Intrepid Shepherds
Mass at dawn on Half Dome in Yosemite.
In memoriam: Pope Francis (1936–2025)
Catholic quiz: How well do you know the Catholic faith?
Time out: Intrepid Shepherds: For these local priests, the great outdoors is a saving grace
Young professionals: New group to update Catholic Charities with fresh ideas
Sacrificing self: Welcoming the newest priests of the Archdiocese
Hearts rekindled: Looking back at the National Eucharistic
Seniors: Aging in Faith: Catholic-run residential care for seniors here has ended, but support still exists
Intercession: Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners: The forgotten patroness of California
Role Model: Pier Giorgio Frassati ascends the mountain of sainthood
Mission advancement: ‘Distinguished Citizen Award’ Longtime Serra HS principal honored
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Student’s corner: Respect Life essay contest: Expressing love to seniors in the Archdiocese
Local News: More than 1,700 ‘pilgrims of hope’ participate in local jubilee pilgrimage and Mass
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Returning love for love
“Love is love” is an inane bumper-sticker phrase of the secular culture that we increasingly see and hear repeatedly, an apparent nod of approval to distorted views of human identity and perceptions of love, even to the point now where we see depravities flaunted in the streets, celebrated by organizations and amplified by media outlets. ARCHBISHOP
For us as Catholics, though, this month of June is the month of the Sacred Heart, which represents something very different: an invitation to be witnesses to the divine love of Jesus to a self-absorbed world deceived by darkness and blinded by confusion. Contemplate our Lord’s Sacred Heart: pierced through as He lay in the sleep of death on the Cross, pouring forth water and blood, signifying for us the life-giving sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. The image of Jesus’ Sacred Heart emphasizes for us the tender, passionate love that Christ holds for every human being. His heart is the very source of love, pierced for our sake, aflame with compassion and crowned with thorns in solidarity with our human suffering. In secular society where betrayal, division and apathy dominate, the reality of Christ’s love is both healing and inspiring.
The devotion to the Sacred Heart was popularized by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, a French nun and mystic who lived in the 17th century. Her many writings were based on intimate conversations with Jesus, where He shared with her the importance of making acts of consecration to His heart. We do this by relying on His grace and dedicating our lives to returning His love with our own. We are called to renew this consecration on a regular basis. A sidebar to this column is an example of a consecration that is customarily prayed on Fridays or on the first Fridays of each month.
St. Margaret Mary’s writings are not the first time we read in the history of the Church about meditations on the heart of Jesus. They stretch back to the ancient Church fathers and other spiritual luminaries who referred to His heart as a symbol of His love for humanity. Here are some examples.
Our new supreme pontiff, Pope Leo XIV, is grounded in Augustinian spirituality, which is very ‘heart’centered. This painting by Phillip de Champaigne (circa 1645-1650) depicts St. Augustine, the doctor of grace and love, holding a burning heart.
ST. JUSTIN MARTYR (~100–165)
A Christian apologist from the second century, St. Justin Martyr said Christians are “carved out of His heart as from a rock,” referring to the pierced side of Jesus as the source of all graces.
ST. AMBROSE (340-397)
A doctor of the Church and Bishop of Milan, St. Ambrose described the heart of Jesus as a source of living water when reflecting on Psalm 33. He said, “Drink of Christ, for He is the fount of life. Drink of Christ, for He is the stream whose torrents brought joy to the city of God. Drink of Christ, for He is peace. Drink of Christ, for the streams of living water flow from His bosom.”
ST. AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO (354-430)
St. Augustine was a student of St. Ambrose, so we might expect that St. Ambrose influenced St. Augustine’s reflections on the heart of Jesus. St. Augustine said that our hearts, the very core of our being, have an ultimate purpose, which is to be united with the heart of God. “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You” is a quote that has reverberated over the centuries.
ST. BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX (1090-1153)
“Who can refuse a return of love to a Heart so loving?”
The Promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
I (N.), give and consecrate to the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ, my person, my life, my actions, my pains and sufferings, so that I may be unwilling to make use of any part of my being save to honor, love, and glorify the Sacred Heart. It is my unchanging intention to be all His and to do all for love of Him. I renounce at the same time with all my heart whatever can displease Him. I, therefore, take You, O Sacred Heart, for the only object of my love, the protector of my life, the pledge of my salvation, the remedy of my weakness and inconstancy, the atonement for the faults of my life, and the secure refuge at the hour of my death.
said this Cistercian abbot who had a profound love for the heart of our Savior. “How good and pleasant it is to dwell in the Heart of Jesus!” he said. “Who is there who does not love a heart so wounded?”
ST. GERTRUDE THE GREAT (1256-1302)
The litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus includes the meditation, “Heart of Jesus, formed by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mother, have mercy on us.” St. John the Apostle rested upon this beating heart at the Last Supper. St. Gertrude, Benedictine nun and mystic, was reported to have had many spiritual encounters with Jesus during her life. In one of her most known revelations, St. John said to Gertrude, “Come, spouse of my Master, together let us lay our heads on the most tender bosom of the Lord, in which all the treasures of heaven and earth are enclosed.” Gertrude asked the Apostle why he never wrote about the “loving secrets of the Heart of Jesus Christ.” He said his mission was to record “words of deep meaning upon which human intelligence might meditate forever, without ever exhausting their riches; but to these latter times was reserved the grace of hearing the eloquent voice of the Heart of Jesus.”
These early spiritual luminaries laid the groundwork for the revelations of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and out of this great intuitive knowledge came the 12 promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus that we know today (see sidebar). Let us pray that we not follow, like a caboose on a train, the secular slogan “love is love,” but instead embrace true devotion to Jesus in His Sacred Heart, where we are challenged to “return love for love,” as St. Margaret Mary put it: We ought to make a total gift of ourselves to Him who has completely given Himself to us. ■
1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. I will establish peace in their homes.
3. I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
4. I will be their secure refuge during life, and above all, in death.
5. I will bestow abundant blessings upon all their undertakings.
6. Sinners will find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Lukewarm souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
9. I will bless every place in which an image of my Heart is exposed and honored.
10. I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart.
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my allpowerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on the first Fridays in nine consecutive months the grace of final perseverance; they shall not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.
The first American pope
The election of Pope Leo XIV
BY MARY POWERS Assistant director of communications and media relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco
The world was in watchful anticipation when white smoke appeared from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on May 8. Visitors ran out of St. Peter’s Basilica to catch a glimpse of the new Pope. Bells rang in churches worldwide as international news stations and social media livestreams awaited the announcement from the loggia or balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. Soon, the curtain opened and Cardinal Dominique Mamberti joyfully recited the famous words, “Habemus Papam!” announcing that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected the 267th successor of St. Peter and took the name Leo XIV. Cheers erupted at St. Peter’s Square and people around the world celebrated amidst the shock of the cardinals electing an American pope.
He is a pastor. A pastor wants to be with his people. It’s hard for him to be away from his people… In his heart, he is a pastor of souls. So, I believe we are in good hands.”
ARCHBISHOP SALVATORE JOSEPH CORDILEONE
Raised on the south side of Chicago, Pope Leo XIV entered the Augustinians, studied at a minor seminary in Michigan and earned a bachelor’s degree from Villanova University. Ordained in 1982, he earned a canon law degree from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. After a brief time in Chicago, he served in Peru for 10 years in various Augustinian roles. He later became head of the Midwest Augustinians and served as prior general of the order for 12 years. In 2014, Pope Francis appointed him bishop in Chiclayo, Peru, and he was soon elevated to the College of Cardinals. In 2023, he was appointed to head the Dicastery for Bishops. Speaking on the new Pope’s pastoral message, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone said he sees a true pastoral heart in the new Holy Father.
“Something happened…in that opening address that probably not many people noticed,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “When he spoke to the people in Italian, at a certain point he shifted into Spanish, in order to greet the people in his old diocese in Peru, Chiclayo. And if you look at that again, a huge smile comes across his face. That gives us a deep insight into this man. He is a pastor. A pastor wants to be with his people. It’s hard for him to be away from his people… In his heart, he is a pastor of souls. So, I believe we are in good hands.”
CHOOSING THE NAME “LEO”
Speaking to the College of Cardinals on May 10, Pope Leo XIV spoke on his desire to continue the Church’s work following the Second Vatican Council (specifically citing “Gaudium et Spes”) as well as Pope Francis’ writing and work in synodality.
