OC CATHOLIC - APRIL 24, 2022

APRIL 24, 2022

EASTER IN THE DIOCESE PAGE 12

THE OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ORANGE n OCCATHOLIC.COM

SACRED SPACE HEART OF JESUS RETREAT CENTER AIMS AT REACHING ‘WHOLE PERSON’ THROUGH RETREATS, CATECHESIS PAGE 8

THE SISTERS OF THE SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE SACRED HEART ALONG WITH GUESTS AT THE 2019 “COME AND SEE DAY” EVENT AT THE HEART OF JESUS RETREAT CENTER IN SANTA ANA. COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART

APRIL 24, 2022

CONTENTS

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TIS THE SEASON

Confirmations have begun in parishes around the world.

MILESTONES AND AFFIRMATIONS Faith is everywhere and everything is about God.

HOLY FAMILY CHURCH COMPLETES HOSTS EVANGELIZATION RETREAT The Orange parish brought together several dozen faithful to bring witness to the Risen Christ.

PLUS

Guest Column, Weekly Readings, Moments In Our Journey

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 Executive Editor: Monsignor Stephen Doktorczyk Editor: Patricia Mahoney, editor@occatholic.com News Ideas: editor@occatholic.com Delivery Problems: occatholicsupport@occatholic.com

ADVERTISING Director of Custom Content: Caroline Wong, cawong@scng.com

SCNG CUSTOM CONTENT Managing Editor: Caitlin Adams

Art Director: Fernando M. Donado

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.

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BE A VOICE IN THE '21-'23 SYNOD In the diocesan phase of the Synod on Synodality, the Holy Father has asked bishops throughout the world to consult the faithful in their dioceses on the meaning of Synodality ("journeying together") for the Church's mission. In the Diocese of Orange, we have been listening to the faithful through consultations, interviews, and website submissions. Please visit the link below if you would like to contribute your thoughts.

Participate today!

RCBO.org/synod

GUEST COLUMN

LEARNING TO LOVE THE CRY ROOM

BY ELISE ITALIANO URENECK CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

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HEN I WAS A YOUNG, single professional living in Washington, I harbored a secret judgment against churches that had “cry rooms.”

In my naivete, I considered parishes that built these spaces to be intolerant of young children.

While I appreciate a reverent Mass, a silent church is a dying church, I thought.

It seemed to me that the parents who took their children to the cry rooms were doing so out of a sense of shame, their pained and wincing faces saying to the rest of us, “I know, I know; we should have just stayed home.”

Fast forward three and a half years later to my life with a toddler and an infant in tow. I now consider the cry room a sanctuary within a sanctuary, a gift of which only compassionate and loving parent-architects could have conceived.

On any given Sunday, my husband and I exchange looks of compassion with the other parents as if to say, “This is the way we pray the Mass now, too.”

Some babies wind up in the cry room because, as the name aptly suggests, they are inconsolable. And some toddlers are clever enough to know what kind of behavior will get them sent there.

But I’ve found that parents like me also bring their children there so that

ELISE ITALIANO URENECK IS A COMMUNICATIONS CONSULTANT AND A COLUMNIST FOR CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE. PHOTO: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE

they can be children -- wild, free, curious, bustling with energy. It’s not that asking a child to sit through the Mass is misguided. They’ll eventually need the stamina to make it to the final blessing.

But asking a young child to sit still for any length of time, even at the dinner table with food that he or she likes, is nearly always a fool’s errand. Children want to play. And that’s a good thing, because that’s how they were made.

That’s why I am glad for cry rooms and vestibules (de facto cry rooms, if we’re honest), that have big open windows. The design is not only good because parents can see out, but because CONTINUES ON PAGE 14

The Diocese of Orange, through OC Catholic newspaper, presents local, national and world news about the Catholic Church. Our intention is to give our readers access to a variety of perspectives in order to help them to process the information within the framework of our Catholic faith, but also to better understand the perspectives of those with opposing viewpoints. We hope that ultimately our readers will be better equipped to have constructive conversations that further the growth of the Catholic Church.

