From the Office of Worship

 

Update from the

Chancery office …

             On Wednesday, January 18th, I met with Msgr. Cotta at the Chancery office in Fresno.  He had requested of me an overview of the parish of Our Lady of the Sierra and after submitting that, we had a conversation about some interim procedures that would be in place until a new pastor or pastoral leadership is named by Bishop Ochoa for our parish.

 

First and foremost, I am deeply grateful to Msgr. Jim Logan for agreeing to remain in the parish to preside at Liturgy until a new pastor or pastoral leadership is named for us.  Msgr. Logan is well loved in the parish, and his presence here insures that our liturgy schedule will remain uninterrupted for the most part.  Please do pay close attention to the weekly schedule, though,  as weekday liturgies may be Communion Services from time to time.

 

Msgr. Cotta was very grateful to receive the overview of the parish, as well as the knowledge gleaned from it.  He now realizes how busy our parish and its ministries have grown to be in the last several years;  he joins with us as  we pray for  a new pastor or pastoral leadership that will have the energy and stamina to withstand the commute from Oakhurst all the way to Yosemite;  the understanding of the importance of Liturgy in our lives;  the need for powerful preaching and homilies.  We will all, I am sure, be storming heaven with prayers for our new pastor.

 

When the pastorship of a parish becomes vacant, and until a new pastor is named;  the Bishop of the Diocese will necessarily  become the administrative power to safeguard the parish and its resources.  While no extraordinary purchases are approved, the parish continues to pay for its necessary expenses.  Checks for these payments are signed temporarily, by the Bishop or a chancery official.

 

The parish staff (Director of the Office of Worship, Director of Faith Formation, office manager and secretary) remain in place and continue their work until a new pastor or pastoral leadership is named.

 

The Chancery office is joining us in prayer during this time of transition;  it is aggressively pursuing a new pastor for us.  I will keep you very well informed as developments take place.  In the meantime…let us pray!

 

Kevin Jonas, Director:  Office of Worship

 

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From the desk of the pastor...

 

On this very busy weekend, our country celebrates its birthday with the Fourth of July. It is customary for many tourists and guests to come and visit our mountain communities, particularly Bass Lake. We wish to extend a warm welcome to all who are visiting us, and pray that all will have a safe and sane weekend with all the festivities.

The Parish Office is closed on Monday, July 4th. There will be no daily Mass Monday morning.

I want to thank all who contributed to the work of the Divine Word Missionaries when Father Donald O'Connor, SVD, was with us last weekend. Your contribution to the work of foreign missions is a testimony to our faith in Christ, and to those who work to make our faith known throughout the different parts of the world.

We are happy to announce that Monsignor Herman Bezunartea, first pastor of Our Lady of the Sierra Parish in Oakhurst is returning to spend a month in Bass Lake. He will help with Masses, visit friends, enjoy golfing and fishing, and just relax by the lake. We are really looking forward to Msgr. Herman's time with us. He will be here July 21st to August 15th. This will also be an opportunity to see one of Msgr. Herman's dream fulfilled as he gazes on the new cross that graces the church building at Our Lady of the Sierra. He always felt the church was not complete until the cross was placed over the entry way. We would like to have a celebration on Sunday, July 31st, following the 11:30 Mass to celebrate his presence and to thank him for his contribution to the beginning of this parish, and to honor him for what he did in building the beautiful church we have in Oakhurst.                                    Fr. Mike

 

 

 

From the desk of the Pastor

Next weekend, Fr. Donald O'Connor will be visiting our parish to do a missionary appeal.  All parishes in the United States, including the Fresno Diocese are asked to host annually a missionary priest, sister, or lay person who allow us to share in the work of foreign missions.  Your generosity to Father O'Connor's appeal will be appreciated.                                                                                                               

Happy Father's Day!

The parish offers best wishes to all the fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, godfathers, and spiritual fathers on this Father's Day 2011.  So many of our fathers give witness to their faith and their vocation as fathers in the leadership they show their children.  In a very special way, we remember our deceased father (as I do my own father, Anastasio).  

St. Joseph was the model of a father (foster-father actually), a caring and protective husband, a hard worker and wage-earner, and many other things that make him a suitable model for all men.  His love for Mary and his care for the son entrusted to his care is something we need to learn in our day and age.  With so many children that grow up without a father in the home, and the many men who are simply absent from the lives of their children, we need to encourage strong and supportive marriages and relationships that give witness to God's unconditional love.  