He also explained the choice of “Leo” for his name—following in the footsteps of Pope Leo XIII. Sharing insights that will have an impact on Silicon Valley, the Holy Father said, “There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic encyclical “Rerum Novarum” addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”
COAT OF ARMS AND MOTTO
Not long after the Pope’s meeting with the cardinals on May 10, the Vatican released his official portrait and coat of arms. The design displays a fleur-de-lis on a blue background on one half and a heart pierced by an arrow, resting on a book against a cream background on the other.
The fleur-de-lis is a French symbol of a lily for the Virgin Mary, possibly pointing to Pope Leo XIV’s French lineage and love for Our Lady.
The second element of the shield comes ›
We are living in times that are both difficult to navigate and to recount. They present a challenge for all of us, but it is one that we should not run away from. On the contrary, they demand that each one of us, in our different roles and services, never give in to mediocrity. The Church must face the challenges posed by the times.”
from the symbol of the Augustinian order. The heart pierced by the arrow is a human heart pierced by the Spirit of God, calling us to grow in faith, hope and love, like St. Augustine in his conversion. The book is the Bible and represents the truth in the word of God through which St. Augustine first heard the call to his conversion.
The motto shown underneath his coat of arms reads, “In Illo uno unum,” or “In the One, we are one.” According to Vatican News, this phrase was taken from St. Augustine’s “Exposition on Psalm 127,” where the saint explained that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”
REGINA CAELI ADDRESS
In his first Regina Caeli address on Sunday, May 11, Pope Leo XIV encouraged those in St. Peter’s Square with a message that seems to be one that will shape his papacy.
“We are living in times that are both difficult to navigate and to recount,” he said. “They present a challenge for all of us, but it is one that we should not run away from. On the contrary, they demand that each one of us, in our different roles and services, never give in to mediocrity. The Church must face the challenges posed by the times.” ■
Pope Francis (1936–2025)
A
legacy of mercy and encounter
BY MARY POWERS Assistant director of communications and media relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco
The Catholic Church mourned the passing of Pope Francis on April 21, at the age of 88. As the first pope from the Americas, the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name Francis, he left a lasting impact on the Church.
On Saturday, April 26, hundreds of thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for his funeral Mass, celebrated by Cardinal Giovannia Battista Re. Heads of state, religious leaders and pilgrims from around the world joined in prayer for the Holy Father. After the Mass, Pope Francis’ coffin was placed in the popemobile for one final procession and then laid to rest in the papal Basilica of St. Mary Major—a church he often visited to entrust his apostolic journeys to the Blessed Mother.
The funeral marked the beginning of the traditional Novendiales, nine days of official
mourning, with cardinals in Rome offering daily Masses for the repose of Pope Francis’ soul.
In San Francisco, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone celebrated a memorial Mass for Pope Francis on April 30. More than 300 people gathered at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption including representatives from across the Archdiocese and the wider community. Among the attendees were Matthew Goudeau, deputy chief of staff for Mayor Daniel Lurie; members of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, including executive director Michael Pappas; student leaders from Good Shepherd School in Pacifica; and Catholic school administrators.
In his homily, Archbishop Cordileone reflected on the life and legacy of Pope Francis. “This is the lesson I hope we can all learn from Pope Francis: The human encounter which seeks understanding in a way of selfsacrificial love,” he said. “This is what leads us in the way of truth, light and a more humane society. Living this lesson is the greatest honor we can give to his memory.”
Sixteen Student Council members from Good Shepherd School in Pacifica attended the Mass. They shared with Catholic San Francisco that they were surprised by Pope Francis’ death, as he had recently participated in Easter events in Rome. They reflected on his love and compassion for the poor and were moved by the presence of Interfaith Council members praying in solidarity with the Catholic Church. Good Shepherd principal Gustavo Torres reflected on the impact Pope Francis made on the Church.
“We have spoken to the students about really focusing on this Jubilee Year of Hope but remembering that mercy is very important,” said Torres. “I think that sums up the papacy of Pope Francis. He was a person of mercy…I think that he’s a great example of what our young people can live up to today. I thought it was important that we came here today to honor him.” ■
How well do you know the Catholic faith?
The Ultimate Catholic Quiz by Catholic Answers’ founder, Karl Keating.
Excerpted with permission and available for purchase from
https://ignatius.com/the-ultimate-catholic-quiz-ucqp/
There are no trick questions, but there are questions that will trip you up if you fail to read carefully. An answer is counted as wrong if any part of it — such as a date or name — is wrong. Your goal is not to find the answer that is least wrong, but the one answer that is wholly right, which may be “none of the above.” On average, most informed Catholics score 50%. How well did you do?
1. Which of these is not one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit?
a. fortitude
b. piety
c. chastity
d. knowledge
e. none of the above
2. Which of these will be occupied eternally?
a. heaven, purgatory, and hell
b. heaven, hell, and the limbo of the Fathers
c. only hell
d. only heaven, as the others will end at the “apokatastasis”
e. none of the above
3. When the Catholic Church is described as holy, it means that
a. none of her members sins grievously.
b. she has produced more saints than has any other religious body.
c. she holds up holiness as an ideal that can be approached but never reached.
d. she is holy in her origins and purposes, no matter how bad some of her members may be.
e. none of the above
4. The unity of the Church:
a. was lost when the Protestants broke away in the 16th century, because they did away with the priesthood.
b. was lost when the Eastern Orthodox broke away in the 11th century, even though they maintained all seven sacraments.
c. is a perpetual attribute of the Church and has nothing to do with how many groups break away.
d. is an ideal toward which all Christians need to work together.
e. none of the above.
5. Who was the first pope to write a social encyclical?
a. John Paul II (“Summorum Pontificum” in 1979).
b. John XXII (“Mater et Magistra” in 1961).
c. Leon XII (“Sensus Fidelium” in 1891).
d. Pius IX (“Rerum Novarum” in 1896).
e. none of the above
Answer highlights can be found on page 46
OPEN THIS QR CODE FOR COMPREHENSIVE ANSWERS or visit https://sfarchdiocese. org/june-2025-catholic-quiz/
CLASS OF 2025!
INTREPID SHEPHERDS
For these local priests, the great outdoors is a saving grace
BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
“Not all who wander are lost,” wrote the late Catholic English author
J.R.R. Tolkien. That single line taken from a longer poem in his trilogy, “The Lord of the Rings,” became a bumper sticker still commonly seen on cars at trail heads and campgrounds.
The phrase could hardly be more fitting than for a group of ordained trekkers who told Catholic San Francisco that their getaways — pursued alone or with other priests — are more than just exercise or vacation; they have helped them sustain their vocation. Time away from priestly duties, especially outdoors, helps them decompress from the demands of their ministries. It can help them return to their parish “recharged.” It can also fortify their fraternal bond with other priests, something Father Joseph Illo, pastor of San Francisco’s Star of the Sea Parish, said “has saved my priesthood.”
A BIKE, BREVIARY AND BROTHERHOOD
Star of the Sea is a large and flourishing parish that includes Stella Maris Academy, a new K-8 classical curriculum Catholic school.
Father Illo is responsible for all of it. Most weekdays, he still slips out of the rectory for a routine spin on his red road bike.
“I just need one hour,” he said, arriving at a postride interview fresh and focused after a 40-minute spin through the urban streets around the parish. He rode through nearby Golden Gate Park and the Presidio all the way to the ocean. He took a breather at the shoreline to read for a few minutes from his breviary, then cycled back to the parish to shower.
“It is my release valve,” he said, using the terminology of a cyclist. Not thinking about
what’s going on at the parish for a short span of time can be fruitful, not wasteful, he’s found. “When you are not thinking about problems, solutions come to you.”
This includes both spiritual and practical solutions.
Father Illo does a pastoral blog every 10 days. “Almost every one of the ideas for those blogs come from my rides,” he said.
On weekends he may ride alone, or with a priest friend or a parishioner, across the Golden Gate Bridge to Mount Tamalpais in Marin County. He will push up its 2,572-foot peak, take in a moment of accomplishment at the top, then speed downhill to cross the bridge again on his return to the parish. All in about three hours.
It wasn’t long after his ordination in 1991 and first assignment to a parish in Lodi, California, that Father Illo realized that he felt a bit unmoored without the “strong fraternity and sense of purpose and identity I had known in the seminary.”
He did two things that helped to change that trajectory. He started an informal fraternity of priest friends. And he bought a bike.
“I was not going to make it in the priesthood without them,” he told his priest friends at the time. Members who, then and now, are from different parishes and dioceses meet to pray and play together. They still gather once a month, according to Father Illo, to celebrate a Mass, holy hour, share a meal and talk. Often it includes a sporting activity, like a basketball game, bike ride or kayaking trip. Or a multiday, High Sierra backpacking trip.
