Divorce ministry: The D WordDonna Nathanson wants to lead a group she never wanted to belong to
Parish life: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry” - Pastor’s devotion to St. Padre Pio transforms parish community
Community: A rectory reimaginedWest Marin parish’s old rectory offered in crisis housing project
PUBLISHER
Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone
CSF MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
Fr. Patrick Summerhays
Vicar General & Moderator of the Curia
Peter Marlow (415) 614-5636 Communications
Ryan Mayer, Catholic Identity Assessment & Formation
Valerie Schmalz, Human Life & Dignity
Rod Linhares, Mission Advancement
Mary Powers (415) 614-5638 Communications
LEAD WRITER Christina Gray
WRITER Francisco Valdez
ABOUT THE COVER: One of the most famous pages in the Book of Kells is the Chi-Rho page, which marks the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. The Greek letters “XPI,” short for Christ, expand into swirling lines, colors and figures. Read about The Book of Kells on page 08.
PRODUCTION MANAGER / DESIGN SPECIALIST Karessa McCartneyKavanaugh
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BUSINESS MANAGER Chandra Kirtman
ADVERTISING Phillip Monares (415) 614-5644
CIRCULATION
Diana Powell (415) 614-5576
COPY EDITOR Nancy O’Brien
Cover photo by Francisco Valdez
the
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Catholic San Francisco ISSN 15255298/PE 17934 is published 8 times yearly by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, at One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco CA 94109, $35 a year anywhere in the United States. Periodicals postage paid at Burlingame CA 94010-9997 and additional mailing offices. Printed by Publication Printers Corp in Denver Colorado. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Catholic San Francisco, Circulation, One Peter Yorke Way, San Francisco, CA 94109
Remembering saints, departed souls and our vocation
Each one of you is a unique pilgrim on a spiritual journey, and I pray that you make time for spiritual renewal and reconciliation during this special Jubilee Year of Hope. The very first day of November in our Catholic tradition points us toward the saints for inspiration as we celebrate these icons of sanctity and their lives of faithful service. The Church also calls on us throughout this month to remember our departed loved ones as we dedicate November to prayer for the repose of the souls in purgatory.
The November issue of Catholic San Francisco magazine reinforces these themes with inspirational stories such as the one on page 16, which highlights how devotion to St. Padre Pio has transformed parish life at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Redwood City.
The Church gives us saints who can be our advocates for various needs. As residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, it would be helpful
to know the patron saint of earthquakes and other natural disasters. Do you know the name of this saint? He was named as the secondary patron of the Archdiocese of San Francisco in 1922 by Archbishop Edward Hanna, and we have a parish named after him located between San Francisco State University and City College of San Francisco. Still guessing? Turn to page 24 to read about this remarkable intercessor.
VOCATIONS
November is also the month in which we celebrate National Vocations Awareness Week (Nov. 2-8), offering prayer and support for those who are considering the vocation of the priesthood, diaconate or consecrated life.
Pope Leo XIV spoke to priests on the topic of vocations in July and shared the importance of fostering environments for young people to consider vocations. The Holy Father said, “There needs to be adequate spaces in which to
Pope Leo greets pilgrims during the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly on Sunday, June 1, 2025.
We find true happiness in giving our lives for the service of others. Keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who Himself said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).
hear His voice …. where vocations to total selfgiving can manifest themselves and mature. Have the courage to make strong and liberating proposals! Looking at the young people who in our time say their generous ‘here I am’ to the Lord, we all feel the need to renew our ‘yes,’ to rediscover the beauty of being missionary disciples in following Christ, the Good Shepherd.”
Reflecting on the life that God desires for us, I am reminded of St. John’s account of his vision of heaven in the Book of Revelation where he said, “I … saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” Our life in God is a marriage where the two become one but retain their individual integrity. They remain who they are and yet are truly one. He gives this life to us as a gift won by the price of the blood of His only begotten Son. Yet, it is a gift to which we must respond for it to benefit us, and for this, God gives us a vocation. He gives us a common Christian vocation of discipleship in His Son and to each one a personal vocation by which He calls us to serve Him, each one according to the unique circumstances of their respective lives. It is by persevering in the vocation that God has given us that we arrive at the doorstep of the new Jerusalem, the life of heaven, our life in God.
We find true happiness in giving our lives for the service of others. Keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). A brief review of the vocations of marriage, Holy Orders and consecrated life can be found on page 20.
One of the best ways for those exploring their vocation in life is to bring their anxieties, hopes and aspirations to our Lord Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Spending time alone in silent reflection with Him can spark inspirations that border on the magnificent. Our cover story on page 8 is a profound example of what can happen, even late in life, when the grace of God infuses us with His love to produce the “good and beautiful” for the greater glory of God. ■
Mistervlad - stock.adobe.com
Prayer for Vocations
O God, Father of all mercies, provider of a bountiful harvest, send your graces upon those you have called to gather the fruits of your labor; preserve and strengthen them in their lifelong service of you.
Open the hearts of your children that they may discern your holy will; inspire in them a love and desire to surrender themselves to serving others in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Teach all your faithful to follow their respective paths in life guided by your divine word and truth. Through the intercession of the most blessed virgin Mary, all the angels and saints, humbly hear our prayers and grant your Church’s needs, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
SCAN TO VIEW MORE PRAYERS FOR VOCATIONS BY THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS or visit https://www. usccb.org/prayers/prayers-vocations.
How well do you know the Catholic faith?
InQUIZition: Q&A for the Curious Catholic and the Catholic Curious
Q&A excerpted with permission and available for purchase from Holy Heroes, the official online store for Patrick Madrid products: https://holyheroes.com/collections/patrick-madrid
BY PATRICK MADRID
Catholic apologist, author of numerous books on the faith, and host of the daily “Patrick Madrid Show” on Relevant Radio
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 correct. On average, most informed Catholics score 50%. How well did you do?
1. This early Church document is a summary of the teachings of the Twelve Apostles dating back to the early second century:
a. The Shepherd of Hermas
b. The Apostles’ Creed
c. The Didache
d. The collected epistles of St. Ignatius of Antioch
e. There is no such document dating back to the first or second century
2. Often used by St. Paul, what does the Greek word “koinonía” mean?
a. Love
b. Blessing
c. Hope
d. Communion
e. Faith
3. The word “apostle” means:
a. Twelve
b. Chosen
zatletic - stock.adobe.com
St. Michael the Archangel, altarpiece by Ludovico Gimignani in Chapel of St. Michael the Archangel, Basilica di Sant Andrea delle Fratte, Rome, Italy
c. Sent
d. Leader
e. Remnant
4. The name Michael means:
a. God is in charge!
b. Sword of God
c. Who is like unto God?
d. Who can stand before God?
e. Mighty warrior
5. The name Gabriel means:
a. God is my strength
b. Beloved of God
c. Child of God
d. Servant of God
e. Who is like unto God?
Answers can be found on page 38.
SCAN THIS QR CODE FOR MORE CATHOLIC QUIZZES or visit http:// sfarch.org/catholic-quizzes
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Impacting lives
Our parishes impact lives in countless ways through vibrant, innovative outreach ministries.
As part of our ongoing series highlighting these efforts, in this issue we feature St. Mark in Belmont and St. Hilary in Tiburon.
Knowing that all our parishes make a profound difference in their communities - and beyond - should be a tremendous source of inspiration and pride for all of us in the archdiocese.
St. Hilary parishioner Brooke Suverkroobe comforts a child during a recent missionary trip to the Dominican Republic.
ON MISSION
Ten missionaries from St. Hilary’s Parish in Tiberon embarked on their very first global mission trip Aug. 2-8, partnering with the nonprofit 410 Bridge to serve in Hato Mayor del Rey in the Dominican Republic. Guided by the mission of raising up indigenous leaders in rural, impoverished communities, the parish team joined local ministries in the Dominican Republic to empower those who can best discern their community’s needs and develop long-term solutions.
Days were filled with joyful moments such as teaching English to children, playing games, attending Mass in Spanish and visiting families in their homes, where the missionaries were welcomed with warmth and open hearts.
“The word that came to my mind was renewal,” said St. Hilary parishioner Brooke Suverkroobe. “And this is exactly what the Lord did in my heart. It was only when I stopped trying to figure out everything for myself and instead allowed the Lord to lead me that my walls, fears and lies came tumbling down.”
What began as a journey among 10 parishioners became a new, loving family united in faith, service and compassion. The team returned home to St. Hilary with hearts full of gratitude, inspired to continue the work of Christ in serving the poor and marginalized both near and far.
THE HANDS OF GOD
St. Mark in Belmont is the little parish with a big heart. When we meet the homeless and the transients, we don’t see a vagrant or a problem to avoid. We see our brothers and sisters formed in God’s own image. They are our neighbors. We want to help them. Through the Hands of God program, we do so.
The Hands of God provides food for the body (a $10 McDonald’s gift card), food for the spirit (a prayer card) and the gift of hope for a new start (a list of helpful resources). All are in one small, easy-to-carry envelope. The envelopes provide our neighbors with the basics that we take for granted. Just as importantly, when we reach out to our neighbors and offer the envelope, we bring fellowship, we acknowledge their dignity, we share our blessings, and we recognize Christ among us.
