a loved one or a special intention or if you would like to request to have a Mass said for a sick or departed loved one at either Sacred Heart or St. Mary Magdalene Church, please contact the office. It Is our privilege to pray with you.

Lenten reflection:

“In fact, only Divine Mercy is able to impose limitations on evil; only the almighty love of God can defeat the tyranny of the wicked and the destructive power of selfishness and hate.”

Pope Benedict, 2008

Alert: Wednesday (2.24.16) Mass cancelled

 MASS CANCELLATION NOTICE

Father Rafael has announced that Mass on Wednesday morning, February 24, has been cancelled for building maintenance.  

Weekend Masses are not affected and Wednesday morning Masses will resume on March 2.

NEED PRAYERS?

"If two you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, 

it will be done for them by My Father in Heaven." -  Matthew 18:19

If you would like members of our parish to remember a loved one with you at an upcoming Mass or join you in for prayers for the sick,  departed, or your special intentions, please call the office and request a Mass or prayers.  We are happy to do this.

MILESTONE WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Married couples: Are you celebrating a 5-, 10-, 15-, 20- etc anniversary this year? Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone invites you to be recognized at a special Mass followed by a reception.

10 a.m. Saturday February 20

Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

1111 Gough St. San Francisco

$20

Registration required

415.614.5680 or www.anniversarymass.info

SILENT AUCTION ITEMS and SWEET TREATS NEEDED!

Are you a great baker or candy or jam maker?  Know someone who can help donate beautiful, fun or useful gifts?  Ken Eichstaedt invites parishioners to help with "Mother Ireland", a joint fundraiser for Sacred Heart and the Dance Palace on March 20. Contact Ken at 415.515.9423.

LENTEN LECTURE AND SOUP SERIES

Enjoy soup with fellow Marin Catholics and the chance to reflect on a Lenten lecture entitled "Year of Mercy, Year of Living Connectedly", presented by Rev. Kenneth Weare, Ph.D,   Pastor of Saint Rita Church and Adjunct Professor of Social Ethics, USF.  All are welcome.

7 p.m. Tuesday February 23

St. Rita Catholic Church

100 Marinda Dr. , Fairfax

RSVP: 415.456.4815

LENTEN REFLECTION

"Worshipping is stripping ourselves of our idols, even the most hidden ones, and choosing the Lord as the center, as the highway of our lives." - Pope Francis

New Mass in Spanish on Sunday and Fundraiser Help Request

 New Mass in Spanish: 10:30 a.m. on Sundays

Father Rafael is delighted to announced that he will celebrate Mass in Spanish every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church.  The new Mass begins this Sunday, February 14 and will be in addition to the existing Mass in Spanish at 7 p.m. on Saturday.  Everyone is welcome.

 Wanted: Sweet Treats and Gift Items 
for Sacred Heart Fundraiser on March 20

The bakers and candy makers of Sacred Heart Parish have a well-deserved reputation for whipping up terrific treats for our famous Bake Sales. 

And now we need to rally the troops. Sacred Heart is hosting a "Mother Ireland" fundraiser on March 20 with an amazing storyteller who will keep you enthralled and Irish coffee, music and dance to keep your lights heart.  "It's going to be a great event," says Ken Eichsteadt who is asking for support in two areas.

The Bake Sale table is in need of lr fabulous fudge,  choice cookies and  cupcakes, beautiful breads, and pretty pies.  If you have even modest talent in the kitchen,  please share your specialty at the Bake Sale. 

We also need really wonderful gift items for the Silent Auction table.  Have any lovely items to share or know an item you can get donated?  There's an eager silent auction table waiting for them at the fundraiser.

  Please call or email him as soon as you can to let him know what you can bring.

415.515.9423 

 ken.eichstaedt@aecom.com

This week's Lenten reflection  

"Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life..."
-- Pope Benedict XVI

2016 - Celebrating The Extraordinary Jubliee Year of Mercy

THE EXTRAORDINARY JUBILEE OF MERCY

This December, Pope Francis declared 2016 as “The Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy”.  