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DAILY READINGS AND REFLECTIONS

“ DIFFICULTY, SURVIVAL, AND GLORY

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N REVELATION, JOHN THE EVANGELIST tells us what we can expect as followers of the risen Jesus: distress, endurance, and a kingdom. Although we are only eight days into our fifty-day Easter feasting, we cannot ignore the distress weighing down our daily lives.

Jesus’ resurrection does not erase individual suffering, but his glorious triumph over death cultivates endurance in our hearts. We remember that Jesus did not spare himself, and we ask for the strength to endure as he did. Imitating Christ helps us grow as members of God’s royal family. As beloved citizens of the Kingdom of God, we recognize our kinship with all people. Peter demonstrates his care for others as he heals multitudes of broken, suffering people.

In the Gospel, Thomas accepts his own spiritual healing when Jesus helps him to believe. In times of difficulty, survival, and glory, we borrow Thomas’ declaration of faith: “My Lord and my God!” Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co. C

It is not the saints who work miracles, but…the grace of God that acts through them.

”

— Pope Francis

SAINT PROFILE

FIDELIS OF SIGMARINGEN 1577-1622

B

ORN IN SIGMARINGEN (GERMANY), MARK ROY studied philosophy and law at the University of Freiburg in Breisgau.

After tutoring young aristocrats and traveling Europe with them, he began practicing law in Alsace, where he quickly became “the poor person’s lawyer.” But, disillusioned over other lawyers’ behavior, he gave up the law to follow a vocation in religious life. As an ordained Capuchin named Fidelis, he was renowned for his holiness, preaching and leadership. He was superior at several houses before being invited to eastern Switzerland to call Protestants back to Catholicism. This mission, complicated by the politics of the time and hatred of the Catholic Habsburgs, became increasingly dangerous and led to his murder by opponents. He was canonized in 1746. C

READINGS FOR THE WEEK

PHOTOS: CATHOLIC NEWS SERVICE, SHUTTERSTOCK

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

1 PT 5:5B-14; PS 89:2-3, 6-7, 1617; MK 16:15-20

ACTS 4:32-37; PS 93:1-2, 5; JN 3:7B-15

ACTS 5:17-26; PS 34:2-9; JN 3:16-21

ACTS 5:27-33; PS 34:2, 9, 17-20; JN 3:31-36

ACTS 5:34-42; PS 27:1, 4, 13-14; JN 6:1-15

ACTS 6:1-7; PS 33:1-2, 4-5, 1819; JN 6:16-21

ACTS 5:27-32, 40B-41; PS 30:2, 4-6, 11-13; RV 5:1114; JN 21:1-19 [1-14]

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FEATURE

‘TIS THE SEASON

SPRINGTIME BRINGS THE ANNUAL RITE OF CONFIRMATION TO PARISHES AROUND THE WORLD

BY NICOLE GREGORY

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N THE UPCOMING WEEKS and months, parishes around Orange County will be celebrating many Confirmation Masses. It is a peak spiritual moment for Catholics.

“Through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit—wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord—we are strengthened to live our universal call to holiness and sent on a mission,” said Catherine Ord, Youth Ministry Programs Coordinator in the Diocese of Orange. Most often it is teenagers who are confirmed, though adults may be confirmed too.

Confirmation Masses are both solemn and joyful—they mark the day, after two years of preparation, when those being confirmed complete the Sacraments of Initiation and are sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit that they first received at baptism, explained Ord. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops describes it this way: “Confirmation deepens our baptismal life that calls us to be missionary witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, neighborhoods, society, and the world.

We receive the message of faith in a deeper and more intensive manner with great emphasis given to the person of Jesus Christ, who asked the Father to give the Holy Spirit to the Church for building up the community in loving service.”

Is there is a best age to be confirmed?