“I’ve purchased 30 Hands of God envelopes this year,” said parishioner Barbara Kuehn. “It is a way to give to some very needy people. One woman to whom I gave three envelopes yelled ‘Yay, I am going to order a Big Mac!’ and waved the envelopes in the air as she walked away. Every recipient is very grateful.” ■
St. Mark parishioner Barbara Kuehn purchases Hands of God gift cards from program volunteer Jaime Carreon.
Join the Challenge!
Dear SI Alums, Family Members and Friends, the St. Ignatius College Prep Class of 1976 is launching a fundraising campaign to support senior Jesuits living at the Jesuits West Province’s retirement community in Los Gatos. Double your impact. Every dollar will be matched up to $200,000!
WHY NOW?
Jesuits West is solely responsible for the care of all senior Jesuits, and the number needing care has surged.
WHO ARE WE HELPING?
The “Old Guard” — Br. Douglas Draper, SJ, Fr. Ray Allender, SJ, and Fr. Mario Prietto, SJ, and nearly 80 others. Your gift ensures outstanding care for the men who taught us, coached us, counseled us, and gave their lives in service.
100% OF YOUR GIFT GOES DIRECTLY TO THEIR MEDICAL AND LIVING EXPENSES.
J. Maionchi, Jr., Proprietor
For the greater glory of God
BY FRANCISCO VALDEZ Reporter, Catholic San Francisco
What happens when you spend quality time in front of the Blessed Sacrament every day?
You might become inspired to use your time, talent and treasure in unique ways. That is what happened to a retired surgeon-turned-artist. He spends an hour every morning before the Blessed Sacrament, followed by Mass. He then spends another half hour every evening in silence with Jesus in an adoration chapel at a Catholic church in Marin County. This captivating individual asked to remain anonymous for this article, and he wants what we communicate to readers to be shared for the greater glory of God.
The artist is a former physician who trained at UC San Francisco, and it was the result of this training, particularly in the use of catheters, that led him to his specialty. Catheters are thin, flexible tubes that can be inserted into a body cavity, duct or vessel to aid with functions such as diagnostics and drainage, minimally invasive surgery and medication delivery.
He and his medical team pioneered the use of small catheters throughout the body. He invented several techniques using materials never previously applied that ultimately were adopted throughout the world by radiologists. These techniques required him to have well-developed fine motor skills and above all, patience. His steady hands and surgical experience helped him enormously in his retirement years in the development of his art.
His specialty in retirement is creating mosaics. He applied the same ingenuity and creativity to processes and materials in producing mosaics as he did in his years as a surgeon and inventor. His initial approach to creating mosaics focused on secular art, and it was only after perfecting his techniques and skills that he ventured into creating religious art.
“I did not want to produce a religious image while I was learning my craft, because I believe a religious image should only be produced if it can be made at ›
The artist’s work with mosaics began with secular art such as the one above. He wanted to master his craft before creating religious images.
Right, the illuminated opening page of the Gospel of St. Luke from the Book of Kells (c. A.D. 800). This design transforms the first letters of the text into intricate and interlacing patterns, spirals and zoomorphic figures, characteristic of manuscript art. The bold crosslike structure and jewellike colors reflect the manuscript’s ceremonial purpose and its role as a visual meditation on the sacred word.
Photos by Francisco Valdez
The experience of seeing the Book of Kells in person gave our surgeon-turned-artist the impulse to re-create several of the intricate images in mosaics. He started by re-creating the page representing the Four Evangelists (far right), which took him approximately one year to complete.
the highest level of skill,” he said. “For this reason, I made secular images in every conceivable shape and form for the first 10 years in order to learn my craft and then be capable of producing religious art that was not embarrassing.”
THE BOOK OF KELLS
He traveled to Dublin nearly 40 years ago, and it was in this land of literary legends and proponents of the aesthetic movement where he first saw the original Book of Kells in the Trinity Library. The Book of Kells is a strikingly beautiful, handwritten and hand-drawn version of the four Gospels of the New Testament. It was produced around A.D. 800 by monks who were followers of St. Columba, the Irish abbot and missionary who brought Christianity to Scotland.
The book likely was initially created at the monastery of Iona off the coast of Scotland, before being moved to Kells in County Meath, Ireland, after Viking raids forced the monks inland. It became one of the national treasures of Ireland and an example of early Christian art.
The Book of Kells is a showpiece intended for ceremonial display rather than everyday reading. Monks of the Columban tradition worked on it in teams. One team would do the writing and the other the art, painstakingly painting elaborate initials, full-page illustrations, and rich decorative motifs that spill across the margins. The art features spirals, knotwork and interlaced animals and humans, all woven into letters.
The experience of seeing the Book of Kells in person gave our surgeon-turned-artist the impulse to re-create several of the intricate images in mosaics. He started by re-creating the page representing the Four Evangelists, which took him approximately one year to complete. After that, he was hooked. He went on to create eight additional pages from the Book of Kells that took nearly eight more years to complete.
LEARNING HIS CRAFT
Prior to this decade-long project on the Book of Kells, he said he wanted to learn the process of creating mosaics from other artists, and he started taking lessons.
“I took my first mosaic lessons from a conventional
The artist used his creative experience as a surgeon to develop a custom, gravity-fed water-drip system (like a medical intravenous drip) to keep his intricate machine cuts from overheating.
mosaic artist, Marco Berti, who learned his trade in Italy,” he said. “I did my first piece with him, and it was done ‘indirect,’ which means that the mosaic pieces are glued face down directly onto the black-and-white design image so that when you are finished you are looking at the back of the piece. You then mortar the pieces after framing it, turn it over, and soak off the paper design so that you are now looking at a perfectly flat piece of mosaic.”
He realized that the process of mosaic work was very laborious and time-consuming, and he wasn’t getting any younger. He decided to take a trip to Italy to see if he could find an easier way to create this art.
“The problem is that you mortar in all of your mistakes, which have to then be chiseled out and replaced,” he said. “It took me a year and a half by the time I finished the first piece, and I had to chisel out 500 pieces and replace them. I decided that I would never do another
Photos by Francisco Valdez
piece of indirect mosaic again. I stopped doing mosaic for a year and a half during which time I took a tour of the mosaic schools in Ravenna, Italy. There, I was fortunate enough to meet an experienced mosaic artist who had written a book on the various materials used in mosaic art. I read the chapter on ‘rete,’ which means mesh, net or screen in Italian. I decided then that I would invent my own system for producing mosaic art using ‘rete.’”
It ended up taking him another year of experimenting with various adhesives, meshes and other materials to develop his own ingenious system for creating mosaic art. A bedroom in his home was turned into a workshop and includes industrial tools and his own jigs to create his art in a more expedited process.
“Doing mosaic art in the traditional way took so much time that I thought I may die before completing my second piece,” he said. “There had to be a better way.”
He worked on the Book of Kells images in his free time in between producing other mosaic work. He recalls fondly all the intricacies of dealing with extremely small ›
Buena Vista Manor House
The Book of Kells mosaic exhibit is displayed on the walls of Marin Catholic College Prep. Readers interested in scheduling a time to view the artwork can email Terry Powers at tpowers@marincatholic.org.
pieces required by the detailed imagery of the Book of Kells.
“I had to learn all sorts of techniques that I had never learned before,” he said. “As a result, the last piece I did (the Gospel of St. Luke) is a world of difference in its sophistication and beauty compared to the first one I completed some 10 years ago, which is the Four Evangelists.”
Recently the mosaics were moved from the artist’s household workshop to a permanent display at Marin Catholic College Prep High School to teach students about the transcendentals of the Catholic faith.
“What an amazing gift to our community to permanently have the Book of Kells mosaics installation here at Marin Catholic,” said Tim Navone, president of Marin Catholic. “We are always teaching our students about the transcendentals of truth, beauty and goodness. And while we do a very good job of that in spoken words, it is a far different experience when students encounter them in real life. When the art installers began placing this incredible gift of nine pieces of the Book of Kells on our walls, our campus was buzzing. Teachers and staff members stopped their work to soak it in.”
Navone also shared how he believes the mosaics may impact those who see them.
“We will have formal showings and academic visits from classes,” said Navone. “The real joy will come from the visits done one on one in the shadows; this will be a chance for students to encounter the Gospels in a whole new way.”
CALL TO ACTION
The Book of Kells isn’t just a relic of the past. The original team of monks who created the Book of Kells did it for the greater glory of God, which was also the motivation for our anonymous retired surgeon-turned-artist. He wants young people to be educated on the transcendentals of beauty, goodness and truth, and he invests his time, talent and treasure in their development by creating beautiful mosaics, amplifying the importance of the Church’s rich traditions in sacred music and enhancing their understanding and appreciation for reverent liturgies.
He personally made mosaic-framed crucifixes for every classroom and distributed miraculous medals to students in virtually every Catholic school from Los Angeles to Santa Rosa. He attributes this passion to his quiet time in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and he invites you, the reader, to join him. Our Lord is waiting for you there. Come visit Him in silence to inspire you and let Him transform you into the best version He knows you can be! ■
SCAN TO SEE ALL THE MOSAICS OF THE BOOK OF KELLS BY THE ARTIST or visit www. sfarch.org/book-of-kells
Photo courtesy of Marin Catholic College Prep
The D Word Donna
Nathanson wants to lead a group she never wanted to belong to
BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
Donna Haas Nathanson’s 28-year marital relationship imploded one year ago without warning.
A long history of deceit and betrayal was suddenly unmasked, shattering everything she believed her marriage and family had been built upon. The divorce she didn’t want or ask for is expected to be finalized in December.