Thus I find the need to focus this positive imagery of St. Joseph on the men of our parish.  Men need to be encouraged today to be good husbands, fathers, workers, and basically good men through prayer and positive Christian living.  I am today officially announcing the beginning of the formation of a parish men's group, modeled on the life of St. Joseph, and placing it under his protection.  The St. Joseph Men's Group.  Their focus would be on their spiritual life, their support for one another to live good Catholic lives, and to support and be supported by their parish community of Our Lady of the Sierra.  This group would be under the auspices of the parish, the pastor, and each other.  The men in the group would gather regularly to pray, to work, and to support the continue ministries of this parish.

I would like to gather men together to discuss this new venture in the Parish Hall  at Our Lady of the Sierra Church on Wednesday, June 22nd at 7:00pm.  If needed, we will hold another gathering at a later date to begin the commencement of our men's group.

If you are a Catholic man, of any age, wishing to gather with other men to pray, work, and serve with an open heart, please consider this endeavor by attending the meeting on Wednesday evening.  If you cannot attend, but are interested, look for the next meeting, or send me an email, frmike@dioceseoffresno.org, and let me know you wish to join and participate.  Once we have a good strong number and interest, we will move forward in creating and building this new asset to our wonderful parish community.                               Fr. Mike

 

From the desk of the Pastor ...

 

As summer months arrive, though without the usual heat, we begin to receive many guests to our respective churches.  Last week we were happy to host so many Catholics traveling to and from Yosemite National Park,  enjoying the beautiful area in which we live.  I am not sure we will be opening St. Dominic Savio  in Bass Lake to the outside, since it has been very unusually cool on Sunday mornings, but the large crowds in Bass Lake have been great.  The change of the time from afternoon to morning has been greeted by many tourists and regular visitors quite well.  Many like to be open to go to Mass before heading out for the day or before they travel back home.  I am grateful to the many of you who supported the idea, and for the sacrifice this might have meant for some of you.

Next Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, the great feast of the birth of the Church through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our Pentecost Vigil Mass on Saturday evening will be slightly longer due to the Church's desire that we pray for the urgency of the Holy Spirit on the Church and the world.  This Pentecost Vigil, while it has always been there, was no used often, but it will be mandated next year along with other changes coming to us on November 27th, with the publications of the new Roman Missal.

We continue to encourage our parishioners to be aware and supportive in assisting the many of those who lost homes in Missouri by giving to the American Red Cross or to Catholic Charities, USA.  Both of this agencies are doing great work in bringing relief to the many who have suffered such horrible devastation due to the recent tornados in the Midwest.

The Gift Shoppe is looking for volunteers to staff the store on Saturday afternoons following the evening Mass.  If you are able to give one weekend to help assist Dee, please call the parish office.

Fr. Mike

 

Today, the Church celebrates her official beginning as the power of the Holy Spirit descended on the Apostles and the other disciples of Christ, including Mary, Mother of the Lord, in the locked upper room.  This power from God, which inflamed the passion of the believers would lead the followers of Jesus out of the locked room to preach the Word Incarnate.  Many would die for their new-found faith.  This Spirit-filled passion continues to enliven the Church throughout history, even in times of scandal, pain, suffering, and persecution.  As we have entered the 21st. century, that passion is found in the lives of men and women dedicated to the Church.  To the faithful laity who continue to pray, sacrifice, trust, and support their local parishes in spite of the misdeeds of other disciples, even the ordained and vowed.  To the faithful bishops, priests, deacons, and Religious who continue to press in their ministries even though many have left active ministries for various reason in these past few years.  Yet the Spirit gives us hope and empowers us to grow ever stronger and to be confident that we are doing what God called us to do.  This is the Holy Spirit at work!

Father's Day 2011

Next weekend is Father's Day.  We will set up a special memorial prayer area in each of our churches to remember all of the deceased fathers of the parish.  There is an envelope, much like an All Soul's Envelope which you may use if you wish to have remembered a deceased father at Liturgy. You may bring your envelope to the parish office, or to the church prior to Mass on Sunday, June 18th.  We failed to do this for Mother's Day, but will do so next year.  We will attempt to make envelopes available this Sunday if possible.

