St.
Patrick P A R I SH m o n t h l y n e w s l e tt e r
A Letter From Father
Inside This Issue: 2
What Does Stewardship Mean? / Holy Week Schedule
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Small Faith Groups: A Valuable Opportunity to Engage in Stewardship and Fellowship
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St. Patrick Parish in the Time of COVID-19 Facing a Global Crisis with Great Faith and Continued Discipleship
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Celebrating the Feast of St. Patrick and Sharing in the Evangelizing Mission of the Church
M A RC H 2 0 2 1
Introducing Our New Parish Stewardship Newsletter! Dear Family,
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am pleased to present to you our new parish newsletter! This newsletter might be a surprise to you, but it has long been in the works. Over the course of many years, stewardship has been a part of our parish and now it moves to the forefront. This newsletter will help us learn how the stewardship way of life is a disciple’s response to the call to know, love, and follow our Lord Jesus Christ. Every month we will share stories that will help us better understand who we are as Catholics and individual members of God’s family. The upcoming issues will feature activities and events happening within our St. Patrick community and how these help change hearts, minds, and lives as through them we grow closer to Christ and to each other. In each article, we will see how Christ is at work within us and our community as we more intentionally engage the stewardship way of life. I hope that this newsletter will be a meaningful way to continue learning more about our faith. As we learn more about our faith and how our fellow parishioners are living their faith out in our community, it will bear continued on back cover
St.
Patrick P A R I SH What Does Stewardship Mean? W hat comes to mind when you hear the word “stewardship”? Do you think of it as just another way to talk about money? Do you quickly dismiss it as a notion that has nothing to do with being Catholic? Stewardship is actually a concept that is Scripturally-based and is vital to our life as Catholics. God tells us, in the very first book of the Old Testament, “Be fertile and multiply. Fill the earth and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and all the living things that move on the earth” (Gen 1:28). What does that mean to us today? It simply means that God is telling us, “This is yours, so take care of it.” One of the first things God tells us to do is to be good stewards of the gifts He has entrusted to us! The Old Testament is not the only place where we can find references to stewardship. Indeed, of the 36 parables in the New Testament, more than half of them deal with time, talent, possessions, or money. Therefore, if Jesus spoke of stewardship that much, it should be a very important part of our lives! As Catholics, we refer to the three facets of stewardship as “time, talent, and treasure.” Although these are three concrete ways to express and measure stewardship, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops tells us that stewardship is part of discipleship. Stewardship is a way of responding to God’s call in every aspect of our lives. The Scriptures and Church traditions teach us one important point that cannot be overstated — that stewardship is primarily based on our need to give in gratitude, not on the Church’s need to receive. Of course, both the Catholic Church and our particular parish will always need money. However, we are not asked to give simply to defray costs and fund charitable programs. We are instead asked to remember our need to gratefully return a portion of our time, talent, and treasure to God, recognizing all that He has given to us. It is important to remember that stewardship is a way of life, and not a program. True Catholic stewardship involves an ongoing call to live as followers of Christ. It takes time to find and define personal goals. You can begin by examining your personal commitments to the parish. How do you live your faith in your daily life with your family and friends? How
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much time do you spend in daily prayer, going to Mass, or being involved in parish ministries and activities? What percentage of your income should you give back to God every week? What talents do you have that could be used to strengthen our parish family? In the coming months, we will be increasing and intensifying our education and communication on stewardship. We will be developing a better understanding of how stewardship is a way of responding to God’s call to discipleship. And with God’s help, changes will occur in each of our hearts as we devote ourselves to a stewardship renewal within our parish. Examine how you are currently responding to God’s call to stewardship. If God called you home tomorrow, would He proclaim, “Well done, my good and faithful servant”?
