St. Juliana Falconieri parish came together to provide electricity to a rural village in Uganda.
9
TROT TROT TO TURKEY TOWN
St. Angela Merici Parish School’s jog-a-thon braved the weather for a turkey-themed event.
10 BINGO!
The St. Edward the Confessor Parish School community came together for pasta, fun and fundraising.
14
MARY IS GOD’S BLUEPRINT Mary is the perfection of humanity’s potential.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC MISSION STATEMENT
The Orange County Catholic Newspaper seeks to illuminate and animate the journey of faith for Catholics within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange – building solidarity among the faithful and inviting a deeper understanding and involvement in the mission of Christ – through the timely sharing of news, commentary and feature content in an engaging, accessible and compelling format.
ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC
The Official Newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Diocese of Orange Pastoral Center, 13280 Chapman Ave., Garden Grove 92840
Publisher: The Most Reverend Kevin W. Vann, Bishop of Orange
Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com
SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT
Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams Art Director: Ryann Beveridge
Delivered weekly to parishes and homes throughout Orange County, Calif., Orange County Catholic is published by SCNG Custom Content, a division of Southern California News Group that offers content development and design expertise to businesses and nonprofit institutions. The Orange County Catholic editorial staff and editorial council are responsible for the content contained herein. Events and products advertised in Orange County Catholic do not carry the implicit endorsement of the Diocese of Orange or SCNG Custom Content.
JAN 10 • 4PM CERRITOS CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
NATIVITY SCENE
READER CALL-OUT
This is the first Nativity Scene I bought as an adult in 1979 after getting married. I have put it up every year since and have added quite a few more.
—Laurette Glorioso Kester, Santa Clara de Asís Parish in Yorba Linda.
If you would like to share a photo of your Nativity Scene with our readers, please send a photo and brief description (include your name and parish) to: Editor@ occatholic.com C
“ In knowing God, we can never reach him through reason alone…” — Pope Leo XIV
ISAIAH 40:1-11; PSALM 96:1-2, 3 AND 10AC, 11-12, 13; MATTHEW 18:12-14
WEDNESDAY
ISAIAH 40:25-31; PSALM 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 AND 10; MATTHEW 11:2830
THURSDAY
ISAIAH 41:13-20; PSALM 145:1 AND 9, 10-11, 12-13AB; MATTHEW 11:11-15
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION
19TH CENTURY
THE CATHOLIC DOGMA THAT Mary, the mother of Jesus, was free from original sin from the moment of her conception and preserved from all sin throughout her earthly life was declared by Pope Pius IX in 1854. However, for centuries Catholics had believed in Mary's exceptional holiness as a divine favor in anticipation of her role in salvation; by the eighth century, the Eastern church believed her holiness was flawless and immense, and this belief gradually spread throughout the Western church. The feast is fixed nine months before the feast marking Mary's birthday on Sept. 8. Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is the patron of the United States and 10 other nations in South America, Africa, Asia and Europe..C
PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK
FRIDAY
ZECHARIAH 2:14-17; JUDITH 13:18BCDE, 19; LUKE 1:26-38
SATURDAY
SIRACH 48:1-4, 9-11; PSALM 80:2AC AND 3B, 15-16, 18-19; MATTHEW 17:9A, 10-13
SUNDAY
ISAIAH 35:1-6A, 10; PSALM 146:6-7, 8-9, 9-10; JAMES 5:7-10; MATTHEW 11:2-11
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURETTE GLORIOSO KESTER
TWO NEW CONVENTS DEDICATED BEFORE AND DURING VOCATION AWARENESS WEEK: A BLESSING FOR THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE
BY JOAN PATTEN, AO
THE FIRST WEEK OF November marks National Vocation Awareness Week, a time when the Church reflects on the gift of consecrated life and prays for an increase in holy vocations. This year, the Diocese of Orange had a special reason to celebrate: the dedication of two new convents, each bringing unique charisms and ministries that will enrich the local Church.
