From the desk of Fr. Mike

Today the parish will begin our Spanish speaking Mass at 12:30pm.  This Mass will be once a month, though, if the crowd is heavy and the demand grows, it will become a weekly event.  We had many people attend our Guadalupe Mass on December 12, and from that community we were able to elicit lectors, singers, and other ministers for this new Mass.  It is time to reach out to our Spanish speaking Catholics who live in the mountain communities and had to commute to Madera or Fresno for a Spanish speaking Mass.  We have been doing Spanish baptisms since I arrived here and this quiet population continues to grow.  If we do go to a weekly Spanish Mass, we will need to change our Sunday morning schedule a little bit, so I can do everything in a timely fashion.  I want to thank Consuelo Mercier for helping me organize Spanish speaking ministries.

I want to once again thank all the members of the Art and Environment Commission and their fearless leader, Kevin, for the incredibly beautiful Christmas environment in all our three churches.  What a wonderful gift to the Church and local community that enhances our worship experience.  It brought much delight to the many visitors that visited our parish for the Christmas holidays.  I am impressed with the hidden talents and the giving hearts that allow all this to happen.  May God bless you all for the gifts you give to our parish.

As we enter the new year of 2010, we ask God's blessing on our parish communities and beg for the protection of our Blessed Mother.  May we do all things for God's greater and to bring more people to know the love and peace that Jesus brings to our lives.  I am so grateful to many of you, and in particular, to the many of you who have shared such kind sentiments through beautiful Christmas cards, messages and gifts.  As time goes on, I become more at home in your midst, and I do ask God to bless you all.

Hoy la parroquia empezará ofrecer las misa en español a las 12:30pm. Esta missa será una vez al mes, pero, si hay una multitud y la demanda crece, llegará a ser un acontecimiento semanal. Tuvimos muchas personas asistiendo nuestra Misa de Guadalupe el 12 de diciembre, y de esa comunidad nosotros pudimos sacar lectores, los cantantes, y otros ministros para esta nueva Masa. Es tiempo de tener misas en español para unir a católicos que viven en las comunidades de las montañas y que ahora tienen que ir a Madera o Fresno para misas en español. Hemos estado haciendo bautismos españoles desde que yo llegué aquí, y esta población callada continúa crecer. Si vamos a una misa en español semanal, nosotros tendremos que cambiar nuestro horario los domingo por la mañana un poquito, así que en esa forma puedo hacer todo en una moda oportuna. Quiero dar gracias a Consuelo Mercier por su ayuda en organizar los ministerios para los que hablan. español.

 

From the desk of Fr. Mike ...

This is the week when Christian people all over the world will gather in their churches to celebrate the miracle

of the birth of Jesus, God and man. The Christmas schedule for the mountain communities is as follows:

 

Christmas Children's Mass at 4pm at OLS, Oakhurst

Christmas Midnight Mass at 12:00am at OLS Oakhurst with Christ Concert beginning at 11:30 p.m.

Christmas Morning Mass at 8:30am at St. Joseph's in North Fork

Christmas Day Mass at 11am at OLS, Oakhurst

 

Again, we ask all to pass on this information to relatives and friends visiting the mountains.

 

There will be no 8:00am Mass on the morning of Christmas Eve, December 24th.

The parish office will be closed, beginning noon on Thursday, Christmas 24th to Tuesday, December 29th.

New Year's Day is NOT a holyday of obligation, and thus no requirement to attend Mass. There will be a

Communion Service offered in the morning at 8am at OLS Church, Oakhurst.

The parish office will be closed for the New Year's holiday, beginning at noon on December 31st, to Monday,

January 4th.

Nancy will be out of the office from Tuesday, December;  Katie will be in the office.

From the desk of Fr. Mike ...

 

This week, all of our parishioners who are registered should be receiving their annual Christmas letter and Christmas schedule.  Please plan accordingly and pass this information on to other folks who may be estranged from the Church or friends that might be visiting our mountain community.

 

The Christmas Schedule is:

 

Advent Penance Service,

Tuesday, December 15th at 6pm at Our Lady of the Sierra Church in Oakhurst

 

Christmas Eve Children's Mass

Thursday, December 24 at 4pm at Our Lady of the Sierra Church in Oakhurst

Christmas Solemn Midnight Mass

Friday, December 25 at 12:00am at Our Lady of the Sierra Church in Oakhurst

Christmas Morning Mass

Friday, December 25 at 8:30am at St. Joseph the Worker Mission in North Fork

Christmas Mass

Friday, December 25 at 11am at Our Lady of the Sierra Church in Oakhurst

NO CHRISTMAS AFTERNOON MASS IN BASS LAKE

 

New Year's Day is no longer a holyday of obligation . There will be a Communion Service at 8am in Oakhurst.

 

The parish office will be closed from Christmas Eve Noon, December 24th until Tuesday, December 29th   to  allow the staff that is working over time before the holydays to take a well deserved break.  The parish office will again close on New Year's Eve, December 31st until Monday, January 4th, 2010.

 

A special second collection for the Parish Improvement Fund will be taken on Christmas Day to help with repairs that are seriously needed around the three facilities.  Winter months are difficult for our properties.  We do ask that you remember your parish in your end of the year financial planning.  Better to give to your parish then to the IRS.

 

The financial report that I submitted to you some time ago was only the Budget for 2008-2009.  What I left out was the amount the Parish has in savings in the Diocesan Deposit and Loan Fund, our Fresno Diocese Savings.  

We have several accounts. All together Our Lady of the Sierra Parish holds $215,161 in savings.  The main savings account has been used for the following purpose since my arrival in July 1, 2008.  

 

Deposit from checking account to savings Sept 2009                       +$100,000.00

          Purchase of house in Oakhurst, November 4, 2008                          -$   221,093.14

          Painting and setting house for occupancy Feb. 13, 2009                       -$       9,000.00

          Construction Project to Architect/Derivi Construction, April 2009         - $    11,715.00    

(These funds used on the anticipated new building on OLS prop.)