H o ly W e e k S c h e d u l e Spy Wednesday (March 31): Confessions, 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Holy Thursday (April 1): Confessions, 4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Mass of the Lord’s Supper, 7 p.m. (Bilingual) Adoration following Mass until 11 a.m. on Good Friday Good Friday (April 2): Stations and Good Friday Liturgy, 12 noon - 3 p.m. (Bilingual) Confessions, 3:30 - 5 p.m. Pesame/Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows and Procession, 7:30 p.m. (Bilingual) Holy Saturday (April 3): Confessions, 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. No Afternoon Confessions No 5 p.m. Mass Easter Vigil Mass, 8:15 p.m. (Bilingual) Easter Sunday Masses — Mass of the Resurrection 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. (Spanish)
Small Faith Groups: A Valuable Opportunity to Engage in stewardship and fellowship
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n Matthew 18:20, Jesus tells us, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Here at St. Patrick, we have multiple small groups that gather each week in Jesus’ name. These groups read Scripture, pray, share, and work to deepen their relationship with Christ. This ministry got its start nearly three years ago, thanks to the work of Barbara Burns. Before helping start this ministry, Barbara had heard from parishioners, who said they wanted a way to grow in faith with others in the parish. She had the experience to help them since she started a similar group at a previous parish. “These small groups are important,” Barbara says. “They not only give the participants a deeper understanding of God’s love and care for them, but they also connect with one another on a level of real openness and caring for each other.” Sharon Mahar has been involved with the program since it began. She had been part of a similar faithsharing group in the 1980s at an Orange County parish. So, she knew she wanted to get involved when the groups at St. Patrick were first being formed and began as a facilitator. “I knew the benefits of this kind of group back from when I was
involved before,” Sharon says. The small group members have been following the ARISE Together in Christ program from Renew International. Group leaders undergo facilitation training. In nonCOVID-19 times, each group had been meeting for six weeks in the fall and again in the spring. As Barbara notes, the group’s activities are rooted deeply in stewardship. “Stewardship is about prayer, seeking God’s guidance, sharing time with Christian friends, sharing our thoughts and talents, and being involved in a ministry to become part of our parish family,” she says. In turn, the group is a great way to engage in valuable fellowship. After all, it’s not always easy to get to know new people. So, this offers a unique opportunity to meet others and connect on a deeper spiritual level. “The groups bond by trusting one another enough to be able to open up with their thoughts and feelings regarding the struggles, losses, and successes that they have had in their lives and how God has been a part of that or not,” Barbara says. For Sharon, the experience has had a positive impact on her faith
journey. She has had the chance to share in fellowship with the other participants in her small 11-member group. She appreciates that she can share openly without feeling judged. “We have just really built a friendship, a community,” Sharon says. “It helps with your own faith when you can share with another person. You can share your own struggles and get feedback and ideas. You know you aren’t alone in your struggles.” What better way to make new friends who share your faith than through a ministry based on spirituality and openness? “The groups bond in friendship and trust and, by seeking God’s guidance and sharing their faith and lives, they support one another through their challenges, successes, and hopes for the future,” Barbara says. “It’s big to have a group that shares your same values and morals,” Sharon says. “You can share the joys and pains of life itself.” Ultimately, the groups provide a way to grow deeper in faith this Lent. Each week, you will walk away with something you can carry with you. As one participant said to Barbara, “At every meeting, I hear just what I needed to hear.”
If you would like more information on becoming part of a small faith-sharing group or being trained as a facilitator, please contact Barbara Burns at 530-432-2119 or laburns10793@gmail.com.
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St.
Patrick P A R I SH
St. Patrick Parish in t Facing a Global Crisis w O
ne year ago, the global pandemic that began changing the way Americans live — and worship — was an entirely unprecedented event. While St. Patrick, like Catholic churches across the world, had to adapt to new ways of serving God’s people, one thing remained the same — the strong faith and active discipleship of our parish family. Throughout this time, Fr. Estrella has continued to provide spiritual nourishment for parishioners and has, in turn, been inspired by the acts of love and service he has witnessed taking place in our faith community over the past year. While the Catholic faithful of the world were dearly missing the gift of the Eucharist with the suspension of public Masses last spring, St. Patrick was able to keep our parishioners as closely connected to the sacraments as possible. Thanks to the livestream of Masses, parishioners were able to watch these liturgical celebrations from the beginning of the national quarantine. In fact, video streaming of the evening Rosary began the very first day of our church closure! Flocknote and the myParish app also facilitated
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communication between the church and parishioners. Diving into the world of possibilities offered by modern technology, Fr. Estrella also sent out regular video messages, including an “Ask Father” series. During Holy Week, he encouraged parishioners to put wooden crosses in their yards and wrap them in white lights with the idea of illuminating them on the Easter Vigil. As a result, more than 50 crosses lit up around the county on the night of the Vigil. Similarly, Father asked parishioners to create May altars in their homes and share photos of them with the parish.
