Updated World Day of Peace Message

Benedict XVI's 2008 World Day of Peace message is now available and can be found at the Vatican website.

The resource for the World Day of Peace (Jan. 1) from the USCCB Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development has also been updated to include a summary of the message and discussion questions for use in small groups.

You can open a printable (PDF) version of this resource by clicking here.

Classifieds (outside diocese): Adult Faith Formation Director

Position Available: Adult Faith Formation Director for the Diocese of Orlando

Closing Date: When Filled
FT/PT: Full-time/benefits
Salary Range: $45,000 to $50,000

Brief Description of Job: The Diocesan Office of Religious Education is seeking an energetic faith-filled person to coordinate adult faith formation for the Diocese of Orlando. Responsibilities include the baptismal catechumenate; integrating programs of adult faith formation with other ongoing diocesan and parish programs of religious education, sacramental preparation, and the Diocesan Catechist Certification Program; and working collaboratively with other catechetical initiatives of the Diocesan Office of Religious Education. Position to begin July - August 2007.

Minimum Qualifications: M.A. degree in theology or related area; teaching experience; and at least three years experiences as a diocesan catechetical leader. Must be a Catholic in good standing.

Send letter of interest, resume, transcripts and three letters of reference to:
Ms. Theresa Simon
Human Resources Director
Diocese of Orlando
P.O. Box 1800
Orlando, FL 32801-1800

Phone Number: No phone calls please
Facsimile Number: (407) 246-4941
E-Mail Address: humanresources [at] orlandodiocese [dot] org

God, the Psyche, and Me - beginning January 24, 2008

God, the Psyche, and Me

(Ongoing Professional Education Series)

January 24, January 31, February 7, 2008
9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Transfiguration Church
4325 Jarvis Avenue, San Jose

David Richo, Ph.D., M.F.T., will explore the following topics: The Dialogue between Spirituality and Psychology, Ego, Shadow and Conversion, Understanding the Process of Forgiveness.

David Richo is a psychotherapist, teacher, and writer in Santa Barbara and San Francisco California who emphasizes Jungian, transpersonal, and spiritual perspectives in his work. He is the author of: How To Be An Adult (Paulist, 1991), When Love Meets Fear (Paulist, 1997), Unexpected Miracles: The Gift of Synchronicity and How to Open It (Crossroad, 1998), Shadow Dance: Liberating the Power and Creativity of Your Dark Side (Shambhala, 1999) and Catholic Means Universal: Integrating Spirituality and Religion (Crossroad, 2000).

Click here for online registration.

What time can we begin the Easter Vigil in 2008?

I know we haven't even celebrated Christmas yet, but this liturgical year is super-fast, and Easter will be here before you know it.

As you know, the Easter Vigil must begin in darkness. Click here for more information on why.

Based on sunset information from the U.S. Naval Observatory, Easter Vigil this year (March 22, 2008) in the Diocese of San José cannot begin any earlier than 8:00 p.m.

From the U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department, the following information is provided for San Jose, Santa Clara County, California (longitude W121.9, latitude N37.3):

Saturday
22 March 2008, Pacific Daylight Time

• Sunset 7:22 p.m.
• End civil twilight 7:48 p.m.

If sunset is at 7:22p, why can't we begin Easter Vigil 2008 at 7:30p?

Because there is a big technical different between "sunset" and "civil twilight." The technical definition of "sunset" is when the upper edge of the sun hits the horizon. At this point (7:22p) there's still some daylight in the sky. But what we're looking for is complete darkness.

Civil twilight in the evening is technically when the center of the sun is geometrically 6 degrees below the horizon. At this time (7:48p) there's still enough light to see the horizon, but it's dark enough to see the brightest of stars in the sky. Complete darkness, however, begins sometime after the end of evening civil twilight.

So 8:00p is the earliest time we can begin the Easter Vigil in 8:00p.

For more information: http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/RST_defs.php#top

Pope Paul VI Awards for liturgical ministers - 2007

The Diocese of San José will once again honor liturgical ministers of our parishes who qualify for the annual Pope Paul VI Award (learn more about Pope Paul VI here).

The Diocesan Liturgical Commission established the following criteria as qualifications for reception of the Pope Paul VI Award:

1. Service as a liturgical minister is to be calculated from December 4, 1963 (promulgation date of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy). Awards are given for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40+ years of service. An individual can receive only one award in a given year.
   
2. Such service is to have been rendered within the Diocese of San José since its creation in 1981 or within the County of Santa Clara before the establishment of the Diocese.

Years of service may be calculated as the cumulative number of years a person has served in any liturgical ministry. For example, one who has served as a music minister for 5 years then became a Communion minister for the next 10 years may be given an award for 15 years of service.

To apply for this award, please complete and submit an eligibility form.

• To submit eligible names online, click here.
• To submit eligible names by postal mail, email, or fax, click here.

The deadline for submitting names of the recipients is February 29, 2008.

Awards certificates will be distributed to your parish in April, 2008. During a liturgical service in your parish, please present these certificates and acknowledge the years of ministry given by these individuals. Recipients of the Pope Paul VI awards will be recognized in a future issue of the Valley Catholic.

The Liturgy Files: In the Rite of Reception, do you confirm a Lutheran confirmed in the Lutheran Church?

Part of my job is to answer email. Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.


Q: We have a candidate preparing to celebrate the Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church at the Easter Vigil. This person was baptized and confirmed as a Lutheran. Do we recognize Lutheran Confirmations as valid sacraments? Or do we confirm him at the Easter Vigil?

A: From John Huels’ book, The Catechumenate and the Law: A Pastoral and Canonical Commentary for the Church in the United States, Liturgy Training Publications, 1994, p 24:

Confirmation is valid only in those churches that have the valid sacrament of holy orders. Besides the separated Eastern churches, this would include the Old Catholic, Old Roman Catholic, and Polish National Churches. The Protestant denominations are not recognized as having valid orders, so persons baptized in those ecclesial communities should be confirmed during the rite of reception into full communion.

However, the other question you could also ask is: Should you celebrate the rite of reception at the Easter Vigil? Some points to ponder:

Anything that would equate candidates for reception with those who are catechumens is to be absolutely avoided. (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, 477)

The commentary on The Code of Canon Law, commenting on canon 206 regarding catechumens, makes these distinctions between candidates and catechumens:

• "[B]aptized non-Catholics who seek full communion with the Catholic Church are not catechumens or 'converts,' although they are moved by the Spirit and have an explicit will to join the Church."
• "They are not, however, to be exorcised or to receive other elements of the liturgical rites involved in baptism, since they are already baptized."
• "No greater burdens are to be imposed on them than are necessary for them to come into full communion."

Back to the initiation documents...

Those who have already been baptized in another Church or ecclesial community should not be treated as catechumens or so designated. Their doctrinal and spiritual preparation for reception into full Catholic communion should be determined according to the individual case, that is, it should depend on the extent to which the baptized person has led a Christian life within a community of faith and been appropriately catechized to deepen his or her inner adherence to the Church ("National Statutes for the Catechumenate," 30)

This means that a baptized Christian who wants to become Catholic and has been faithfully participating in a Christian community (not necessarily a Catholic community), who lives a Christian (not necessarily Catholic) lifestyle, and who has been catechized in order to deepen his or her resolve to live as a Christian disciple in the Catholic Church is ready to celebrate the Rite of Reception into the Full Communion of the Catholic Church.