LOVERS OF THE HOLY CROSS OF NHA TRANG: WITNESSES OF JOYFUL LOVE
On Oct. 25, Bishop Kevin Vann dedicated the new convent of the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Nha Trang, officially named the John Paul II Community, in Garden Grove. The liturgy, attended by more than 150 friends and supporters, was held under a tent in the convent’s backyard. During the ceremony, Bishop Vann blessed the convent and chapel, and the Blessed Sacrament was reserved in the convent’s chapel so the sisters may draw strength for the religious life and mission from the Eucharist.
The Lovers of the Holy Cross was founded in the 17th century by Servant of God Bishop Pierre Lambert de la Motte in Vietnam. Their charism is to live the mystery of the Cross in daily life, combining deep contemplation with active service. While the congregation began in Vietnam, the Nha Trang branch has been present in the United States since 2007 and has served the Diocese of Orange for over a decade. Since 2013, the sisters have operated a Vietnamese daycare and preschool in Garden Grove, commuting daily from Norwalk. They also assist with faith
formation at St. Polycarp parish in Stanton, where one sister serves as Confirmation coordinator. The new convent will house four sisters, enabling them to live their religious life more fully while continuing their apostolate in the diocese. Their presence strengthens family life, supports parish catechesis and offers a joyful witness of consecrated love.
SISTERS OF THE BLESSED KOREAN MARTYRS: SERVING WITH SELFLESS LOVE
Just a week later, on Nov. 4, Bishop Vann dedicated the “Mu-a Nanumteo” (Selfless Sharing Center) convent of the Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs, also in Garden Grove. Due to limited space, the liturgy was held on the patio, where Bishop Vann blessed the convent and its small oratory, and the Blessed Sacrament was reserved.
Two sisters will reside in this convent, focusing on ministry to Korean senior citizens. Through daily activities, Bible studies, and pastoral care, they provide companionship and spiritual nourishment to elders who might otherwise feel isolated. Their charism flows from the heroic witness of the Korean martyrs, inspiring a life of sacrifice and evangelization.
Founded in Korea in 1946, the Sisters of the Blessed Korean Martyrs have grown into a missionary congregation with communities across Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Their new convent in the Diocese of Orange expands their U.S. presence, which already includes Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas and New York. Their ministry will strengthen the Korean Catholic
ON OCT. 25, BISHOP KEVIN VANN BLESSED AND DEDICATED THE NEW CONVENT AND CHAPEL OF THE LOVERS OF THE HOLY CROSS OF NHA TRANG. PHOTO BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
WAS HELD ON OCT. 25 UNDER A TENT IN THE CONVENT’S BACKYARD. PHOTOS BY IAN TRAN/DIOCESE OF ORANGE two convents stands as a tangible sign of God’s providence.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5 community and deepen the religious witness in our diocese.
A GIFT FOR THE LOCAL CHURCH
The timing of the dedication of these
“We are so blessed to have the opportunity to welcome two new convents in our diocese within a month,” reflected Bishop Vann. “I am grateful for the CONTINUES ON PAGE 7
THE DEDICATION OF THE NEW CONVENT OF THE LOVERS OF THE HOLY CROSS OF NHA TRANG
THE LITURGY WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 150 FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS OF THE LOVERS OF THE HOLY CROSS OF NHA TRANG.
many ways the Lord will work through the sisters’ ministry in our diocese.” C
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: A RURAL COMMUNITY IN UGANDA RECEIVES ELECTRICITY
BY ST. JULIANA FALCONIERI
KAKUBANSIRI, A SMALL village in the Gomba district of Uganda, had lived without electricity since its inception. Despite some progress, national electricity access in Uganda remains relatively low, with estimates ranging from 22% and 60% even in urban areas.