By finding creative ways to stay connected throughout the time of church closure, our faith community remained vibrant. “People enjoyed the community projects we did and the nightly Rosary,” Fr. Estrella says. “And even during the 12 weeks we didn’t have public Masses, we still had Adoration, confessions, and visited the sick. We tried to make confessions and Adoration even more available so people would have that solace. “Of course, we all keenly felt the suspension of public Masses,” he adds. “But we were able to keep a strong sense of community and connection going as we navigated that rough period. So once Masses resumed, we were strong in numbers. About half of the parish came back for Mass, which is a high number compared to other parishes.” When public Masses started and then were restricted to only outdoor gatherings, countless parishioners stepped up to help make the outdoor Mass space both functional and reverent. “Even moving to the outdoor Masses is a testament to the spirit of St. Patrick’s, because when we had to make that change, it was difficult to do it well,” Fr. Estrella says. “I wanted to keep a sense of
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the Time of COVID-19
with Great Faith and Continued Discipleship the sacred, so I put out an ‘APB’ and had a really good group of about 20 people involved at different times. It very much looks like a proper sanctuary.” Preparing the space for outdoor Mass involved extending and carpeting the existing outdoor stage and building panels to create a background wall. Next, two parishioners painstakingly worked on pleating the cloth over the panels — with one parishioner on a ladder pleating and stapling the top edge and another doing the same along the bottom! The altar is properly dressed, there is a traditional ambo, and the Blessed Sacrament is kept in the repository typically used for the Triduum. Certainly, this past year has been challenging in many ways. However, even during these tough times, there have been many unexpected blessings. “The first blessing is that the parish is growing,” Fr. Estrella says. “We’re seeing people coming back to the Church and new people interested in the Church. I think for some, they are seeing a need to become more engaged with their faith and the sacramental life of the Church. “I’ve also seen the level of dedication in a lot of parishioners increase,” he adds. “They are wanting to go deeper into their
faith life. We have people sign up to set up and take down the Masses, and there are new people every week. That’s an important thing to see.” Fr. Estrella is also thankful that our parish school, Mt. St. Mary’s Academy, has been able to stay open full time this year. Both Fr. Estrella and our Parochial Vicar, Fr. German Ramos, teach religion in the school. They have been greatly encouraged by the school’s high enrollment numbers and, most especially, the overwhelmingly positive response to the mission of the school, which continues to be St. Patrick's largest ministry. Witnessing the many ways that our parishioners have continued to be active disciples of Christ during this time of social distancing has been a great source of inspiration to many. Whether it be in their continued generosity with financial contributions to the parish, in
their gracious navigation of health protocols — such as wearing masks and sanitizing pews — or in the countless ways that they have engaged in an active faith life both at home and in the parish, the Catholic faithful of Grass Valley are continuing to live the Gospel call of Jesus. “I see this as a foretaste of what post-COVID life is going to look like,” Fr. Estrella says. “People want involvement, more opportunities for faith formation and spiritual development, and to build on this sense of community. I really see the hope of the harvest. My desire has been to create a culture that places St. Patrick’s at the heart of people’s lives, and I see that coming through in different small groups and events that really help people connect and have a strong sense of a solid Catholic community. This is a parish that desires to truly live as disciples.”
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St.
Patrick P A R I SH
Celebrating the feast of
St.