Not according to Ord. “I think con-

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BISHOP KEVIN VANN ADDRESSES CONFIRMANDS AT LA PURISIMA CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ORANGE DURING A CONFIRMATION MASS IN SEPTEMBER 2020.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE

firmation is equally as important for adults as it is for children,” she said. “In our Diocese, Confirmation begins in high school and is a two-year journey. I love to read letters young people write to the bishop describing how God is working in their lives. I do not think I can generalize that the experience is more powerful by age group, but I do think that solid formation that allows space for questioning, and encounter does play a role in the confirmation journey.”

This formation process can have an effect on the whole family of the person being confirmed. At Saint Philip

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Benizi Church in Fullerton, parents and siblings are brought into gatherings leading up to the Confirmation Mass so they can be part of the process. Each teen chooses a person to be his or her sponsor, said Nohemi Gutierrez, confirmation coordinator and youth minister at Saint Philip Benizi Church. This is someone who will accompany the teen through his or her faith journey. The Confirmation Mass for Saint Philip Benizi Church will be held on May 11.

Confirmation has the most impact when it is approached with thoughtfulness and an open mind, said Ord. “When teens are pushed through a

program that does not consider where they are in their faith journey and they are not accompanied well, the sacrament can turn into a box they checked for their family,” she said.

This pitfall is one that adults should beware of also.

“In the same way, an adult who is not given opportunities for personal encounters with Christ may leave the confirmation process with head knowledge without the heart knowledge to fall in love with the Church and her teachings,” said Ord. “I believe the confirmation journey helps people to: understand CONTINUES ON PAGE 7

FEATURE / CATHOLIC FAMILY LIVING CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

their identity in Christ, feel part of the body of Christ and feel called to be witness to their faith.”

Confirmations are typically springtime events for a reason. “The preferred time to celebrate Confirmation Mass is during the Easter Season, the 50 days that begin at Easter and end with Pentecost—the coming of the Holy Spirit,” said Ord. At Christ Cathedral, the sacrament of Confirmation follows the same liturgy of Confirmation as all the other parishes. Each parish is allowed to have the liturgies in the language that best serves its communities. To accommodate the large numbers of the confirmands, parishes can also request to perform multiple Confirmation Masses, explained Ord. For instance, at Saint Cecilia Church in Tustin, Confirmation Masses are performed in three languages: English, Spanish and Vietnamese — as are the classes leading up to the Confirmation Mass.

“Confirmations have always been geared to our youth,” said Deacon Bill Weeks. For two years, he said, teens at his church have been meeting monthly or weekly depending on the need. Before COVID, the parish of Saint Cecilia consisted of about 4,000 people. Now it’s about 3,000, with eight in-person Masses performed each weekend.

Ord has strong hopes for everyone who is being confirmed in the Diocese this year.

“I want to echo the Pope Francis sentiment for the young people when he says, ‘Dear young people, do not bury your talents, the gifts that God has given you! Do not be afraid to dream of great things!’ My hope for those being confirmed as an adult or a young person is that the Holy Spirit will set their hearts on fire so that they can go and share the Gospel with others.” C

MILESTONES AND AFFIRMATIONS

BY KATIE DAWSON

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MET A WOMAN LAST WEEK who emigrated from Slovakia some years back. She drew a picture of her life in that country which I found fascinating. When she was a child in what was then a Communist state, she said the state didn’t actually interfere with the long enduring Catholic faith of the citizens. Almost everyone in the small country was Catholic (95%), churches were full even on weekdays and when the church bells rang three times a day, everyone fell to their knees to pray no matter where they were. On the sidewalk, on the bus, in the market, when the bells rang, the people prayed. Men and women walking from one place to another frequently held the Rosary in their hands and prayed as they walked. She asked her grandmother one day while walking: “Grandmother, is EVERYTHING about God? “And she was answered: “Yes, my dear EVERYTHING.” It’s difficult to imagine such a scene. And I’m not sure my knees are up to the task of hitting the ground when the bells ring. But what I find attractive about her story is the way that the deeper reality of God’s presence was evident in daily life. The invisible presence of God was perhaps a bit less invisible due to the rhythms and practices of faith woven into daily life. “….is everything about God?... yes, everything.”

I saw the seasonal promotion from Hallmark last week: Moms, Dads, Grads.