Fr. Raphael Ddamba is a priest in the Archdiocese of Kampala, Uganda. He studied for the priesthood at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo. Between 2016 and 2021, he served as chaplain at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton, and from there he was assigned to his home diocese Kampala to establish a new parish, St. Joseph the Worker Jjanya, in the Mpigi district. Currently, he is assigned as a college chaplain for Kyambogo public University in Kampala.
Fr. Raphael is a sign of hope and innovation for his people, and not only at his primary assignments as university chaplain and parish priest. Indeed, his ministry spans beyond the walls of the university and parish communities. In 2022 he established the St. Isidore Next Generation
Foundation, a non-profit incorporated in California (stisidorenextgeneration.org).
The main objective is to uplift the standards of his community by ensuring basic services including access to clean water and electricity, as well as empowering the young generation through education and training them with life sustaining skills.
Last summer while visiting St. Juliana, Fr. Michael Pontarelli, OSM, St. Juliana’s pastor, asked if there was some way that the Fullerton parish could help his people in Uganda. Without skipping a beat Fr. Raphael responded: “Yes, your parish could help by bringing electricity to a small village of over 1,000 households about four kilometers away that is without electricity.”
Can you imagine living without electric power in the year 2024?
Permission for an extraordinary second collection at St. Juliana was asked for and granted. Fr. Raphael preached a powerful homily explaining the community’s need at each of the five Sunday Masses. The second collection was taken, the funds were sent and the project had begun.
The first step, a thorough mapping of the area, began on Sept. 3, 2024. This was
essential to assess the village’s infrastructural needs, the terrain and the distribution of power to the households. The mapping identified the most efficient routes for the laying of electrical poles and cables, ensuring that the power would reach as many of the homes, school and businesses as possible. Included in this first phase was planning for future electric power to accommodate the community’s future growth.
Once the mapping was completed, the work moved swiftly. Electric poles were erected, transformers installed and cables were laid. By the end of September 2024, the village of Kakubansiri, Uganda, experienced something they had only dreamed of — reliable electricity around-the-clock. This is life-changing for the families and small businesses in this community. Previously, they relied on kerosene lamps which are both dangerous and expensive — but the only accessible source of fuel at the time. Children can now study and families can engage in activities well into the night. Electricity is also a promise for economic growth. Health centers can operate essential equipment. Retail shops and salons
have since opened. The newly found power enables artisans to use electric tools to increase their productivity. Farming is also made easier, because of electricity access, local farmers implement irrigation, run milling machines for animal and poultry feeds and thus increase their productivity.
Establishing electricity in Kakubansiri is more than just a project; when communities work together, it is a sign of hope. What started as a casual conversation while two priests were sharing Sunday pasta became a vision. The completed project turned into a life-changing reality for people in a village more than 8,500 miles from Fullerton. From darkness to light! The village is now on a path to progress, illuminated by the power of compassion, collaboration, generosity and the dream of a couple of priests sharing a meal. The project expanded to bring electricity to a grammar school that existed without a convenience we take for granted as being universal. Children and their teachers now study with electricity. Can you imagine a grammar school without electricity? The St. Juliana community couldn’t either. They easily said: “Let there be light!” C
STAFF
ST. JULIANA FALCONIERI PARISH IN FULLERTON SUPPORTED A LIFE-CHANGING PROJECT THAT BROUGHT ELECTRICITY TO A SMALL VILLAGE IN UGANDA. PHOTOS COURTESY OF FR. RAPHAEL DDAMBA
TROT TROT TO TURKEY TOWN
BY BRITNEY ZINT
DRESSED IN A LARGERthan-life inflatable turkey costume from the chest down, eighth-grader Parker Halliday, 14, led a gaggle of mini turkeys behind him — from TK up to third grade — as the confetti cannon signaled the start.
With the sky threatening to open, the little turkeys in twin bright orange T-shirts took off running with lots of cheers as “Who Let the Dogs Out” blasted.