Patrick
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ew in our faith community would have thought that last year’s celebration of St. Patrick, on the evening of March 17, would mark the beginning of a pandemic that would drastically alter the life of our church and suspend the celebration of public Masses. “Looking back, it was a sobering experience knowing things would be very different after that Mass,” says Michelle McDaniel. “I remember sitting in church and having a deeper sense of appreciation for the sacredness of the Mass and procession that followed.” Now, 12 months later we prepare to celebrate the feast of our patron, as a faith community that, in Fr. Estrella’s words, “testifies to the spirit of St. Patrick.” “People are excited for this celebration, and for that, I am encouraged and grateful,” Fr. Estrella says. “Beyond that, the desire to help testifies to the spirit of St. Patrick himself and how we embrace his missionary zeal.” Much like St. Patrick evangelized Ireland, many Irish priests and nuns came to California to evangelize “the Wild West.” This spirit is part of the rich history of the relatively young Diocese of Sacramento. “As you can see, many of the churches in this diocese were named after Irish saints like St. Mel, St. Canice, and St. Patrick, the principal patron of our diocese,” Fr. Estrella says.”
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and Sharing in the Evangelizing Mission of the Church “It is inspiring that our patron is the saint who evangelized Ireland, the country that provided so many missionaries to the world and to this diocese, as we the Church in Grass Valley embrace the new evangelization,” Fr. Estrella adds. St. Patrick’s Parish was established in 1855, prior to the establishment of the current Diocese of Sacramento in 1886. This year, the Feast of St. Patrick is the 166th anniversary of the parish and the 71st anniversary of the dedication of the present church building, which has been renovated a few times since the 1950s. On March 17, Mass in honor of our parish patron St. Patrick will begin at 5 p.m. The Mass will be followed by an outdoor dinner and fellowship. Please visit the parish website or call the church office to register for Mass and RSVP for dinner. We would like to thank parishioner Carrie Locks, owner of Marshall’s Pasties, for her generous dona-
tion of the Pastie Dinner for our celebration. We also express our gratitude to the many parishioners and ministries involved in making this celebration possible, including the Catholic Ladies Relief Society, the Knights of Columbus, and Mt. St. Mary’s Academy. “It is refreshing to see people eager to help and want to participate,” Michelle says. “I’m grateful for our ministries.” There are also ways to join in this celebration from our own homes, including live streaming the Mass, ordering pasties to enjoy at home and, above all, remembering the spiritual significance of this day. “Spend some time in reflection on the life of St. Patrick, for the parish is placed under his patronage,” Fr. Estrella says. “How might we all live in a way that is worthy of such a patron? How might we live the call to share in the evangelizing mission of the Church?”
If you would like more information about celebrating the Feast of St. Patrick, please contact the parish office at 530-273-2347 and visit the parish website to RSVP at www.stpatrickgrassvalley.org.
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St.
Patrick P A R I SH 235 Chapel Street Grass Valley, CA 95945 (530) 273-2347 stpatrickgrassvalley.org
Our New Newsletter
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much fruit and inspire you to consider how you can be more involved in the life of our parish — for some, perhaps this will be an opportunity to try new things. This newsletter will help increase communication as we feature events that are coming up and share a lot of information with you. But I also want to hear from you! This spring, we will be conducting a comprehensive parish survey. The survey will be mailed to each home — I ask you to take the time to complete the survey and return it as soon as possible. Your feedback is important to me and will help me and parish leadership better understand your thoughts about our parish. This survey will enable us to pave the way for our future. Another important step in our stewardship journey will be our Annual Stewardship Renewal that will happen this fall. We did this with great success in the fall of 2019 and I look forward to resuming it this year. The Renewal is our annual chance to ask ourselves how we prioritize the way we use God’s gifts in the Church. We will make written commitments to ourselves and to God concerning how we will be more devoted with our use
of time (using our time on earth wisely; making time for personal prayer, family prayer, and quality time with friends and loved ones); talent (using our God-given gifts to strengthen the Church through service to parish ministries and other activities), and treasure (the wise and just management of our financial resources; giving a proportionate amount of my income to the parish). As we strive to develop stewardship as a way of life at St. Patrick, the support and involvement of each individual parishioner are necessary to sustain the life of our parish. All of you have a place here, and all of you have a role to fill in the life of the parish as we live our lives as disciples of Christ. May the Holy Spirit renew and refresh all of us as we work together to build our parish family through the use of our time, talent, and treasure. Your Father in Christ, Fr. Estrella Parochial Administrator
MASS SCHEDULE Monday-Saturday: Daily Mass at 8:30 a.m. | Saturday Vigil Mass: 5 p.m. | Sunday Mass: 7:30 a.m., 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. (Spanish)