R&R
AS A
‘SECRET
PRODUCTIVITY
WEAPON’ Father Illo began a practice in Lodi that he has maintained with modifications for his ›
SHEPHERDS
Father Blaise Berg, left, Father Joseph Illo, center, and Star of the Sea parishioner Donncha O’Cochlain pose for a shot at the top of Mount Whitney after a prayer-filled, 19-day expedition in August 2023.
Photo by Samantha Flanders
entire priesthood. He would take an hour for himself on his bike, “riding hard” for 30 minutes before stopping at a favorite spot near a lake with a view of the snow-covered mountains in the distance. He would read from both his breviary and a favorite novel, then take a short nap.
Rest was the “secret productivity weapon” of the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, he noted. Even in the midst of World War II, Churchill retreated to his room each day for a few hours.
“This is what works for me,” said Father Illo. There is never enough time to do all that’s required of a pastor, and a priest can burn out without downtime. “I have not burned out.”
This summer, Father Illo will take a threemonth sabbatical to Ireland – his first in decades – to complete two books: a history of the parish, and a presentation on the 16 Marian apparition stories enshrined there.
His bike will go with him.
‘CONCRETE REMINDERS OF OUR EFFORTS’
A priest of the Diocese of Sacramento, Father Blaise Berg is an associate professor of
Photo courtesy of Father Joseph Illo
Father Blaise Berg and Father Joseph Illo are pictured during a 2017 cycling trip with other priest friends to the volcanic Haleakalā National Park on Maui.
dogmatic theology at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. He’s also a longtime cycling partner and priest friend of Father Illo.
In the summer of 2023, Father Berg and his sister Grace walked the entire 500-mile Camino Frances, the most popular and traditional route from St. Jean Pied de Port in France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. They walked for 31 straight days (their bags were carried to and from each point on the trail). Just over a month after his return, Father Berg was back on the trail again, this time the John Muir Trail. Father Illo invited him to join him and Star of the Sea parishioner Donncha O’Cochlain for what Father Berg called “his first serious backpacking trip.”
Was it ever. The JMT, as trail veterans refer to it, is a 213-mile trail through Sierra Nevada backcountry. It begins in Yosemite Valley and ends at Mount Whitney at an elevation of 14,505 feet. It passes through Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks. Three students from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula joined the men for parts of the trek.
The priests prayed the rosary “constantly” on
the trail, according to Father Berg, and carried light vestments, a small bottle of wine and one Mass kit for daily Mass.
“We had Mass every morning; that was a nonnegotiable,” said Father Berg. “The whole sky becomes your cathedral,” said Father Illo, pictured on the cover shot for this issue celebrating Mass on Half Dome on a separate hiking trip with Father Mark Wagner of the Diocese of Stockton.
“The Psalms came alive for me on the trail,” said Father Berg. “It was glorious.” He recalled one day when they came upon some other hikers near a raging waterfall. “It was noon, and we were doing the Angelus,” he said. “I thought to myself this must be what the Annunciation was like, with the amount of grace coming down like this waterfall.”
When they reached the summit of Mount Whitney on the 19th day, they were hungry, their fingers cracked and bleeding. It was supposed to be a 17-day trip, but the hikers ran out of food in the final days. They were as grateful for the provisions offered by strangers and rangers as they were for the safe return of Father Berg, who took a wrong path and got ›
If we are being called to bring the good news to every nation, wouldn’t it help to understand these nations and how God is working in different cultures?”
FATHER MICHAEL LILIEDAHL
St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. Chaplain and parochial vicar, San Francisco State University Newman Center.
separated from his friends in the wilderness for a full day and night.
Sheltered from the blizzard conditions at the summit in a medieval-looking stone emergency shelter, Father Berg, Father Illo and O’Cochlain shared a final Mass.
Father Berg reflected on the many benefits of such experiences. He said he tells seminarians that as a spiritual leader, “you don’t always see that you have produced
something, you don’t always see things change day by day, and that’s normal.”
Physical accomplishments, from building a fire or pitching a tent to scaling a mountain, can help satisfy the human need to see progress and forward movement.
“Obviously the work we do in a parish or a seminary is invaluable,” he said. “Someday we’ll know if we made a difference when we make our way to heaven. But in this life,
Above, Father Michael Liliedahl, left, pictured with local villagers during a trip to Peru. Inset, Father Liliedahl has a close encounter at a penguin habitat in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Photos courtesy of Father Michael Liliedahl
it’s good to have reminders, very concrete evidence of our efforts.”
‘IT’S DEFINITELY A RECHARGE OF THE BATTERIES’
Father Michael Liliedahl grew up in rural Alaska, where “all you needed to do was walk out your back door” to do something outdoorsy and adventurous.
After serving as pastor of St. Stephen Parish for three years, Father Liliedahl teaches homiletics to first-year seminarians at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University. He is also chaplain for the San Francisco State University Newman Center.
His travels have taken him through Vietnam, Peru, Norway, Australia, Nepal, Greece, New Zealand, Germany, Seychelles, Israel and “the Stans” – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. And of course, his beloved Alaska, to name just a few places.
Unlike Father Illo and Father Berg, Father Liliedahl prefers to travel alone.
“One of the things about being a priest is that you are kind of ‘on’ all the time,” he said. Solo travel offers a rare opportunity to be unknown, to be an anonymous face in the crowd. “It’s not that I’m hiding the fact I’m a priest, I just don’t lead with it,” he said. He sees travel as a valuable tool for anyone who wants to spread the Gospel.
“If we are being called to bring the good news to every nation, wouldn’t it help to understand these nations and how God is working in different cultures?” he said.
While some people refresh their bodies, minds and spirits by sitting on a beach doing nothing, Father Liliedahl said he feels rejuvenated by going to new places and doing new things.
“It’s definitely a recharge of the batteries,” he said. “When I come back, I bring that energy with me.”
Asked whether a priest can afford not to take time for himself, his answer was an emphatic no.
“Human beings have limits, and priests are human beings,” he said. They are not immune to burnout and mental health issues.
“The question is, would we rather have a priest on duty seven days a week who’s gone in two years because he’s burned out?” he said. “Or would we rather have a priest serve five or six days a week, take a week of vacation each year and be around to serve the Church for 40 or 50 years?” ■
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New group to update Catholic Charities with fresh ideas
DBY LIDIA WASOWICZ
efying the adage that youth is wasted on the young, Catholic Charities San Francisco has launched a group of professionals ages 21 to 40 to infuse its initiatives with time, talent and treasure in line with the shifting needs of evolving times.
The span of personalities, perspectives and positions represented by the initial crop of participants bodes well for advancing the nonprofit’s aim of attracting a younger generation of doers and donors to its 35plus programs that offer shelter, safety, security and sustenance to more than 100,000 children, teens, adults and seniors in the San Francisco Archdiocese.
The several dozen attendees at two get-togethers preceding the Jan. 30 inaugural meeting included a 22-year-old University of California, Berkeley, mathematics major who converted as a child , a 34-year-old aerospace industry official, a 35-year-old economist who grew up Protestant near Toronto, Canada, a 36-year-old development manager drawn in by a relative who once headed Catholic Charities Los Angeles and a 38-year-old think tank analyst.
“My hope for this program is that it is both beneficial to Catholic Charities and the members who make up the Young Professionals group,” said Bridget Mahoney, 35, Catholic Charities director of development and instigator of and adviser to the budding network.
“I hope it opens a new revenue stream for our development team to tap into and creates more active volunteers, and that it is something that people will want to be a part of.”
Fueling those hopes, the startup has engendered enthusiasm and elicited engagement.
“My assessment of the program is one of admiration,” said Victoria Marcondes, who was 6 when she secretly began fostering a relationship with
Lorna Baggott shares what Catholic Charities campaign, “Serving with Love” means to her. Right, interested Young Professionals hear from Catholic Charities Development Team about the vision for the group.
Award-winning journalist Wasowicz, former West Coast science editor and senior science writer for United Press International, has been writing for Catholic San Francisco since 2011.
God by walking into open churches after school, memorizing the rosary without possessing one and reading the Bible online. At 16 she received the sacraments of initiation on April 20, 2019, despite parental opposition. “The group gives me hope for the future of our local communities and the United States as a whole.”
The parishioner at St. Hilary Church in Tiburon has committed to not only put her faith into action but also persuade others to follow suit.
“I see my peers at school and in my community look so lost and helpless,” said Marcondes, a UC Berkeley senior planning a career in finance. “They turn to substances and harmful experiences rather than loving communities and God.”