Yours truly is celebrating another milestone tomorrow, the 13th.  I will be reminded of my age now for a while as I look at every 55 mile an hour sign post.  How did this happen?!                                                                                  Fr. Mike

 

Happy Father's Day!

The parish offers best wishes to all the fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, godfathers, and spiritual fathers on this Father's Day 2011.  So many of our fathers give witness to their faith and their vocation as fathers in the leadership they show their children.  In a very special way, we remember our deceased father (as I do my own father, Anastasio).  

St. Joseph was the model of a father (foster-father actually), a caring and protective husband, a hard worker and wage-earner, and many other things that make him a suitable model for all men.  His love for Mary and his care for the son entrusted to his care is something we need to learn in our day and age.  With so many children that grow up without a father in the home, and the many men who are simply absent from the lives of their children, we need to encourage strong and supportive marriages and relationships that give witness to God's unconditional love.  

Thus I find the need to focus this positive imagery of St. Joseph on the men of our parish.  Men need to be encouraged today to be good husbands, fathers, workers, and basically good men through prayer and positive Christian living.  I am today officially announcing the beginning of the formation of a parish men's group, modeled on the life of St. Joseph, and placing it under his protection.  The St. Joseph Men's Group.  Their focus would be on their spiritual life, their support for one another to live good Catholic lives, and to support and be supported by their parish community of Our Lady of the Sierra.  This group would be under the auspices of the parish, the pastor, and each other.  The men in the group would gather regularly to pray, to work, and to support the continue ministries of this parish.

I would like to gather men together to discuss this new venture in the Parish Hall  at Our Lady of the Sierra Church on Wednesday, June 22nd at 7:00pm.  If needed, we will hold another gathering at a later date to begin the commencement of our men's group.

If you are a Catholic man, of any age, wishing to gather with other men to pray, work, and serve with an open heart, please consider this endeavor by attending the meeting on Wednesday evening.  If you cannot attend, but are interested, look for the next meeting, or send me an email, frmike@dioceseoffresno.org, and let me know you wish to join and participate.  Once we have a good strong number and interest, we will move forward in creating and building this new asset to our wonderful parish community.

Fr. Mike

 

From the desk of the pastor ...

 

On this Memorial Day, we in this country take the time to remember the sacrifice that our military servicemen and women have made in giving their lives to protect us and our values.  It is a time to pause for a moment, remembering especially the many members of our own personal families that have died in the wars and remembering those who were veterans that died long after their time of service.  Our military cemeteries and the local cemeteries give witness to the motivation that many in our society find hard to fathom today.  Democracy, liberty, religious freedom, the ability to speak and march freely in our country are some of the values that threaten many leaders in different parts of the world.  To be able to change a leader through the ballot box, to criticize a leader while he is in office without threat of prison, torture or death is a precious gift, one often that is misused and misappropriated.  Death is the ultimate act of self-giving for an ideal greater than ourselves.  We pray for the many souls who have protected us and allowed us to continue to be who and what we are as citizens of this nation.

This Monday, Memorial Day, the parish office and church will be closed.  No Mass will be available.

As the news of the horrible devastation of the tornados continue to haunt us, especially in Missouri and so many parts of the Midwest, let us not forget those who have died, and let us help those who have survived, but have lost everything, from home to work and many if not all other things.  We will continue to take donations to Catholic Charities USA and also we encourage to give the American Red Cross, on the ground now in these devastation-torn areas assisting with everyday needs of food, shelter, clothing and comfort.

As the summer vacation period officially begins, we will be visited by many people, many whom are visitors to Yosemite Park and other areas in our beautiful mountains.  Warm welcomes and hearty handshakes will ensure their repeat visits to our wonderful mountain communities.                                                           

From the desk of the Pastor ...

 

The Roman Catholic Church has now marked another first.  Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Gustavo Carriquiry to a #2 post in the Vatican, as Under-Secretary for Latin American Affairs.  He succeeds Colombian Archbishop Jose Octavio Ruiz.  This makes Mr. Carriquiry, the highest lay person holding what used to be a position reserved for archbishops.  This breakthrough in recognizing laity in Church governance is in keeping with the ideals of Vatican II.  