He intends it to be a wonderful year of mercy toward others and for each of us through diligent labor for the Church and wants us to live it intensely in our Church. 

The Pope further declared that seven churches in the Vatican and Italy, the ones that traditionally constitute the pilgrimage of the Seven Church Walk, would be considered “Jubilee Churches”. 

In conjunction with this announcement and the Pope's wishes, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced that four Bay Area churches, including St. Raphael in San Rafael, will also serve as "holy doors of mercy". 

According to the Catholic Monitor, "passing through the doors of any of the four pilgrimage sites is a ritual act symbolizing one's desire for reconciliation with God for which  one's desire for reconciliation with God for which pilgrims may receive a plenary indulgence".  It must also be accompanied by the Sacrament of Confession, the Sacrament of the Eucharist and prayer for the intention of the Sovereign Pontiff.

(The forgiveness of sins is separate from punishment for the sins. As defined by Catholic Online, a  plenary indulgence removes all of the temporal punishment of sin.)

The Catholic Monitor notes that if one cannot make the pilgrimage to St. Raphael, the Pope allows Catholics to fulfill another Papal condition such as carrying out a work of mercy, in person,  such as caring for the sick or the imprisoned and saying a prayer for the intentions of the Pope and, at the minimum, an “Our Father”, concluding  the time of prayer with “Merciful Jesus, I trust in You.”

St. Raphael Church is located at 1104 Fifth Avenue in San Rafael.  Call 454.8141 or go to www.saintraphael.com for hours.  

ASH WEDNESDAY

Ash Wednesday, February 10, marks the first day of Lent, a season of fasting and prayer.  Mass will be celebrated at 9 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Olema.

According to Catholic Online, Lent is derived from the ancient Jewish tradition of penance and fasting.  

As we are reminded us during the application of ashes - "Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return -  the dust symbolizes the dust from which we were made. It also symbolized penance and the grief that we have sinned and caused division from God.

Ash Wednesday is a great opportunity to consider what you will want to give up for Lent.

Did you know? Ashes are made from the burnt palm fronds from the previous year's Palm Sunday Masses, christened with holy water and scented with incense. 

Did you know? Lent marks 46 days before Easter Sunday.

Daily Mass Readings 

Can't make daily Mass? You can keep up with the Readings, at home or away, with this calendar:

Feb 8. Monday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

1KGS 8:1-7, 9-13 and PS132:6-7, 8-10 and SEE MT 4:23 and MK 6:53-5

Feb 9. Tuesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

1KGS 8:22-23, 27-30 and PS 84:3, 4, & 10 and PS 119:36, 29 b and MK 7:1-13

Feb 10. Wednesday of the Fifth Week in Ordinary Time

Ash Wednesday JI 2:12-18 and PS 1:3-4, 6 ab, 12-14, 17 and 2 COR 5:20 to 6:2 and SEE PS 95:8 and MT 6:1-, 16-18

Feb 11 Thursday after Ash Wednesday

DT 30:15-20 and PS 1:1-2, 3, 4, 6 and MT 4:17 an LK 9:22-25

Feb 12 Friday after Ash Wednesday

IS 58:1-9a and PS 51:3-4, 5-6ab, 18-19 and SEE AM 5:14 and MT 9:14-15

Feb 13 Saturday after Ash Wednesday

IS 58:9b-14 and PS 86:1-2, 3-4, 5-6 and EZ 33:11 and LK 5:27-32

October Events

October is here and Sacred Heart parishioners are invited to participate in these various opportunities throughout the Archdiocese.  Happy autumn!