Young Professionals can give them direction, purpose and joy, she noted.
That direction includes opportunities to answer Christ’s cardinal call to help the poor, said Jon Hartley, a transplant from Canada and Protestantism.
The parishioner at Church of the Nativity in Menlo Park, who became Catholic in 2008 after reading the seminal works of St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas at the University of Chicago and who volunteers at the Order of Malta and Missionaries of Charity, looks forward to increased involvement with the Catholic Charities youth group.
As does Lorna Baggott, development manager of the Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California who was inspired to check out the newly minted program by her great-uncle Msgr. William Barry, a former director of Catholic Charities Los Angeles, one of 13 sister agencies in the state.
Baggott, a parishioner at St. Dominic’s Church in San Francisco, applauds Young Professionals for opening the door to new friendships, promoting community outreach, living out the faith and involving the next generation of Catholic leaders.
Similarly hooked, Richard Maher, a policy advocate and analyst for American First Policy Institute
and parishioner at Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco, is “very much willing to do anything that is asked of me.”
He sees unlimited benefits in offering “Christ’s healing ministry … to those most wounded among us” while sharing struggles and solutions with fellow Young Professionals facing challenges posed by San Francisco’s temporal temptations and secular sway.
Kirsten Lukens, a subcontract manager at global security, defense and aerospace contractor Lockheed Martin, added: “I look forward to meeting and connecting with more Catholic young adults and serving our community sincerely and wholeheartedly.”
That’s just the outcome envisioned by Mahoney and colleagues.
“This consortium is already an inspiration,” said Ellen Hammerle, chief executive officer. “Meeting so many young Catholics who are invigorated by this opportunity, they yearn to give back, and doing so through CCSF programs and services is an amazing bridge for them that is aligned with their religious beliefs and values.”
While Catholicism predominates among those expressing interest thus far, Young Professionals welcomes members of all spiritual persuasions and invites the numerous San Francisco Bay Area associations with a parallel profile and purpose to support its ministry and mission.
“Driving factors to get involved also include benefits that this group will offer such as leadership development, networking, expanding upon charitable works, seeking deeper friendships and relationships and opportunities to connect with our actual board members, all through fundraising, volunteering and advocacy,” Mahoney said.
Aware of their prime location, organizers strayed out of the box to ensure they benefit from the area’s massive concentration of entrepreneurial and technical know-how.
“This Young Professionals group brings fresh ›
Lauren Diefendorf, Grace Kiesel, Sabrina Carpenter, Dana Diefendorf, and Clare Rudloph gathered at Howells Wine Bar to learn how to join CCSF Young Professionals.
Having a network of people I can connect with morally, spiritually and socially is comforting and empowering in navigating personal and professional milestones.”
KIRSTEN LUKENS
perspectives and diverse talents to our organization, enhancing our ability to develop innovative solutions,” said Hugo Kostelni, a board member under 40. “By incorporating younger voices and skills, we strengthen our capacity to address complex social challenges effectively.”
The team has pioneered strategies that take into account members’ rare abilities and limited availability.
“This program offers an opportunity to apply professional skills to meaningful social impact in ways traditional volunteering models don’t always allow,” Kostelni said.
Under the plan, Young Professionals create projects that are carried out virtually and in person over six to eight weeks and reflect one of Catholic Charities’ four focal points: homelessness and housing; children and youth; immigration; and aging support services.
“We want to assure anyone who is joining that this group will not take away from your life but supplement it,” said Elizabeth Driskill, communications and marketing coordinator.
And enrich it by expanding social capital, developing leadership skills, learning from peers, enhancing a resume, discovering career opportunities, finding a “side gig,” giving of self and staying inspired, Mahoney said.
“I want this group to be something that adds value and meaning and not something that is viewed as an obligation or constraint,” she said.
Early projections indicate her wish is within reach. Marcondes will never forget her introductory evenings with Young Professionals, when she found consolation, camaraderie and commitment to provide solace to those feeling lonely, hopeless or unloved.
“Knowing there was a group dedicated to connecting young Catholics felt like a dream come true,” she recalled.
It was likewise for Lukens, a newlywed who met her husband at Lourdes, who sees service as the cornerstone of her future family’s life and who sets faith as the guidepost for the directions she takes and decisions she makes.
“Having a network of people I can connect with morally, spiritually and socially is comforting and empowering in navigating personal and professional milestones,” she said.
Such Christ-centered connectivity sets the group apart from many of the other nonprofits proliferating in San Francisco, said Tony Alioto, director of marketing and communications.
“At the end of the day, the Catholic Charities Young Professionals group is driven by faith, by the belief that all people, regardless of circumstance, deserve to be loved,” he said. ■
SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT YOUNG PROFESSIONALS or visit www.CatholicCharitiesSF. org/youngprofessionals
Welcoming the newest priests of the Archdiocese
BY MARY POWERS Assistant director of communications and media relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco
In his book “The Priest Is Not His Own,”
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen speaks of the life of a priest as being a continual sacrifice, mirroring the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary. He notes that when a priest lays down his life on the altar, he becomes a priest-victim, similar to that of Jesus. The continual sacrifice of self is not just at the Mass, but carries into each one of his responsibilities throughout the day.
“The continuing sacrifice of the priest is of the heart and mind in thanksgiving (Rom 15:16, Heb 13:15); the sacrifice of good deeds (Heb 13:16); the sacrifice of broken hearts and contrite spirits (Ps 50:17[21:17 RSV]); and the sacrifice of the whole man and the dedication of himself to God (1Pet 2:15; Rom 12:1; Phil 2:7).”
In speaking with the newest priests of the Archdiocese, the call to their vocation was clear and they have a deep desire to lay down their lives to serve the people of God—most especially sacramentally through the Mass.
Contemplative of St. Joseph Father Mikhael Mihic was ordained in January of 2025, and Fathers Leandro Calingasan and Emmanuel Gutierrez were to be ordained on Saturday June 7 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption.
FATHER MIKHAEL MIHIC, COSJ
Father Mikhael Mihic was born and raised in Croatia. It was here he received his initial call. In an interview with the Archdiocese several years ago, then Brother Mikhael explained an experience he had during Mass one day:
“It was the most profound and yet most mysterious thing that ever happened to me,” he said. “I felt the waters of everlasting life flowing out of my heart, and I said, ‘Lord, what do you want from me? What is going on?’ Some days later, this thought of the priesthood and Mass never stopped appearing in my head and in my heart. Since then, I’ve constantly focused my thoughts and prayers on the Eucharist.”
After arriving in the Archdiocese of San Francisco and inquiring with the Office of
Vocations, Father Mikhael was sent to live with Father Vito Perrone, COSJ at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church to further discern this vocation and finish college.
“The moment I came in,” said Father Mikhael, “I just felt like, ‘Wow, can I just stay here?’”
Father Mikhael then joined the Contemplatives of St. Joseph and for the last eight years has been in formation at the seminary and within the order. In September of 2024 he and COSJ founder, Father Perrone, made their final vows. A week later, Father Mikhael was ordained to the diaconate. Then in January of 2025, he was ordained a priest for the Contemplatives of St. Joseph and the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
“In all those three instances, I had to be on the floor at some point, giving my life to God,” said Father Mikhael. “I was prostrate on the floor all three times in a short period and I thought, ‘Wow, I’m giving my life over and over and over again to God.’ Like Our Lady, we have to cooperate with God’s grace and say, ‘Fiat, let it be.’ So that’s how all of us are called.”
FATHER LEANDRO CALINGASAN
Father Leandro Calingasan was born in Fairview, Quezon City in the Philippines. He entered the seminary at the age of 12, following in the footsteps of his uncle. He went to the diocesan minor seminary through junior high and high school, and then through college. After a year of participating in a two-year regency program, he moved to California and soon after was accepted into St. Patrick’s Seminary & University.
While he enjoyed the seminary atmosphere at the beginning, it wasn’t until his first year of college that he discerned his priestly vocation. Working in ministries with orphans and children on the street as well as other service activities with the seminarians, he realized he loved serving God’s people.
“Whenever I look back, I feel like it’s been a long journey, but at the same time, I can’t believe that I’m here already,” said Father Calingasan. “And I always think of it like, well, it might be a long journey, but it was very fruitful and very worth it.”
While his home parish is St. Augustine Catholic Church in South San Francisco, Father Calingasan spent his pastoral year at the Church of the ›
Sometimes God will just put something in front of you, you don’t know what to do. Prayer will help you to look at things in His eyes. And even though it may be hard to accept it, with prayer, you’ll realize, well, I guess it’s what God wants for me.”