              Painting and repairs on exterior of Oakhurst house  (summer 2009)      - $      7,000.00

 

I am publishing this information to let all our parishioners know of what funds we have transferred to the savings, and what funds have been used for large expenses, all done with the permission of the Bishop.

 

 

 

 

From the desk of Fr. Mike ...

 

The parish staff and the whole community wish to extend to Linda Lynch, one of wedding coordinators and faithful parishioner, and to her family our deepest condolences on the death of her husband, John.  John's funeral Mass will be held at Our Lady of the Sierra Church on Friday, December 11th, at 10am.  Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let Perpetual Light shine on him.  May John rest in peace.

 

This coming Tuesday, December 8th, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of the United States.  We are offering two Masses and one Communion Service that day.  There will be Mass at 8am, Communion Service at 12noon, and an evening Mass at 6pm.  This is a holyday of obligation for all Catholics.

 

Next Saturday is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.  In her honor, we will have the traditional mananitas beginning at 5:30am, with a special Bi-Lingual Mass at 6:00AM.  On this day, the Spanish speaking community throughout the United States and Mexico will flock to churches to celebrate the special gift of Mary, Mother of the Lord, to the people of the new world.  We invite all our parishioners to join us in the spirit of being one Church, one People of God.

 

Please also plan to attend our Advent Parish Penance Service on Tuesday, December 15^th, at 6:00pm at Our Lady of the Sierra Church.  We will have multiple priests. This is a wonderful opportunity to prepare ourselves for the upcoming Christmas celebration.

 

Again, a great big thank you to the Art and Environment Commission members who have done such a wonderful job in creating the beautiful Advent environment in all our churches.  I am so proud of the many hours of planning and preparation work this group did to prepare our parishioners for this Advent season.

 

From Fr. Mike ...

I trust everybody had a nice Thanksgiving with family and friends this weekend. It is a

nice weekend for us all to take time to thank God.

 

We now move on to a new Liturgical Year and Season with the First Sunday of Advent.

A very special thanks to Kevin and to the combined choir that sang at the Thanksgiving Day Mass this past Thursday.

Also thanks to Kevin and Diane Kraft for their leadership with the Art and Environment Commission for this new season of Advent. You are all special gifts to the parish community.

 

Advent is about hope. It calls us to vision a new world, new Jerusalem as the Book of

Revelation would tell us. This is not a penitential season. It is the season for waiting

for the coming of the Savior at the end of the world. Our readings, music, homilies and

church environment focus on preparing for the coming of Jesus, much as St. John the

Baptist did in the desert when his voice called out, "Prepare ye the way of the

Lord!" The prophet Isaiah who envisioned a time of peace and tranquility in the world is

the main Old Testament book that is utilized, since Isaiah really was looking for the end

of the world, and that that end would be so different than the one we live in today. We

continue that same message as we light an Advent candle each week, so that the light of the

candle shines in the darkness of the world, and leads us to Christ, the fulfillment of all

things. Thus Christmas, a past historical event, is celebrated annually at the end of Advent,

the real end to the season is the Second Coming when all is restored in Christ.

 

As we look to this Season of Advent, a reminder that we will have our Parish Advent

Penance Service on Tuesday, December 15th, at Our Lady of the Sierra Church at

6:00PM. This allows for advance planning on everybody's part.

 

We know that we get caught up with all the Christmas activities at this time of the year,

yet we need to remember that the Church does NOT celebrate Christmas until we gather

for the Christmas Eve Mass. Until then, it's Advent and the art and environment in our

churches reflect that faith experience. We cannot fight the secular world with the Christmas

season, but we can do so when we gather to worship on Sundays. Each week, another

candle is lit, another step towards the fullness of light, Christ Himself. I pray that this

season will give you courage and hope especially in these difficult times with the recession

and war.

 

This coming week, the Women's Guild of the parish will begin their main fund-raising

activity with the annual Sees Candy Sale. This sale assists these wonderful women in

providing for the needs of the parish. I encourage everybody to join in and support the

Women's Guild on Sundays at church or in front of CVS Drugstore here in Oakhurst.

From the desk of Fr. Mike

 

Today the Universal Church celebrates the final Mass of the Year of Grace of 2009, the Feast of Christ the King.  This feast which came about a little less than two hundred years ago, symbolizes for us that Jesus is the final answer to all in creation.  As Second Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, the Word Incarnate came to reconcile the whole world to right the wrongs, to bring forgiveness to sin, and to bring harmony to the brokenness that has caused so much pain and destruction.  We know that in Christ, the world will be right again, thus the Christ the King brings the year to its full completeness.  In all the Masses, Baptisms, the Confirmations, Ordinations, Marriages and Funerals held this past year were means to bring about grace and salvation.  Thus we celebrate with great solemnity this most holy feast, and bring our year to another end.

 

Next week, we will begin a new Year of Grace of 2010, with the First Sunday of Advent. We begin this new time in the liturgical season looking to the future and all that we are invited to do to bring God's Good News, the message of Jesus' presence to the world, starting with our local community.  If you are a viewer of Channel 49, the diocesan television station in Fresno, you will see me nearly everyday till Christmas in one minute spot commercials about Advent.  Every week I will deliver a different message for the Catholic Community.  It will air four to six times a day, changing every Monday to a newer commercial.  It will be like Billy May has come back from the dead, we both look the same.  And yes, TV adds ten pounds.

 

Happy Thanksgiving Day!!!

 

Thanksgiving Day is this week, and we wish that all of you will be joining with family and friends to give thanks to Almighty God for the many blessings that have come your way.  Just living in these beautiful mountains is a reason to thank God for beauty. 

 

 We will have a special Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9:00AM

 

 with our choir providing music.  What better way is there than to come to Mass, give thanks to God for the gift of salvation and grace, before we sit at our dinner tables to give Him thanks for all other things.  As a community of faith, this gathering will give witness to how important we cherish each other.  A collection will be taken up to aid the poor and we are asking you to bring food items that can be given to those organizations that provide food for the needy in our Oakhurst area.   Also you are invited to bring the wine and bread that you will serving that day to have it blessed at Mass.  Plan to attend!!