When could reception take place then?

The reception of candidates into the communion of the Catholic Church should ordinarily take place at the Sunday Eucharist of the parish community, in such a way that it is understood that they are indeed Christian believers who have already shared in the sacramental life of the Church and are now welcomed into the Catholic eucharistic community upon their profession of faith and confirmation, if they have not been confirmed, before receiving the eucharist. ("National Statutes for the Catechumenate," 32)

Further...

It is preferable that reception into full communion not take place at the Easter Vigil lest there be any confusion of such baptized Christians with the candidates for baptism, possible misunderstanding of or even reflection upon the sacrament of baptism celebrated in another Church or ecclesial community, or any perceived triumphalism in the liturgical welcome into the Catholic eucharistic community. ("National Statutes for the Catechumenate," 33)

In other words, if a baptized Christian is faithfully participating in the Sunday assembly of the Catholic Church, is living a Christian lifestyle, and is adhering to the Catholic teaching, they may be received into full communion as soon as possible—even at the next possible Sunday celebration. They need not wait until the Easter Vigil to be received.

For more information on the RCIA and the catechumenate, check out TeamRCIA.com.

Season of Hope 2007

Season of Hope 2007

The Season of Hope Performance Series,

in its 12th year, welcomes an array of talented artists

to perform in the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
during the “12 Days Before Christmas.”

December 12th through the 23rd

Two performances nightly at 7:00PM AND 8:00PM are free.
Take a break from the holiday “busy-ness” and take in
a memorable evening of the performance arts for the entire family.

• Wednesday, December 12 TBA
• Thursday, December 13 San Jose Youth Symphony
• Friday, December 14 Diocesan Filipino Priests Chorale
• Saturday, December 15 Presentation High School
• Sunday, December 16 Harper’s Hall Celtic Harpists
• Monday, December 17 “Friends of Jesus” Catholic Contemporary Band
• Tuesday, December 18 San Jose Youth Chamber Orchestra
• Wednesday, December 19 Castillero Middle School of the Performing Arts
• Thursday, December 20 Notre Dame High School
• Friday, December 21 Maranatha Hope of Glory Choir
• Saturday, December 22 Bella Sorella (Opera Duo)
• Sunday, December 23 Cathedral Schola (Under the direction of Julie Wind)

San Jose Cathedral Foundation
Preservation ● Service ● Arts
80 South Market Street
San José, California 95113

Click here to print out a copy of the flyer.

Vatican I, II and You - beginning January 9, 2008

Breaking Bread

Making Ministry

7:30 - 9:00pm
(7:00pm Hospitality)

January 9, Santa Teresa
"Breath Normally"
Sr. Sharon McMillan, S.N.D., S.L.D.
Associate Professor of Systematic and Liturgical Theology

January 16, Santa Teresa
"The Transforming Power of Hospitality"

January 23, Saint Anthony
"To Be 'God With Skin On'"

January 30, Saint Anthony
"Plastic Flowers, Plastic Mind"
Art and Environment


Sponsored by Deanery Seven

The Prophetic Ministry of a Church in Transition

Those of you who know me know that I spent several summers at Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. While I was there, I fell in love with the abbey and the community of monks there. Most of all, I was deeply touched by their faithful life together, a life of daily prayer and simple work.

Being a monastic community at what I would call the birthplace of 20th century liturgical reform in the US does not keep them immune from the turmoils of the broader church. The monks there are somewhat of a microcosm of the crises the church faces. The number of monks continues to dwindle, even as more men are attracted to their lifestyle. The monks are definitely getting older and frailer (my first summer there, we celebrated the 69th anniversary of priesthood of Fr. Godfrey Diekmann, OSB; although he was bound to a wheelchair, he was as fiesty as I had heard him to be). And the community itself has been rocked by scandal and disappointment.

Through it all, their leader, Abbot John Klassen, OSB, had been, and continues to be, a steadfast, simple voice, calling each member of the community back to hope and faith. In his presentation to the Diocese of San José on December 5, 2007, Tom Zanzig mentioned this address by Abbot John. Just as Tom Zanzig said, it is one of the most powerful statements I have heard a church leader speak publicly.

The statement is from 2005, but it is even more relevant today as we near the end of 2007. And although it is addressed to a particular monastic community, it should be a clarion call, an alarm waking us from our sleep. We are blessed here in the Diocese of San José to feel little of the priest shortage that so much of the rest of our country feels. Yet we are not a church unto itself. We are members of a larger church in transition, whether we feel it or not, like it or not. More is changing in this church of ours than just ordination numbers.

"Remember not the events of the past, the things of long ago consider not; See, I am doing something new!" (Is 43:18-19)

"I suggest that it is our task as a monastery to facilitate the present Church's passing in order to assist in the birthing of the new" (Abbot John Klassen, OSB).

In this Advent season, we prepare for new birth. Listening to the prophets of this season and to the prophets of our day, we would do well, as a church, to look also at what needs to die so that the new birth promised by God may happen.

Read Abbot John's full statement here.

Advent Review

Here's a review of past articles on Advent.

An Advent Penitential Prayer Service

Reconciliation Services Resources

Advent Basic: Getting Back to Liturgical Essentials

Advent: Season of Anticipation

What is Advent?

First Week of Advent 2004 reflection

A Marian/Advent Examination of Conscience

First Week of Advent 2005 reflection

Adapting Simbang Gabi for your Community

What Heaven Is and Is Not

Advent Morning of Prayer - December 6, 2007

Advent Morning Of Prayer

(sponsored by the Southwest Catechetical Cluster
and the Office of Pastoral Ministries)

Thursday, December 6th
(9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)

Villa Holy Names, Los Gatos, California

We Invite
Directors/Coordinators of
Catechetical Ministry, Liturgy, Youth Ministry,
Young Adults, Catechumenate, Adult Faith Formation
and
RCIA Team Members, Faith Formation Teams
Master Catechists, Pastoral Ministers

Lynda DeManti
Pastoral Associate, Santa Teresa Parish
will lead us in prayer and reflection

This gathering will be an opportunity for us to reflect,
on how Mary was the first disciple,
and how she is a model for living our baptismal call
as ministers in the Church.
The theme of Mary will weave our time together
through scripture, faith sharing,
personal reflection, prayer and ritual.

Registration fee: $20.00
Morning Hospitality and lunch will be provided

Please click here to print a registration form

Saved by Hope: Spe Salvi, Pope Benedict XVI

Today, Pope Benedict XVI has issued his second encyclical letter to "the bishops, priests, and deacons, men and women religious, and all the lay faithful." This letter is on Christian hope. You'll recall that his first encyclical was on love, called Deus caritas est, issued on Christmas Day, 2005. An encyclical letter is simply a document issued by the Pope to the Church, or particular members of the Church, on a theological or social point he wishes to examine. Popes use encyclicals often as teaching tools for the Church.