I know they’re selling cards, but it is indeed one of the signs of spring.

For Catholics, spring is also “sacrament season.” First Communions and

ST. ELISABETH CATHEDRAL IN THE MAIN SQUARE OF KOSICE CITY, SLOVAKIA. PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK

Confirmations are on the horizons – milestones in Catholic sacramental life.

Children have been getting ready for a while, learning prayers by heart, studying the tenets of Catholic faith and the stories about Jesus.

As the day of First Communion or Confirmation comes closer, parents are managing a myriad of details, dress codes and requirements, planning parties and family visits. Special clothes will be purchased or perhaps an heirloom dress or veil will be worn. Pictures will be taken – and pictures and keepsakes from previous celebrations will be examined.

Older folks will reminisce about their own First Communions or Confirmations. Special moments, milestones remembered.

There’s a deeper thread running through all the preparations, all the remembering. Sacramental celebrations highlight and emphasize a truth that can sometimes be lost in daily life. God is

with us; God extends His love to us and God asks us to pay attention and respond to His action in our lives. In Baptism we were claimed as God’s own, we entered into the death and resurrection of Jesus and with First Communion and Confirmation we are journeying further into that reality, that relationship.

I remember my oldest son’s, Paul’s Confirmation. Two grandmothers, each traveling from a distance, stayed at our house. There was a party for about fifty family and friends on our patio. I was preoccupied with making sure his suit fit, and the details of the weekend and feeding the crowd. I wasn’t particularly recollected or prayerful. But, when we got to the church, early as required, I had a chance to breathe. And I asked God to help me see the deeper thing at hand, and to pay attention to the moment that was coming, the moment when my son would be “confirmed in his faith” by the bishop.

Bells may not call us to our knees these days, but milestones can. C The Maria Ferrucci Catholic Family Living feature is intended to inspire families to live their faith in the way Maria Ferrucci did throughout her earthly life.

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FEATURE

SACRED SPACE

HEART OF JESUS RETREAT CENTER AIMS AT REACHING ‘WHOLE PERSON’ THROUGH RETREATS, CATECHESIS

BY BILL QUINNAN

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HE HEART OF JESUS Retreat Center in Santa Ana is once again bustling with daily activities after an extended period of mostly virtual events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The center re-opened for in-person activities last July with a day camp for children. Its current calendar includes school and parish-group retreats, sacramental preparation, leadership events, Lenten and Advent retreats, family retreats, vocation-discernment days and more.

Since 1978, the 2.9-acre Retreat Center has served as the primary hub of the works performed by the Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart within the Diocese of Orange. Anywhere from 10,000 to 12,000 participants attend retreats at the center during a typical year, according to retreat director Sister Gabrielle.

High-school students seeking service opportunities can participate as youth leaders in the Retreat Center’s Thursday afterschool program or weekend retreats.

“To see the ways that they are helping to form the children, the witness that they have and preparing them to be future leaders within the church I think is a huge part of what we do,” Sister Gabrielle said.

REACHING THE WHOLE PERSON

Sister Gabrielle noted that catechesis

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THE SISTERS OF THE SOCIETY DEVOTED TO THE SACRED HEART AT OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR CHURCH IN SANTA ANA. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART

has always been the primary charism of the Sisters. The Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart was founded by Sister Ida Peterfy, who was born in Kassa, Hungary, (now Kosice, Slovakia,) and began her ministry amid the threat of Nazism and later communism. Sister Ida escaped from Hungary to Canada in 1949 at the urging of her bishop, eventually settling her community in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Sister Susan Blaschke observed that Sister Ida was well ahead of her time, both in her whole-person approach to catechesis and her use of different teaching methods, including music, crafts, different forms of prayer, and for a time, even a children’s television series.

“A lot of what came forth as the fruit of Vatican II, the Holy Spirit was

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already inspiring within Sister Ida,” said Sister Susan.

“Different people learn in different ways, different people experience God in different ways,” Sister Gabrielle explained. “We try to be comprehensive as much as possible within five hours to give them all of the different dimensions that are behind who we are as persons in our relationship with God, and then ultimately, it’s Him.” In May 2015, Sister Ida was declared a Servant of God, the first step toward canonization.