 

Parish offices will be closed November 26th to November 29th so that our staff can enjoy Thanksgiving with their families and take some well deserved time off this busy season.

 

As our churches are aging, even with Our Lady of the Sierra Church now being ten years old, there are more needs for repair and restore.  In trying to be proactive in these hard economic times, we find the need to create a fund for church repairs so our annual budget would not be taxed.  We are experiencing a real decline in our Sunday collections from last year and we cannot at the present moment do what needs to be done. Thus on the Fifth Sundays of the month, whenever they occur, we will take up a second collection for the Parish Improvement Fund, which will be used to fund projects such as repairs, replacing damaged items, fixing sidewalks, and other things that do come up at all our churches.  Your generous response will be appreciated, as well as your consideration in a small increase in your Sunday giving.  We are making adjustments and cuts to stay within our means.  These are lean times for you and for us.

 

The first Parish Improvement Fund collection will be taken next Sunday, November 29^th, at all Masses.

 

From Fr. Mike

 

Bishop's Annual Appeal 2010

 

All registered parishioners will have received by now a letter from Bishop John Steinbock regarding the Bishop's Annual Appeal, held every year to assist the bishop in his responsibilities to care for the needs of the diocese.  The funds raised help with the costs of seminarians, purchase of new properties for new parishes, the Priest Retirement Fund, Catholic Schools assistance, and other   urgent needs.  The diocesan goal this year is to raise $850,000.  Each parish is assessed a certain amount based on their annual plate collection.  The goal set for Our Lady of the Sierra Parish for 2010 is $7,365.00.  Each parishioner is asked to contribute directly to the appeal, with the envelope supplied by the   diocese in the mailing.  Whatever amount is not raised by the direct appeal from parishioners must be made up by the parish itself.  This affects our budget, since we will not know what the parish will have to contribute at the end of the budget year in June.  In the 2009 Bishop's Annual Appeal, the parish was responsible for over $4,000 at the end of June.  We ask for your help  and generosity in this matter.

 

From Fr. Mike ...

This is the LAST CALL for my pilgrimage next year that will take us to Rome, Florence,

Assisi, Venice, Innsbruck, Munich, Lucerne, with the addition of attending the

PASSION PLAY OF OBERAMMERGAU in Germany. This pilgrimage will include a

Papal Audience with the Holy Father. The Passion Play is done only every ten years,

and it has been going since 1633. Our pilgrimage date puts us at the very end of their

presentation. We have been given only so many tickets and thus we have 8 spots left on

this pilgrimage. The Pilgrimage departs from San Francisco on September 20, 2010,

returning October 2nd to San Francisco. The cost of the entire pilgrimage which includes

airfare, hotels, two meals a day, bus and local guides, local taxes and a $100,000

Automatic Flight insurance, is $4299. If you or anyone you know is interested, final

spots must be filled by December 1st, 2009, or we surrender unused Passion Play tickets

back to Oberammergau. The parish office has the brochure with this information.

 

We are beginning to wind down the liturgical year. There are only two Sundays left in

the present year and then we start the new Liturgical Year with Advent on November

29th. All Lectors are asked to make sure they pick up their workbooks in the sacristy of

whatever church they attend.

 

I want to thank Kevin and all the members of the Art and Environment Committee who

help prepare the churches for the Month of All Souls. A great deal or work went into

planning and executing all the work that needed to be done. It is all so beautiful. I understand

that Advent and Christmas will also be beautiful experiences. I urge everybody

to visit our website which has improved greatly. New pages have been added and

more explanation regarding many of our events and activities.

 

In two different events recently, one for the Laity and other with Priests and Religious,

Bishop Steinbock celebrated the 25th anniversary of his episcopal ordination as a

bishop. He was first appointed the Auxiliary Bishop of Orange and ordained in 1984. I

have sent an official greeting from the parish to the bishop and pray for his continued

good health and happiness as he continues to lead this local Church.

 

Fr. Mike

From Fr. Mike

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of All Saints. This will overrule the 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time. We begin this month of All Souls, but first celebrating those who have entered into glory. Today's feast is celebrated with solemnity and great joy. Tomorrow, we begin the month of All Souls, as we remember our deceased family and friends who have died and are in need of our prayers for their entrance into heaven. We will offer a very special Mass tomorrow morning, November 2nd at 8:00AM for All Souls, with music and we want to remember the deceased by asking you to bring photos of your loved ones that you want remembered to this special Mass. They will be placed in a special area near the altar with the Easter Candle nearby. Also we are asking everyone to bring in their All Souls envelopes so they can also be placed in a special place for the entire month of November. The Church asks that all Masses, prayers, and good works be offered up for the salvation of those in purgatory. We will have the All Souls envelopes enshrined in all three churches.

I am grateful to Monsignor Tony Janelli who helped us while I was in China. Msgr. Janelli has now moved to Mariposa and will be helping us from time to time with Masses, confessions, Penance Services, and other liturgical activities. Msgr. Janelli is a long time friend, and was the last worship director for the diocese before me. I appreciate the fact that he felt very welcomed during his visit to Oakhurst.

The winter hours begin this weekend with the Sunday Mass at Bass Lake being changed to 4:00pm. Next weekend, the Our Lady of the Sierra 5:00pm will change to 4:00pm to accommodate many of our parishioners who do not want to drive home in the dark. These hours will be in place until April 1st.

I have re-introduced the restrictions regarding the H1N1 Pandemic Flu for our parish. Each parish is recommended by the Bishop to do so at this time. I have issued a diocesan instruction on this matter to all pastors at the request of Bishop Steinbock. The restrictions include no Sign of Peace, no holding hands at the Our Father, no distribution of the Precious Blood, and Communion given only on the hand. All ministers, including clergy, are to wash their hands with sanitizers immediately before and after the distribution of Holy Communion. We continue to pray for all affected by this flu virus, and encourage that vaccinations be given to children and pregnant women.