Another fun fact: Church documents are often titled in Latin with the first few words of the document itself.

One of my favorite paragraphs so far from Spe salvi is this:

26. It is not science that redeems man: man is redeemed by love. This applies even in terms of this present world. When someone has the experience of a great love in his life, this is a moment of “redemption” which gives a new meaning to his life. But soon he will also realize that the love bestowed upon him cannot by itself resolve the question of his life. It is a love that remains fragile. It can be destroyed by death. The human being needs unconditional love. He needs the certainty which makes him say: “neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:38- 39). If this absolute love exists, with its absolute certainty, then—only then—is man “redeemed”, whatever should happen to him in his particular circumstances. This is what it means to say: Jesus Christ has “redeemed” us. Through him we have become certain of God, a God who is not a remote “first cause” of the world, because his only-begotten Son has become man and of him everyone can say: “I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Gal 2:20).

Read Spe salvi here.

World AIDS Day - December 1, 2007

According to Zenit, on November 28, 2007, Pope Benedict XVI appealed to people of good will to increase their efforts to halt the spread of HIV/AIDS and to combat "the disdain" he says is often directed toward those with the disease:

I remain spiritually close to everyone suffering from this terrible sickness, and to their families, especially those who have lost a loved one. To everyone I give assurances of my prayers. Furthermore, I wish to exhort all people of good will to increase their efforts to halt the spread of the HIV virus, to combat the disdain which is often directed towards people who are affected by it, and to care for the sick, especially those who are still children.

Let us remember...that we are in the holy presence of God
when we are in the presence of those living, suffering, and dying with AIDS.

Here is a reflection I wrote three years ago on December 1 about "Advent waiting and what if."

And here are a list of resources for prayer, information, and action on AIDS.

Here are some resources from the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops.

Also, Catholic Relief Services and the Ecumenical Advocacy Allians both have resources to obeserve this year's World AIDS Day on December 1.

Characteristics of an Engaged Parish

In their November, 2007, edition of "Parish Newsletter," Fr. Tom Sweetser, SJ, and Sr. Peg Bishop, OSF, of the Parish Evaluation Project discuss what it means to be an "engaged" parish. The following is quoted and used with their permission. Please go to the Parish Evaluation Project website to see more.

They begin by quoting Albert L. Winseman's book, Growing an Engaged Church: How to Stop "Doing Church" and Start Being the Church Again:

Most church leaders confuse involvement with engagement. They believe the conventional wisdom: The way to get new members to really connect with their new church is to get them involved in something – anything! But involvement is not engagement. Involvement is what you do in and for your church; engagement is how you feel about your church. (p. 28)

Emotional Connections:
Connecting with a parish, according to Winseman, is centered around four aspects:

1. Life Satisfaction. Those who have an emotional connection with a parish are better able to cope with their own problems, losses, and difficulties.


2. Inviting. They feel personally invited into the life of the community. As a result, they reach out to others and invite them in, whether family members, friends or co-workers. They have a sense of pride in the parish and want to share it with others.


3. Serving Others. Those who are emotionally engaged are reaching out in service to others, either joining parish ministries or other groups.


4. Giving. Finally, they chip in and financially support the parish, giving freely to the parish’s projects and programs.

A Checklist for Engagement:
The book includes a list of indicators that help people become more engaged and emotionally committed (p. 81-82). Sr. Peg and Fr. Tom have paraphrased the list to make it applicable to a Catholic situation:

1. I know what is expected of me as a member of this parish. (In their April, 2007 Newsletter, Fr. Tom and Sr. Peg offered a job description for parishioners that included signing up, attending, joining in, and contributing.)


2. My spiritual needs are being met. In a Catholic parish this means offering a variety of prayer experiences, faith enrichment, community-building and outreach opportunities.


3. I have a chance to do what I do best. Instead of just filling slots, people can choose something they enjoy, that fits their abilities, energies, time-requirements and inclinations.


4. I regularly receive recognition and praise from someone in my parish. On a monthly basis, in other words, someone in leadership says thanks for what people are doing.


5. The pastor and staff seem to care about me as person. This is best done when people come into church or attend a parish event; they are given a warm and genuine welcome.


6. There is someone in my parish who encourages my spiritual development. Attending Mass is not enough. Parishioners need to be given helps in how to pray, read the bible, act morally, reach out to others.


7. My opinions seem to count in my parish. If any change, addition or new direction is being contemplated, parishioners have an opportunity to share their ideas, insights and reactions.


8. The mission or purpose of my parish makes me feel my participation is important.


9. Other members of my parish are committed to spiritual growth. Parishioners – pastor, staff and leaders include – are providing good modeling to one another of what it means to be a faithful Christian.


10. Aside from my family, I have a best friend in my parish. Relationship-building is a key element for furthering engagement and emotional commitment.


11. I have opportunities in my parish to learn and grow in my faith. This is best done in small groups, whether bible study, discussion groups or breakout sessions.

For more information, contact Fr. Tom Sweetser, SJ, or Sr. Peg Bishop, OSF, at pepparish [at] pepparish [dot] org, or see their website at www.pepparish.org.

Feast of Santo Niño - January 19, 2008

Diocesan Council of Filipino Catholics

cordially invites you to the

Santo Niño Fiesta

Saturday, January 19, 2008

St. Joseph Cathedral

Sinulog 11:30 A.M.

Karakol 11:45 A.M.

Eucharistic Celebration 12:00 Noon

His Excellency, Bishop Patick J. McGrath

Presider

**********

In the Evening

Dinner-Dance @ 6:30 P.M.

Pavalkis Hall, St. John the Baptist

Main Street, Milpitas

Tickets $25.00 Per Person

**********

• January 10: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Santa Teresa Parish), 7:30p
• January 11: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Saint Julie Parish), 7:00p
• January 12: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Saint Catherine Parish), 5:30p
• January 13: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (SaintJoseph Parish), 5:00p
• January 14: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Saint Elizabeth Parish), 7:00p
• January 15: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Saint John the Baptist Parish), 7:00p
• January 16: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Holy Cross Parish), 6:30p
• January 17: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Christ the King Parish), 7:30p
• January 18: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño (Most Holy Trinity Parish), 7:00p

A continuous 9-day novena will be held at Most Holy Trinity Church

For More Info: Didi 408.578.5101; Poi 408.729.7228; Romy 408.946.2205

Friends of Jesus at NCYC

Our own local ensemble, Friends of Jesus (FOJ), led by Nelson Gonzales, performed at this year's National Catholic Youth Conference in Columbus, Ohio, for about 7000 youth. Enjoy their YouTube performance of "Senor, Yo Te Amo" by FOJ.

Sunday Reflections and Social Ministry - Catholic Charities

Many of you in San José will know Elizabeth Lilly from liturgical, catechumenate, justice, and pastoral circles. She is now more actively working with parishes to help them foster and support their justice activities through her role with Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. Because she is a liturgist at the core, she has been working on helping parishes make the connection between liturgy and justice clearer. Part of her motivation comes from the United States Bishops’ 1993 document, Communities of Salt and Light: Reflections on the Social Mission of the Parish.