FATHER CALINGASAN
Visitation and was assigned as a deacon at St. Matthew Catholic Church in San Mateo.
After 15 years in seminary formation, what is the one thing that Father Calingasan is looking forward to most as a priest? “Celebrating the Mass. That’s really what I really look forward to.”
FATHER EMMANUEL GUTIERREZ
Father Emmanuel Gutierrez is a native of San Diego. He grew up near National City in a devout Catholic family. His parents were both active in their parish and family prayer was a regular part of their daily lives. His faith was formed by his family and parish growing up, since he went to public school. The sacraments played an integral part in his discernment. Special graces he received during his first Reconciliation and first holy Communion cemented his love and appreciation for the Church.
When Confirmation came in high school, he had a desire to really make the faith his own. Guided by his father, he took the questions he had to prayer, studying Scripture and the truths of the faith.
“I would read Scripture every night,” said Father
Gutierrez. “I would do a little more investigating and I would pray. I did that about a year. And then before I knew it, my spiritual life was very strong. I had a powerful relationship with Christ at that time. And as I was thinking ahead of what I could become in the future, eventually in those prayers, what kept coming up, was the priesthood.”
This scared him and he tried to forget about it. He threw himself into his career. Then, at 28 he knew he couldn’t run from God’s call any longer, so he called the vocations director and discerned for a year. He joined the seminary in San Diego at the age of 29 and then God led him to the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Father Gutierrez spent his pastoral year at St. Mark Catholic Church in Belmont and was assigned as a deacon at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption in San Francisco.
“I’m most looking forward to celebrating the Mass,” said Father Gutierrez. “And being able to celebrate the sacraments. For me in my life, the sacraments have been a powerful means of grace and help. And so just to be able to confer the grace to others and to administer the sacraments. It’s quite an honor and very humbling.”
ADVICE TO THOSE DISCERNING THE PRIESTHOOD
When asked what advice the three new priests would give to those who are discerning this vocation, each gave the same answer—prayer.
“Number one, pray,” said Father Mikhael. “Jesus himself prayed to the Father before any big decision. But then don’t just talk and ask God, but listen. Prayer goes both ways, it’s a two-way street, right? So pray and then listen attentively. Be attuned to the Holy Spirit. Try to be detached from the world as much as possible so that God can truly speak from within. Secondly, find a good spiritual director. That’s always important.”
“Sometimes God will just put something in front of you, you don’t know what to do,” said Father Calingasan. “Prayer will help you to look at things in His eyes. And even though it may be hard to accept it, with prayer, you’ll realize, well, I guess it’s what God wants for me.”
“Certainly it’s a process, but I think, I’d have to re-echo the importance of prayer and allowing yourself to be able to see things with God’s providence always in sight—that he’s never aloof or never far from us,” said Father Gutierrez. “Everything is either willed by Him directly or permitted, and it’s always for an intended good. There are goods that we want, that we desire, the good of marriage, the good of a career. Those things are natural goods that I think nobody would deny their goodness. But then there are those things that are supernatural goods that contribute to the kingdom, and that’s the role of the priest.” ■
Photo by Dennis Callahan
Looking back at the National Eucharistic Revival
The Archdiocese of San Francisco sponsored two Eucharistic preachers to speak at several parishes in Advent and Lent. Dominican Father Jonathan Kalisch spoke during the Advent preaching series and Father Victor Perez from the Archdiocese of Houston spoke during the Lenten preaching series. The Archdiocesan Eucharistic Congress was held June 10, 2023, at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. More than 1,500 people participated in the bilingual event with keynote speakers retired Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain and Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison, Wisconsin.
The Archdiocesan Year of the National Eucharistic Revival
In the second year of the National Eucharistic Revival, parishes across the Archdiocese held Eucharistcentered events, focused on increasing knowledge and devotion to the true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Dr. Scott French of Jesuit Father Robert Spitzer’s Magis Center also spoke to several parishes and schools on 21st-century Eucharistic miracles and the Shroud of Turin.
National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and National Eucharistic Congress
On May 19, 2024, Pentecost Sunday, the National Eucharistic Pilgrimage launched from four corners of the United States — the St. Junípero Serra route from the West, the St. Juan Diego route from the South, the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton route from the East and the Marian route from the North. The Western Serra route
began in San Francisco with a Mass by Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption and a Eucharistic procession across the Golden Gate Bridge. The four routes converged at the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, where more than 60,000 people participated in events and liturgies that fostered Eucharistic devotion.
The Year of Mission
The National Eucharistic Congress launched the Year of Mission, during which parishes formed Eucharistic missionaries and evangelists to support the work of the Church in fostering devotion to the Eucharist. As part of the Year of Mission, Contemplative of St. Joseph Father Vito Perone hosted a Eucharistic Retreat at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church. Mike McDevitt, petitioner for the canonization cause for Servant of God Cora Evans, shared a reliquary with first-class relics of saints.
Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Corpus Christi close
On Sunday, May 18, another Eucharistic Pilgrimage launched from Indianapolis, bound for Los Angeles for the closing celebration of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival on the solemnity of Corpus Christi, June 19, 2025. The route is named after St. Katharine Drexel, an American heiress who gave away her wealth to form a religious community, the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, dedicated to serving the Indian American and African American populations. ■
Photo by Colleen Hera
Aging in Faith
Catholic-run residential care for seniors here has ended, but support still exists
BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
It was less than five years ago that families evaluating options for the care of an aging family member had two Catholic-run facilities within the boundaries of the Archdiocese of San Francisco to choose from. With the closure of St. Anne’s Home in San Francisco in April, and the closure of the Nazareth House in San Rafael four years ago, it appears that for now, local Catholicrun residential care for the aging is a thing of the past. It’s a considerable loss. Both the Sisters of Nazareth, who owned and operated Nazareth House in San Rafael for nearly 60 years, and the Little Sisters of the Poor, who owned and operated St. Anne’s Home in San Francisco for 124 years, offered facilities and programming that was decidedly Catholic.
You didn’t have to be Catholic to live at either
facility, but both operations hummed along to a profoundly Catholic rhythm. Priests and sisters were a constant presence. Each facility had a dedicated chapel with daily Mass. Each observed Catholic holy days, made the the sacraments easily and frequently available, had Catholic art on its walls and books on its shelves, organized evening rosary groups, took residents on Catholic excursions, and offered volunteer opportunities for local Catholic parishioners and students.
It seems that the problem was fundamentally a local one; it is simply too expensive to operate here, said Sister Julie Horseman, provincial superior for the Little Sisters of the Poor, in announcing the closure of St. Anne’s Home earlier this year. She said operations had become “unsustainable” in San Francisco.
Those issues included the staffing difficulties related to affordable housing. The lack of affordable housing for staff — many of whom are low-wage workers — also contributed to the shuttering of the Nazareth House in 2021. Both orders continue to run other Catholic residential care facilities in areas outside the San Francisco Bay Area where the cost of living and operations is lower.
Mercy Retirement and Care Center in Oakland, which was founded by the Sisters of Mercy in 1872, is now run by Elder Care Alliance. The nonprofit’s five care homes in California, including Alma Via San Rafael, are not Catholicrun but prioritize “spiritual well-being.”
Catholic San Francisco looked into what alternatives remain for local Catholics who want to be supported in practicing their faith as they age. The good news is, support is available; the not-quite-as-good news is, there will be compromises.
AGING IN PLACE WITH SUPPORT
“Aging in place” simply means staying in your own home or stable housing and remaining relatively independent while you grow older. There’s a sense of comfort in the familiar, as physical and mental capabilities change. Gradually (though sometimes suddenly), families will face the decision about whether they can or want to step in themselves as caregivers or pay a caregiver full or part time. Ellen Hammerle, CEO of Catholic Charities of San Francisco, told Catholic San Francisco that its Aging Support Services can be invaluable to families navigating the aging process. Its programs are an economical alternative to placement in a residential facility or in-home care, while ›
While Catholic Charities programs are open to people of all faiths, and do not offer spiritual care or direction, its history, mission, vision and values are rooted in Catholic social teaching.”
ELLEN HAMMERLE, CEO of Catholic Charities of San Francisco
providing a very necessary respite to caregivers.