Fr. Mike is on vacation

Fr. Mike will be on vacation from October 12-October 22.

Notes From Fr. Mike

This coming week, from Monday, October 5 to Thursday, October 8, Bishop Steinbock and all the priests of the diocese will be at St. Anthony's Retreat Center, and we ask that our parishioners keep us in prayer during this time.  Father James Torrens, S.J. will be the retreat master this year.  Fr. Torrens lives and serves in the Diocese of Fresno at the Jesuit House, located at the Pastoral Center.  Communion Services will be held on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

 

Today is Respect for Life Sunday in our country.  On this day, we as Catholics are reminded about the sacredness of life, and that we must protect life, from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death.  This means that life, in all forms, and it all its stages, must be protected.  We must be able to provide adequate health care for all human beings, including our children, who are most vulnerable.  This also means that the Catholic Church is squarely against the death penalty, for it is still the taking of a human life, no matter how one might want to justify it.  Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI have clearly made this case.  Life is precious and God has given this gift so that we might all have the full potential to live up to the many gifts awaiting all of us.

 

We also know on the other hand, that God is full of mercy and compassion.  There are those who have made the decision to have an abortion, and later come to regret this act.  In the Church, we have Rachel's Project, in which those who have had abortions can come to a special retreat to heal the pain that abortion has had on the person, to have them consider receiving reconciliation, and move on in their lives.  Several retreats are held at St. Anthony Retreat Center towards this goal, both in English and Spanish.  For more information, you can contact the parish office.

 

Thank you to those who made the feast of St. Therese a beautiful experience last Thursday morning at Bass Lake.  It was a moment of grace as we ask for her intercession and blessing.  Did you know that the very first church dedicated the Little Flower in the world is in Fresno?  The Diocesan Shrine of St. Therese in the Tower District is a beautiful structure, and if you have not yet visited the church, stop by sometime.  Father Michael Burchfield, once my associate, is now pastor.

 

Following next weekend Masses on October 11th, I will be leaving for a ten day journey to the People's Republic of China.  Another former associate, Fr. Joel Davidilla, now pastor in Tehachapi, is leading this group.  Fr. Joel was a missionary priest who from Hong Kong would sneak into China to celebrate secret Masses wherever it was illegal for Masses to be celebrated.  He eventually came to the states, and is now a diocesan priest here.  

From Your Pastor

This past week was busy with many activities, meetings, and the like. I was able to host the first "Evening with Fr. Mike" on Monday evening, October 26. These gatherings will begin at 7pm in the Lounge at Our Lady of the Sierra Church. The Pastoral Council met this past Wednesday, and some of the discussions held that evening will be published at a later date. I had the first meeting of the newly formed Liturgical Commission on the diocesan level as we begin to look to the liturgical state of the diocese, and the needs that are developing, especially in the light of the flu epidemic and the new Roman Rite, soon to be implemented in the United States. The Priest Council, of which I'm a standing member as Director of Liturgy met for our first meeting of the season to discuss issues that affect priests, the diocese and the Church at large. The Bishop must meet with his Priest Council for consultation, and this gives him the opportunity to see what is going on in the diocese in general. Discussed at the last meeting is the first raise to be given to priests in nine years. It will go into effect January 1st, 2010, an increase of $200 per month. It was 2001, when the last increase had been given.

I was also happy to meet with the high school students at the Yosemite High campus meeting which takes place on Mondays. It is always refreshing to meet the young people of our parish with their enthusiasm for the faith.

Again, a huge thank you to Consuelo and Peggy for their leadership with our youth.

Regarding Bishop Steinbock, he is celebrating his 25th year as a bishop in the Church. There will be prayer services for this landmark event, and we wish him well. He was ordained in 1984 as Auxiliary Bishop of Orange, and then served as Bishop of Santa Rosa, before coming to the Fresno Diocese in 1991. He will have served us over twenty years by the time he retires in a few years.

I must again ask our parishioners at Our Lady of the Sierra Church in Oakhurst to be conscious of how disturbing and rude it is for so many people to leave Mass before the final blessing. Last weekend at the Saturday afternoon Mass, when I walked down the aisle for the recessional procession, the last NINE pews on my left were completely empty, and in fact when I turned to greet people, there was no one there! We had a group of parishioners, who are beginning an intense retreat experience, and they were asking for our prayers and support, yet our parishioners were not there to pray for them. I know it is an extra few minutes, yet the Lord can die on the cross for us, but we can't fulfill our responsibility to supporting one another? I do beg for your special consideration in this serious matter.

On Wednesday, September 23, we celebrate the feast of Padre Pio, a famous Italian Francsican saint who died in the 1960's. The devotion to this great apostle to the sick is very popular in Italy, and his graveside in San Giovanni Rotundo is visited by thousands every year. I have a special place in my heart for Padre Pio, and ask for his intercession for those suffering serious illness in our parish.

Please release me from jail

This coming Thursday, September 17th, I am being arrested here in Oakhurst. Before you start jumping to conclusions (my favorite sport), I am being arrested and am to be held at the Mountain House Restaurant on the way to Bass Lake as a fund-raiser for Muscular Dystrophy Association MDA. This bit of fun has a very serious side. It is to raise funds so that children with MD can attend summer camp and benefit from the purchase of wheelchairs and communication devices. MDA also provides funds towards research to help in treatments and for cures for 43 neuromuscular diseases. Many children in our valley are able to go, at no cost to their parents, to summer camp because of the generosity of many people.

Today, I am asking you after Mass to sign up as my list of contributors to have me released from my time in jail. I know that there are some who would rather pay to keep me there. It is the hope of MDA that my release will bring at the very least $1600 that will go directly to the MDA office in Fresno. Come and visit me at the Mountain House, as I will be detained there from 11:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday, September 17^th.