“I believe when this happens, we as individuals who love our faith are shocked by the fact that this is happening to us,” Nathanson, a parishioner of St. Gabriel Parish, told Catholic San Francisco. She didn’t know what else to do but pray, for the most part, alone. “I felt like an orphan in this circumstance of life,” she said.
Nathanson, 65, the youngest of 14 children from a devout Catholic family, is hoping to turn what she said has been an isolating experience into a more supportive one for others like her in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
On Oct. 18, with the support of the
Office of Marriage and Family Life, she organized a “Mass of healing” at St. Pius Church for “all who have experienced separation or divorce.”
No one should walk this road alone, said Nathanson. She said she felt largely invisible as a Catholic going through “the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
The D word can exist outside the comfort zone of much pastoral outreach, she said. The compassion may be there, but structurally, “I don’t think the Church really knows how to deal with us.” For Nathanson, it was almost as if as a separated, divorcing or divorced Catholic, she didn’t exist.
“You never hear anyone at Mass say, let us pray for those people who are divorced and separated,” she said.
Nathanson hopes the “healing Mass” will serve as a springboard to the development of a more robust archdiocesan-wide divorce ministry.
“The people we surround ourselves with are key to our moving forward,” she said.
Only one parish within the Archdiocese of San Francisco – St. Hilary Parish in Tiburon – is known to offer a ministry of support for divorced or separated Catholics.
The face of divorce: A year ago, Donna Haas Nathanson thought she was a happily married woman. Today she represents the pastoral needs of divorced and separated Catholics.
Photo by Christina Gray
No
one should walk this road alone.”
DONNA NATHANSON
Ed Hopfner, director of the Office for Marriage and Family Life, acknowledged that divorce ministries have historically been led by parishioners going through one.
“It should be a ministry where people get involved for a few years and then move on, with new leaders evolving,” he said. That hasn’t happened here.
Jesuit Father Alfred Grosskopf, who died in August, had a lifelong ministry to the divorced. In 2019, he received the annual Father James J. Young, C.S.P. Award, at the national conference of Catholic Divorce Ministry. In an interview with Catholic San Francisco shortly after winning the award, Father Grosskopf said he was drawn to divorce ministry because “I have a strong, empathic feeling for people who experience alienation and nonacceptance by others.”
Nathanson, whose adult son, Alex, lives on the East Coast, said she reached out to friends and religious and prayed novenas constantly after her marriage ended. “I knew I needed help,” she said. Reflexively, she went to the Capuchin Franciscans for support because her brother is a Capuchin and “they have always been like family to me.” The friars at the National Shrine of St. Francis “listened and prayed for me,” she said. So did St. Gabriel parish administrator, Father Andrew Spyrow, and St. Pius pastor Father Tom Martin.
They listened with nothing but “love and mercy,” Nathanson said, and for that she is grateful. She longed, though, to share her grief, anger and confusion with other Catholics who might be going through the same thing. She had practical questions, too. She Googled Catholic divorce ministries, but “I could not find a single parish listing for a ministry to the divorced.”
Nathanson ended up finding a Christian divorce support program called divorcecare.org with local meetings. It was founded by a man going through a divorce who could not at the time get the support he needed from his church. Weekly group or online meetings cover everything from the rough emotions of divorce to legal and financial issues to forgiveness and a new future.
“It was really helpful,” said Nathanson, who wondered why the Catholic Church didn’t have something like this. “Surely, I am not the only Catholic going through a divorce.”
With Father Spyrow’s blessing, Nathanson
RESOURCES
Support for divorced & separated Catholics
OFFICE OF MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LIFE
Ed Hopfner, Director hopfnere@sfarch.org | (415) 614-5547
Donna Nathanson, Divorce ministry coordinator dhaasnathan97@gmail.com | (415) 205-5998
NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF SEPARATED & DIVORCED CATHOLICS nacsdc.org
ONLINE SUPPORT divorcedatholic.com divorcecare.com beginningexperience.org
CATHOLIC BOOKS / AUTHORS
Lisa Duffy: lisaduffy.com
Vince Frese: vincefrese.com
approached Hopfner and suggested the “healing Mass” as a place to start. He is thrilled Nathanson stepped forward.
A ministry to the divorced and separated does not mean the Catholic Church is somehow endorsing divorce, said Nathanson. Or that she is.
“Please. I love the vocation of marriage,” she said. “I loved being married, and I’d like to be married again. But divorce happens, and it happens for a variety of reasons. We can’t overlook those in our parish communities who are suffering in this way.”
SCAN IF YOU HAVE INTEREST IN ESTABLISHING A DIVORCED AND SEPARATED MINISTRY AT YOUR PARISH, or contact Ed Hopfner at hopfnere@sfarch.org
“Pray, hope and don’t worry” Pastor’s devotion to St. Padre Pio transforms parish community
BY CHRISTINA GRAY
Msgr. Romulo “Loi” Vergara, pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel parish in Redwood City has long had a devotion to St. Padre Pio. Hosting two relics tours at the parish in the past two years has only strengthened it and that of parishioners.
“I admire his piety and charity and giving of himself until his last breath for the people,” Msgr. Vergara told Catholic San Francisco by email. He came to the Redwood City parish in 2020 and was diagnosed with cancer two years later. He continues in his role with the support of his pastoral staff and loyal parishioners.
In the spring of 2023, the parish, in partnership with the St. Pio Foundation, hosted a two-day tour of the saint’s relics that drew thousands from around the state. This past August, St. Padre Pio’s relics returned to the parish for a second time. The subsequent visit revealed a community transformed, according to parishioner Melanie “Mel” Albano-Valdez, site lead for the August visit.
“Devotion to St. Padre Pio has strengthened our parish,” she said. “Many of our parishioners knew a bit about Padre Pio, but these events have encouraged us to learn more.”
Both the 2023 and 2025 relics visits were scheduled to coincide with the parish’s longtime “healing Mass” the third Friday of every month. A dedicated “prayer warrior” ministry is present to pray with and for the faithful, some from within the parish and others traveling from some distance outside Redwood City.
“The attraction of devotion to many people is to be able to give thanks to Padre Pio or to ask for his loving intercession in healing or for any other intercession for their family and the community,” Msgr. Vergara said.
Approximately 200 parishioners volunteered for the August event, including members of established ministries such as Cruzado Guadalupano and Society of St. Vincent de Paul, to parishioners who do not formally belong to any ministry. New ministries that did not exist during the first relics visit in 2023, like the Legion of Mary, were also highly involved.
“We found volunteer jobs for everyone, and they were gracious with their time and dedication,” said Albano-Valdez. “They all understood their purpose was to build and strengthen our faith community using a saint’s relics to bring people closer to God.”
Devotional items like rose-scented rosaries, books and T-shirts were available at this year’s relics visit, along with bilingual biographical information on the saint together with some of his best quotes, including “pray, hope and don’t worry.”
Parishioner Lisa Prosch spearheaded the first relics visit in 2023. Albano-Valdez collaborated with her for the second visit for which she took the lead. The pair have been longtime confirmation teachers at OLMC.
“I believe the visitation of the relics has brought faith and hope to the community, parish and faithful during these uncertain times,” said Prosch. “It has strengthened our parish community and its numerous
Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
Photo courtesy of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Parish
ministries as we have worked together for the same mission.”
An advisory board member for the St. Pio Foundation, Prosch did not have a special devotion to the saint until 2018 when she had what she described as a supernatural experience at a relics visit at Our Lady of Peace Shrine in Santa Clara.
“I experienced a strong and impactful fragrance of roses while waiting in line to view the relics,” she said. This phenomenon is one of the gifts attributed to Padre Pio, the only Catholic priest in history confirmed to have borne the stigmata, the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion. Padre Pio’s presence often left behind what many around the world have described as a roselike scent. Reports from eyewitnesses around the world have reported that the smell of flowers was especially pronounced in the blood from his stigmatic wounds or when he was hearing prayers of intercession.
Prosch began to volunteer for the St. Pio Foundation, which announced in 2022 it was planning a relics tour for the following year. The foundation’s mission, according to its website, is to promote devotion to Padre Pio and to make his teachings and spirituality more widely known. Parishes or other Catholic organizations must petition to be chosen as a relics host site.
Both women presented the idea of the parish being a relics host site to Msgr. Vergara in 2022. The pastor had recently been forced to cancel the trip he had planned to San Giovanni Rotondo in southern Italy because of scheduled medical treatments. Padre Pio’s remains and relics are housed there in the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie.
“At the time, Lisa and I said, if the monsignor can’t go to the relics, we will bring the relics to him,” said Albano-Valdez. “And we did.” ›
The attraction of devotion to many people is to be able to give thanks to Padre Pio or to ask for his loving intercession in healing or for any other intercession for their family and the community.”
MSGR.
ROMULO VERGARA, Our Lady of Mount Carmel pastor
Photos courtesy of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Parish
About
St. Padre Pio
St. Padre Pio was a Capuchin priest born into an Italian peasant family in 1887. He is the only Catholic priest in history confirmed to have borne the stigmata, the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion.
Healings through his intercession have been reported in ways that cannot be explained by medicine or science.
As important as the physical cures are the spiritual healings experienced by people throughout the world who place their prayers, hopes and troubles in Padre Pio’s heavenly care.