Cafe Cantante

Enjoy local musicians and talented parishioners, a mariachi band, delicious food and more

Saturday, October 3

6 to 10 p.m.
St. Raphael Church
1104 5th Avenue, San Rafael
415.454.8141 or www.straphael.com

$15 per person

Blessing of the Animals

 Bring your pets - from dogs and cats to mice and birds and snakes -   for a "Blessing of the Animals" celebration in observance of the Solemnity of St. Francis of Assisi.  Pet can't come? Bring his photograph.

Saturday, October 3 at 9:30 a.m.
St. Sebastian Church

373 Bon Air Road at Sir Francis Drake Blvd. Greenbrae

415.461.0704 or www.sebastian94904.com

or
Sunday, October 4  at 2 p.m.
Church of St. Isabella
1 Trinity Way, San Rafael
415.479.1560 or www.stisabellasparish.org
or
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Sunday October 4 at 4 p.m.
3 Oakdale Ave., Mill Valley (Church parking lot)
415.388.4190 or www.mountcarmelmv.org

or 
Sunday, October 4 at 2 p.m.  
St. Raphael Church
1104 5th Avenue, San Rafael
415.454.8141 or www.straphael.com

 Friends of the Poor Walk / Run
Saturday, October 10 at 9 to 10 a.m.
St. Raphael
1104 - 5th Ave., San Rafael
415.454.8141 or www.saintraphael.com

2015 Public Square Rosary Crusade in Novato

St. Anthony of Padua invites you to join parishioners for a Mass and Rosary for our nation.

Saturday, October 10 

Rosary at noon

Mass to follow

or

St. Anthony of Padua 

1000 Cambridge St., Novato
415.883.2177 or www.saint-anthonys.com

Save the Date - St. Vincent de Paul Auxiliary Annual Fashion Show and Luncheon
Wednesday, October 14
1000 Cambridge St., Novato
415.883.2177 or www.saint-anthonys.com

Rosary Rally 2015: A Call to Prayer

Keynote speakers:

Most Reverend Salvatore J. Cordileone, Archbishop of San Francisco

Deacon Robert F. Ellis, National Coordinator, World Apostolate of Fatima, USA

Reverend Arturo Albano, Rector, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption

Saturday, October 10 

10 a.m. 

Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral

11:15 a.m. 

Procession to  UN Plaza at Market and 7th Streets, San Francisco

12 noon

Rally with the presence of the National Pilgrim Virgin Statue of World Apostolate of Fatima

12:50 

Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament 

 415.272.5380 or www.rosaryrallysf.com

 

The Archdiocese of San Francisco's Inaugural Retreat for Adults 

A daylong event for adults 18 to 40 (single, married, with or without children) from Marin, San Francisco and San Mateo to discover and share their gifts with each other.  

• Mass with Archbishop Cordileone

• Opening Talk by Bishop Robert McElroy

* Interactive Workshops

* Concert featuring the Scythian band with Irish, gypsy, dancing music

Saturday, October 24

9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

St. Mary's Cathedral Conference Center, San Francisco

Register at www.sfarchdiocese.org/yamcon2015

 Let There Be Light: Dinner and Auction

A Benefit Campaign for St. Raphael Church to improve lighting at the St. Raphael Church and Mission with a gourmet dinner, raffle prizes, live auction

November 14 from 6 to 10 p.m.
$125 per person
St. Raphael
1104 - 5th Ave., San Rafael
415.454.8141 or www.saintraphael.com

Tour the Holy Land: an 11-day Pilgrimage

offered by Catholic San Francisco

Join Fr. Dennis Day of Spokane as he leads visits to Caesarea •  Capernaum • Cana • Dead Sea •Jericho • Jerusalem •  Mt. Carmel • Nazareth • Sea of Galilee and more...

November 8 - 18, 2015

 $3,199. + $729 per person

415.614.5640


St. Isabella invites you to Reboot! Live!
 with
Chris Stefanick, internationally-renowned speaker
and
Jon Niven, Catholic recording artist

Learn how to rediscover God and the life for which you were made at a fun, inspiring, and practical experience for anyone 12 years and older.  Apply the beauty and genius of the Gospel to every aspect of your life, from prayer and spirituality, to work, dating, marriage, parenting, heath and more.