You can also donate by going to https://www.joinmda.org/oakhurst09 and place a donation or pledge. Join in the fun and let's help Jerry's kids!

An evening with Father Mike

I am beginning a series of evenings of open discussions about the Church. The first such evening will take place tomorrow evening, Monday, September 14th, in the Upper Lounge (old parish office) at Our Lady of the Sierra Church. We will start with a discussion on the last encyclical of Pope Benedict XVI, and invite anyone interested to come and share thoughts. If we have more than anticipated, then we'll move to a larger area. I will try to have such evenings once a month, and see how it is received. The evening will begin at 7pm and will go no longer than 9pm. Come and join me.

From Pastor's Desk

As many of you know, Fr. Pratt became ill during the Saturday evening Mass last weekend, and was not able to celebrate the Sunday 11:00am Mass. He is doing better and we continue to pray for him as he battles cancer. He was to help and be available to us, yet we know that sometimes our spirit is strong, but our bodies do not always cooperate. We keep him in our prayers.

During the month of August, our friend from Los Angeles, Fr. Dan White will be in the parish working on his home and taking some time away from his parish in Venice Beach. We welcome him back warmly. Fr. Dan has offered to help with Sunday Masses, so he will be taking a mass on weekends and helping me with whatever we need during this time.

We continue to ask for your special consideration in your sacrificial giving on Sundays to help us defray the cost of utilities during this very hot summer. The air conditioning needs of the parish go up substantially, as I'm sure yours do too.

The time is coming to register our children for the new academic year for Religious Education classes. Please watch the bulletin for registration times.

We need your extra help this time of year

As many of you are experiencing the extreme heat of the summer, and are turning down your air conditioners to cool your homes, your parish is also experiencing the same heat, and like you all, our utility bills climb this time of year to accommodate the coolers in the Oakhurst church and chapel and in our parish offices. Your special consideration and sacrifice in your Sunday offering will be deeply appreciated as we all struggle with higher bills. Like you, we are trying to watch when power is turned on, but on some days, it is very difficult.

For those who experienced the festival last Sunday, how good God is!!! In spite of the weather, we had a great time. It was so good to see our different communities come together and spend quality time together. The Mass, along with the combined choir under Kevin's direction, was a very moving and holy experience. So many behind the scenes helped in cooking, setting up, cleaning up the property, overseeing many of our activities, and providing delicious baked goods to eat. In future bulletins, I will name individuals who assisted in making the weekend so great. I am proud to be a part of a vibrant and growing parish that continues to grow in faith and ministry. It speaks to the goodness of God, and our response to that grace. With God's Spirit we can continue to be a more unified community here to witness Christ's Gospel.

There will be a meeting of the Parish Festival Committee this coming Tuesday at 11:30am in the parish office to evaluate and set a date for next year.

A reminder that soon a new format and a whole bulletin will be made available that will carry much more information and will be larger. The bulletin will be published by Mission Publications. They are still seeking ads, and if you are interested in adding your business to the back page of the bulletin or wish to buy a space in memory of a deceased relative, you may call the parish office. The starting date is the second or third Sunday in August. We are enclosing a sample of the front and back page of the new bulletin so that you can see the size.

Our Lady of the Sierra Celebrating the 10th Anniversary

Today, we gather to celebrate as a parish the many blessings we have received through the great sacrifices of so many men and women toward this parish that we know today as Our Lady of the Sierra Parish. We owe so much to the Oblates of St. Joseph in Madera who began the ministry in the mountains after St. Theresita’s Camp came to an end. St. Dominic Savio and St. Joseph the Worker was built, both at the same time, to provide worship space for the local communities in the early 1960’s. As the communities grew, there was a need to build a larger church in the largest mountain community, Oakhurst, and thus the building of Our Lady of the Sierra was begun under the leadership of Msgr. Herman Bezunartea. The parish name was changed from St. Dominic Savio Parish in Bass Lake to Our Lady of the Sierra Parish in Oakhurst in 1999. This was in tune with the dedication of the new church of Our Lady of the Sierra in Oakhurst. Thank you to all who have been a rich part of the history of this parish and it’s past. It takes hard work and determination to get where we are now. We are also very grateful to Father Jerry Northup for his time of leadership here before his well deserved retirement in the spring of 2008. We keep both our retired priests in prayer.

As the parish continues to change and progress, we are on the threshold of new things. First, I am happy to announce that we have added Kevin Jonas to our staff, beginning September 1st, as the new Director of Music for Our Lady of the Sierra Parish. Kevin comes to us after many years of service in the Los Angeles Archdiocese as both pastoral music and parish administrator. Kevin joins his parents in their mountain home, and now makes this parish his parish home. He will be working full time, but will be receiving a part time stipend. Nancy continues as our office manager, but will be in the office four days instead of five. Katie continues as parish secretary, working three days a week. Peggy Stewart and Consuelo Mercier will continue to guide our children and youth in the faith. With the update of our computer system and other issues, we are able to give them the extra time off they need.

The Body and Blood of Christ - June 14

The greatest gift that God has given to the world is His Son, Jesus Christ. As God and man, Jesus gave totally of himself, both in life and in death. Totally surrender for the sake of humanity is the basis and example of the unconditional love of the God who made us and continues to care for us until we are once again one with Him in the glory in heaven. Before Jesus left the earth to rejoin his Heavenly Father. On this Sunday, the Church celebrates the Feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ, as made real and present on the altar at every Mass. This doctrine of ours has been often attacked by so many who lack the faith to understand how, under the guise of bread and wine, Jesus becomes the Divine Food which nurishes us for the work of the Kingdom. We are quite aware that in our natural bodies, if we do not feed it, water it, and give it rest, we can be soon worn out. It is the same with our spiritual life. It too needs the nurishment to be in touch with the One who sustains us, and give us the strength to build up the Kingdom of God. This weekend ought to be an opportunity for us to again appreciate the gift of the Eucharist, and not to deny ourselves this precious gift.