“We are going to run together, cheer for our friends and, most importantly, have a fantastic time,” said Annabelle Acosta, 14, student council president. “So lace up your sneakers and get your running legs ready. Let’s get excited for the Turkey Trot!”
St. Angela Merici Parish School in Brea held its first Turkey Trot on Nov. 20. The fundraiser jog-a-thon was raising money for the school’s general fund. Every single student on campus participated, said Principal JoAnn Telles.
St. Angela’s has hosted jog-a-thons in the past, but wanted to make it more exciting by giving it a turkey theme — with an extra focus on all they have to be grateful for, Telles said.
“We thought this would be a great way to send the kids off for Thanksgiving and have a fun event before they go,” Telles said.
“We’re so blessed. The blessings we have at this school — we’re so grateful.”
Parents came out to cheer on their children, giving a high-five or waving a sign as the older students made sure to support the littles. Eighth graders lined the track, waving red and white pompoms and giving encouragement as students rounded the bend.
Acosta, who is in eighth grade, said the event is a fun way to be active with your friends, and it’s encouraging to have the audience cheering. Along with classmates, Acosta lined the track, waved pompoms and gave high-fives as the younger students were running their first loop.
“I hope they just feel great; they feel more positive about themselves and feel like they can do anything,” Acosta said of her peers. “This is a great way to build a good mentality. You’re with friends, you’re having fun. I think it’s great.”
For third-grader Adaline Bastida Tammen, the sprinkling rain coming down off and on only added to the joy.
“It was fun and tiring,” the 9-yearold said. “I ran and then I got tired, so I walked. Then I started running again because of the music.”
The rain picked up during the fourththrough eighth graders’ turn, but that didn’t deter them. Taking his second turn
leading the Turkey Trot, this time for his older peers, Halliday ran around again for his own shot at the event.
He said he dressed up in the inflatable turkey to make his younger peers more enthusiastic and increase school spirit. Halliday said he hopes all his schoolmates take away good memories from the Turkey Trot.
“There was a lot of energy,” Halliday said, slightly out of breath. “But I’m so tired. It’s hard to run in this blowup!” C
VANESSA HALLIDAY, THE MUSIC TEACHER AT ST. ANGELA MERICI PARISH SCHOOL, HIGH-FIVES A PARTICIPANT IN THE SCHOOL’S TURKEY TROT ON THURSDAY, NOV. 20. PHOTOS BY SCOTT SMELTZER/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
PARKER HALLIDAY, 14, LEFT, WALKS A FINAL LAP WITH YOUNGER STUDENTS DURING ST. ANGELA MERICI PARISH SCHOOL’S TURKEY TROT IN BREA.
VALERIE DE LEON, RIGHT, HOLDS A SIGN UP IN SUPPORT OF STUDENTS DURING THE ST. ANGELA MERICI PARISH SCHOOL TURKEY TROT IN BREA ON NOV. 20.
BINGO!
ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR PARISH SCHOOL'S MONARCH GIVING DAY
BY BRITNEY ZINT
WITH PLATES OF spaghetti, salad and garlic bread, children and parents tried to navigate eating their dinner while clutching bingo daubers and listening intently to Fr. Mike Rizzo calling out the numbers within the bustling hall.
Finally, sixth-grader Adelyn Gill jumped up, weaving between tables and chairs filled with her classmates and their families. She zig-zagged to the front to show her winning bingo card.
“This was my first time playing bingo,” Gill said triumphantly. “It’s really fun because you get to be with family and friends, and I was really happy that my friend was with me when I won.”
St. Edward the Confessor Parish School hosted its 8th annual Monarch Giving Day on Nov. 18 with its penultimate event: Bingo and Bolognese in the parish’s pastoral center. The event brought out more than 300 members of the Dana Point school and parish for the fundraiser event — nearly double last year’s turnout. The school raised more than $131,000.