What is more interesting is that Mr. Carriquiry is my mother's first cousin.  His father and my grandfather are brothers from the Basque Country.  His father emigrated to Uruguay along with another brother.  I have met Mr. Carriquiry in my travels to Rome, and our family is certainly proud of this distinction in our family.  In the past several years, Religious women and laity have been making huge strides in the upper levels of power in the Vatican.  No longer are there only bishops and priests in important positions.

As the Easter Season continues to roll along, we are so proud of our children and teens who celebrated their First Communion and Confirmation at last Sunday's 11:30 a.m. Mass.  We congratulate them and their families in this important milestone moment in their lives.  May God bless and encourage them as they continue to grow as strong Catholics with the help of their parents and parish.

I hope you have all now seen the beautiful statue of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (the "Little Flower")  that now graces Our Lady of the Sierra Church.  This statue was made possible by so many who contributed to a gift in honor of my 25th Jubilee of Priesthood Ordination last year, and in the memory of Dr. Edward Santoro, a long time active parishioner who died this past December 24th.  I thank all who were also able to put up the statue (actually a 3/4 "relief) on the wall in the church next to the relief of The Holy Family, a gift from Isabel Rajcan, when the church was originally built in 1999.  Our new statue will be blessed on Saturday, June 11th at the 4:00 p.m. Vigil Liturgy of Pentecost.

Next weekend is the Memorial Day weekend. The parish office and church will be closed on Monday, May 30th.  It is also the official opening date for the large window doors at St. Dominic Savio Mission in Bass Lake.  Summer is coming, though at press time, it still feels like winter.                              

 

From the desk of the Pastor ...

 

The Sacraments of Initiation

Today, our parish celebrates one of those special annual events with the combined celebrations of  First Holy Communion and Confirmation.  Both of these sacraments are a part of the what the Church calls the Sacraments of Initiation.  All the Sacraments of Initiations include Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation.   In our Catholic tradition, we celebrate these sacraments of entering the full life of the Church at different phases in the life of a young Catholic person: baptism at birth, first Eucharist at the what is know as the 'age of reason' (usually 7 years of age in our culture), and then at a later age, confirmation, the full reception of the Holy Spirit. That age can be different in different dioceses in our country and in many countries around the world.  In most US dioceses, that age is approximately 16  but now it has been lowered to first communion age.  In the Eastern Orthodox Churches, all three sacraments are given immediately after birth, a tradition that goes back to  early Christian practices.  

It is not necessary for a bishop to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation.  It has become custom to do so in our Western Latin Church, but as mentioned above, Orthodox priests confirm all babies.  Many times, our bishops in this country will delegate their priests to confer confirmation in the case of a bishop's busy schedule, or illness, or other circumstances as he sees fit.  At this moment if time, having no bishop in our diocese, the Diocesan Administrator, Monsignor Myron Cotta has given permission to all pastors to confirm their own youth, unless the pastor declines, at which point Msgr. Cotta or someone he delegates will go to that parish to confirm.  I have requested and received delegation from Msgr. Cotta to confirm at Our Lady of the Sierra Parish.  I invite you all to pray for the children of our parish, recently having made their first confession, as they receive First Communion today. To our teens who will be confirmed at the same Mass (11:30am), our support and love at this important stage of their Christian development.

Second Offering Today 

Today is known as Catholic Charities Weekend in the Diocese of Fresno.  On this day, all parishes will take up a second offering to assist our diocesan charities that gives financial and other helps to many thousands of people in our diocese.

Ireland 2012

As mentioned in earlier bulletins,  I will lead a 11-day trip to Ireland next year, departing March 12th, that puts us in Ireland on St. Patrick's Day on March 17th, 2012 in the Republic of Ireland.  We will have two informational meetings to answer questions regarding this tour for our parishioners.  The gathering will be held at the noon hour on Tuesday, May 24th, and again in the evening at 6:00pm on the same day.  Both will take place in the parish hall.  If you are interested and not sure if you could go or might need more information to deal with any issues, please come and join us for this informational meeting.

Basque Events

Also many of you have asked when there are Basque events in the Valley.  Last weekend we had our Basque festival in Fresno, at which I celebrated Mass.  The next Basque festival is in Los Banos at the Fairgrounds next Saturday, May 21, beginning with Mass at 10am and followed by a Lamb BBQ, and then Basque folk dancing.  All are invited, with this special spring weather, it will be a splendid way to spend a Saturday.                                                                    Fr. Mike