 Thursday November 19 from 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Church of St. Isabella

1 Trinity Way, San Rafael 

$19 

Preregister at www.stisabellasparish.org

Know a musician who wants a paid part-time job?

St. Anselm Catholic Church in Ross is seeking a part-time Music Director who will engage the congregation and enhance the church services with a good music program. Requirements include proficiency in organ, piano, voice, voice directing  and a broad knowledge of Catholic Church music. 

Salary commensurate with experience. 

Send resume and cover letter to:

Pastor, PO Box 1061, Ross, 94957 or email to 

fr.shaji@saintanselmo.org

September 2015 Events

As we usher out Summer, Sacred Heart parishioners are invited to participate in these local autumn events. 

 

Dinner and Raffle Fundraiser at St. Hilary Church

Have fun at a sit-down dinner, catered by Insalata's, while helping to raise funds for Marin people in need at the annual "Pennies From Heaven" gala fundraiser on September 12 at St. Hilary Church in Tiburon.  The evening benefits the St. Vincent de Paul Society. 

An optional raffle will be held.  Prizes are $1000 cash, an iPad mini or a Go Pro Hero. Tickets cost $20 each or $100 for ten.

September 12 at St. Hilary Church in Tiburon.

 Mass begins at 5 p.m.; the fundraiser is at 6 p.m.  

Cost: $175 per person

 415.454.3303 or swalker@vinnies.org 

A Morning of Prayer

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone encourages parishioners to join him as he celebrates Mass in memory of babies who have died before, during or after birth.  A light lunch will follow.

September 19 at 11 a.m. 

Holy Cross Mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery, 1500 Mission Road, Colma

Enter main gate then look for signs to the Rachel Mourning Shrine

415.614.5570 or 415.717.7428

Dine Under the Stars and Help With the Formation of New Priests

St. Patrick's Seminary is hosting a gala in honor of the Greater Bay Area Serra Clubs in anticipation of Father Junipero Serra's canonization.  Proceeds benefit the formation of the next generation of priests. Raffle prize includes $25,000 or a Lexus Is250.

September 19

Vespers at 5 p.m.  in the Main Hall,

followed by tours of the Seminary, 

appetizers and cocktails, 

catered dinner under the stars 

and a concluding hymn, Salve Regina, sung by the Seminarians 
St. Patrick's Seminary, 320 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park

Cost: $125 

650.289.3320 or advancement@stpsu.org 

 

Other Announcements from the Diocese:

 - A volunteer choir director is needed for San Quentin State Prison Catholic Chaplaincy for four to six hours a week during Sunday morning Masses.  Contact: Fr. George Williams at George.Williams@cdcr.ca.gov

 - Have a degree in Accounting or Business with five to seven years of experience? The San Francisco Archdiocese is looking for a manager of Parish and Dept. of Catholic Schools Financial Support. Full time with excellent benefits. Send resume and cover letter to Archdiocese of San Francisco, Office of Human Resources, Attn. Patrick Schmidt, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109 or email to careers@sfarch.org.

- Free Suicide Prevention and Community Counseling

415.499.1100 - crisis hotline or 415.499.1195 - grieving hotline

Spotlight: Father Rafael in the news

Father Rafael's conversation with Beau Evans was published last week in the Point Reyes Light newspaper. Below is the story.

 

 

 

Father Rafael in the parlor of the Old Rectory at Sacred Heart Parish in Olema as photographed in July 2015 by Point Reyes Light photographer, Peter Briggs.

By Beau Evans

07/23/2015

 

This month, Father Rafael Antonio de Avila y Romero began a six-year post at Sacred Heart Church in Olema. He is the church’s first Mexican pastor in its more-than 100-year history, and he joins a community where over half of school-aged children are Latino.