The most important setting for the Church’s social teaching is not in a food pantry or in a legislative committee room, but in prayer and worship, especially gathered around the altar for the Eucharist. It is in the liturgy that we find the fundamental direction, motivation, and strength for social ministry. Social ministry not genuinely rooted in prayer can easily burn itself out. On the other hand, worship that does not reflect the Lord’s call to conversion, service, and justice can become pious ritual and empty of the Gospel.

Below is a sample bulletin reflection she offers that you can use each week that connects God’s story found in the Sunday readings with our story found in the real-life events of a person affected by the work of Catholic Charities and gives information on how you can become part of this story by proclaiming the Gospel in concrete ways in Santa Clara County.

Get the entire collection of reflections for Advent and Christmas as a Word doc here. Permission is given to download and reprint for your parishes and communities.

Sunday Reflections and Social Ministry
December – 2007 – Advent

For weekly bulletins, faith sharing groups, prayer at meetings, bible study, lectors, outreach actions…anywhere the word of God calls us to act with charity and justice. Community and Parish Partnerships Elizabeth Lilly, 408-325-5262, elilly [at] ccsj [dot] org.

December 2, 2007
“Let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day.” Romans 13

Catholic Charities story: Diego, a senior in high school, comes to the youth center in his neighborhood to do his homework. One day the director introduced him to a visiting business man. As they spoke they realized that, so far, they had gone to the same schools. The gentleman is now asking his alma mater for a scholarship for Diego.

Catholic Charities opportunity: To visit or to learn more about the services at the Washington United Youth Center on First Street in San Jose, call Tony Rodriguez, 408-938-6731, trodriguez [at] ccsj [dot] org.

Catholic Social Teaching: Call to Family, Community, and Participation

Classifieds: Data Entry Clerks

Temporary Position Available: Data Entry Clerks

The Development Department of the Diocese of San Jose has openings for 3-4 full time, temporary data entry clerks. These temporary positions will start in January and are expected to last for a period of 3-5 months. These positions will pay $12.50 per hour. If interested, please email your resume in text to personnel [at] dsj [dot] org or fax it to (408) 983-0203.

Rite of Election 2008 - Instructions, Rehearsals, Registration

Bishop Patrick J. McGrath welcomes to the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph (80 South Market Street, San Jose) the catechumens from all parishes, institutions, and missions of the diocese who are ready for the Rite of Election where they will be chosen to celebrate the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist at the next Easter Vigil. All the liturgies will be multilingual.

Rite of Election - 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008, 3:30p
Monday, February 11, 2008, 7:30p
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 7:30p
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
80 South Market Street, San Jose

Rehearsals for Rite of Election
There will be two rehearsals for the Rite of Election. Catechumens and godparents DO NOT attend these rehearsals. At least two people from your parish must attend one of the rehearsals (the catechumenate director may be one of the following persons):

• one person to carry your Book of the Elect,
• one (or two) people to read your names of the Elect.

Rehearsals for Rite of Election
Monday, January 28, 2008, 7:00p – 8:00p
or Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 7:00p – 8:00p
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
80 South Market Street, San Jose

San José downtown public parking lots now charge a $2 flat fee after 6:00p every day. Click here for a map (PDF) showing all the parking lots near the Cathedral.


Instructions
You can download these Word documents and distribute them to the godparents and those carrying the Book of the Elect or reading the names.

• Click here for instructions for Catechumenate Directors - Word doc.
• Click here for instructions for Godparents (English and Spanish) - Word doc.
• Click here for instructions for person carrying Book of the Elect (English and Spanish) - Word doc.
• Click here for instructions for person(s) calling out the names of catechumens (English and Spanish) - Word doc.

Registration and Seating
Seats will be reserved for:

• each catechumen,
• his or her godparent (child catechumens may have two godparents sit with them),
• the representative from each parish carrying the Book of the Elect,
• the representative from each parish calling out the names,
• the parish's catechumenate director,
• and two other parish representatives.

Family members, candidates (baptized persons preparing for the sacraments), and friends who are not doing one of the roles listed above are invited to sit in the unreserved sections of the Cathedral.

So that enough seats can be reserved for your catechumens and their godparents, please submit the names of your eligible catechumens no later than January 8, 2008.

Please remember that the Rite of Election is only for catechumens, i.e., those who are unbaptized. Baptized candidates preparing for reception or for Confirmation and/or First Communion are invited to participate in the Rite of Election as members of the assembly present to support the catechumens. However, they do not join in the procession of catechumens.

There are two ways to submit your catechumens' names for the Rite of Election:

• using the online form below, or
• downloading this form and returning it by postal mail, fax, or email.

The final schedule for the three celebrations will be announced January 10, 2008 on the Rite of Election web site.

If you have any questions, please contact Diana Macalintal at 408-983-0136.

Rite of Election 2008
Registration deadline: January 8, 2008

Contact Information

Parish, Mission, or School Name


Catechumenate Director's Name


Catechumenate Director's Phone Number


Catechumenate Director's E-mail Address



Rite of Election Schedule

Please check your parish's first choice (check only one):

Sunday, February 10, 2008, 3:30p.
Monday, February 11, 2008, 7:30p.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 7:30p.
We have no preference.

Please check your parish's second choice(s):

Sunday, February 10, 2008, 3:30p.
Monday, February 11, 2008, 7:30p.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 7:30p.

We are unable to attend the following date(s) (check all that apply):

Sunday, February 10, 2008, 3:30p.
Monday, February 11, 2008, 7:30p.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008, 7:30p.

Catechumen Information

TOTAL number of catechumens*
*Only catechumens (the unbaptized) will be called forward during the Rite. However, candidates are welcomed to participate as members of the assembly.

How many of your catechumens are children?

We have catechumens who speak the following languages other than English:


Names of Catechumens

Please list each catechumen's name on a separate line in alphabetical order by last name, using this format:
First Last

Bernard Nemis from the Office of Pastoral Ministry will contact you to confirm your registration. Please make sure all your information is correct before submitting this form.

How does our diocese celebrate Our Lady of Guadalupe?

The Diocese of San Jose has a special way of celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was one of the first diocesan celebrations I experienced when I began working for this diocese. Read my vivid description of this celebration here.

Evening Prayer in Honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe - December 7, 2007

Every year, the diocese celebrates the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe with processions and evening prayer in Spanish.

This annual celebration takes place this year on Friday, December 7, 2007, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (2020 East San Antonio Street, San Jose). The procession of parishes begins at 6:00p and Evening Prayer at 7:00p.

Here's an article in Spanish by Lupita Vital, the Associate for Hispanic Catechesis for the diocese, about celebrating Advent with Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Read about how the Diocese of San Jose celebrates Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Parishes are invited to participate in the procession to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Parishes near and far have walked the distance between their parish home and Our Lady of Guadalupe parish. Some parishes also gather at a closer location and begin their procession from there. However way you do it, it's always a wonderful sight to see people of faith walking together. Parishes should plan to arrive at the church between 6:00p and 7:00p.

