St. Bonaventure Catholic Community
April 1, 2021
The Holiest Days of our Faith
Today we begin the Sacred Triduum, the high holy days of the Christian faith. After our Lenten preparations in imitation of Jesus’ 40 days in the desert, we now come to the culmination of Jesus’ mission from the Father. Our Lenten practices lead us directly to these 3 celebrations: Holy Thursday, Good Friday and finally, Easter day. Through these events we enter into the profundity of God’s love for all humanity. Our celebration of Easter has much more meaning for us if we come together in this journey of Jesus’ last days. I invite you to join us: inside, outside, or online for this most powerful experience of our redemption.
Fr. Lawrence
1.
Liturgy Notes
Welcome!
We are so blessed to celebrate these holy days with you.
Click HERE for our Mass and liturgy schedule on our website. You can worship with us in the church, overflow seating on the plaza, by Facebook livestream, and TWO special outdoor Masses on Easter Sunday. Please remember that preregistration is required for all Masses inside the church and to bring seating for outside events.
Triduum News and Reminders:
Holy Thursday
● After Mass on Holy Thursday the "Altar of Repose" will remain on the lawn area stage until midnight. Please bring seating and plan to spend some time in worship and adoration with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
Good Friday
Good Friday
● We offer OUTDOOR Stations of the Cross at noon on the lawn area stage. Bring your own seating (and sun hat).
Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday
● We have added two NEW MASSES on Easter Sunday: an outdoor Mass in English at 9:15am at the lawn area stage (no registration required) and an indoor Spanish Mass at 12:15 pm (register HERE).
● No registration is required for our Easter Sunday outdoor noon Mass at the lawn area stage.
● Please remember to bring your own seating for these outdoor Masses and for overflow plaza seating. Sun hats are also recommended in this beautiful weather.
● Walk-Up Holy Communion takes place Easter Sunday at a special time: 1:30-2:30pm.
Divine Mercy Holy Hour: Sunday, April 11, 3pm
When Pope Saint John Paul II canonized St. Faustina, he also established Divine Mercy Sunday as a feast day for the entire Church. The feast day falls on the Second Sunday of Easter each year. Join us for a Holy Hour as we pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy, listen to an exhortation from Fr. Lawrence, and adore our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.
Renovated Chapel Open for Prayer
We have finished our chapel renovations and it is once again open for individual prayer during the day. Please remember to follow all health requirements listed at the entrance. Many thanks to all who helped to enhance the beauty of this space.
2.
Easter Offering
Dear Parishioners,
Christmas and Easter are two days of the year when we budget for a larger parish offering. In order to do all the wonderful work we do in service of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we do depend on your generosity. Please join me in making a special offering to our parish this Easter. Be assured of my prayers for you.
Fr. Lawrence
3.
Volunteers:
Welcome Back & Help Needed
As vaccinations increase and restrictions ease, we welcome back our volunteers across different ministries, including our liturgical ministries. If you’ve been away for a while and are feeling ready to get back involved, please contact us and we can discuss what opportunities might be available. We especially need new volunteers for our church audio/visual ministry. Volunteers are needed to assist with sound and video needs during our Masses and other church events. Training is provided. If you’re interested, please contact Anthony at aarteaga@stbonaventure.net.
4.
Drive-Thru Prayer Is Back!
After a hiatus due to the pandemic, DTP is returning after Easter, every Tuesday thru Friday from 5:30 – 6:30 PM, weather permitting. Drive into the parking lot next to the rectory where volunteers will be eager to pray for your intentions. All are asked to wear face masks, and prayer volunteers will keep a 6-foot distance from your vehicle. All are welcome.
If you've never experienced drive-through prayer, this is a great time to try it. We all need prayer in our lives. Invite a friend to stop by!
5.
New Food Pantry Hours
5.
Respect Life Ministry:
Celebrating Respect Life Month
Got milk? Our Food Pantry has that, and so much more. In the year since coronavirus hit our community, our Food Pantry volunteers have met the increased need with love, dedication, and creativity. They moved operations outside and have served their clients in rain, cold, and blazing sunshine. We want to thank them for their ongoing love and commitment, as well as all of our parishioners who continue to donate food and money for support.