I am grateful to Father Camille Pratt, S.J. who is helping us at Our Lady of the Sierra this and last weekend with Masses. Last week I celebrated a Basque Mass in the Bay Area on Sunday, June 7th for the San Francisco Basque Cultural Center, This past Tuesday I left for my annual vacation in Boston from June 9th to June 16th. I go every year to be with some priest friends in Cape Cod. I also visit relatives I have in Vermont.

Next weekend we have our annual Fresno Diocese Priest Retirement Fund Second Collection, taken up every year on Father's Day. We once again that you help us to be able to care for and pay a fair retirement pay. We have over twenty priests up for retirement in the next three years. The retirement fund is not under the Bishop, but is handled by an independent board made up of priests in our diocese. I have served on that board and know the hard work of making it happen. Again, we have two retired priests who have served in our parish, Monsignor Herman and Father Jerry.

Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity - June 7

Today the Church celebrates the Mystery of the Most Blessed Trinity in the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. This mystery of the three persons in the One Godhead has been a foundational theological belief of the Church from her beginning. It was Jesus who commanded the Apostles to go out and to baptized all the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. As a trinitarian based church, many of the things we do, and how we pray is based on our belief in the Trinity. While we as humans cannot fully understand this most holy mystery, we accept it with faith and see how the community within God reflects our community with each other.

I want to take the opportunity at the end of the Easter Season to thank so many people who gave so much of their talents and time to the parish during these fifty days. First and foremost, to Diane Kraft who heads up the Liturgy Committee, for all the organizing, scheduling, doing art and environment, especially when feasts would change from one day to another, and for all the behind the scene work that it takes to make our Oakhurst so beautiful during Easter. To all the committee chairs, such schedulers of the EM and Lectors, Altar Servers, and all other involved in the Masses and ceremonies. To all who donated and made possible the beautiful flowers that made all three churches so beautiful and colorful. To our Religious Education Director, Peggy Stewart, as we celebrated the First Communions and Confirmation. More thanks are offered to the Women's Guild for their participations, and to the Knights of Columbus for the Tri-Tip BBQ on the day of Confirmation. Also to the great folks in North Fork and Bass Lake who labored to make Easter special in our missions.

We are most thankful also to all the Music Ministry people. I appreciate the North Fork choir coming to sing for the Confirmation Mass at Oakhurst. Thanks to Efraim for his constant drive up from Fresno to assist us, to Jim Bryant and our Oakhurst choir, and to Dianna Sullivan, who leads the choir in Bass Lake. A huge thank you to our newest member in Music Ministry, Kevin Jonas. Kevin, who recently moved from the Los Angeles, now lives here in the Oakhurst area and will be an integral part of the parish liturgy ministry.

Coming up on Father's Day, is the Fresno Diocesan Priest Retirement Fund collection will be taken up. Last year, our parish gave $2, 415 to the fund, and we hope to increase our contribution. Let us remember that we have two priests that are now in retirement who served this parish, Monsignor Herman and Father Jerry.

Receiving the Holy Spirit at Pentecost

This Sunday, the Church celebrates her birthday in the receiving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost when the Apostles and the others in the locked room felt the 'heat' of the Spirit, that took the form of flames on their heads. Many communities today will celebrate this important event with special Masses and festivals. Many Portuguese communities in the Valley, particularly in Hanford and Fresno will have their Holy Spirit Processions and Mass, other ethnic communities will also have their cultural events in connection with this feast. Pentecost is such an important event in the life of the Church, and many times, as with other feasts, we tend to underscore this feast while overemphasising others. We thank God for the gift of the Spirit, and pray that the Spirit will continue to inflame the hearts of the faithful, especially in these very troubling times.

Recently in Ireland, the Irish Report on the Abuse of Children was published which was commissioned by the Church and the government. The report gave a shocking report on the abuse of children at the hands of religious orders, both men and women, in Ireland from the 1800's through the 1900's. This report speaks of physical, sexual, and emotional harm done to children of all ages. As this report is now public in Ireland, and is being shared throughout the world, one must remember that we should remember that it was not all Irish religious men and women responsible for these reprehensible acts, but only a minority, and that the majority of nun and brothers were good people who taught in our Catholic schools and worked in our Catholic hospitals tirelessly for the good of God's People. I was taught by all Irish nuns in school, there was only one who was cruel, all others were wonderful women of faith, and I owe my priestly vocations to their love and attentions.

Bishop's Annual Appeal

We are taking up a second collection to retire a debt to the diocese on the portion of the Bishop's Annual Appeal that was not received directly from our parishioners. As mentioned earlier, now every parish is assessed a certain amount, given directly by the parishioners to the diocese in the annual appeal, and if the amount assessed is not met, then the parish coffers must pay the rest, so that the entire diocese will have given a certain amount towards projects in the diocese. The total amount goal for the diocese is $800,000 this past year. Our assessed amount is $6,953.00. The amount collected was $2117.00, thus the remainder is $4,836, due on June 1st. Your help is deeply appreciated. What is not collected in the collection will be taken from the parish savings.

Ordination to Priesthood

Last weekend, the Diocese of Fresno ordained three new men to the priesthood at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Fresno. They are Fathers David Greskowiak, Ivan Hernandez Melchor, and Guadalupe Rios. These new priests have been assigned to their first parishes. We pray that God bless them in their new ministries.

From the desk of Fr. Mike

Today we are happy to welcome Bishop John Steinbock back to the parish for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Ten young people will be celebrating this sacrament in we pray for the fullness of the Holy Spirit to come into the hearts of these people. This also completes the Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation) which fully initiates all of us into God's Church. We are proud of these men and women and pray that they will continue to grow in their love for the Church and become faithful disciples of Jesus.

Next weekend we will be celebrating the Feast of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit came into the lives of the Apostles and the others in the Upper Room, including our Blessed Mother. This feast is considered the birthday of the Church. The color of the feast is red, the color of the Holy Spirit. I encourage all parishioners to wear red so as to show us solidarity with the whole Church and with each other on this solemn day.