“We were born out of the Catholic Church,” said Hammerle of Catholic Charities. She noted that as a board member, Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone is “very supportive of our endeavors.” Catholic Charities offers adult day services in San Mateo and San Francisco counties. The licensed programs offer non-medical personal care, supervision and assistance for seniors and adults with disabilities who experience losses in physical function, memory or social support. An Alzheimer‘s Day Care Resource Center is part of the San Francisco program only. In San Mateo County, Adult Day Care is based in San Carlos and includes a “Memory Café” for adults with memory loss and a caregiver support group.
Aging case management is also available on a sliding scale based on an ability to pay. It provides connections to community resources such as home-delivered meals, home safety checks,
transportation services, referrals for psychological services and patient advocacy.
On the third Saturday of every month, Catholic Charities offers “Breaking Bread with Hope” (formerly Handicapables), a Mass and afternoon of fellowship with other aging adults or those with disabilities. Hammerle acknowledged that while Catholic Charities programs are open to people of all faiths, and do not offer spiritual care or direction, its history, mission, vision and values are rooted in Catholic social teaching. “Woven into the fabric of Catholic Charities is Catholic tradition,” she said. “I think Catholics who come here feel that.” ■ SCAN HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION or visit www.catholiccharitiessf.org
SUPPLE SENIOR CARE LLC
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Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners
The forgotten patroness of California
BY FATHER VINCENT WOO AND JACEK NOWICKI
Father Vincent Woo is priestsecretary to Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone and assistant professor at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, and Nowicki is the Archivist for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
While it is commonly known that St. Junípero Serra was instrumental in bringing the Catholic faith to California, most are unaware that Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners is actually the patroness of California. In fact, the feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners is an obligatory memorial that should be celebrated in all California dioceses on July 5 each year, unless it falls on a Sunday. The purpose of this article is to introduce the historical background of this devotion, its spiritual significance and its pastoral application.
In 1843, the first bishop of the Californias, Francisco García Diego y Moreno, designated Our Lady of Refuge as the patroness of the new diocese, alongside St. Francis of Assisi and St. Francis de Sales as secondary patrons. However, these patrons were not automatically transferred to the newly established Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1853. The papal bull establishing the Archdiocese did not indicate a patron. Evidence suggests that this feast continued to be observed on July 4 from
the late 19th century to the early 20th century. However, from 1907 to the early 1980s, this feast practically disappeared from the archdiocesan liturgical calendars.
In 1981, in a memo to all the bishops of California, Cardinal Timothy Manning (then Archbishop of Los Angeles) wrote that the patronage of California under the title of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners had never been revoked. As the majority of California bishops favored the restoration of this feast, they petitioned the Vatican for authorization to observe the feast of Our Lady of Refuge on July 5 as an obligatory memorial in all California dioceses. Permission was granted in 1982, and the observance of this memorial began to reappear in the annual Ordo of all California dioceses beginning in 1983. What is the spiritual significance of this feast? St. Alphonsus Liguori, in his book “The Glories of Mary,” wrote that in ancient times, there were cities of refuge where criminals who fled for protection would be exempt from their deserved punishments. In a similar way,
O Mary, we poor sinners know no other refuge than thee, for thou art our only hope, and on thee we rely for our salvation.”
ST. THOMAS OF VILLANOVA
Our Lady is the refuge of sinners, offering protection and intercession for all who seek her help, no matter how grave their sins. St. Thomas of Villanova said: “O Mary, we poor sinners know no other refuge than thee, for thou art our only hope, and on thee we rely for our salvation.”
Similarly, St. Antoninus related the story of a grave sinner who had a vision of himself before God at his particular judgment. The devil accused him, presenting a catalog of his sins, which outweighed all his good works on the scales of divine justice. However, Our Lady extended her hand, placing it on the balance, tipping it in favor of her devotee. Understanding that she would obtain his pardon if he changed his life, the sinner was entirely converted after this vision.
It is important to remember that devotion to Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners does not exempt us from the need to reform our lives. While she is our advocate, we must also do our part. How can we do this? The best way is to frequent the Sacrament of Reconciliation regularly. Every time we examine our conscience before confession, we should ask for Our Lady’s intercession. Apart from confession, devotions such as the daily rosary are also crucial.
Priests can promote devotion to Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners, especially on her feast day. On July 5, this obligatory memorial should be celebrated in parishes throughout California. The Ordo states that the liturgical texts can be taken from Holy Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy in the Collection of Masses of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Celebrating this feast day within the context of the Jubilee Year may also provide an opportune time for the faithful to gain a plenary indulgence by making a pilgrimage and fulfilling the usual conditions: sacramental confession, reception of holy Communion, prayer for the intentions of the Holy Father and complete detachment from sin.
Readers can visit a mission church in the Archdiocese dedicated to Our Lady of Refuge, which is associated with Our Lady of the Pillar Catholic Church in Half Moon Bay. The mission church is located in a rustic setting in the small community of La Honda, an hour south of San Francisco.
May all Catholics in California rediscover the spiritual significance of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners, the patroness of California.
Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners, pray for us! ■
Pier Giorgio Frassati ascends the mountain of sainthood
BY AARON LAMBERT Writer from Denver
The pursuit of sainthood is like climbing a mountain. It is the ultimate summit to which the Christian life is directed — eternal communion with the Divine Presence in heaven. It may seem an impossible pursuit — and indeed it is, without the grace offered by the Lord Jesus Christ — but as the lives of the saints exemplify, they did not have anything special to make them more worthy of the title than the rest of us. They were simply ordinary sinners who opened themselves up fully to the extraordinary workings of God’s grace, which transformed and divinized them from the inside out.
“Verso L’Alto” (“To the Heights”) was the life motto of Pier Giorgio Frassati, a future saint known for his love of adventure and faith. His spiritual journey toward holiness included many mountaineering expeditions and a deep devotion to the Eucharistic Lord.
This boisterous yet pious son of the Church has ascended the mountain of sainthood and will soon join the ranks of our heavenly intercessors.”
Perhaps no figure within the last 100 years serves as a better example of this fact than Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. His was a seemingly unremarkable life characterized by bold political activism, staunch athleticism and playful hijinks. Yet, he also held within himself a hidden holiness that was revealed through selfless service to the poor, a profound interior life and above all, unwavering devotion to Our Lord and his Blessed Mother.
This boisterous yet pious son of the Church has ascended the mountain of sainthood and will soon join the ranks of our heavenly intercessors. He will at last be canonized on Sunday, Aug. 3, almost exactly 100 years after his death, during the Jubilee of Young People in Rome. His officially being welcomed into the communion of saints has been nearly a century in the making, and the Church rejoices in recognizing the soon-to-be St. Pier Giorgio Frassati.
Frassati was born in Turin, Italy, on April 6, 1901: Holy Saturday of that year. A year later, his younger sister Luciana, who was to be a steadfast companion for him in his short but exuberant life, was born. By the time Frassati reached middle school age, he exuded a simple piety that carried him into young adulthood. He expressed a deep desire and excitement to receive daily Communion, and no matter what activities he was getting up to — ›
mountaineering, protesting against fascism or playing practical jokes — he always found time to receive the Eucharist each day.
This deep devotion to the Eucharistic Lord animated everything Frassati did. Most of all, it inspired him to perform countless acts of charity to the poor — something he kept secret from most of his family and friends during his life.
His father, Alfredo Frassati, was the founder and editor of one of the most prestigious newspapers of the time, La Stampa, and his family was very well-to-do. Frassati shared his wealth with the least of society. He once wrote, “Jesus visits me every morning in holy Communion. I return it to Him, with my poor means, by visiting the poor.”
This is the kind of man Frassati was.
While his father hoped his son would succeed him and take over La Stampa, Frassati felt another calling. In addition to his involvement with Catholic Action and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, he attended university to earn a degree in mechanical engineering, borne out of a strong desire to serve miners, which was an incredibly difficult and dangerous profession. Sadly, this dream would never be realized, as Frassati fell ill with polio and died on July 4, 1925, at the young age of 24.
His funeral was overflowing not just with those who knew and loved Frassati, but also those who were beneficiaries of his charitable heart. In the years that followed his death, it became clear that there was much more to
Frassati’s life than he let on. Though he was never one to shy away from his Catholic faith, the extent to which he shared the love of Christ with others surprised all who knew him. In fact, it was the moving testimonies of those he served that spurred the call for him to be recognized as a saint.
The cause for his canonization was opened nearly a century ago, in 1932. The process took nearly 50 years of postponements, investigations and inquiries into his life before Pope Paul VI happily allowed the case to move forward in 1977.
On March 31, 1981, his body was exhumed, and his remains were found to be incorrupt, his face still holding the slight smile he died with and his hands wrapped tightly around his rosary. Nine years later, on May 20, 1990, Pope John Paul II beatified Frassati, calling him a “man of the eight beatitudes.”