Starting next Tuesday, April 6, the Food Pantry will have new hours: 8:30 am to 10:00 am. Please join us in praying for our volunteers and all whom they serve. For more information about our Food Pantry, please click HERE.
6.
Register Now
for Upcoming Programs
We are called to community! Keep the Easter spirit alive and register now for these two new programs beginning online this Easter Season.
1) Faith and Racial Healing
Register by APRIL 5 for JustFaith Ministries’ Faith & Racial Healing: Embracing Truth, Justice and Restoration. The program is designed to guide participants through a study of the history of racism in the United States so that we might better understand and more effectively eradicate modern-day racial injustice. Faith & Racial Healing begins with an opening retreat April 10 and runs Tuesday mornings or evenings starting April 13. Contact Laura Nakamura to register at lmnakamura610@gmail.com. Video and more information HERE.
2) The Wild Goose
Discover a deeper relationship with the Holy Spirit. "Wild Goose” was a term the ancient Celts used for the Holy Spirit. Featuring Fr. Dave Pivonka and various interviews, The Wild Goose invites viewers to an encounter, or a renewed encounter, with the Holy Spirit. Each session includes a short (25-30 minute) video with time for discussion and prayer. Monday evenings at 7pm, April 12 to May 24, with a daytime session Wednesdays at 10am, April 14 to May 26. Visit our webpage for more information and to register.
7.
Parish Council
Nominations Open
Our Parish Council is entering the discernment process for new members. The Parish Council helps the pastor to investigate and consider all matters relating to pastoral life and to formulate practical decisions for the good of a parish. The Council advises and consults and offers a consensus about pastoral issues.
The Discernment Process for the Parish Council begins with a self-discerning process followed by an information meeting and final discernment. Registered parishioners are invited to submit their name or that of another registered parishioner for consideration by April 9.
Additional information can be found on our webpage.
More news and events:
● Rice Bowls: Don't forget your Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowls! We'll be collecting them at church the weekend after Easter, April 10 & 11. Or, you can use the new donation page on the diocesan CRS website HERE. Be sure to note St. Bonaventure/Concord as your parish.
● Respect Life Ministry: The Archdiocese of San Francisco is sponsoring a bilingual Project Rachel Women's Retreat for Hope and Healing After Abortion on Saturday, April 17. Click HERE for more information or download a flyer in English or Spanish.
● Take a weekend away at a Worldwide Marriage Encounter to gain a richer, fuller married life together. Go to wwme.org to find the next virtual Worldwide Marriage Encounter Experience that works for your schedule from the comfort of your own home!
● Nourish for Caregivers provides caregivers a faith perspective, as well as practical and emotional supports, useful tools, and shared experience.
Meetings every other Tuesday from 2-3 pm on Zoom. For more information, email Helene Billeci at fuzyfrank@aol.com.
Meetings every other Tuesday from 2-3 pm on Zoom. For more information, email Helene Billeci at fuzyfrank@aol.com.
Nourish offers meetings in Spanish too! For more information, please contact Biviane Ochoa at itsbiviane@gmail.com or (650) 278-6462.
Resources for Coping During the Pandemic
Feeling overwhelmed? You're not alone. Click HERE for spiritual, parenting, emotional, and mental health resources for coping during the pandemic.
Feeling overwhelmed? You're not alone. Click HERE for spiritual, parenting, emotional, and mental health resources for coping during the pandemic.
Tea Time Video
Tuesday Tea Time is on hiatus and will return after Easter. In the meantime, you are invited to share any topics you like to explore, ministries you'd like to learn more about, and/or people you'd like to hear from in future videos by responding to this Flocknote.
ALL ABOARD!!
Bible Camp is Coming
LITURGY AND PRAYER
Please visit our website at www.stbonaventure.net for the most up-to-date liturgy information.
