NOVENA IN PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES

On January 29th (Traditional Calendar) and January 24 (Novus Ordo Calendar), 2008, the Church celebrates the feast of St. Francis de Sales, Doctor of the Universal Church, Bishop, founder of the Visitation Order (of which St. Margaret Mary was a member), patron of Journalists, co-patron of the Diocese of Oakland and of the Institute of Christ the King. 

In preparation for this joyful event we will pray a novena, starting today on Sunday,the 20th of January and ending on January 28th, after the Mass celebrated in the extraordinary form of the Roman Rite.

During the Masses, we will receive guest homilists who will teach us about the "Doctor of Charity", who led so many souls to sanctity, so that we may be well prepared for this beautiful feast of   our patron. 

       We are especially gratefuland honored   that His Excellency, Bishop Vigneron, will be with us during Mass on the 23rd of January, 2008, at 6:00 pm to preach about “St. Francis de Sales as co-patron of the Diocese of Oakland”. Other priests who will talk in the homilies about St. Francis during this important novena are: Fr. R. Schenk O.P., Fr. A. Ramelow O.P., Fr. J. Direen, Fr. L. Goode, Fr. W. Young and the Vice-Provincial of the Institute of Christ the King in the United States, Fr. K. Lenhardt. Please come and pray with us to our beloved patron! 

WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY JAN.18-25 

Every year we celebrate a Week of Prayer for Unity of all followers of Jesus. The week of Prayer for Christian Unity was initiated in 1908 by the Rev. Paul Wattson in the Episcopal Church at Graymoor, in New York’s Hudson Valley; the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism in 1964; and the formation of the Joint Working Group between the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches.  A world observance, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an important expression of ecumenical activity at the local level. This year, the theme for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is: “Where two or three are gathered in my name...”. (Matthew 18:20). The features provided in this year’s resources thus intend to evoke a sustained reflection on Jesus’ invitation to gather in His Name and on the meaning such gathering holds for the unity of the Church and the renewal of the human community. On January 26, 2008, we will celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the inauguration of Church Unity Octave at St. Augustine Church, 400 Alcatraz, OAKLAND, at 2.00pm

 ANNUAL SEMINARY COLLECTION NEXT WEEKEND (Jan. 19/20).

This week we pray especially for all seminarians of our diocese studying in Seminaries. Our Diocese currently has seventeen seminarians preparing to serve our parishes as priests. Education and formation in the Seminary is costly ($27,000. per year) per seminarian. Our diocese conducts, once a year, a special collection to help to pay for these expenses. Many of our seminarians have no source of income and are unable to work due to Visa regulations. Their monthly stipend from the diocese covers basic living

expenses only. Your generous donation helps the diocese to provide for things such as clothes, personal needs, car repairs and some travel expenses. This weekend of January 19/20, we shall have a 2^nd collection to support those called to serve us as future priests. Thank you for your generosity. MAY GOD REWARD YOU.

 PRESENTATION OF OUR LORD-CANDELEMAS.

       This feast is celebrated on February 2^nd   It could be considered the closing of the season of lights so evident during Christmastime.  The gospel for this feast proclaims the words of Simeon that the infant Jesus will be “a revealing light to the Gentiles, the glory of your people Israel” (Luke 2:32).  On that day, we will start the Novena of Prayers & Masses before the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, February 11th.

 150th ANNIVERSARY OF  THE APPARITIONS OF OUR LADY OF LOURDES

       Four years after proclamation of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Our Lady appeared to a young French girl, Bernadette Soubirous  in 1858, 18 times between February 11 and July 16 in Lourdes in southern France. On the feast of the Annunciation on March 25th She revealed to her: “ I am the Immaculate Conception”.

       Only a few years before in 1854, the Holy Father, Pius IX, had declared  as dogma of the Faith that the Blessed Virgin Mary had been conceived without the stain of original sin. This declaration of the Blessed Mother to Bernadette has deeply and profoundly moved many souls over the years, including St. Maximilian Kolbe, a Polish Franciscan Friar, who had a special devotion to Mary Immaculate. He was especially affected by the fact that Our Lady did not say that she was immaculately conceived but declared: “I AM THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.” This is her name and suggests the profound mystery of the work of the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary’s soul.

In addition, Bernadette was told by Mary to begin digging in the ground; she obediently did so, to the townspeople's scorn. Water immediately began flowing from the spot where Bernadette dug - a tiny stream that, since, has grown to the size of a small river. Thousands of healings have been reported as the result of bathing in or drinking this miraculous water. Miracles still flow from the miraculous waters of Lourdes — but many more of the miracles occur during the blessing of the sick with the Most Holy Eucharist in the monstrance. This phenomenon underscores a profound truth of the spiritual life: Mary leads her children to her Divine Son, especially to His Eucharistic Heart.

    The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is about the healing Mercy of God. But Lourdes is also about the need for prayer and penance. Millions of pilgrims venture every year to Lourdes. Some are miraculously healed. Many more are not healed of their affliction but receive the great and precious grace of lovingly embracing and carrying the cross Our Lord has given them.

The year of 2008 will mark the 150th anniversary of the Apparitions at Lourdes.  The Major Penitentiary of the Apostolic See, His Eminence Cardinal Stafford, made