And now, later this year, the title of “saint” will be bestowed upon Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, forever cementing him as one of the Church’s most humble and powerful intercessors. Frassati’s motto was “to serve the Lord in total happiness,” and indeed, he lived up to this in every way. Frassati, with his vibrant witness of steadfast faith and living out the beatitudes to the full, is a faithful guide to accompany us as we, too, strive to ascend the mountain of sainthood.
St. Pier Giorgio Frassati, pray for us! ■
To serve the Lord in total happiness.”
FRASSATI’S MOTTO Frassati, with his vibrant witness of steadfast faith and living out the beatitudes to the full, is a faithful guide to accompany us as we, too, strive to ascend the mountain of sainthood.
‘Distinguished Citizen Award’
Longtime Serra HS principal honored
BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic
San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
Michael Peterson distinguished himself long ago to the community at Junipero Serra High School, where he served for more than 30 years, 25 of them as principal.
The San Mateo school community’s esteem for the now-retired educator is shared by Scouting America’s Pacific Skyline Council, which recently named him as one of two recipients of its 2025 Distinguished Citizen Award.
Scouting America is the largest and most well-known youth development organization in the country, offering the Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Sea Scouts and other scouting programs. Its Distinguished Citizen Award is an annual recognition of local community members across the
country who freely give of their time and talent in service to youth.
Both Peterson and San Mateo Mayor Rob Newsom Jr. were recognized this year for their “exceptional dedication to public service and community impact.” Peterson belongs to Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Belmont; Newsom, to St. Bartholomew Parish in San Mateo.
The Pacific Skyline Council serves youth in San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Clara County as far south as Mountain View. It noted that Peterson, a lifelong Eagle Scout, has “worked tirelessly to support youth through education, mentorship and outreach programs.” He continues to be very involved at Serra and Notre Dame high schools while serving on the boards of the San Mateo Police Activities League, St. John's Cemetery and the Rotary Club of San Mateo.
A March 12 Instagram post by the council announcing the award called Peterson’s impact on youth “immeasurable.”
“Mike has dedicated more than 45 years to Catholic education, serving as a teacher, coach, mentor and administrator, profoundly influencing generations of students and supporting initiatives like the Fund-
Former Junipero Serra High School Principal Mike Peterson, is pictured on May 8 with, from left, Robert Nakagawa, CEO of Scouting America’s Pacific Skyline Council, his wife Joey Peterson, and Clint Takeshita, board president of Pacific Skyline Council. Peterson also received the Outstanding Eagle Scout Award from the National Eagle Scout Association.
Photo courtesy of kentkphotography.com
a-Dream campaign, which has raised millions for student scholarships.”
“My focus is being present to kids,” Peterson told Catholic San Francisco about his award. “They are our future, there’s no doubt about that. I think as we give them a good foundation, a good education, they’ll take care of us tomorrow.”
Peterson is highly involved with the San Mateo Police Activities League, a collaborative nonprofit of the San Mateo Police Department and the San Mateo Recreation Department. Its purpose is to keep young people engaged in positive activities, stay in school and avoid harmful influences such as drugs, gangs and other risky behaviors. As a Rotary Club board member, he helps raise money for scholarships for youth who want to continue their education at a community or four-year college.
Peterson joined Junipero Serra High School in 1978. He was not only Serra’s first lay principal, but the first lay principal of a Catholic school within the Archdiocese of San Francisco, according to a story in “Traditions,” Serra’s school publication. Peterson left the principal’s office after 25 years to join the school’s capital campaign and fundraising efforts as the director of institutional advancement.
“I believe in Catholic schools, and what they stand for,” he said in the story. “I thought I could bring something to the family and community of Serra and help it to become an even better school than it already was.”
That’s exactly what happened. Peterson's natural authenticity and lifelong relationships with former Serra students and families helped exponentially boost the school’s fundraising capabilities — and its ability to offer scholarships to students from lowerincome homes.
Known as a guy with a heart of gold and a commitment to doing all he can to make a Serra education possible, Peterson has been very influential in attracting benefactors and prominent alumni speakers to Serra’s annual “Fund-a-Dream” gala that raises money for student scholarships. An early gala raised $40,000. When Serra alumnus Tom Brady was a featured speaker, the gala raised $800,000. On its 20th anniversary, more than $1 million was raised. Peterson’s alliances with alumni families also facilitated a robust planned giving program at Serra.
“I have had the pleasure of working with Mike at Serra and collaborate now with him on various endeavors with the San Mateo Rotary Club,” said Rod Linhares, the Archdiocese’s director of mission advancement. “His commitment to young people and to education, whether Catholic or otherwise, is virtually unparalleled. He's had a tremendous impact on countless lives and is a true inspiration." ■
Mercy High School
CLASS OF 2025 Congratulations!
Milani Allen
Kiara Antelo
Elsa Balsitis
Lesley Barrera
Sofia Berta
Faith Bongi
Ivana Borgen
Brianna Brodit
Ava Cacao
Isabella Campos
Mia Cardenas
Caitlyn Chen
Mailen Chiramberro
Bailey Collins
Grace Crawford
Viviana Delucchi
Isabela Delvalle
Aubrey Doyle
Haley Dudum
Valentina Eibl Maltese
Sophia Engstrom
Mia Ferdinand
Alexa Ferrari
Amira Festejo Rivera
Mary Kate Flynn
Julia Frey
Chloe Fung
Sofia Garza
Marina Giuntoli
Elena Gonzalez
Cassandra Hoyt
Kayli Huang
Esha Kannan
Aoibhe Kiely
Violet Levenson
Presley Livsey
Gabriella Magoolaghan
Arden Manca
Layal Mannaa
Ysabella Matsumoto
Lily McGuire
Camille Mercay
Janise Angeli Naval
Ava Jane Ng
Gemma Nikravesh
Ava Normant
Hannah Nunag
Audrey O’Brien
Clare O’Brien
Aaliyah Olague
Isis Ordaz
Valeria Orozco-Briones
Emma Ortiz
Zoe Lee Osborn
Giselle Palma
Rebecca Pan
Ellora Pancoast
Alexandra Peraza
Keiana Gabriela Pineda
Eliana Aurora Quinto
Alejandra Romero
Victoria Saenz
Dylan Sainz
Dalilah Sanchez
Megan Schorr
Sophia Shadvar
Gwendolyn Simpson
Kaia Stormont
Mika Taira
Elizabeth Tocci
Victoria Torres
Lana Trehan
Allison Uy-Barreta
Gabriela Vargas
Noalani Victorio
Emma Villalobos
Lila Walter
Nicole Williams
Abigail Wilson
Cadence Wong
Keera Woo
Respect Life essay contest
Expressing love to seniors in the Archdiocese
Perspectives from Catholic school students on topics of faith
BY FRANCISCO VALDEZ Reporter, Catholic San Francisco
“Aging is inevitable and if we fail to see ourselves in the same people we ignore and neglect, we too can expect to be tossed aside.” This is an excerpt from the essay by Trevor Ficker from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, grand prize winner of the 2025 Arc hdiocesan Respect Life Essay Contest . Trevor’s writing encapsulates the theme of all the entries.
The theme of the 2025 essay contest was “respecting and loving our elderly.” Children and the unborn are not the only portion of society that are vulnerable. Trevor writes, “It is important that we include our elders in conversation and truly hear them out in all their needs. Above all, God calls each one of us to advocate for the most vulnerable in our community.”
The Respect Life essay contest is an annual event for students in grades K-12 in the Archdiocese of San Francisco. All students that attend school in the Archdiocese of San Francisco can participate, including those in Catholic school, public school and home school. ›
All grand prize winners of the Respect Life essay contest take a group photo with Archbishop Cordileone.
Photo by Francisco Valdez
Aging is inevitable and if we fail to see ourselves in the same people we ignore and neglect, we too can expect to be tossed aside.”
TREVOR FICKER
grand prize winner, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory
Grand pize winner Trevor Ficker from Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory with Archbishop Salvatore Joseph Cordileone.
This year marks 36 years of this contest being held in our Archdiocese.
The initiatives of Respect Life do not only include the young and the unborn, but also the elderly, who are just as deserving of life and dignity.
A total of 1,925 essays were submitted from all three counties in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, according to Maria MartinezMont, coordinator of the archdiocesan Respect Life and Gabriel Project ministries. It took her and volunteers two months to read all the essays, select the winners and inform the schools about winning entries. The winners of the contest received a certificate and a cash prize sponsored by United for Life.