Soft-spoken, though conveying an intense conviction, Father Rafael was born in Aguascalientes in 1946, the second of four siblings. A self-described “city person,” he was inspired to lead a religious life by a priest who was a dear friend of the family.

“He was a really nice guy,” said Father Rafael on Monday, speaking from his office in the church’s Old Rectory. “I liked what he was doing, and I wanted to be like him.”

At 12 years old, his father died, and Rafael Antonio enrolled in the minor seminary of Misioneros de Guadalupe, on the outskirts of Guadalajara. He remained there for five years before attending a major seminary at the University of Mexico, in Mexico City, where he studied philosophy and theology.

At 21, he left Mexico to study in Rome. There, he learned French and Italian, earned a master’s degree in spirituality and was ordained in 1974. He returned to Mexico City that year, and for several years after taught at the seminary where he had been a student.

Then, in 1980, Cardinal Agnelo Rossi sent Father Rafael to Jerusalem, where he was placed in charge of a “Biblical house” that was under the supervision of Rome’s Propaganda Fide—an organization founded in 1622 to oversee the Catholic Church’s missionary activities throughout the world. He taught theology and language to missionary priests coming to Jerusalem from Africa and Asia until 1982.

That year, on Easter Sunday, an American-born Israeli soldier opened fire inside Al-Aqsa Mosque, one of Islam’s holiest shrines, killing two Palestinians and sparking violent protests that lasted for many weeks.

“Many people were killed,” Father Rafael said. “It was not very safe to live there.” The Propaganda Fide decided to close the center.

Father Rafael again returned to Mexico City. He served for three years as dean of the city’s Universidad Intercontinental before his supervisor at Misioneros de Guadalupe sent him to Hong Kong, where he lived from 1985 to 1993 and learned Cantonese.

Since then, he has earned a master’s in counseling at Santa Clara University, spent two years serving in a Los Angeles parish and worked with Chinese speakers through the Archdiocese in San Francisco. Most recently, he served at St. Veronica Parish in South San Francisco. Then he received a call from the city’s bishop, Salvatore Cordileone, asking him to go to Olema.

“It’s a very beautiful area, really,” he said of the hamlet. “It’s very peaceful. People are nicer here than in my previous parishes.”

At Sacred Heart, Father Rafael succeeds two pastors, Honesto Gile and Manuel Igrobay, who served two-year stints. Before them, pastor Jack O’Neill served from 2002 to 2011. Many members of the Sacred Heart congregation have praised the work done by the parish’s former pastors and are eager to see how their new leader will contribute to West Marin.

“People have been happy to know that he’s here to stay for six years, minimum,” said Ismael Gutierrez, a Point Reyes Station resident who has attended the church for 24 years. “He came with a lot of energy to bring people together—Latinos and Anglos. He has a lot of ideas he wants to put together to get the community excited.”

Since holding his first mass on July 1, Father Rafael has been seeing around 50 people come for English mass on Sunday mornings, and a similar number for Saturday night Spanish mass (unless someone’s having a party and far fewer people show up, which he said “is understandable”).

For his part, Father Rafael hopes he will help fulfill both the spiritual and social needs of his parish and, along the way, inspire them through deeds that express his faith.

“What is my purpose?” he asked. “To make this community stronger. To reach their hearts, by being a human being.”

Before officially becoming a parish in West Marin in 1940, Sacred Heart Church and the neighboring Old Rectory long served as a resting place for missionaries working on a leper colony in Molokai, in Hawaii.

For many years, the church in Olema stood alongside a second church in Point Reyes, before the Olema church was decommissioned in 1923. Services were held in the Point Reyes church until 1987, when it was decommissioned and sold to the Dance Palace. Today’s Sacred Heart Church in Olema was dedicated in 1968.

Mass at Sacred Heart takes place in English at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays and at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays. A Spanish mass takes place at 7 p.m. on Saturdays.