“This year’s Monarch Giving Day was more than a fundraiser; it was a celebration of who we are as a community: faithful, joyful and full of heart,” said Principal Suzanne Edwards. “Together, we live out our mission every day: to form disciples of Christ who lead with love and serve with gratitude.”
The Monarch Giving Day is St. Edward’s 33-hour and 1-minute fundraiser for its annual fund. The fund supports student enrichment, such as extracurriculars and academic programs; campus safety and security; tuition assistance for
families in need; professional development opportunities for faculty and staff. The 33 hours and 1 minute represent the school’s 1981 founding in minutes.
The goal of the day was to raise $80,000; a number they hit before Bingo and Bolognese even started.
Hitting the goal was an exciting moment at the school, said St. Edward Events Coordinator Whitney Tioleco.
“Honestly, we were so excited,” said Tioleco. “I feel like our community in general is so generous. I know it can be tough times right now, but these families are so generous. Whether it’s a small donation or a large donation, whatever they can give, people still want to give to the school to help support these important buckets that we fundraise for.”
ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR PARISH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL SUSAN EDWARDS WELCOMES PARISHIONERS AND EXPLAINS THE RULES DURING A BINGO NIGHT FUNDRAISER HELD ON NOV. 18. PHOTOS BY JEFF ANTENORE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
GEOFF MILES OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO SITS WITH HIS SONS, ANDREW MILES, LEFT, 7, AND JACK MILES, 10, AS THEY LOOK UP AT THE BIG BOARD OF NUMBERS WHILE PLAYING BINGO DURING A FUNDRAISER AT ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR PARISH SCHOOL.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
For 11-year-old Gill, events like these are something to look forward to. She started at St. Edward last year and is enjoying the opportunity to play lacrosse and compete in mock trial — much better opportunities offered than at her public school.
For eighth-graders Lilliana Lezama, 14, and Lainey Loungarikis, 13, it was important to come out to support their school. They were both volunteering selling sodas and cookies to raise money for their grades’ graduation gifts. They both said St. Edward is a welcoming environment. Loungarikis said she especially appreciates that no one is excluded.
“I’m passionate about my school because I love all the teachers and how nice and supportive everyone is,” Lezama added.
Parent Rosalee Hormuth wanted to help by volunteering at the event to give back to the community she has been a part of for the last eight years. Hormuth and her husband decided to enroll their oldest son in second grade after his public school underwent budget cuts that affected arts and music education. After touring St. Edward the Confessor and seeing its art and music room, the family was sold.
“We saw that and we were like, ‘Sign us up!’” Hormuth said. “We also liked the idea that it’s connected to the church. It’s more of that family/ faith combination. C
PAROCHIAL ADMINISTRATOR FR. MIKE RIZZO CALLS OUT BINGO NUMBERS DURING THE FUNDRAISER. PHOTOS BY JEFF ANTENORE/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR PARISH SCHOOL STUDENTS SERVE PASTA AND SALAD DURING THE BINGO NIGHT FUNDRAISER.
CATHERINE WADMAN, LEFT, A LEARNING SUPPORT TEACHER AT ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR PARISH SCHOOL, AND JESSICA CAPEK, A SECOND GRADE TEACHER AT THE SCHOOL, SIT TOGETHER WHILE PLAYING BINGO.
A NOVEL IDEA
BY BRITNEY ZINT
SEATED IN FRONT OF A drawing of the Hundred Acre Wood, with Winnie the Pooh up in a tree eating “hunny” and Piglet on another, the school’s athletic director, Jose Dubon, read aloud holding his well-worn, taped-together copy of The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore. The children were seated on tiny wooden benches around the stage, some listening raptly and some clutching one of the many puppets for sale. Others started to flip through the new copies of Dog Man, which they hoped their parents would buy for them.
Dubon continued: “‘Until everything Morris knew was scattered, even the words of his books.’ How do you think
Morris Lessmore feels?” One child shouted, “Sad!”