The choir from St. Joseph the Worker Mission in North Fork will be providing the music for the Confirmation Mass. I want to thank Phyllis and her choir for their participation in offering their gift of music to the parish.

Happy Mother's Day

I want to wish all the mothers, grandmothers, stepmothers, godmothers, and mothers of every sort a very joyous Mother's Day.  It is no accident this occasion is in the month of May, of our Blessed Mother.  I commend to the protection of our mothers to Mary's care and love.  May God bless you and your families.

 

It was one year ago today that I came to celebrate Mass in Oakhurst to help Father Jerry.  I must confess I was here to 'case' the place out.  After witnessing such warmth and hospitality, I told the bishop that I would like to come here, and he told me to do a few more Sundays, and the deal was sealed, making my appointment final on July 1st.  Again, it has been wonderful to be in your midst this past year.  May God give all grace to do ministry in the name of Jesus, His Son.

 

Please RSVP in the office for the Volunteers/Ministry Dinner, scheduled for May 22, 2009.  We must know the count by this Friday, May 15th, to order the necessary food and essentials.  Call the parish office this week.

 

Next Sunday we will celebrate the First Communion of our parish children at the 11:00AM Mass.  We are excited as we see our children come and join us at the Eucharistic Table.  May they never hunger for the Bread of Life!

Mass Schedule for Holy Week and Easter 2009

APRIL 5 THROUGH APRIL 12, 2009

PALM SUNDAY:

SATURDAY - 5:00PM - OAKHURST
SUNDAY - 8:30AM - NORTH FORK
- 11:00AM - OAKHURST
- 5:00PM - BASS LAKE

HOLY THURSDAY MASS - 7:00PM - OAKHURST

GOOD FRIDAY LITURGY - 12:30PM - OAKHURST

EASTER VIGIL (SATURDAY) - 8:00PM - OAKHURST
EASTER SUNDAY MASSES - 7:00AM - OAKHURST
- 9:00AM - NORTH FORK
- 11:00AM - OAKHURST

THERE IS NO MASS AT ST. DOMINIC'S IN BASS LAKE

WEEKLY MASS INTENTIONS: We now have Mass Monday through Thursday at 8:00 a.m.

If you wish a Mass celebrated for an intention, please contact the parish office at 642-3452.

Holy Week

Next week, we will enter Holy Week with Palm Sunday. At all the Masses at Oakhurst and North Fork, we will have the traditional Procession of Palms into the church. The palms this year are directly from a small village in Africa, where the local people cut these palms and make the crosses as a means of making a living. This is our small way of being connected to the larger Church, particularly in the light of the recent trip of His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI to Africa. Another benefit is with regular palms, people spend the time during the proclamation of the Gospel making the crosses instead of listening.

Holy Week should be that, a HOLY WEEK. A time to pray, to reflect, to maybe attend Masses each day of the three days Masses are offered. I invite everyone to take this opportunity to plan to slow down one's schedule and plan accordingly.

This coming Tuesday evening, March 31, the parish will celebrate our annual Lenten Penance Service. The service will begin at 6:00PM. We at this time have four priests coming to assist us with individual confessions. They include Fathers Bulfer, Cardoza, Rude, SJ, and Msgr. Logan. Please plan on coming this Tuesday and invite others as well.

On Thursday, April 2nd, the Diocese of Fresno will celebrate the annual Chrism Mass at 2;00pm at Holy Spirit Church in Fresno. At this time, Bishop Steinbock will bless the new oils, (Oil for the Sick, Oil for the Catechumens, and the Sacred Chrism). Also at this special Mass, all the priests, deacons, Religious Men and Women, and the Bishop himself pledge to commit another year of service to the People of God. Every parish is invited to send people to bring back the oils to their respective parishes. All are invited to attend the Chrism Mass.

We welcome the young men and women of the Visalia Catholic Churches that will be making a Day of Recollection in our parish church in Oakhurst and Bass Lake. 50 young people will be preparing for the Sacrament of Confirmation, and will be here on Monday, April 6, all day.

Again, you will find the Holy Week and Easter schedule in the bulletin. Please share it with others in our community who might be interesting in attending.

Holy Thursday: The Mass of the Last Supper

On this sacred night we remember the event that gave the Church it's basic form of worship, the Eucharist. Jesus gathered with his apostles in the Upper Room to celebrate the Passover Meal, one of the most important event in Jewish life. Here, after the traditional rites that are associated with the passover, Jesus took bread, blessed and gave it to the apostles, declaring that it was His Body. Then he took the cup of wine, blessed and offered it, and proclaimed it to be His Blood. He then commanded that it be done in his memory for all time. Since then, the Church, wherever she has gathered, has done the same in some form or fashion. Today's liturgy is certainly more elaborate, and if you go to an Orthodox liturgy, it is far more elaborate. In twenty centuries that Eucharist has celebrated, God's people have been fed with this heavenly food. Thus on Holy Thursday evening, we gather to remember the events. We once again hear the stories of Passover, break the Bread and drink from the Cup, and then following the Mass, we process to the Altar of Repose to adore the Lord in the Eucharistic Bread. Following the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the church is completely emptied of all items, anything is movable to prepare for the Solemn Day of Good Friday. This is to symbolize the emptiness of death.

Good Friday: The Liturgy of Good Friday

On this solemn and quiet day, all sacraments are forbidden to be celebrated with the exception of the anointing of the sick in case of emergency. No Mass may be celebrated today under any circumstances. It is the day that the God-man died on the cross. In the special liturgy of this day, there are three sections to the liturgy. The first is the Liturgy of the Word, where we hear of the word of God in both Old and New Testament. The Passion according to St. John is proclaimed. The entrance into the church by the presider and deacon is in silence. We will prostrate completely in the presence of the cross on the floor. No music. After the Word is proclaimed, we have the official Prayers of the Faithful for Good Friday. These special prayers, the same every year, reflect our praying for the Holy Father, the Bishop, the Church, for our Jewish brothers and sisters, for our President and all government, for the those who do not believe in Christ, or do not believe in God, and for the sick. these beautiful prayers are powerful ways to offer our deepest needs to God.