Evening Prayer in Honor of

Our Lady of Guadalupe

Friday, December 7, 2007

Our Lady of Guadalupe Church

2020 East San Antonio Street, San Jose

Processions: 6:00p

Evening Prayer: 7:00p

Click below to get pdf flyers you can print:

• Flyer in English and Spanish, color (coming soon)
• Flyer in English and Spanish, black and white (coming soon)

Giving thanks--"It's not something minor"

Here's a beautiful NPR StoryCorps recording about how the simple acts of eating and giving thanks can be more powerful than death. Click on the "Listen now" button at the top of the page to hear the sisters' story in their own words.

Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass - February 2, 2008

25 and 50+ Silver and Golden

Wedding Anniversary Celebration
Aniversario de Bodas de Plata y Oro
February 2, 2008 / 2 de Febrero, 2008
10:00 am
Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph / Catedral Basílica de San José
80 South Market Street, San José

Couples celebrating Silver (25 years) and Golden (50 years or more) Wedding Anniversaries are invited to the celebration. / Las parejas que celebran su Aniversario de Bodas de Plata (25 años) o de Oro (50 años o más) están invitadas a asistir a la celebración.

Each couple will receive a certificate signed by the Bishop. A reception follows the Mass. / Cada pareja recibirá un certificado firmado por el Obispo y están invitadas a la recepción.

For information call / Para su información llame: Sylvia Blanch, 408-983-0128.

Use the form below to register, or click here for a form in Word or a pdf form.

Anniversary Mass Registration Form
Misa de Aniversario Hoja de Registración
Registration deadline: January 28, 2008

Please print names exactly as you wish them to appear on the certificate. / Por favor escriba su nombre como quiera que esté en su certifidado.

Husband's First Name / Nombre del Esposo


Wife's First Name / Nombre de la Esposa


Last Name / Apellido


Anniversary being celebrated / Años de Aniversario


Street Address / Domicilio


City / Ciudad


Zip Code / Codigo Postal


Phone / Número de Teléfono


E-mail Address / Correo Electrónico


Parish / Parroquia


Number of Guests Attending / Número de Invitados


We would like our certificate in English.
Nos gustaría nuestro certificado en Español.

We need handicapped parking/seating.
Necesitamos asistencia/estacionamiento para incapacitados.

For American Sign Language Interpretation, call Sylvia at (408) 983-0128.

Donations are optional. Please make check payable to Diocese of San José. / Las donaciones son opcionales. Por favor haga el cheque al nombre de Diócesis de San José.

Mail donations to / Envie donaciones a:

Diocese of San José, Office of Pastoral Ministry
Attn: Sylvia Blanch (Anniversary Mass)
900 Lafayette Street, Suite 405
Santa Clara, CA 95050-4966

Sylvia Blanch from the Office of Pastoral Ministry will contact you to confirm your registration. Please make sure all your information is correct before submitting this form.

A prayer before preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner

This prayer by Diana Macalintal originally appeared in Today's Parish Minister, Vol. 39, No. 7, November/December, 2007.

A prayer before preparing Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner
(based on Luke 10:27, 38-42)

Lord, you know all the things that still need to be done—
the cooking and cleaning, the preparation and anticipation,
the anxiety and worry that everything will be just right.
As I prepare this meal, help me also to prepare myself
that I may not be distracted by all these concerns.
And when you enter this home and sit at this table,
may I sit beside you and remember that only one thing is needed:
to love you with all my heart, with all my being,
with all my strength, and with all my mind,
and to love my neighbor as myself. Amen.

A Prayer Before Family Reunions

This prayer by Diana Macalintal originally appeared in Today's Parish Minister, Vol. 39, No. 7, November/December, 2007.

A Prayer Before Family Reunions

God, I will be seeing my family soon,
and it has been so long since I have been with them.
I am a different person now, and I am sure that they are too.
Yet I still feel the same hurts that never went away,
the same wounds that never healed,
the same grudges that were never settled,
and the same anxiety of falling into old habits.
Fill me, Lord, with your peace, forgive my faults as I forgive theirs,
and help me love my family as I know you love them.
With the Holy Family as our companion,
bless our time together and strengthen the bonds between us
that we may grow more in love with each other
until we are perfectly united forever in your kingdom.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Advent: It's Coming

Here's your reminder that Advent is coming. Everybody dance!

Hat tip to CatholicColbert.com. She wisely listed this as her only liturgy post. Nothing better can be said on the subject. :) Enjoy!

Classifieds (outside diocese): Director of the Office of Worship

Position Available: Director of the Office of Worship for the Diocese of Raleigh

The Diocese of Raleigh is comprised of the 54 eastern-most counties of North Carolina and serves a rapidly growing and culturally diverse population in 76 parishes and 19 missions, chapels, and stations.

The Director of the Office of Worship is to assist the Diocesan Bishop in his role as the principle liturgist of the Diocese. The Director serves as a resource on liturgical matters to the Diocesan Bishop and to the parishes of the Diocese. The Director is responsible for coordinating all episcopal and Diocesan liturgies, recommends particular norms and praxis in keeping with the universal liturgical norms of the Church, and is able to conduct liturgical formation on the Diocesan and parish levels in appropriate collaboration with Diocesan offices.

The successful candidate is a practicing Roman Catholic in good standing with a true love for God, His Church, and the Sacred Liturgy. The successful candidate will have completed a Master's or Licentiate degree in Liturgy or Liturgical Theology; have significant experience in planning and coordinating Diocesan and parish liturgies; have a proven understanding of the Spanish language and Hispanic liturgical customs; and have strong leadership and communication skills. Applicants are invited to send a resume and references to Director of Human Resources, Diocese of Raleigh, 715 Nazareth St., Raleigh, NC 27606. Fax: 919-821-9716; e-mail: leo [dot] tapler [at] raldioc [dot] org.

Veteran's Day Prayer

Thanks to A Concord Pastor for posting this beautiful Veteran's Day prayer.

Liturgical Calendar for the Diocese of San José: 2007-2008

Here are some important liturgical dates to keep in mind for 2007-2008.

• Holy days of obligation are highlighted in red (Sundays are the first and most important holy days of obligation).
• Diocesan celebrations are highlighted in purple.
• Parish feast days in the Diocese of San José are highlighted in green.