On June 16, 2002, Padre Pio was canonized a saint by Pope John Paul II at the largest gathering ever recorded in the history of the city of Rome.
SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION or visit saintpiofoundation.org
I believe the visitation of the relics has brought faith and hope to the community, parish and faithful during these uncertain times.”
LISA PROSCH, Our Lady of Mount Carmel parishioner
Msgr. Vergara’s steadfast devotion to Padre Pio has been an inspiration to Prosch and to the rest of the parish.
“I felt his spiritual direction deepened my devotion to Padre Pio, especially observing him in his fight with cancer,” she said.
At the Mass for the Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God on New Year’s Day this year, Albano-Valdez looked around at the fuller pews and felt a communal desire for “more Pio” at the parish. She suggested another relics visit to Msgr. Vergara, Prosch and the pastoral staff.
“They all said, yes, it’s time to bring Padre Pio back to Our Lady of Mount Carmel,” said Albano-Valdez.
With two relics visits within two years, Albano-Valdez said Msgr. Vergara and others dream of the parish eventually becoming a designated devotional site to St. Padre Pio.
She recalled standing outside the doors of the church with Luciano Lamonarco, the founder of the St. Pio Foundation, during the filled-to-capacity “healing Mass.”
She asked what he thought. “He replied that this church community is exactly where Padre Pio would want to be,” she said. ■
Photo courtesy of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel Parish
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Called by love
Exploring the Catholic vocations of marriage, Holy Orders and consecrated life
BY MARY POWERS Assistant director of communications and media relations. Office of Communications, Archdiocese of San Francisco
The personal vocation of each baptized Catholic stems from a primary vocation as sons or daughters of God. The call or “vocatio” in each person’s life originates in love — a response to first experiencing and knowing the infinite love of our Father in heaven.
Speaking to more than 1 million youth in August 2025 at Tor Vergata for the Jubilee of Youth, Pope Leo XIV said:
“These are radical, meaningful choices: matrimony, Holy Orders and consecrated life. They express the free and liberating gift of self that makes us truly happy. That is where we find happiness, when we learn to give ourselves, to give our lives for others. These choices give meaning to our lives, transforming them into the image of perfect love that created them and redeemed them from all evil, even from death.”
This article serves as an overview of the many ways Catholics are called by love to make a gift of self through personal vocations.
MATRIMONY
“Let us not forget: families are the cradle of the future of humanity.” – Pope Leo XIV, Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly.
Top left, Father Michael Mahoney, OFM Cap, pastor of Our Lady of Angels Church in Burlingame, is a religious priest in the Capuchin Franciscan order.
Bottom right, Father Cameron Faller, pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church, is a diocesan priest.
Top right, the Dominican nuns at Corpus Christi Monastery live a cloistered contemplative life at the heart of the Church.
Photo by Mary Powers
Photo by Mary Powers
The call or ‘vocatio’ in each person’s life originates in love—a response to first experiencing and knowing the infinite love of our Father in heaven.”
The most common vocation in the Church is the Sacrament of Marriage. It is the foundation for the family unit, which is the basis of society. The union of man and woman is the visible sign of Trinitarian love and the love between Christ and His Church.
“This sacrificial self-offering between husband and wife is at the heart of every marriage, but our faith teaches us that in Christian marriage this sacrifice is also a sacrament,” said Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone at a Mass offered for those celebrating wedding anniversaries. “What does this mean? It is customary for Catholics to exchange their wedding vows before the altar. It is there that Christ, speaking through his priest, says, ‘This is my body, given for you.’ In a very real way, at the Last Supper, Jesus was saying to His bride, the Church: ‘With my body, I thee wed. I give myself over to you completely, to my final breath and my last drop of blood.’ That is the great mystery made present every time we celebrate the Eucharist: every Mass is a nuptial Mass.”
From the beauty of the sacrifice and sacramental union of man and woman comes the fruitfulness of their love — children — creating a domestic Church whereby children first learn what it is to love and be loved.
HOLY ORDERS
“Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to His apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time: thus, it is the sacrament of apostolic ministry. It includes three degrees: episcopate (bishops), presbyterate (priests) and diaconate (deacons).” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1536)
PRIESTHOOD
There is one priesthood in Christ, but different expressions of that priesthood. Just as Jesus laid down His life for others, priests follow His example, becoming the sacrificial offering “in persona Christi” at the altar.
Diocesan priests are ordained by a diocesan bishop to serve in a specific diocese. They promise obedience to the bishop and to remain celibate. They live within their parish or diocesan assignment, focused on parish ministry: sacraments, pastoral care, diocesan administration and/or chaplaincies for hospitals.
Religious priests serve within a specific community, such as the Dominicans or Franciscans. They take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. These vows shape their communal life. Each religious community has different charisms or special missions or ways in which they serve the ›
Photo courtesy of Corpus Christi Monastery (Menlo Park)
Men and women religious profess the evangelical counsels — poverty, chastity and obedience — and live in community, giving witness to the union of Christ with the Church.”
Church. Some religious priests are missionaries and are sent to serve in diocesan communities or in impoverished countries. Others are contemplatives, living in abbeys or monasteries devoting their lives to prayer and work within a set location.
PERMANENT DIACONATE
“Strengthened by sacramental grace, (deacons) are dedicated to the people of God, in conjunction with the bishop and his body of priests, in the service (‘diakonia’) of the liturgy, of the Gospel and of works of charity.” (“Lumen Gentium,” 29)
Deacons, both married and unmarried, serve God’s people by their witness to the Gospel value of sacrificial love. In their lives of service, deacons can often enable and empower others to exercise their own esponsibilities of Christian holiness more effectively to the Gospel of Life. The deacon, as an ordained minister, has a permanent and a public responsibility for ministry of word, sacrament and charity. Through ordination, he becomes an icon of Christ the servant.
CONSECRATED LIFE
Men and women religious profess the evangelical counsels — poverty, chastity and obedience — and live in community, giving witness to the union of Christ with the Church. This can be seen in professed brothers or sisters.
Men who enter religious life, but choose not to become priests, such as the De La Salle Christian Brothers or other religious communities, dedicate their lives to Christ in the mission of their founders, serving the Church by teaching, taking care of the poor or other ministries.
In Pope St. John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation “Vita Consecrata,” he explains that the brotherhood embodied by the religious brothers is to serve as a reminder to priests of the fundamental dimension of brotherhood in Christ to be lived among themselves and with every man and woman.
“These religious are called to be brothers of Christ, deeply united with Him, the firstborn among many brothers’ (Rom 8:29); brothers to one another, in
in missions around the world.
mutual love and working together in the Church in the same service of what is good; brothers to everyone, in their witness to Christ’s love for all, especially the lowliest, the neediest; brothers for a greater brotherhood in the Church.” (“Vita Consecrata,” 60)
Consecrated women, whether women religious or consecrated virgins, are called to be spouses of Christ, an image of Our Lady and the Church, pointing the Church toward the heavenly marriage banquet.
“This spousal dimension, which is part of all consecrated life, has a particular meaning for women, who find therein their feminine identity and as it were discover the special genius of their relationship with the Lord. A moving sign of this is seen in the New Testament passage which portrays Mary with the apostles in the Upper Room, in prayerful expectation of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:1314). We can see here a vivid image of the Church as bride, fully attentive to her bridegroom and ready to accept his gift.” (“Vita Consecrata,” 34)
RELIGIOUS SISTERS
A religious sister publicly professes the evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience, and — according to the particular charism of her institute
Madre Ana de Jesús, SSVM, pictured above. Orders such as the Institute Servants of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco, Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose and Mary Mother of the Eucharist, as well as many others are active in ministries in the United States and
Photo courtesy of Madre Ana de Jesús, SSVM
— may also take an additional vow that expresses that community’s special mission (for example, the Sisters of Life add a fourth vow of protecting life, while the Missionaries of Charity add a vow of service to the poorest of the poor).
Religious sisters may be contemplative, such as the Poor Clares or Carmelites, or they may be active (such as Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose). Contemplative religious sisters live a form of consecrated life whose primary focus is the interior prayer of the heart, silence and solitude. Members live in monasteries or convents and keep the evangelical counsels while dedicating most of their day to the “service of divine majesty” through prayer, liturgy and penance. Active religious life is a form of consecrated life whose chief orientation is outward service. Active religious sisters live in community but regularly leave it to teach, care for the sick, evangelize, work for justice or carry out missionary activity.
CONSECRATED VIRGINS LIVING IN THE WORLD
Similar to these forms of consecrated life is the Order of Virgins who, expressing the holy resolution of following Christ more closely, are consecrated to God by the diocesan bishop, mystically betrothed to Christ and dedicated to the service of the Church. Unlike religious sisters, they do not profess the traditional vows of poverty, chastity and obedience; instead, through the bishop’s solemn prayer, they are received into the consecration that sets them apart as holy women of the Church.
They belong to the “Ordo Virginum” as a diocesan vocation, not to a religious institute. Their life is rooted in the local Church, where they pray the Liturgy of the Hours, participate in the sacraments and offer personal witness, while supporting themselves through their own work and living in the same world as the people they serve. This vocation “is a clear sign of the future kingdom” and makes the consecrated virgin an image of the Church, the bride of Christ, sharing in the joys and sorrows of the community while bearing a visible sign of total dedication to Christ.