The Sisters have also served as religious educators at a variety of parishes and Catholic schools throughout the Diocese of Orange over the years, including Our Lady of the Pillar Church in Santa Ana, where they have served for more than 50 years.

SANCTUARY IN SANTA ANA

Sister Gabrielle observed that the Retreat Center’s environment fosters a sense of sanctuary and tranquility even in the middle of Santa Ana, drawing participants in with everything from the natural beauty incorporated throughout the center to the chapel’s bright, stained-glass windows designed

by Isabel Piczek, depicting various moments in the life of Christ.

Sister Susan noted that the smaller chapel setting affords a sense of intimacy as children participate in the Mass with their classmates.

“When they’re distracted, they’re distracted with art that speaks to their soul,” she added.

Originally donated to the Diocese by the Borchard family, the Retreat Center CONTINUES ON PAGE 9

FEATURE

SISTER CHARIS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLCHILDREN. THE SISTERS WORK WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED HEART CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

became a new home to the sisters when the late Bishop William Johnson of Orange decided to transform Holy Family Parish, where the sisters previously lived and taught, into the cathedral of the new Diocese.

Some 44 years since the retreat center opened, it is not unusual for the Sisters to encounter “second-generation” retreat participants, children whose parents also attended First Communion retreats or other events

at the center.

“It’s imbedded in the families of our Diocese … it’s become a tradition almost to come to the retreat center,” Sister Gabrielle said.

The Sisters also serve the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the dioceses of Orange and San Bernardino through the Sacred Heart Retreat Camp in Big Bear Lake.

SUPPORTING THE SISTERS

Those wishing to help support the

Sisters may do so through prayer, volunteering their time or donations.

Sister Susan noted that in addition to financial donations, some volunteers assist the retreat center by purchasing snacks for the center’s retreat participants. Financial donations can be made online at joyfulapostolate.org, and even small donations are gratefully accepted. Volunteer opportunities include assisting with retreat preparations, food service, facility maintenance and more.

The center’s largest fundraiser of the

year, the Gentlemen’s Haberdashery, will take place Thursday, April 28 at the Balboa Bay Resort. The event will feature 40 of Orange County’s most prominent male executives modeling a full range of menswear. More information about the event is available at www. gentlemenshaberdashery.com.

Those who feel that they may have a vocation to the order may speak to the Sisters directly or fill out an interest form online at sacredheartsisters.com under “Contact Us.” C

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DIOCESAN NEWS

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH COMPLETES EVANGELIZATION RETREAT

HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH IN ORANGE. PHOTO: STEVEN GEORGES/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE

BY RON KUZLIK

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OLY FAMILY CATHOLIC Church completed its 10th Evangelization Retreat the weekend of March 25-27 at the parish campus in Orange.

Sixteen men and 20 women from Holy Family and nearby parishes gathered to spend the weekend encountering the Risen Christ and to focus on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives furthering to nurture the development of small faith communities.

In addition to spiritual guidance and support provided by parish clergy Fathers Patrick Moses, Rudy Alumam, Cheeyoon Chun and Deacon David Hernandez, a team of over 100 volunteers served over the weekend. Some worked as table leaders while others prepared meals in the kitchen, planned the liturgy, performed in the music ministry and prayed before the Blessed Sacrament in the adoration chapel during the entire duration of the retreat.

According to Holy Family Director of Evangelization Rebecca Soto, the retreat is “three days to reflect, renew and restore faith.”

“This weekend serves to refresh and replenish your faith, sharing the beauty of the Holy Spirit from the Sacraments of Initiation to Christian community focusing on the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist.”

The first Evangelization Retreat was held in Mexico in 1978 and is based on the book Evangelization: God’s Love for Man, by Father Alfonso Navarro Castellanos, MSPS and translated into English

by Sister Mary Rachel Moreno, CDP. The weekend consisted of a series of speakers presenting personal testimonies about their own faith journeys.