News and Announcements - Week of June 22

Congratulations to Marin natives Cameron Faller and Patrick Summerhays for their vocations.

The newspaper Catholic San Francisco reports that Cameron Faller and Patrick Summerhays were ordained as priests on June 6 at St. Mary's Cathedral in San Francisco.  In attendance were friends, family and 100 priests.

Both men grew up in Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Novato.

Father Faller, 27, attended Marin Catholic High School, Gonzaga University, and Bishop White Seminary in Spokane.  He will be the parochial vicar at Church of the Epiphany and part-time ministry at Archbishop Riordan High School, both in San Francisco.

Father Summerhays, 42, attended St. Vincent High School in Petaluma, University of San Francisco and spent 10 years in finance.  He will be the new parochial vicar at St. Cecilia Parish in San Francisco.

We congratulate them and their families and wish them all the best in their new vocations.


An Evening of Prayer for Archbishop Cordileone, priests and religious

Join Marin Catholics in an evening of prayer for Salvatore Cordileone, priests and religious, and an increase in vocations.   Father Roger Gustafson will be the principal celebrant and homilist of the Mass with music by Singers of Schola Sancta of the San Francisco bay area.  Buffet supper follows. 

 

• Sunday, June 28   •   5 p.m. 

• St. Sebastian Church •  373 Bon Air Rd., Greenbrae •  461.0704

Evening Concert

Coeur d'Enfants d'Ile de France will perform Bach, Mendelssohn and others in a concert at St. Mary's Cathedral.  A $10 donation is requested.

Wednesday, July 8 •  7 p.m. 

• St. Mary's Cathedral • Gough St. at Geary Blvd. • San Francisco •  567.2020

Marriage Prep

Prepare for marriage with a two-day weekend retreat with San Francisco Engaged Encounter. Applications and information can be found at www.sfcee.org.

Have a church or archdiocese announcement or spiritual need request to share in the blog?  Please send an email to sacredheart@horizoncable.com.

A Greeting from Father Rafael de Avila

This is a greeting from Father Rafael de Avila who will celebrate his first Mass at Sacred Heart on July 1, 2015.  We look forward to his arrival!

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Dear Parishioners:

I would like to introduce myself. My full name is Rafael Antonio de Avila y Romero according to my birth certificate, but when I came to the United States and went to the Social Security Office my name was shorten to Rafael de Avila because it was too long to fit in the computer. 

I was born in Aguascalientes, Ags. Mexico. My parents are Aurelio de Avila y Enriquez and Bertha Romero Marquez. 

I am the third among four siblings: Virginia, Aurelio, Rafael and Daniel. My father died when I was 12 years old and my mother passed away 20 days before my priestly ordination in 1974. My youngest brother, Daniel, died several years ago. 

At the age of 12,  I went to the Minor seminary of Misioneros de Guadalupe located in Lopez Cotilla at the outskirts of Guadalajara. 

After five years in Guadalajara,  I went to Mexico City to have a new experience in the Major Seminary of Misioneros de Guadalupe.

I wanted to be a missionary. Since the very first day,  the seminary formation was awesome. It was a different life style of which I have no complaints. I had to learn different languages because I wanted to preach the Gospel to people of different cultures. 

I studied in Rome for four years and got my degree in Spirituality. I was ordained in 1974. For several years I taught in the Major Seminary. 

From 1980 to 1982 I worked in Jerusalem as Rector of the Propagation of Faith College. 

From 1982 to 1985 I was Dean at a private University in Mexico City, Universidad Intercontinental. 

From 1985 to 1993 I worked in Hong Kong. I spent the first two years just learning the language, Cantonese. 

Most recently, I have been at St. Veronica's in South San Francisco.

Thanks to all of you for welcoming me into your spiritual lives. In the near future I will share more about my priestly life.

 - Father Rafael de Avila