December, 2007

• December 1: World AIDS Day
• December 2: First Sunday of Advent (Year A / Year II begins)
• December 4: Anniversary of the approval of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963)
• December 6: Optional Memorial of Saint Nicholas (Saint Nicholas parish in Los Altos)
• December 7: Vespers in honor of Our Lady of Guadalupe @ Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, 7:00p
• December 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, holy day of obligation (Saint Mary parish in Los Gatos)
• December 9: Second Sunday of Advent
• December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Solemnity in the city of San José) (Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in San José)
• December 12: Season of Hope 2007 @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 13: Memorial of Saint Lucy (Saint Lucy parish in Campbell)
• December 13: Season of Hope 2007, San José Youth Symphony @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 14: Season of Hope 2007, Diocesan Filipino Priests Chorale @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 15: Season of Hope 2007, Presentation High School @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 16: Third Sunday of Advent
• December 16: Season of Hope 2007, Harper's Hall Celtic Harpists @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 17: Season of Hope 2007, "Friends of Jesus" Catholic Contemporary Band @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 18: Season of Hope 2007, San Jose Youth Chamber Orchestra @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 19: Season of Hope 2007, Castillero Middle School of the Performing Arts @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 20: Season of Hope 2007, Notre Dame High School @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 21: Season of Hope 2007, Maranatha Hope of Glory Choir @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 22: Season of Hope 2007, Bella Sorella - Opera Duo @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 23: Fourth Sunday of Advent
• December 23: Season of Hope 2007, Cathedral Schola - directed by Julie Wind @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p and 8:00p
• December 25: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (holy day of obligation)
• December 30: Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (Holy Family parish in San José)

January, 2008

• January 1: Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God (obligation is dispensed in the Diocese of San José)
• January 3: Catechumenate Support Group meeting @ Holy Spirit, 7:00p
• January 6: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord
• January 8: Liturgical Coordinators' Gathering @ Saint Mary of the Immaculation Conception, 10:00a
• January 10: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Santa Teresa Parish, 7:30p
• January 11: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Saint Julie Parish, 7:00p
• January 12: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Saint Catherine Parish, 5:30p
• January 13: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Saint Joseph Parish, 5:00p
• January 13: Feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Christmas ends after the last Mass of this day)
• January 14: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Saint Elizabeth Parish, 7:00p
• January 14: Ordinary Time, Year A / Year II, begins
• January 15: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Saint John the Baptist Parish, 7:00p
• January 16: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Holy Cross Parish, 6:30p
• January 17: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Christ the King Parish, 7:30p
• January 18: Novena for the Feast of Santo Niño @ Most Holy Trinity Parish, 7:00p
• January 18: Week of Prayer for Christian Unity begins
• January 19: Santo Niño Fiesta @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph
• January 20: 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
• January 21: Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday
• January 22: Day of Penance on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade
• January 24: Ongoing Professional Education Series: God the Psyche and Me @ Church of the Transfiguration, 9:30a
• January 25: Anniversary of the Episcopal Ordination of Patrick J. McGrath (1989)
• January 28: Memorial of Saint Thomas Aquinas (Saint Thomas Aquinas parish in Palo Alto)
• January 31: Ongoing Professional Education Series: God the Psyche and Me @ Transfiguration Church, 9:30a

February, 2008

• Februry 2: Diocesan Celebration of 25th and 50th Wedding Anniversaries @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 10:00a
• February 4: Rehearsal for Rite of Election @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p
• February 5: Rehearsal for Rite of Election @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:00p
• February 6: Ash Wednesday, Lent begins
• Febuary 6: Optional Memorial of the Five Wounds of Christ (Five Wounds Portuguese National Parish in San José)
• February 7: Ongoing Professional Education Series: God the Psyche and Me @ Transfiguration Church, 9:30a
• February 10: First Sunday of Lent
• February 10: Rite of Election @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 3:30p
• February 11: Rite of Election @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:30p
• February 12: Rite of Election @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:30p
• February 17: Second Sunday of Lent
• February 24: Third Sunday of Lent (First Scrutiny of the Elect)

March, 2008

• Month of March: Special Diocesan Days of Prayer for Human Rights and Equality
• March 2: Fourth Sunday of Lent (Second Scrutiny of the Elect)
• March 9: Fifth Sunday of Lent (Third Scrutiny of the Elect)
• March 11: Chrism Mass @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 7:30p
• March 15: Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of Mary, Principal Patron of the Diocese of San José (transferred this year to this date from its usual observance on March 19 because of Holy Week) (Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph parish in San José)
• March 16: Palm Sunday; Holy Week begins
• March 20: Holy Thursday
• March 21: Good Friday
• March 21: Anniversary of Dedication of Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral in San José
• March 22: Holy Saturday; Easter Vigil
• March 23: Easter Sunday (Church of the Resurrection parish in Sunnyvale)
• March 30: Second Sunday of Easter or Divine Mercy Sunday
• March 31: Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord (transferred this year to this date from its usual observance on March 25 because of the Octave of Easter)

April, 2008

• April 5: Neophyte Mass @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 4:30p
• April 6: Third Sunday of Easter
• April 8: Optional Memorial of Saint Julie Billiart (Saint Julie Billiart parish in San José)
• April 13: Fourth Sunday of Easter
• April 20: Fifth Sunday of Easter
• April 27: Sixth Sunday of Easter

May, 2008

• May 1: Optional Memorial of Saint Joseph the Worker (Saint Joseph parish in Mountain View)
• May 2: Memorial of Saint Athanasius (Saint Athanasius parish in Mountain View)
• May 4: Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (transferred to the Seventh Sunday of Easter) (Church of the Ascension parish in Saratoga)
• May 11: Solemnity of Pentecost (Easter ends after the last Sunday Mass of this day) (Holy Spirit parish in San José)
• May 11: Confirmation of Adults @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 3:00p
• May 12: Ordinary Time resumes
• May 17: Ordination of Deacons @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 9:30a
• May 18: Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (Most Holy Trinity parish in San José)
• May 24: Ordination of Priests @ Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph, 9:30a
• May 25: Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ
• May 30: Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus (Sacred Heart of Jesus parish in San José and Sacred Heart parish in Saratoga)

June, 2008

• June 1: 9th Sunday in Ordinary Time
• June 13: Memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua (Saint Anthony parish in San José)
• June 17: Optional Memorial of Saint Brother Albert Chmielowski (Saint Brother Albert Chmielowski parish in San José)
• June 24: Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist (Saint John the Baptist parish in Milpitas)
• June 25: Optional Memorial of Saint William (Saint William parish in Los Altos)
• June 27: Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Pertpetual Help (Oratory of Our Mother of Perpetual Help Chapel in Santa Clara)
• June 29: Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul
• June 29: Anniversary of Episcopal Ordination of R. Pierre DuMaine (1978)
• June 30: Anniversary of the transfer of Bishop Patrick J. McGrath to the see of San José (1998)

July, 2008

• July 4: Optional Memorial of Saint Elizabeth of Portugal (Saint Elizabeth parish in Milpitas)
• July 5: Feast of Our Lady, Refuge of Sinners, Patroness of the Californias
• July 6: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
• July 9: Optional Memorial of Our Lady of Peace (Our Lady of Peace parish in Santa Clara)
• July 28: Optional Memorial of Pope Saint Victor I (Saint Victor parish in San José)

August, 2008

• August 4: Memorial of Saint John Mary Vianney (Saint John Vianney parish in San José)
• August 6: Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord (Church of the Transfiguration parish in San José)
• August 8: Memorial of Saint Dominic (Catholic Community at Stanford under the patronage of Saint Dominic in Palo Alto)
• August 11: Memorial of Saint Clare of Assisi, Secondary Patron of the Diocese of San José (Feast in the Diocese of San José; Solemnity in the city of Santa Clara) (Saint Clare parish in Santa Clara)
• August 15: Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (holy day of obligation) (Saint Mary of the Assumption Croatian Mission in San José; Saint Mary parish in Gilroy)
• August 22: Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Queen of Apostles parish in San José; Queen of Martyrs Vietnamese Catholic Center in San José)