DIOCESAN HERMITS
Diocesan hermits are called to live a quiet, prayerfilled life not in a monastery but in their own neighborhood under the care of the local bishop. A hermit publicly promises the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and spends most of each day in silence, prayer and simple work, often in a small home or a modest cell. Unlike monks who belong to a religious order, a diocesan hermit is directly connected to the diocese, so the bishop helps guide and support him or her. ■
St. Emydius
CO-AUTHORED BY
FATHER VINCENT WOO AND JACEK NOWICKI
Father Woo is assistant professor at St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, and Nowicki is archivist of the
Saints are not only examples for us to imitate but also intercessors on our behalf. Just as a quarterback throws a “Hail Mary” pass in the most desperate situation, the Church gives us different saints who can serve as our advocate for various needs. As residents of the San Francisco Bay Area, some of us may remember the 1989 earthquake, which caused dozens of deaths and thousands of injuries. Few moments leave us feeling as helpless as facing a natural disaster. For this reason, the Church gives us St. Emydius. He is not only the patron saint against earthquakes but also the secondary patron of our Archdiocese.
WHO IS ST. EMYDIUS?
In 1703, a powerful earthquake devastated central Italy, but the city of Ascoli Piceno was spared. This was attributed to the special protection of the city’s patron, St. Emydius, a bishop martyred there during the Roman persecutions of the early fourth century. His intercession became renowned, and in the 18th century, many cities in earthquake-prone central Italy chose him as their patron. Spanish missionaries later brought devotion to St. Emydius to California, even naming a mountain range after him – the San Emigdio Mountains in Kern and Ventura Counties within the Los Padres National Forest. His intercession was invoked especially in seismically active California.
ST. EMYDIUS AND SAN FRANCISCO
From the very beginning of the Church in California, its leaders recognized the need for protection from earthquakes. The first Archbishop of San Francisco, Joseph Alemany, and the first Bishop of Los Angeles-Monterey, Thaddeus Amat y Brusi, encouraged the faithful in the 1850s to pray for protection from earthquakes. In 1857, Pope Pius IX granted the California faithful an indult, approving a special celebration of the feast of St. Emydius on Aug. 9 or the following Sunday. St. Emydius soon became patron of newly established parishes throughout the state, including one in San Francisco.
A 1903 newspaper clipping records that Archbishop Patrick Riordan ordered solemn Masses to be celebrated in all churches of the Archdiocese in honor of St. Emydius, invoking his intercession against
Carlo Crivelli’s painting of St. Emydius depicts the saint with religious and symbolic elements, characteristic of the artist’s use of detailed and vibrant color in sacred portraits.
Archdiocese of San Francisco.
earthquakes. In 1922, Archbishop Edward Hanna named him the secondary patron of the Archdiocese.
In 1931, the feast of St. Emydius was moved from Aug. 9 to Aug. 11. Since the 1970s, the Archdiocese along with some other dioceses in California observes it on Aug. 13.
WHAT DOES THE FEAST OF ST. EMYDIUS REMIND US OF?
With the advance of technology and artificial intelligence, we are strongly tempted to think that human beings have conquered the world and to forget that God is ultimately in charge. God allows natural disasters to occur to remind us of our dependence on him, especially when humanity strays far from God and trusts only in itself. The presence of earthquakes and other natural disasters reminds us of our utter nothingness apart from God.
Archbishop Patrick Riordan ordered solemn Masses to be celebrated in all churches of the Archdiocese in honor of St. Emydius, invoking his intercession against earthquakes. In 1922, Archbishop Edward Hanna named him the secondary patron of the Archdiocese.”
For believers, natural disasters call us back to what is truly important in life. We may spend centuries building a civilization, yet a powerful earthquake can reduce it to rubble in minutes. As the psalmist says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). While human progress is good when it accords with natural law and God’s will, what matters most is that we dedicate our time and effort to building the kingdom of God. Earthly kingdoms may crumble in an instant, but the heavenly kingdom endures forever.
Of course, we should do everything possible to protect ourselves from the next earthquake: practice drills, prepare emergency kits and keep first-aid supplies on hand. Yet what is most important is that we remain in a state of grace and in communion with God. Each natural disaster reminds us to reconcile with the Lord through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and to seek forgiveness from our neighbors.
May St. Emydius protect us from the calamity of earthquakes! May he remind us always to examine our souls so that we may be ready to face death, which can come at any moment. ■
A rectory reimagined
West Marin parish’s old rectory offered in crisis housing project
BY CHRISTINA GRAY Lead writer, Catholic San Francisco grayc@sfarch.org
Serving outcast populations could become a through line in the ongoing history of Sacred Heart Parish in Olema.
In 1911, Belgian Priests of the Sacred Heart built a three-story rectory in the rural West Marin town. Resident priests traveled on horseback, bicycle or buggy to serve far-flung farming communities, according to parish historian Lillian Phelps. For a time, the 13-room rectory fringed by the rugged coastline north
of San Francisco was a recuperative stop for missionaries returning to the mainland after ministering to lepers on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.
Today, the largely unused structure located on State Route 1 is at the center of a fast-moving collaboration between the parish and the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Catholic Charities and several local nonprofits. With no time to spare, they are working together in crisis mode as more than 150 agricultural and other low-wage workers and their families lose their housing on local ranches.
Twelve cattle and/or dairy ranches must close and be vacated by March 1, 2026, as a result of a federal land use settlement. These families, as well as dozens of others living in deplorable conditions on private ranches outside park boundaries, are scrambling to find a safe place to live in a region bereft of affordable housing.
Some are leaving the area or have already left. With the full support of Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, plans are afoot to lease the old rectory
Photo by Christina Gray
for conversion into a multifamily cohousing dwelling. The smaller current rectory was built in the mid-1990s.
The paint is peeling, and the garden grows untended. Swallow nests cling like barnacles to the eaves, and floorboards squeak under foot. The big house has aged well, but it is not move-in ready. It will require repairs and renovation, permits and paint, and, most critically, grant money and private donations to make it a home. Still, there is no shortage of optimism for the possibilities.
“We don’t want to just offer these families a shell,” said John Christian, executive director of the Archdiocese’s Real Property Support Corporation. “We’re investing the property in a project that will benefit families, many of whom I think either are, or will be, members of Sacred Heart Parish.”
“ABSOLUTELY A TIME OF CRISIS”
Tensions over land use in West Marin go back a long way, according to Sarah Hobson, executive director of the West Marin Fund, a key partner in the rectory project. The Coast Miwok were displaced when dairy ranching took over in early California. Then, in the 1960s, West Marin ranchers sold their land to the government for the creation of the Point Reyes National Seashore. The agreement was that they would be able to continue ranching on the land in 20year renewable leases.
Over the past decade, however, the National Park Service, environmental conservation groups and
ranchers became embroiled in lawsuits over land use rights and management plans. In January of this year, a settlement was reached that will shutter 12 of 14 working ranches on park lands. These 12 ranchers agreed to retire their operations in exchange for financial compensation. Ranch workers and tenants were not included in the mediation process and had no say in the terms of the settlement, according to Hobson.
At the same time, dozens of other families working and/or living on private West Marin ranches outside park lands are facing eviction or displacement due to substandard living conditions, health and safety hazards, and landlord exploitation and intimidation.
“It’s absolutely a time of crisis here,” said Hobson.
A 2024 local housing study cosponsored by the West Marin Fund (wmhousingsolutions.org) revealed in shocking detail how the lack of affordable housing is affecting low-income workers, with effects rippling deep into the community.
West Marin needs at least 1,000 new units of housing affordable for households earning less than $65,000 a year. The ›
We don’t want to just offer these families a shell. We’re investing the property in a project that will benefit families, many of whom I think either are, or will be, members of Sacred Heart Parish.”
JOHN CHRISTIAN, Archdiocese’s Real Property Support Corporation executive director
Photo by Betty Macias
Sacred Heart Parish’s Guadalupe Shrine
current shortage means local workers must choose between paying rents far beyond their means, living in unsafe housing, long commutes from outside the area or leaving jobs and the area entirely. The report stated that local business, much of it hospitality-oriented, struggles to recruit or retain employees. Some have closed, posing a threat to the vital tourism sector. Essential services, such as schools, are also being impacted.
PARISH IMPACT
Loretta Murphy, a longtime parishioner of Sacred Heart Parish and operations manager for West Marin Fund, is on the rectory renovation team. She said the displacements have had a noticeable impact on the parish.
“Many of the ranchers and ranch workers being displaced were, or are, parishioners of this parish,” she said. “The parish population has changed here in a very short period of time.”
Sacred Heart serves a large swath of West Marin under the pastoral care of Father Erick Arauz. Its large Latino parishioner base is evidenced by an exquisite stone shrine to Our Lady of Guadalupe tucked into the redwoods behind the church.
Parishioner and former catechism teacher Lourdes Romo grew up in West Marin on a ranch where her immigrant father and two brothers worked. She now runs Papermill Creek Children’s Corner in Point Reyes Station, a licensed preschool.
“Many families here are experiencing deep anxiety and distress as they face the reality of losing their homes,” she said. “The emotional toll is not just very bad for them, but for all of us here.”
Hobson and Murphy approached Father Arauz this spring about the possibility of using the old rectory to develop affordable housing. In March, Marin County supervisors declared a “shelter crisis” in West Marin, a response to ranch closures and evictions that invited a wider range of solutions for creating emergency shelters.