All of our liturgies have returned inside unless otherwise indicated. Saturday Vigil (4pm) and Sunday Masses require advance registration on our website or by calling the parish office at (925) 672-5800 weekdays between 8:30 am and 12:30 pm. There is no registration required for daily Masses. (Registration will open Mondays at 10 am, Tuesdays if Monday is a holiday.)
We continue to livestream the Sunday 9 am (English) and 10:30 am (Spanish) Masses and usually offer walk-up Holy Communion from noon to 1 pm. (Special time for Easter Sunday: 1:30-2:30 pm.) For our full Mass schedule, please click HERE.
Holy Thursday readings: Click here
Good Friday readings: Click here
Easter Vigil readings: Click here
Easter Sunday readings: Click here
Download Worship Aids for Sunday:
Please see our website for the Triduum worship aids.
If you need help with watching a liturgy or other event live-streamed on Facebook, please click here.
Health Reminders
Please join us for our liturgies through Facebook if you have tested positive for COVID in the past 14 days, if you have a fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, if you were exposed to COVID in the past 14 days, or if you feel actively sick. We encourage all parishioners to receive the COVID vaccine as soon as they are eligible. Thank you for helping us keep St. Bonaventure a safe, welcoming place for all.
Prayer, Spirituality and Formation:
Prayers for Those Who Have Died: Please join us in praying for members of our community who have died. You may find their names on our website. May they rest in peace.
Daily Mass Readings: Click here
St. Bonaventure Domestic Church tips and links: Click here
Mass Intentions, Online Prayer Vine & Drive-thru Prayer Information: Details here
Friday Adoration & Holy Hour:
We offer Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament after 9am Mass on Fridays until 3pm. The Holy Hour beginning at 2pm includes the Rosary, the Chaplet of the Divine Mercy and concludes with Benediction at 3pm.
Online Spiritual Communion Service: Details here
Christian Centering Prayer Group: Details here
Word on Fire Videos on Flocknote: Details here
(Staying at home more? Take advantage of Bishop Barron's great videos! The "Conversion" series is perfect for Lent. Remember, you must have a Flocknote account with a password to access these videos.)
STAYING CONNECTED
Sacraments, Pastoral Counseling, and Staff Support
We're here for you! Our clergy and pastoral staff continue to be available to you during this pandemic. We can offer pastoral counseling by appointment, over the phone or by videocall, and the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is available in person when needed. Please call the parish office at (925) 672-580 to make an appointment. We offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation in the classrooms on Saturdays at 2:30 pm, and during Lent we've added a second opportunity on Thursdays at 3:30 pm.
The office has had to close for walk-up visits, but staff are available by appointment. Please call the main office number or call or email the staffperson directly. As our staff are working from both the office and home, it is often easier to reach people by email. However, we are monitoring phones and voice mail, and will return messages as soon as possible.
Under current health regulations our ministries are unable to hold regular meetings at the parish. We are able to schedule outdoor gatherings for prayer and worship. Please contact your staff liaison if you are interested in scheduling a prayer gathering.
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Parish Connections Thank you to everyone in our parish community who is working to reach out and keep in touch. If you need assistance, or would like to volunteer to help others by running errands, picking up groceries, etc., please email info@stbonaventure.net. The St. Bonaventure Food Pantry is open Tuesdays from 8:30-10:00 am in the parish parking lot. See our website for more information. (Note: The Food Pantry thanks you for your continuing donations of food and other items, but is no longer requesting bags -- they have a sufficient supply.)
Thank you for the many ways you continue to support our community!
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Your Gifts Are Keeping Us Open
We want to say THANK YOU to our parishioners and those who are not members yet but have sent us their donations to help in this unprecedented time.
We are so grateful to many who are now sending their donations through mail, online and collection box methods. Your efforts and generosity are greatly appreciated and are helping us continue to live our mission as a community of faith.
To learn more about online giving or other options, please click here. If you attend the drive-in Mass or walk-up Holy Communion this Sunday, you may drop off your gift personally.
May God bless all of you and reward you abundantly for your support of your parish.
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May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.