August 31, 2020
Photo of the Week:
As we pray for the Ordination of our Diocese's Deacon Candidates, we cannot forget the strength and encouragement of their wives who have accompanied them over the last six years of their preparation. Unless the wife is behind her husband 100 percent, the Church cannot ordain the man. These women, Maria, Lori, Kim, Jill, Aniz, Angelica and Elvira have attended all of the academic and practical preparation and have made sacrifices to come to this point in the journey. They are to be admired and congratulated for dedicating their time to the process while still being able to be the wives and mothers God has called them to be. "A big thank you to these beautiful ladies," says Sr. Wanda, Director of Formation for Deacons. "I am proud of each one of them. I invite people throughout the Diocese to put these women as well as their husbands who will be ordained on September 19, in their prayers."
Office of the Bishop:
Share the Good News
Some of the content in the video below might look familiar. The video is an edited version of Bishop Cotta's address to Young Adults. The video was edited by Miguel Preciado who is a member of the Young Adult Inter parish Ministry group. "The Lord gave us the incredible opportunity to meet up with Bishop and discuss ways in which our group could reach a multitude of young adults while offering our platform for Bishop to use," said Miguel. "Once Bishop had released his video address, it was another member of the leadership group, Kenny Lipich, who had the idea of creating a trailer to promote it and at the same time showcase some of Bishop Cotta’s key points." The video was edited from its original version in an effort to better suit social media platforms and attract more young adults. Miguel who is a Biology major at UC Merced, says he just recently got into video editing because of his godson who frequently edits videos for social media. For now, video editing is just a hobby for Miguel but hopefully he and other young adults continue to put their gifts to work to better evangelize to the Diocese of Stockton and beyond. "I would appreciate it if the people who read this Weekly Update could pray for IPM/youth ministries and ask Saint Charbel to pray for us and those affected in the Lebanon explosion."
Catholic Rural Life
Change is natural if not always smooth as we move from one phase of life to another. The month of September brings us a change of seasons: The warmth of summer gives way to mornings with a touch of chill in the air; the evenings come earlier as the days shorten in the rhythm of the season. See the blessings of Change and letting Go by clicking here.
Vocations:
Meet Our Seminarians
Joshua Lesan says that his love for Jesus and his growing relationship with him is what made him want to become a seminarian. "I felt the invitation to pursue priesthood in the seminary. I want to respond out of love to this generous call," says Joshua. The 22 year old is a graduate of California State University, Stanislaus where he studied philosophy. Joshua says that concerning himself about his relationship with God and being open to what God wants for his life are the keys to his discernment. " Your primary call is to know, love, and serve God. He will reveal his secondary vocation to you in due time," says Lesan. "He wants you to trust Him. Give Him the opportunity and an open heart to do so."
Diaconate Formation & Women Religious:
Online Reflection Group: Dominican Spirituality
Over the course of five Tuesday evenings from 7:00 to 8:15 pm from September 8th to October 6th, interested young women ages 22 to 45 are invited to join an online reflection group exploring Dominican spirituality.
Dominic prayed, reflected, and broke open Scripture finding a pathway to live the Gospel in the local and world events of his time. St. Dominic—the joyful friar—came on the scene at a time of social and church upheaval and he proposed a new model of praying, preaching, and living with integrity in his times.
- The resource material for the group will be St. Dominic, The Story of A Preaching Friar, by Donald Goergen, OP.
- The format for our group will include an opening prayer, discussion about the book, journaling, and dialogue about how we see a faith response to our current social and church environment.
- The group is for young adult women who are interested in spirituality whether just starting to inquire or those who have lived or ministered with Dominicans. The group is also for those who might be considering religious life.
For additional information contact:
Sr. Cathy Murray, OP at vocations@sanrafaelop.org or (415) 453- 8303 ext. 103
Katie Hollcraft is from Hughson, CA. She attended Benedictine College where she obtained her Bachelor's degree in Mass Communications and Theology. Katie has worked in youth ministry in the Sonora area and spent two years working in youth ministry in Boston. "When I was back east, I quickly learned that every campus and group of students carry their own culture and sense of community," says Katie. "I'm looking forward to getting to know the students of UOP and building community with them." Katie and campus ministry are kicking off the school year with a live streamed mass. You can watch it on their Facebook page.
Prayer