September, 2008

• September 12: Optional Memorial of the Most Holy Name of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Our Lady, Star of the Sea parish in Alviso)
• September 14: Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross (Holy Cross parish in San José)
• September 16: Memorial of Saint Cyprian (Saint Cyprian parish in Sunnyvale)
• September 18: Memorial of Saint Joseph of Cupertino (Solemnity in the City of Cupertino) (Saint Joseph of Cupertino parish in Cupertino)
• September 20: Memorial of Saints Andrew Kim Taegon, Paul Chong Hasang, and their Companions (Holy Korean Martyrs parish in Sunnyvale)
• September 21: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

October, 2008

• Month of October: Special Diocesan Days of Prayer for the General Needs of Humankind
• October 4: Memorial of Saint Francis of Assisi (Saint Francis of Assisi parish in San José)
• October 7: Memorial of Our Lady of the Rosary (Our Lady of the Rosary church, part of Saint Thomas Aquinas parish in Palo Alto)
• October 15: Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, also known as Saint Teresa of Avila (Santa Teresa parish in San José)
• October 28: Feast of Saints Simon and Jude (Saint Simon parish in Los Altos)

November, 2008

• November 1: Solemnity of All Saints (not a holy day of obligation this year because it falls on Saturday)
• November 2: Commemoration of All Souls
• November 4: Anniversary of the Re-Dedication of Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph in San José (solemnity in the parish of the Cathedral; feast for the rest of the diocese)
• November 9: Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome
• November 10: Memorial of Saint Leo the Great (Saint Leo the Great parish in San José)
• November 11: Memorial of Saint Martin of Tours (Saint Martin of Tours parish in San José; Saint Martin parish in Sunnyvale)
• November 13: Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini (Saint Frances Cabrini parish in San José)
• November 15: Optional Memorial of Saint Albert the Great (Saint Albert the Great church, part of Saint Thomas Aquinas parish in Palo Alto)
• November 23: Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ the King (last Sunday of Ordinary Time) (Christ the King parish in San José)
• November 25: Optional Memorial of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (Saint Catherine of Alexandria parish in Morgan Hill)
• November 24-26: Special Diocesan Days of Prayer for the Harvest and Fruits of the Earth
• November 27: Thanksgiving holiday
• November 27: Anniversary of the Installation of Bishop Patrick J. McGrath as second Bishop of the Diocese of San José (1999)
• November 30: First Sunday of Advent (Year B / Year I begins)

December, 2008

• December 1: World AIDS Day
• December 4: Anniversary of the approval of the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy (1963)
• December 6: Optional Memorial of Saint Nicholas (Saint Nicholas parish in Los Altos)
• December 7: Second Sunday of Advent
• December 8, Monday: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception (holy day of obligation)(Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception parish in Los Gatos)
• December 12: Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Solemnity in the city of San José) (Our Lady of Guadalupe parish in San José)
• December 13: Memorial of Saint Lucy (Saint Lucy parish in Campbell)
• December 14: Third Sunday of Advent
• December 21: Fourth Sunday of Advent
• December 25: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord (holy day of obligation)
• December 28: Solemnity of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph (Holy Family parish in San José)

The Liturgy Files: Is January 1, 2008, a holy day of obligation?

Part of my job is to answer email. Some of these emails are simple Q&A. In these Liturgy Files, I'll share some of the most helpful Q&As.


Q: Is January 1, 2008, a holy day of obligation? Has our Bishop dispensed the obligation to participate in Mass?

A: January 1 is the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and is one of the holy days of obligation observed in the United States. (Click here for the entire list of holy days of obligation for the US.) By law, all Catholics are obligated to participate in Mass on these days. However, the Bishop of each diocese, whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good, may dispense the faithful of his diocese from the obligation to participate in Mass for a particular holy day.

Bishop McGrath has dispensed the Diocese of San José from the obligation to participate in Mass on January 1, 2008. This dispensation, however, does not remove the rank of solemnity from the day, and the faithful are still encouraged to participate in Mass if they are able or to observe the holy day in other forms of prayer or pious works.

Parishes are expected to provide at least one Mass in observance of the holy day, either at an anticipated Mass on the evening of December 31, 2007, or during the day on January 1, 2008.

I so want to be in Stephen Colbert's religious education class

Here's a snip from Rocco's blog, Whispers in the Loggia, on Stephen Colbert, talk show host on Comedy Central (who, by the way, is standing in solidarity with the Writers Guild of America strike), Catholic, and Sunday school teacher. How many religion teachers and catechists thought to teach about the papal conclave and qualities of leadership in such a cool, fun way?

***snip***

Keeping with things late night, just on a lighter note, much has been made of the Catholic sensibility as fleshed out by Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert--so much so that there's even a website (and a great one at that) devoted to the "yes-and" approach of the comic's marriage of faith and art.

A religious ed teacher as time allows in his New Jersey parish, during a recent pre-show warm-up with his audience, Colbert talked about his brief stint as Camerlengo...for a conclave of elementary-schoolers.

As questions were being tossed from the crowd, then in the midst of his fleeting presidential bid, the satirist was asked what his first executive order would be.

His answer: "Be kind to each other"... which led to his account of the decree's genesis, reported by an audience member:

[Colbert] didn’t teach Sunday school last year, because he was too busy with the show; but he substituted, and he was subbing on the last day before summer vacation — when the kids didn’t really want to learn anything. And Pope Benedict had just been elected, so they decided to hold a mini papal election.

He and his daughter made a paper-maché miter, with a glitter cross, and then he “very seriously” locked the door, put the key in his pocket, and told the kids, “Okay, nobody leaves here until we elect a Pope.”

They started by making a list of qualities that you should have to be a Pope: ‘knows the Bible’, ‘good person’, etcetera. “And nobody said ‘must be a man’, which made me happy.” Then it came time to vote, but one kid said “Hey, I’m gonna vote for me,” and another said, “I’m gonna vote for me!”, and it looked like trouble.

(Stephen digressed at this point to speculate that all the cardinals probably do this on the first round. “Hey, might as well, who knows, there could be a groundswell…”)

Daughter to the rescue: “Dad, make everyone vote twice.” That way they would all vote for themselves and someone else. The winner was a kid named Gregory (and his daughter had predicted “It’s gonna be Gregory, because he always knows all the answers in class.” Stephen’s daughter sounds like such a cool kid).

So they brought Gregory up to the front, put the miter on his head and the cloth over his shoulder, and said, “Now that you’re the Pope, you need to pick a name; what name are you going to have?”

And the kid goes, “Urban III.” (”He really knows his stuff!”)

What will be his first papal injunction? Gregory holds up his hands (here Stephen holds up his own for a moment, to demonstrate, and then brings the mic back to his mouth), and says, “Be kind to each other.”

At which Stephen went, “All right, that’s it, we’re done, everybody go home!”

...and that's today's word.

***endsnip***

And from Colbert's Knox College commencement speech from 2006, here's some great wisdom about trusting enough to say, "yes." I couldn't help think of young Mary, sitting in her room, going about her own business, not knowing that Gabriel is at her door just about ready to lead her into the greatest improv skit of her life. (My brother does improv. I tell you, it's not easy.) But for us with faith, there is nothing better than to say "yes-and" to all God gives us.