High schoolers were not the only students to win awards; children from elementary and middle school won prizes as well.
For instance, St. Anthony student Israel García Ibarra, grand prize winner for eighth grade, wrote about the lack of concern for the elderly:
“In many cases seniors are being placed in senior homes because they are becoming a burden to their family. Although many seniors are being taken good care of and seem happy in these senior communities, that is not the experience for all of them. Some of them can spend days, weeks, months and ›
In many cases seniors are being placed in senior homes because they are becoming a burden to their family. Although many seniors are being taken good care of and seem happy in these senior communities, that is not the experience for all of them. Some of them can spend days, weeks, months and even years without seeing a family member or friend.”
ISRAEL GARCÍA IBARRA eighth grade grand prize winner, St. Anthony student
even years without seeing a family member or friend.”
Some of the winning entries for the essay contest were not essays at all. St. Monica fourth grader Allison Tan submitted a comic book and won the grand prize for fourth grade entries.
“You should visit your elders! If you were old, would you want to stay home alone all day? No! They probably don’t want to be alone. So go visit them! Keep talking to them!”
The essay contest ceremony and Mass took place April 27. Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone celebrated Mass and presided over the awards ceremony at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. ■
Images from Allison Tan’s grand prize winning picture book entry.
More than 1,700 ‘pilgrims of
hope’ participate in
local jubilee pilgrimage and Mass
BY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
The joy and devotion of more than 1,700 Catholics who participated in the Mission deanery jubilee pilgrimage and Mass was inspiring. The pilgrims gathered early at St. Peter Catholic Church in San Francisco on Saturday, April 12, where they processed with the Blessed Sacrament to Mission Dolores Basilica for Mass with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone.
The local pilgrimage was part of the larger celebration of the jubilee in the universal Church. The late Pope Francis designated the 2025 Jubilee Year as a time to renew ourselves as “Pilgrims of Hope.” Mission Dolores Basilica is one of five local jubilee pilgrimage sites in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
The event capped off a week of deep spiritual preparation. On April 9, the deanery offered a penance service at St. Peter and St. Philip churches with confession lines continuing late into the night. Priests heard
confessions until 2 a.m. as hundreds of faithful sought God’s mercy in the sacrament of Reconciliation.
The pilgrimage and Mass were organized by the 10 parishes of the Mission deanery: Mission Dolores, St. John the Evangelist, St. James, St. Kevin, St. Paul, St. Philip, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Peter, St. Anthony of Padua and St. Charles.
In his homily, Archbishop Cordileone spoke on the significance of pilgrimage in the Jubilee Year — as an image of our life in this world, favoring the rediscovery of silence and striving for something better and something that is essential.
“Hope springs from love, love that is founded on the love of Christ,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “The love He shows us by the blood and water from His glorious, pierced heart on the cross. It is this that is essential. Let us then always keep our eyes on Christ, especially during Holy Week.”
Hundreds of pilgrims processed with the Blessed Sacrament from St. Peter Catholic Church in San Francisco to Mission Dolores Basilica for Mass with Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone.
The Jubilee Year 2025 officially began in December 2024. As part of the jubilee celebration, Archbishop Cordileone has designated five churches in the Archdiocese as official pilgrimage sites where the faithful may obtain a jubilee indulgence: the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Mission Dolores Basilica, the National Shrine of St. Francis of Assisi, Mission San Rafael Arcángel and the chapel at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University.
Catholics who make a pilgrimage to one of
Hope springs from love, love that is founded on the love of Christ. The love He shows us by the blood and water from His glorious, pierced heart on the cross. It is this that is essential. Let us then always keep our eyes on Christ, especially during Holy Week.”
ARCHBISHOP CORDILEONE
these sites and fulfill the usual conditions –recent confession, holy Communion, prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions and freedom from attachment to sin– may receive a plenary indulgence, a profound gift of grace offered during this Holy Year.
SCAN TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE JUBILEE YEAR AND THE ARCHDIOCESE’S LOCAL CELEBRATION or visit www.sfarch.org/jubilee-year-of-hope.
1. Which of these is not one of the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit? c. Nope. Chastity isn’t listed among the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the seven virtues that are opposed to the seven deadly sins: chastity versus lust, temperance versus gluttony, charity versus greed, diligence versus sloth, patience versus wrath, kindness versus envy and humility versus pride.
2. Which of these will be occupied eternally? e. None of the other answers is correct, so this one is.
3. When the Catholic Church is described as holy, it means that d. Correct. The Catholic Church is holy in her origins in that she was founded by God himself (Mt 16:18-19), and she is holy in her purposes because her chief purpose is to inculcate holiness in her members so they can live eternally in heaven with God.
4. The unity of the Church:
c. Unity is one of the four marks of the Church. By unity is meant that Christ established only one Church, and there remains only one true Church. All other Christian bodies are offshoots of that Church; many of them are offshoots of offshoots. These bodies maintain some elements of the one Church, such as (in most cases) valid baptisms and authentic (if usually truncated) versions of sacred Scripture, but they are not, properly speaking, parts of the Church founded by Christ.
5. Who was the first pope to write a social encyclical? e. By process of elimination, this is the correct answer.
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HELPLINES FOR CLERGY/CHURCH SEXUAL ABUSE VICTIMS
(415) 614-5506 This number is answered by Rocio Rodriguez, LMFT, Archdiocesan Pastoral Outreach Coordinator. This is a secured line and is answered only by Rocio Rodriguez.
(415) 614-5503 If you wish to speak to a non-archdiocesan employee please call this number. This is also a secured line and is answered only by a victim survivor.
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SCAN TO SEE THE COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS or visit sfarch.org/events
June 21 – Sept. 14: Sistine Chapel Exhibition
The Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption will host an exhibition of Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. Ceiling paintings from the Sistine Chapel will be on display using high definition photos in order to allow visitors to engage in an unique way with the artwork. The exhibition showcases the awe and wonder of arguably one of mankind’s greatest artistic achievements, while allowing its visitors to experience this art from an up-close, life-size and never-before-seen perspective. The exhibition will debut on Saturday, June 21, and run through Sunday, Sept. 14. For more information visit: https:// chapelsistine.com/.
June 24: A Dialogue About Religious Freedom in California
Join the Office of Human Life & Dignity for an important discussion on the state of religious liberty in California, on June 24, at 7 p.m. at St. Raymond Catholic Church in Menlo Park, featuring Lance Christensen and Will Swaim from the California Policy Center. This evening will explore how religious freedom is being restricted through legislative and administrative means, and provide attendees with tools for advocacy and engagement. The evening includes fellowship, a panel discussion and a Q&A.
June 27: Religious Persecution in Nicaragua: First-Person Accounts by Exiled Catholics
Join the Office of Human Life & Dignity on June 27 at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption’s Event center for a powerful evening featuring testimony from exiled Nicaraguan Bishop Silvio José Báez and the Noguera Family, exiled Catholics who have experienced religious persecution in Nicaragua firsthand. Please come and hear their story and stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians around the world. 6 p.m. – Vespers with Bishop Silvio José Báez in the cathedral; 7 p.m. presentations in the event center. Light snacks and drinks.
July 5-6:
Veneration of Relics of
Blessed Carlo Acutis and Mass with Archbishop Cordileone
Join St. Raphael Catholic Church in San Rafael for a two-day event honoring Blessed Carlo Acutis. On Saturday July 5, a relic of the heart of Blessed Carlo Acutis will be open for veneration between 9 a.m. -8:30 p.m., with a pause for the Vigil Mass at 5 p.m. On Sunday, July 6, veneration will continue beginning at 12:30 p.m. and ending at 5 p.m. Archbishop Cordileone will celebrate the 11 a.m. Mass on Sunday, July 6.
Aug. 15 – 16: Relics of St. Padre Pio at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Redwood City
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Redwood City invites you to venerate the relics of St. Padre Pio this August. On Aug. 15, veneration will take place from 1 p.m. -8 p.m. with a Healing Mass taking place at 6 p.m. On Aug. 16, veneration will take place from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. with a Vigil Mass in honor of St. Padre Pio at 5 p.m.
Thursday, August 21, 2025 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM Hibernia Bank, 1 Jones Street San Francisco, CA
Join us for St. Anthony’s 75th Anniversary Luncheon and support our integrated whole-person care—from addiction recovery and healthcare to job support and essential services. Your attendance will help uplift lives and bring hope to those on the path to stability. Hats O to Our Caring Community!
For tickets and sponsorship opportunites, scan the QR code or visit give.stanthonysf.org/75luncheon