Father Arauz was “all for it,” said Hobson. Christian, of the Archdiocese’s Real Property Support Corporation, was soon invited to Olema to meet with the pastor, Hobson and Murphy. He was quickly convinced of its “win-win” appeal. So were others back at the chancery.
“It didn’t take much more than 48 hours to get the support of the Archbishop,” said Christian. “Everybody has been yes, yes, yes, let’s do this.”
Catholic Charities CEO Ellen Hammerle was also supportive when Christian suggested its expertise in housing and case management could be an asset to the project, along with the proximity of its headquarters in Marin County. Its full role will evolve as the project does.
“For now, we are just really trying to support the church in getting the housing done,” she said.
The project team has grown in size and momentum. It now includes not just the Archdiocese of San Francisco, Sacred Heart Parish, Catholic Charities, West Marin Fund, Community Land Trust Association of West Marin and West Marin Community Services, but also consultants, parish council members, local contractors, architects, engineers and some of the families most affected.
“The more people that get behind this, the faster this is going to go,” said Christian. Turning unused rectories into housing “isn’t a solution for affordable housing across the three counties of the Archdiocese,” he said.“But this is one project where the Church and others can work together on this crisis.” ■
SUPPORT THE SACRED HEART RECTORY RENOVATION PROJECT
by contacting John Christian of the Archdiocese’s Real Property Support Corporation, at christianj@adsfrpsc.org.
Photo by Christina Gray
Holy Ghost in the machine
Wisdom from the Church in the AI age
BY AARON LAMBERT
Writer from Denver
There’s no escaping it: Artificial intelligence is everywhere, encroaching on virtually all aspects of daily life and causing both convenience and consternation alike.
We are indeed living in a “brave new world,” one that is becoming increasingly hard to navigate as people of faith. With the rapid onset of virtual assistants, AI-generated articles and art, chatbots and even robots, what once was mere science fiction has become a striking reality. Thankfully, Catholic social teaching, in all its wisdom and beauty, can offer some fundamental guiding principles as AI becomes more and more integrated into modern society.
As Pope Leo XIV recently told participants in the Vatican’s second annual conference on artificial intelligence, ethics and corporate governance, “AI, especially generative AI, has opened new horizons on many different levels, including enhancing research in health care and scientific discovery, but also raises troubling questions on its possible repercussions on humanity’s openness to truth and beauty, on our distinctive ability to grasp and process reality. Acknowledging and respecting what is uniquely characteristic of the human person is essential to the discussion of any adequate ethical framework for the governance of AI.”
The implications of AI attempting to subvert the very essence of what it means to be human are, to say the least, quite startling, and indeed, some of these scenarios are already starting to play out in the culture at large at an alarming rate. In fact, the rate at which AI is progressing is so alarming that the Holy See saw fit to issue a note on the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence in January of this year, titled “Antiqua et Nova.”
The note opens, “With wisdom both ancient and new (cf. Mt 13:52), we are called to reflect on the current challenges and opportunities posed by scientific and technological
advancements, particularly by the recent development of artificial intelligence (AI).”
It is this “wisdom, both ancient and new” that the Church can offer at this critical juncture in human history. Though we are, in many ways, living through an unprecedented moment with the rapid advent and progression of AI, the Church can and must serve as a vital voice of morality, reason and spiritual authority as humanity stands at the precipice of the coming technological revolution.
“Antiqua et Nova” offers a critical guiding principle in this respect:
“In a world marked by AI, we need the grace of the Holy Spirit, who ‘enables us to look at things with God’s eyes,’ to see connections, situations, events and to uncover their real meaning. The ‘wisdom of the heart’ can illuminate and guide the human-centered use of this technology to help promote the common good, care for our ‘common home,’ advance the search for the truth, foster integral human development, favor human solidarity and fraternity and lead humanity to its ultimate goal: happiness and full communion with God. From this perspective of wisdom, believers will be able to act as moral agents capable of using this technology to promote an authentic vision of the human person and society. This should be done with the understanding that technological progress is part of God’s plan for creation — an activity
that we are called to order toward the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ, in the continual search for the true and the good.” (115-117).
As the Church engages in more important conversations and work surrounding AI, there are some who have been thinking deeply about this issue for years and already have their boots on the virtual ground. Father Philip Larrey, professor of philosophy at Boston College and author of “Artificial Humanity,” helped to cofound the nonprofit foundation Humanity 2.0 in 2017 with the aim of helping to guide the progression of AI toward the end of human flourishing.
“There are six domains for human flourishing,” Father Larrey explained. “And recently, as artificial intelligence has come on the radar, we asked what do we need to do with artificial intelligence in order to have human beings flourish? That’s the question. And we really don’t know the answer to that yet. Whenever I give a conference on AI, usually people are very afraid and they’re very concerned about their jobs, about the future of education, about learning, etc. So, we’re trying to steer conversation in terms of human flourishing.”
Some experts predict that artificial intelligence could replace as many as 300 million jobs within the next five years. “Obviously, if you’re going to lose your job, that’s not flourishing,” Father Larrey said. “How can we flourish as human beings without a job? That’s going to be the next big question. I think we can answer that. I think that there are ways that we can help people.”
Work has become inextricably linked to purpose in the modern age, and it is through this paradigm that much of the Western world has operated for centuries. As AI threatens to upend this paradigm and shift it completely, tech leaders and corporations would do well to look to the wisdom of the Church for a solution to this. On the cusp of the Industrial Revolution in 1891, Pope Leo XIII wrote “Rerum Novarum,” an encyclical that addressed the condition of the working class
and the universal call to uphold human dignity. More than 100 years later, another kind of revolution is here, yet the wisdom contained therein echoes all the same.
“Can human beings flourish without a job?
According to ‘Rerum Novarum,’ no,” Father Larrey said. “Leo XIII said people need to have a job in order to preserve their dignity and their sense of life. (With AI), we may get to a point where that’s not the case. Pope Leo XIV even said that’s why he took the name of Leo. He wants to do for our generation what Leo XIII did for his generation, which was the Industrial Revolution. And I think we’re actually getting to that point quickly.”
Pope Leo XIV continues to speak about AI and the duty of humanity to proceed toward the impending technological revolution sensibly, responsibly and above all, bearing in mind and acting in accordance with what is true and good.
“No generation has ever had such quick access to the amount of information now available through AI,” Pope Leo said. “But again, access to data — however extensive — must not be confused with intelligence, which necessarily ‘involves the person’s openness to the ultimate questions of life and reflects an orientation toward the true and the good’ (‘Antiqua et Nova,’ 29). In the end, authentic wisdom has more to do with recognizing the true meaning of life than with the availability of data.”
Father Larrey tells his students that AI, as with any new technology, should be used as a tool and not a substitute for those miraculous and intrinsic qualities that make us human. Like the Internet and the television preceding it, AI is here to stay. In this AI age, it is the duty of the Church and her faithful to ensure that the divine image of humanity is preserved and not distorted.
“We have to learn how to live with AI,” Father Larrey said. “Don’t be afraid, don’t be negative, work with it and see how AI can help with human flourishing and not lead to humanity’s demise.” ■
We have to learn how to live with AI. Don’t be afraid, don’t be negative, work with it and see how AI can help with human flourishing and not to its demise.”
FATHER PHILIP LARREY, professor of philosophy at Boston College and author of “Artificial Humanity”
The mission and the city, part 3: Under the stars and stripes
ABY CATHOLIC SAN FRANCISCO
s thousands of men (and some women) converged on California, drawn by the lure of gold, the U.S. government moved quickly to make the territory of California a state. Formerly the home of small communities of Na tive Americans, Spaniards and Mexicans , San Francisco became a metropolis overnight, with both Americans and immigrants from Europe and Asia hoping to strike it rich. The cemetery of Mission Dolores is a monument to this tidal wave. The simple wooden crosses that had marked the graves for over 80 years gave way to the stone monuments of Irish, German, French and Italian arrivals. Our city by the bay was a microcosm of the European immigration taking place throughout the United States, and in a uniquely concentrated form.
Bishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, appointed in 1850 as the bishop of Monterey, was relocated to the booming city of St. Francis as archbishop in 1853. He sought to address the daunting pastoral needs of his new, large and rather rambunctious flock. He had only three churches at his disposal to serve a population of nearly 40,000: Mission Dolores, St. Francis of Assisi near the bay and St. Patrick’s. He immediately set about adding a fourth: a cathedral dedicated to the Immaculate Conception, opened on Christmas Day 1854 (today, Old St. Mary’s in Chinatown).
The advent of statehood represented another seismic shift for Mission Dolores. Formerly, the church and its works were an extension of the government. It was supported, “for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer,” by Spain or Mexico. An important ingredient in the American
1853: Bishop Joseph Sadoc Alemany, appointed in 1850 as the bishop of Monterey, was relocated to the booming city of St. Francis as archbishop in 1853.
experiment is that there is no national church” in the United States. Mission Dolores was now entirely dependent on financial support from the Catholic community, and was free to pursue a pastoral agenda without obligations to the political leadership of the nation. Archbishop Alemany set to work to make the mission, some miles from the center of the growing city, an oasis of Catholic life. He attempted to establish a seminary there,
The era ended abruptly on the morning of April 18, 1906, with a tremendous earthquake followed by raging fires all over San Francisco. The new parish church next to Mission Dolores was completely destroyed; the mission itself, although damaged, remained standing.”