Each subsequent testimony builds upon the earlier talks and is intended to guide

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the retreatants as they continue their respective paths to conversion.

These testimonies were followed by small group discussions where retreatants discussed the talks and how they related to their own faith journeys with the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit.

“The first part of the weekend focused on the Gospel message and the Kerygma, that is, the Gospel (or “Good News”) proclamation of salvation through Jesus Christ,” Soto said.

“As Catholics, we are often unaware of what is so good about the ‘Good News’ and how the Gospel applies to our lives today. By proclaiming each piece of the Kerygma and sharing examples of how God has been active in our lives, others are able to make the connection to how He is present and active in their own lives.”

Retreatant Gloria Briones gave high ratings to the speakers and their testimonies.

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“All of the speakers were relevant to their respective topics,” she said. “They were very encouraging and brought hope to many.”

The next part of the weekend was about the gifts of the Holy Spirit and how the Holy Spirit is an active part of our lives.

“By unpacking the promises God made to send His Holy Spirit and the ways in which the Holy Spirit is working, retreatants come to understand the Trinity, the Sacraments and their own role in the Church in new ways,” Soto explained.

A special Liturgy of Consecration was held on Saturday evening where retreatants were invited to call upon the Holy Spirit to offer themselves completely to Him, honoring Him, blessing Him and proclaiming His greatness.

“What a wonderful experience,” Alexandra Gomez said. “This is how one experiences God’s love and the power of

the Holy Spirit.”

Retreatants were able to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, pray in the adoration chapel and worship at Sunday Mass with the Holy Family parish community.

Carlos Ramirez is a Shepard, one of several table leaders that facilitates and moderates discussions following each of the talks.

“I attended my first retreat in 2005 at the urging of our parish priest at St. Irenaeus in Cypress, Fr. Patrick Moses (now pastor at Holy Family Catholic Church).

“I continue as a team leader because of a renewed faith and a more personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.”

The next Evangelization Retreat is scheduled for Summer 2022. For more information, please contact Rebecca Soto at (714) 639-2900, or via email rsoto@hforange.org. C

DIOCESAN NEWS

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

BY STAFF

ACADEMIC DECATHLON TEAM TAKES FIRST PLACE IN NATIONAL COMPETITION

Last month, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic School (Yorba Linda) students took first place at the National Junior High Academic Decathlon competition for the first time in school history.

The team took first place in the “Logic” portion of the intellectual competition and second place in the “Super Quiz” category. Individually, seventh-grader Benjamin Bernard took first place in math, eighth-grader Julianna Bacolod took second place in religion, and eighth-grader Samantha Elizarraraz, took third place in science. The compiled results put them above 160 other schools from across the country and garnered them the title of National Champions.

“Facing off against talented minds from multiple states was a thrilling experience,” said St. Francis Principal Jeannette Lambert. “We are just so proud of our team and their perseverance!”

“WORKING ON THEIR WINGS”

Catholic Charities Auxiliary will host a benefit luncheon honoring inspirational Catholic women on Friday, April 29 at 10 a.m. at the Arboretum on Christ Cathedral campus, Garden Grove.

Catholic Charities Auxiliary promotes Catholic Charities of Orange County through community service, outreach and fundraising efforts.

Tickets are $70 and can be purchased by visiting the website (https://ccoc.org/ auxiliary) or texting Auxiliary to 91999.

VOTER INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS

The Office of Communications and the Office of Life, Justice & Peace have

THE 2022 ACADEMIC JUNIOR HIGH DECATHLON NATIONAL CHAMPIONS - ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI CATHOLIC SCHOOL, YORBA LINDA. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI SCHOOL

organized a series of multilingual voter informational sessions in early May, in advance of California’s June primary.