Click the link above to read his entire speech. I laughed through it all.

But you seem nice enough, so I'll try to give you some advice. First of all, when you go to apply for your first job, don't wear these robes. Medieval garb does not instill confidence in future employers—unless you're applying to be a scrivener. And if someone does offer you a job, say yes. You can always quit later. Then at least you'll be one of the unemployed as opposed to one of the never-employed. Nothing looks worse on a resume than nothing.

So, say "yes." In fact, say "yes" as often as you can. When I was starting out in Chicago, doing improvisational theatre with Second City and other places, there was really only one rule I was taught about improv. That was, "yes-and." In this case, "yes-and" is a verb. To "yes-and." I yes-and, you yes-and, he, she or it yes-ands. And yes-anding means that when you go onstage to improvise a scene with no script, you have no idea what's going to happen, maybe with someone you've never met before. To build a scene, you have to accept. To build anything onstage, you have to accept what the other improviser initiates on stage. They say you're doctors—you're doctors. And then, you add to that: We're doctors and we're trapped in an ice cave. That's the "-and." And then hopefully they "yes-and" you back. You have to keep your eyes open when you do this. You have to be aware of what the other performer is offering you, so that you can agree and add to it. And through these agreements, you can improvise a scene or a one-act play. And because, by following each other's lead, neither of you are really in control. It's more of a mutual discovery than a solo adventure. What happens in a scene is often as much a surprise to you as it is to the audience.

Well, you are about to start the greatest improvisation of all. With no script. No idea what's going to happen, often with people and places you have never seen before. And you are not in control. So say "yes." And if you're lucky, you'll find people who will say "yes" back.

Now will saying "yes" get you in trouble at times? Will saying "yes" lead you to doing some foolish things? Yes it will. But don't be afraid to be a fool. Remember, you cannot be both young and wise. Young people who pretend to be wise to the ways of the world are mostly just cynics. Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don't learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying "yes" begins things. Saying "yes" is how things grow. Saying "yes" leads to knowledge. "Yes" is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say "yes."

And that's The Word.

What's the deal with RSS?

Okay, if you've surfed the Internet a little bit, you've probably seen something called an RSS link or feed. Or maybe you've seen the universal logo for RSS feeds which looks like this:

So what the heck is RSS? It stands for "really simple syndication," and it's the World Wide Web's version of your mailbox.

Being the technology geek that I am, I used to spend a lot of time surfing all the different Church Web sites and blogs to see what people were talking about. So for example, I'd boot up my laptop, start up my Web browser, open up my bookmarks, and click on each of these Web sites:

• Whispers in the Loggia
• Catholic Sensibility
• Ideas for the Whole Community
• Team RCIA
• A Concord Pastor Comments
• Dappled Things
• Catholic Deacon
• plus all the other DSJ blogs (listed in the sidebar)

After clicking on each of those sites, I'd scroll around to see if there was anything new. Sometimes there was. Most times there wasn't. But I'd still have to spend quite some time going to each site just to find out.

Then...I'd go check out the fun sites to see what they were talking about. So then I'd open my bookmarks again and click on each of these sites:

• Ask Sister Martha Mary
• The Ironic Catholic
• Instructables

There were also the tech and business blogs I like to read:

• Lifehacker
• Fast Company
• From Where I Sit

Whew! By the time I finished opening up the last site, I had spent way too much time and gotten too little information out of the entire process. And if your computer is slow like mine, trying to stay up to date just about makes you want to crawl back into bed.

THEN, I discovered the power of RSS. (The video below explains RSS and how to use it.) I tried several different news readers and landed on netvibes.com. That's pretty much the only site I open now to read all of the Web sites listed above. Plus I also get a bunch of other information that I arrange, like the local weather, the latest New York Times crossword, and todo lists that I can access anywhere there's a computer and an Internet connection. Now my daily routine of checking to see what's new on 20 or so different Web sites is down to mere minutes.

One of the neat things about RSS readers is that you can share your "feeds" with others. For example, here's my netvibes page with all my Church Web sites feeds:

If you click on the netvibes button above, you can see my Church page that shows me (and now you) all the newest articles on all my favorite Church Web sites. Because this page also shows me if I've read a particular article or not, I can see right away what's new to me and what's old news. After you click the button above, a new page will open. Go ahead and click on "Yes, preview it." Then you'll see my entire page. If you like it and want to try netvibes and sign up for a free account, just click on "Add it to my page."

Why should liturgy people care? Because we have to care about communication. Communication was God's first act: God spoke. We need to be listening. What are people outside of our own social circles saying? What are people outside of the Church saying? What are the 20 and 30 somethings saying? And where are they saying it. One place, I would argue, is right here on the Internet. People in love with the Church and the liturgy and the principles of full, conscious, and activie participation in all of life need to be on the Internet, communicating and listening. If we don't do it, others with more extreme, louder voices will--they already are.

So try it out. Don't be afraid. Once you've chosen a feed reader, like netvibes or any of the ones listed in the video below, you can add this blog to it just by clicking on the bright orange RSS logo in the sidebar. And here's that great little video explaining all this in a much more interesting way.

Music Ministry Evaluation Checklist

Here's a really good evaluation checklist prepared by Melissa Broome, liturgy director at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Joseph in San José, for music ministers and choir directors. Permission is granted by the author to reprint this for your own music ministries.

Download a Word doc version of this checklist.

I. Quality of Worship Aid

• Does the community have access to participate fully in the music being sung?
• Is the program professionally made (e.g., capitalizations and spelling are correct)?

II. Quality of Blend of Choir

• Are the voices blended as one or do individual voices stick out?
• Is the choir on pitch? Is one section better than others?

III. Quality of Congregational Singing

• Is the assembly singing?
• It the music simple enough for them to join in?
• Is the majority of the music familiar to the community, or is it all new?

IV. Tempo of Music

• Is the music too slow? Is the choir having a hard time breathings? Is the choir being forced sharp or flat because the phrases are too long? Are they able to sing a complete thought without needing multiple breaths in between?
• Is the tempo too fast? Is the assembly unable to follow along because they cannot keep up with the pace of the music?

V. Quality of Diction

• Can text be understood, especially during the psalm?

VI. Quality of Cut-Offs

• Does the choir end phrases at the same time?
• Are final consonants together and crisp? Or is there a trail of final consonants? (e.g., t-t-t-t)

VII. Quality of Cantor

• Are the musical entrances for the assembly clear? Can the assembly see that they are being encouraged to sing?
• Does the cantor have a pleasant demeanor, or do they look nervous or unfocused?
• Can text be understood?

VIII. Quality of Rehearsal Time

• Is time during rehearsal well organized? Does the director know exactly which piece will be next and move to it quickly, or is the choir waiting for music to be distributed or prepared before moving on?
• Does the rehearsal include a spiritual component, a time for the choir to gather in prayer and blend hearts, not just voices?

Copyright © 2007, Melissa Broome. All rights reserved.