“He feels very sad?” Dubon inquired. “What happened to him?”
St. Juliana Falconieri Catholic School in Fullerton took over the children’s section of the local Barnes & Noble on a Friday night for their twice-yearly book fair fundraiser.
The Nov. 14 event brought out children wrapped in coats and sweatshirts and their parents clutching umbrellas on the rainy evening to support the school. A portion of the book sales will go back to St. Juliana to fund the purchase of new books for the library.
“It’s a great fundraiser for the school,” said Dr. Teresa Puccini, St. Juliana’s principal. “We get books for our library with the money that they raise, and the
ALAINA DE LEON, 8, DRESSED AS ELIZA SCHUYLER, READS WHO WANTS A CHEAP RHINOCEROS? BY SHEL SILVERSTEIN DURING THE ST. JULIANA SCHOOL AT THE BARNES & NOBLE BOOK FAIR IN FULLERTON ON FRIDAY, NOV. 15. PHOTOS BY SCOTT SMELTZER/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
RHEA SIGALA, 11, LEFT, DRESSED AS HAMILTON AND LUNA RIOS-AGUILAR, 10, LEFT, DRESSED AS MAOMAO FROM THE APOTHECARY DIARIES, LOOK THROUGH A BOOK DURING THE ST. JULIANA SCHOOL BOOK FAIR.
SARAH JOHNSON, LEFT, AND HER SON TREY, 8, DRESSED AS GEORGE WASHINGTON, LOOK AT BOOKS DURING THE ST. JULIANA SCHOOL BOOK FAIR HELD AT THE BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSTORE IN FULLERTON.
DIOCESAN NEWS
families come together. They get to spend time together and the kids are having a ball. It’s a great night.”
Dubon, who also serves as a science aide, was one of four readers that night. He decided to read a well-loved book from his own family library that he used to read to his children, who are now teenagers. He said he wanted to share the story — and a little bit of himself — with his students as a way to connect.
“I love reading,” Dubon shared. “I loved reading to my kids when they were younger. It’s something I miss now that they are older, and I love to share that with the kids at the school. I think it’s important. It’s about building relationships and memories.”
Kindergarten teacher Jessica Swoish read the classic If You Give a Mouse A Cookie . She was dressed in overalls just like the main mouse character, only with felt cookies pinned to the front.
Two third graders also volunteered
to get onstage to read to the assembled students and parents.
Dressed as Eliza from Hamiliton , Alaina De Leon, 8, took to the stage in a sage green dress made voluminous by the hoop skirts underneath to read Shel Silverstein’s Who Wants a Cheap Rhinoceros? A fan of the iconic children’s author, De Leon, who also read aloud last year, said she wasn’t nervous; she had read Silverstein’s book many times and felt comfortable at the bookstore surrounded by friends.
“I just love reading,” De Leon commented. “You can learn something new.”
For Cecilia Beerman, the experience was nerve-racking at first, but when she finally started reading, she felt happier.
Beerman read Rude Cakes — a book she found in her school library and thought it had a good message.
“I read some pages and I was like, ‘It’s a good lesson,’ Beerman said. “The rude cake finally learned she should be nicer.” C
Please give to those who have given a lifetime.
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Nếu bạn là nạn nhân bị lạm dụng tình dục bởi một linh mục/ tu sĩ hay một thành viên trong Giáo Hội gây ra, xin hãy gọi và báo cáo cho Giáo phận ở số điện thoại miễn phí sau đây: 1-800-364-3064, và đồng thời báo cáo cho nhà chức trách địa phương.
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인 경우, 교구청의 무료 신고 전화 번호, 1-800-364-3064 및 관할
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Our senior sisters, brothers, and religious order priests need your help. Decades of caring for others with little or no pay have left many communities without sufficient retirement savings. Over 20,500 elderly religious depend on the Retirement Fund for Religious for health care, medication, and daily living expenses. Your gift helps ensure they receive the care they deserve. Please give back to those who have given a lifetime.