A tale of two churches, 1906: While the adjacent 1876 Gothic Revival brick church (right) was deemed irreparable after the great earthquake, the 1791 adobe Mission Dolores chapel (left) stands as a monument to its early construction, having withstood the devastation. This original chapel, the oldest building in San Francisco, survived the 1906 disaster with only minimal damage. The earthquakeshattered church on the right was later replaced by the current Mission Dolores Basilica.
but the time was not ripe for such a venture. More successful was a school for girls run by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, which was founded in 1856. These sisters were just one of the communities of religious women whose determination and self-sacrifice has greatly enriched the growth of the Catholic Church here. Their educational and health care services reached beyond the Catholic community and helped civilize the rowdy Argonauts at the limits of the “wild West”. 1876 was a banner year: the centennial of both our nation and our city. Archbishop Alemany dedicated a stately brick Gothic church next to the humble adobe mission that had stood since 1791. There were now nearly a dozen parish churches in the city, as well as Catholic schools and hospitals. A host of other spires dotted the landscape, and stately mansions and elegant public buildings
proclaimed that San Francisco was now “the City,” prosperous, refined and elegant. The era ended abruptly on the morning of April 18, 1906, with a tremendous earthquake followed by raging fires all over San Francisco. The new parish church next to Mission Dolores was completely destroyed; the mission itself, although damaged, remained standing. Notre Dame Academy on the other side of Dolores Street was dynamited, a casualty of a strategy by firefighters to use broad boulevards as fire breaks. The school and its convent were rebuilt, and a new neighbor appeared across the street: the Holy Family Sisters’ Day Home, designed by the noted architect Willis Polk. Here as elsewhere, San Francisco emerged from the ashes more resplendent than ever; a grand church in Baroque Mexican style took the place of the brick ›
Gothic church. Its windows allow the visitor to take a virtual tour of the California missions, with depictions of each of the churches and their patron saints. Rome honored this edifice by designating it as a minor basilica in 1952.
Mission Dolores parish has continued to serve ever-changing populations. While most liturgies take place in the basilica, baptisms are still performed at the font in the mission church — an eloquent reminder of the continuity of the Catholic faith since the establishment of the mission 250 years ago. An event of historic importance took place on Sept. 17, 1987, when pope St. John Paul II, the first reigning Pope to visit San Francisco, paused for a moment of solitary prayer in Mission Dolores and then met in the nearby basilica with people with AIDS.
Mission Dolores parish has continued to serve everchanging populations.”
Mission Dolores figures in the world beyond the Catholic Church. Two supply ships built during the Second World War were named the SS Mission Dolores and the SS Mission San Francisco. In the popular culture, the mission was featured in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo”; Bret Harte was inspired to write a poem titled “The Angelus” after hearing the bells of Mission Dolores in 1868; and Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter collaborated on a song called “Mission in the Rain.”
Just a few miles from the oldest church in San Francisco stands the newest church in San Francisco: St. Mary’s Cathedral, dedicated 180 years after the mission. In its conference center there is a statue commemorating the protection of the saints: St. Joseph, patron of the universal Church, and St. Francis and St. Patrick, patrons of the Archdiocese of San Francisco. These three strong, compassionate heroes stand protectively over an edifice symbolic of the continuous presence of the Catholic community here for 250 years … Mission San Francisco de Asís. ■
1958: Alfred Hitchcock filmed a scene from his thriller “Vertigo” at the old mission cemetery.
1944: SS Mission Dolores built for the U.S. Maritime Commission during World War II.
1987: St. John Paul II, the first reigning Pope to visit San Francisco, paused for a moment of prayer in Mission Dolores and met in the basilica with people with AIDS.
Consecrating St. Patrick’s Seminary to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
The seminary community participated in a Eucharistic procession led by Archbishop Cordileone as part of the consecration.
On the memorial of the Queenship of Mary, San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone, chancellor of St. Patrick’s Seminary & University, consecrated the institution to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The consecration was in response to President and Rector Father Mark Doherty’s request from a group of seminarians who have been praying for the consecration.
This consecration was a renewal of the consecration of the Archdiocese of San Francisco, originally made by the archbishop in 2017 on the 100th anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions at Fatima.
Echoing his call to the faithful of the archdiocese, Archbishop Cordileone asked the seminary community to pray the rosary daily, adding penance to their lives such as fasting on Fridays throughout the year, availing themselves to the Sacrament of Penance and spending time in Eucharistic Adoration. Living the consecration comes with a promise, said the archbishop. “As Our Lady said at Fatima, ‘In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph.’”
Founded in 1898 by San Francisco Archbishop Patrick William Riordan, St. Patrick’s Seminary & University has prepared Catholic priests in conformity to Christ’s sacrificial love to serve the people of God with His pastoral charity.
ORIGINS OF THE REQUEST
Three years ago, Deacon Scott Vincent Borba (Fresno), Joshua Lesan (Stockton) and Josue Montoya (Stockton) began a rosary walk on the seminary campus, finishing at the statue of Our Lady of Fatima. Initially it was three of them. In a short time, many more seminarians and faculty joined them.
“The first day we started the rosary walks, we asked Our Mother in prayer to double the size of the group, not for our own glory, but for the graces that we need for the seminary,” said Deacon Borba. “Literally the next day, we had more than doubled the size of the group. We all saw it and said, ‘Wow!’ And then she did it again. She quadrupled it today, on the day of the consecration.”
After the seminary’s pilgrimage to the apparition site in Medjugorje in September 2022 and inspired by his own consecration he made in high school, Lesan began to investigate whether the seminary had been formally consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He eventually asked Father Doherty if the seminary could be consecrated.
The seminary community participated in a Eucharistic procession led by Archbishop Cordileone as part of the consecration. ›
Photo Ramón Camacho
In February, Father Doherty approached the archbishop with the request, and he agreed. The date for the consecration was set for Aug. 22, the memorial of the Queenship of Mary and the launch of the new academic year.
In addition to the rosary walks, the seminarians have also organized first Saturday devotions on campus.
OUR LADY’S ROLE IN FOSTERING PRIESTLY VOCATIONS AND IN FORMATION
This special devotion to Our Lady is not unique to St. Patrick’s. Across the country, data reveals the important role Mary is having on ecclesial vocations.
In July, a national study from the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University found that Mary had a deep impact on vocations in the Church. The 1,091 survey respondents included diocesan bishops, diocesan priests, religious men and women, permanent deacons, and others with vocations in the Church. The study showed that Our Lady had a “meaningful impact” or “great impact” on the respondents’ original sense of vocation (59%) and more than 70% said praying the rosary privately was the most popular devotion while discerning.
When asked about the importance of the Blessed Mother in discernment and formation, Archbishop Cordileone emphasized her motherly energy and care.
“The presence of Mary in our spiritual life helps bring us into the family of God,” said Archbishop Cordileone. “She’s there with her Son, reigning in glory. As we celebrate on the memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we do so with all the saints as part of the family of God. He created us for communion. The family is our preparation for that, and Mary reminds us of that.”
Father Doherty said there is a direct correlation between the depth and breadth of the seminary community’s devotion to Our Lady and the zeal for the kingdom that one can feel “reverberating throughout the house.”
“Drawing close to Our Lady means drawing close to her Immaculate Heart,” said Father Doherty. “As we do so, our hearts become more pure and generous, qualities that are essential not only to making a good discernment but also to making and keeping a commitment to serve the Church. Allowing Our Lady to shape our hearts means, among other things, allowing her to share her zeal for her Son’s kingdom with us.”
“If you think that you’re going to be able to do this on your own and you’re not surrendering to her and to her Son completely, then you’re going to have an uphill battle,” said Deacon Borba. “It’s hard enough to stay focused and do everything that we’re stretched to do. Mary will allow you to do it well and with joy. That’s what she gives to me and to all of her children – a sense of joy and peace. Even throughout challenges and times
of difficulty, there is a sense of joy that we all recognize because we’re her children.”
“One thing Father Doherty has talked about with us is how important Our Lady is for the priesthood, especially as we’re called to be celibate,” said Montoya. “For somebody who might be discerning consecrated life, there’s an advantage. They marry Jesus Christ, praise God! But man is not meant to be alone, we hear in the Book of Genesis. We’re going to be celibate, but we need the feminine genius to always be with us. Our Lady wants to be that so badly for each priest.”
WHAT THE CONSECRATION MEANS FOR THE SEMINARY
“Our seminary community’s devotion to Our Lady correlates with the quality of the theological instruction St. Patrick’s is known for,” said Father Doherty. “As Our Lady’s heart embraces and embodies the fullness of the Lord’s Gospel teaching, so those who allow themselves to be drawn into her Immaculate Heart can’t help but also to be pierced through and possessed by the fullness of the Lord Jesus’ teaching.”
For Lesan, the transformation takes place in the hearts of the seminarians if they open themselves up to the care of their heavenly Mother.
“I don’t know of one guy who doesn’t soften up a bit when he starts talking about his mom,” said Lesan. “Our Lady, as the spouse of the Holy Spirit, will use that softness to help the Holy Spirit enter into our hearts so that we don’t just become good functionaries of dispensers of sacraments. Rather, we become transformed as disciples of Christ on fire with His love. Obviously, we were moved by Christ to come to seminary, but the conversion or discipleship doesn’t end there. It has to reach places that it hadn’t before in order to serve the way we’re called to serve.”