They will be on: n May 3 - 7 p.m. in English n May 3 - 8 p.m. in Spanish The sessions will be nonpartisan, available online through Zoom links and sponsored by the Orange County Registrar of Voters, the government agency of the county that organizes elections. They will cover the following

topics: n History of voting n Orange County Registrar of Voters n Elections n Orange County voting model: Voter’s Choice Act n Voting registration n Language assistance n Voting rights act compliance report n Social media For more information, visit www. rcbo.org/voterday. C

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CATHOLIC CHARITIES

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DIOCESAN NEWS

THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE CELEBRATES HOLY WEEK

BY STAFF

T

HE FAITHFUL WITHIN THE Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange recently celebrated Holy Week, the most sacred period of the Liturgical Calendar.

Holy Season 2022 observances included Palm Sunday [April 10], which observes Jesus’ return to Jerusalem and marks the beginning of Holy Week; Chrism Mass [April 11], where sacred oils are blessed; the observance of the Sacred Triduum [Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday] followed by the Resurrection of the Lord on Easter Sunday [April 17].

One celebration unique to Orange County is the annual Blessing of the Streets, which began in 1993 in response to a surge in violence and gang-related shootings in Santa Ana. Many of the services and Masses throughout the Diocese were celebrated in-person as well as livestreamed. C

BISHOP KEVIN W. VANN AND THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE REVIVED A LONGSTANDING TRADITION ON PALM SUNDAY WITH THE RETURN OF THE BLESSING OF THE STREETS IN SANTA ANA. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

FR. EUGENE LEE, PASTOR OF ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC CHURCH, IRVINE, WASHES THE FEET OF A PARISHIONER ON HOLY THURSDAY APRIL 14.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KIERNAN COLIFLORES/ DIOCESE OF ORANGE

BISHOP KEVIN W. VANN CELEBRATES THE CHRISM MASS ON MONDAY, APRIL 11 AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL, GARDEN GROVE. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

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DIOCESAN NEWS

EASTER SUNDAY MASS IS CELEBRATED AT ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY, SILVERADO CANYON ON APRIL 17.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN GEORGES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

GOOD FRIDAY IS OBSERVED ON APRIL 15 AT STS. SIMON & JUDE IN HUNTINGTON BEACH. PHOTO COURTESY OF KIERNAN COLIFLORES/DIOCESE OF ORANGE

EASTER SUNDAY MASS IS CELEBRATED AT ST. MICHAEL’S ABBEY, SILVERADO CANYON ON APRIL 17.

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A BABY ATTENDS MASS WITH HER MOTHER AT CHRIST CATHEDRAL IN JULY 2019.

PHOTO: SEAN HILLER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

everyone else can see in.

Family-friendly spaces are hard to come by these days. I find myself rejoicing when I find a public restroom that fits my double stroller or an airport terminal that has a play area. In a world that encourages us to delay having children and to limit our family size in pursuit of other goods, the cry room stands as a symbol of accommodation, of making room for the joyful chaos of family life.

The Mass is the church’s greatest prayer. It is solemn and serious. In today’s world, it’s often the one space where people can escape the pull of their phones and the noise and distraction of screens.

Quiet and stillness are necessary for real communion.

But the Mass is also where heaven meets earth. It’s when angels who exist only for God’s glory praise and dance in exultation. The liturgy, according to theologians like Father Romano Guardini,

can be described in terms of playfulness: “The child, when it plays, does not aim at anything. It has no purpose. It does not want to do anything but to exercise its youthful powers, pour forth its life in an aimless series of movements, words and actions, and by this to develop and to realize itself more fully. ... And because (play) does not aim at anything in particular, because it streams unbroken and spontaneously forth, its utterance will be harmonious, its form clear and fine; its expression will of itself become picture and dance, rhyme, melody and song” (“The Spirit of the Liturgy”).

There are Sundays when I long for the prayer life that I had as a single person, which was more focused, more peaceful. But in this season when I find myself peering out from the cry room, wiping sticky hands and runny noses, I’m grateful for a space that allows me to participate in the foretaste of heaven with my children, who I hope will play before God for all eternity. C

Moments MomentsininourourJourney Journey

Fr. Nicolas Nguyen recently baptized the newborn babies at St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church in Anaheim.

—Photo Submitted by Shaun Nguyen

Send your photos that capture Catholic life in your parish community to: editor@occatholic.com

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