In the second section of the liturgy, we have the Veneration of the Cross. The cross, without a corpus, is brought into the church, with the words which states: This is the Wood of the Cross, Come let us adore. After the solemn, the priest, deacon, servers and then all the assembly come up the cross and show some kind of veneration, by a kiss, hugs, or a profound bow. The final liturgical event of the Liturgy of the Good Friday is the reception of Holy Communion, consecrated the night before at the Mass of the Lord's Supper. The deacon in procession brings the Blessed Sacrament, we distribute the Eucharist, and the Eucharist is returned to the Altar of Repose. Then a very simple prayer is offered, and the presider leaves the church without blessing or fanfare.

From the Desk of Fr. Mike

One of the great expenses of a beautiful building like Our Lady of the Sierra Church is maintaining the exterior elements of the edifice from the effects of summer sun and winter ice and snow. It was determined necessary recently to clean and apply new layers of lacquer to the large tree poles that decorate the church in the front and back. There are 8 poles that needed care, first time since the church was built in 1999 (ten years). The poles were powered washed, sanded down, and then given two applications of lacquer. The cost of this upkeep was $3000, done by Yosemite West Window Cleaning of Fresno. It was done very well and in a timely fashion. Such expenses are the types we do not always forsee, and can hit our budget quite hard, unexpectly. Please consider these factors in your parish donations. Every bit helps us maintain all our beautiful facilities.

We are soon coming to the time to change back our Mass times for Saturday afternoon at Our Lady of the Sierra and for Sunday afternoon at St. Dominic Savio in Bass Lake to 5:00PM. Beginning Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5, we will revert to summer hours for both these Masses. This will be on Palm Sunday weekend. Please mark your calendars as we approach the new month.

We will begin to announce our Holy Week and Easter schedule in the bulletin and in other venues that allow Catholics, both active and inactive to the holy season that will shortly be here. As you begin to receive the information, please pass the information to relatives and friends who attend normally only at this of the year. It is a great way to evangelize and to welcome back to the Church those are might need a gentle shrug. Palm Sunday is only two weeks away from now, Easter following. We are adding an extra Mass on Easter Sunday morning to accomodate more people this year.

We continue our Lenten practices of daily Masses, stations of the Cross on Wednesdays and Fridays, and encourage everybody to consider some kind of prayer, fasting or alms giving. These sacred forty days are a means to be in touch with the larger world that needs our attention, particularly those who are in great need. As the recession continues to touch more and more people, we are made more aware of our need to reach out to others.

Pope Benedict XVI Visits Africa

This past week, Pope Benedict XVI made a pastoral visit to Africa. In his visit, he was able to see for himself the state of the Church in Cameroon in other places that he visited. The Holy Father is in the midst of writing his next encylical on Social Justice. He is stress the need for conversion, forgiveness, dignity for human life, and changes in structures that continue to bind people to impossible situations.

On March 12, the Holy Father also published an incredible letter to all the bishops of the world, asking forgiveness for the mistake he made and the mistakes made by Vatican officials in not being more careful in receiving back into union with Rome the bishops that were ordained in the Traditional Latin Church. Bishop Williamson, deported from Argentina to his native England was advocating that Jews were not killed in the camps operated by the Nazi during WWII. The Holy Father apologized also to Jewish leaders that were offended. The remarkable aspect of this letter was a pope personally apologizing for personal and for the lack of oversight at the Vatican. He admitted that many things were already on the internet, and his people had not done their homework. The Holy Father truly models for all Catholics that we should admit our mistakes and ask forgiveness.

From the Desk of Fr. Mike

We are in the process of turning the old office space in Our Lady of the Sierra Church into a more lounge like environment that will be better suited for RCIA, for Youth Group, and Confirmation Class and other groups that need the use of the room. It will foster a more "hospitable' space, instead of a strictly "classroom like" atmosphere. The living room furniture from the old library at Bass Lake, and donated furniture from parishioners are enabling us created this welcoming space. We may need more living type furniture, and if anyone may have a couch, love seat, or chair they use to donate to the parish, you may call the parish office.

This Sunday we are pleased to welcome to our parish the Cursillo community that are visiting us at the 11:00AM Mass followed by a meeting in the hall. Cursillo is a movement in the Church that allows for people to experience a conversation process in their lives through a retreat and follow-up journey. The Cursillo movement, both in English and Spanish have touched the lives of so many people in our diocese. We welcome them with great joy today.

Again we congratulate the members of the RCIA who participated in the Rite of Election with Bishop Steinbock last Sunday afternoon at St. Anthony of Padua Church. We are blessed with those who look forward to joining our Catholic community this coming Easter Vigil.

Father Eric Swearingen of Holy Spirit Parish in Fresno is leading a group to Italy this coming November. The seven day pilgrimage will begin in Venice and will end in Rome with a Papal Audience. Anyone wishing more information regarding this pilgrimage can call Holy Spirit office in Fresno at 559-434-7701.

We are in the process of investigating the possibilities of turning our beautiful Bass Lake facility into a retreat center. There is a need for some of our parished for a place to bring their students to a place for one day retreat. Our office is looking at seriously evaluating the facility, updating what needs to be changed out so groups, Catholic schools, CCD groups, Confirmation classes, etc., might come and use the parish grounds. As more and more activities have moved to Oakhurst, we do not want to let the grounds there fall into disuse, and we are discovering the need for a place such as this. We also believe that we could weekend retreats at Bass Lake if we could make arrangements with a local motel for the overnight stay, with all activity otherwise taking place at St. Dominic Savio. Certainly young people could camp out there, but there are presently no showering facilities. We would appreciate any input or help with these plans. We have such a wonderful gift with St. Dominic's and we need to show it off to more Catholics in our diocese.