“We want our seminary brothers to know that Our Lady is so important in their vocation and in obtaining everything they need for all of their future parishioners,” said Deacon Borba. “And she’s trying to show everyone through the works that we’re trying to do for her and for her Son that she’s powerful, and she wants everyone to know that. We want people to open their eyes and their hearts to see this.”
For Montoya, consecrating the seminary to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is a powerful spiritual protection for the entire community.
“Let’s say if I were the devil, if I hated the Church, I would try to get into the seminary,” said Montoya. “From the seminary, you can mess up formation. From formation, you mess up the whole Church. St. Padre Pio once said that the only place the devil has no dominion is in the Immaculate Heart of Mary. And so, to consecrate this seminary to her heart is such a powerful spiritual boost.” ■
Cardinal presides over act of reparation in St. Peter’s following altar desecration
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica and vicar general of the pope for Vatican City, presided Oct. 13 over a penitential rite of reparation at the main altar of the church following a serious act of desecration that had taken place on Oct. 10.
The rite, attended by members of the chapter of the Vatican Basilica, emphasized asking God for “forgiveness” for the desecration, said Father Enzo Fortunato, director of communications for St. Peter’s Basilica.
On Friday, Oct. 10, a man was arrested by security guards after he climbed onto the Altar of the Confession, located under Bernini’s baldachin, and urinated on it while tourists looked on in astonishment.
Read complete story here: https://www. catholicnewsagency.com/news/267121/cardinalpresides-over-act-of-reparation-in-st-peter-sfollowing-desecration-of-altar
Priest reported missing in Mexico is found dead
The body of Father Bertoldo Pantaleón Estrada was found on Oct. 6. The Mexican priest had been reported missing on Saturday, Oct. 4, in the state of Guerrero.
In a statement, the bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, José de Jesús González Hernández, asked the authorities to “help us determine the responsibility of those involved in this unfortunate event.”
They also lamented that the acts of violence have once again plunged the Catholic community into mourning. This incident occurs almost a year after the death of Father Marcelo Pérez of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de las Casas, who was murdered after celebrating Mass.
According to the Catholic Multimedia Center, which tracks attacks against the clergy, one cardinal and approximately 60 priests have been murdered since 1990. Since 2018 alone, the organization reports 12 murders of priests; 14 attacks on priests and bishops; a weekly average of 26 churches attacked, desecrated, or assaulted; and nearly 900 cases of extortion and death threats against members of the Catholic Church.
Read the entire story here: https://www. catholicnewsagency.com/news/267065/priestreported-missing-in-mexico-is-found-dead?utm_ source=substack&utm_medium=email
Pope: Religious freedom an ‘essential element to seek and live truth’
Pope Leo XIV held an audience in October with members of the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need International (ACN).
In his address, the Pope said their visit to Rome comes at a time of rising hostilities and violence “against those who hold different convictions, including Christians.”
The mission of ACN, he added, stands in contrast to
that violence, proclaiming that the Church can never abandon our persecuted brothers and sisters.
Every person’s right to religious freedom is “not optional but essential,” he said, noting that everyone carries within their heart a “profound longing for truth, for meaning, and for communion with others and with God.”
“Rooted in the dignity of the human person, created in God’s image and endowed with reason and free will, religious freedom allows individuals and communities to seek the truth, to live it freely, and to bear witness to it openly,” he said.
Religious freedom is therefore the cornerstone of society, since it safeguards the moral space in which we may form and exercise our conscience.
Citing Pope Francis, the Pope said, “There can be no peace without freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and respect for the views of others.”
He praised ACN’s Religious Freedom in the World Report, published every two years, as an important tool to raise awareness and reveal the “hidden suffering of many.”
Read the entire story here: https://www. vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-10/popeleo-xiv-aid-church-need-international-religiousfreedom.html
VALLOMBROSA RETREAT CENTER
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In a beautiful and peaceful park setting that includes many prayer and meditations spots*, we will host your group’s retreat or conference. You may also sign up for a private retreat. We especially invite you to attend one of our five-day silent retreats which are very powerful and reasonably priced.
For group reservations or a private retreat: call 650-325-5614 Or email jaynie@vallombrosa.org. For our five-day retreat, call Deacon Dominick Peloso, (650) 269-6279
*The meditation spots available include: Lourdes, Fatima, St. Joseph, St. Mother Theresa, St. Francis, Spiritual Works, Corporal Works, Adoration Chapel, and (coming fall of 2024), a large (50’ x 12’) crucifixion scene by Timothy Schmaiz.
SCAN THIS QR CODE FOR MORE CATHOLIC QUIZZES or visit http:// sfarch.org/catholic-quizzes
1. This early Church document is a summary of the teachings of the Twelve Apostles dating back to the early second century:
c. “Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles”— “A short treatise which was accounted by some of the fathers as next to holy Scripture. It was rediscovered in 1873… the contents may be divided into three parts: the first is the “Two Ways,” the way of life and the way of death; the second part is a ‘rituale’ dealing with baptism, fasting and holy Communion; the third speaks of the ministry. Doctrinal teaching is presupposed, and none is imparted” (Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. IV, p.779).
2. Often used by St. Paul, what does the Greek word “koinonía” mean?
d. “κοινωνία ” (“koinonia”) – fellowship, communion, sharing (see Acts 2:42, 1 Cor 1:9, 1 Cor 10:16. Phil 2:1, etc.).
3. The word “apostle” means:
c. In Greek, “απόστολος ” (“apóstolos”) = “messenger, he that is sent” (Strong’s 649). Countless volumes have been written about the apostles (for example, Pope Benedict XVI’s excellent “The Apostles,” Ignatius Press, 2015), but for the purposes of this question, the Twelve Apostles, the Lord’s closest collaborators and inner circle, were sent by Jesus to “go into the whole world, making disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19-20).
4. The name Michael means:
c. The Greek “Μιχαήλ” (“Michaēl”) is a transliteration of the Hebrew לאכ ימ (mī kāʼēl) “who is like God?” He is a prominent angel and may be a seraphim rather than archangel (some Church fathers posit this). In any case, divine revelation does not tell us that one way or the other. The Archangel Michael appears in Daniel 10:13,21, 12:1, Jude 9 and Revelation 12:7. From these, we give St. Michael four “offices”: “1) To fight against Satan. 2) To rescue the souls of the faithful from the power of the enemy, especially at the hour of death. 3) To be the champion of God’s people, the Jews in the Old Law, the Christians of the New Testament and 4) To call away from earth and bring men’s souls to judgement” (“Michael,” Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. 10, p. 276).
5. The name Gabriel means: a. Gabriel (Hebrew: לאֵירִבְַּג (Gabrîʼēl) = the “hero of God” or the “strong man of God”). Only four appearances of Gabriel are recorded: Daniel 8, Daniel 9, the annunciation of John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah (Lk 1:5-25) and Jesus’ birth to Mary (Lk 1:26-38). He is the “angel of mercy” to Michael’s “angel of judgement” (“Gabriel,” Catholic Encyclopedia, vol.6, p.330).
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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.
(800) 276-1562 Report sexual abuse by a bishop or a bishop’s interference in a sexual abuse investigation to a confidential third party. www.reportbishopabuse.org
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SCAN TO SEE THE COMPREHENSIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS or visit sfarch.org/events
Nov. 8: Genesis Retreat for engaged couples
Couples preparing for marriage are invited to the Genesis Retreat on Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ and one another. Meet other engaged couples as they begin their journey toward their wedding day where “authentic married love is caught up into divine love.” Registration fee is $150 per couple. More information: https://sfarch.org/event/genesis-retreat-forengaged-couples/
Nov. 8: Memorial Mass and Healing Liturgy for Miscarriage and Infant Loss
Join the Archdiocesan Office of Human Life & Dignity for the annual Mass and healing service for all those who have experienced the loss of an infant whether by miscarriage, stillbirth or early infant death. The Mass will be at Mater Dolorosa Church at 10:30 a.m. and will be celebrated by Father Vito Perrone, COSJ. More information: https://sfarch.org/event/ miscarriage2025/
Nov. 14-16: Life-Giving Wounds Retreat
Dealing with your parents’ divorce is not easy, but confronting this wound with faith can allow great healing. Adult children of divorced parents are invited to a healing retreat to begin the journey of healing. The Life-Giving Wounds Healing Retreat at Vallombrosa Center focuses on discovering one’s identity as a child of God and on overcoming the effects of parental divorce, forgiving parents and connecting with others who share this experience. For more information visit: https://sfarch.org/event/life-giving-wounds-retreat/
Dec. 12-14: Women’s retreat for healing after abortion
The Archdiocese of San Francisco sponsors Project Rachel, which helps women and men heal from the pain of abortion and find peace and reconciliation. This three-day retreat, led by Father Vito Perrone,
Dec. 6: Cruzada Guadalupana
The 32nd Cruzada Guadalupana pilgrimage will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6. The day begins at 5 a.m. at All Souls Catholic Church with a blessing at 5:30 a.m. The pilgrimage walk begins at 6 a.m. There will be five stops along the way with the pilgrimage ending at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, where Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Cordileone at 2 p.m.
COSJ, offers a warm and healing environment where attendees can participate in Mass, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, engage in counseling and share at their own comfort level. All inquiries and attendance are confidential. This retreat is free. For more information visit: https://sfarch.org/event/ womens-retreat-for-healing-after-abortion/
Photo by Dennis Callahan
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