Please donate at your local parish, December 13–14, or by mail at:
National Religious Retirement Office/ORAS 3211 Fourth Street NE Washington DC 20017-1194 Make check payable to Retirement Fund for Religious.
MARY IS GOD'S BLUEPRINT
BY JOAN PATTEN, AO
E“VERY PERSON CARRIES within his heart a blueprint of the one he loves. What seems to be ‘love at first sight’ is actually the fulfillment of desire, the realization of a dream.” These profound words begin Venerable Fulton J. Sheen’s book, The World’s First Love, and elaborate that God, too, has great plans and desires for His creation. However, Sheen notes that God, who is outside of time, sees two realities at once: who we are now and who we are ultimately meant to be. In our own unique and unrepeatable way, we are each called to holiness and communion with God and others. The divine blueprint becomes distorted when we choose our own way, leading to sin and alienation from God and one another.
Sheen reflects further that there is one member of humanity whose life perfectly matched God’s design, and that person is the Virgin Mary, His Mother. Her whole life is lived in harmony with God’s will. This is what we celebrate on Dec. 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. In 1846, the United States bishops declared Mary under this title as Patroness of the United States, inspired by the devotion of early European settlers who cultivated a special devotion to her Immaculate Conception and sought to entrust their mission to her maternal care.
The dogma of the Immaculate Conception, proclaimed by Pope Pius IX in 1854, teaches that by God’s power Mary was preserved from original sin at the first instant of her
way. As we receive our own greatness in God’s sight, we are called to recognize His abiding presence in our neighbors as well and, in turn, treat them with great reverence, from the first moment of life at conception until our last breath.
Mary’s unique privilege of being free from sin also teaches us that God’s grace is stronger than sin. Her receptivity gives us hope, especially where we feel poor, broken and afraid. Her living witness strengthens us to overcome sin with God’s grace and embrace His plan of love.
As Patroness of the United States, Mary serves as a faithful intercessor for our nation. Her feast day is a holy day of obligation and an opportunity to give thanks to God for His work in Our Lady. In celebrating her, we make ourselves available to God’s grace. In Mary, we see the blueprint fulfilled and the promise of what we can become when we allow grace to work in us. C
conception. Just as God set apart Israel to prepare for the coming of the Messiah, He prepared Mary for her unique mission as Mother of God. God, who is not bound by time, applied the merits of Christ’s saving Passion to Mary “in advance,” making her the first fruit of redemption and the first member of humanity to be fully redeemed. The Immaculate Conception does not set an unattainable standard. Rather, it is the clearest sign
of what God desires for all of humanity. Mary’s holiness does not remove her from us; instead, she draws near to us as our mother and model of redeemed humanity. She shows us what God’s grace looks like when fully received with trust and freedom, revealing who we are meant to be as God’s perfected and beloved children.
Mary’s Immaculate Conception teaches us how God honors our human dignity. Made in God’s image and likeness, we are fully capable of reflecting God’s holiness in our own unique and unrepeatable
STATUE OF THE VIRGIN MARY IN THE BASILICA DI SANTA MARGHERITA IN CORTONA, TUSCANY, ITALY. PHOTO BY GABRIELLA CLARE MARINO ON UNSPLASH
OC Catholic Afar
Members from St. Vincent de Paul parish in Huntington Beach visited the historic Cologne Cathedral in Germany! The cathedral took 600 years to build and was completed in 1880.
— Pictured from left to right: Brian Maxwell, Christina Maxwell, Victoria Sevdayan, Grant Sevdayan, Nectar Jolly and Judith Lopez.
We want your photos! Send your pictures of “OC Catholic Afar” — of you, family or friends visiting Catholic churches and other interesting places — to editor@occatholic.com. Please include a brief description of the photo, the name of the person(s) featured in the photo and their home parish.
