St. Perpetua Church Hamlin Road, Lafayette, CA Phone (925) Fax (925)

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St. Perpetua Church Celebrating our Faith Enriching our Community

(Chapel) Weekend Liturgies Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 8:00, 9:30 &

4:00-4:30 pm or by appointment Baptism Contact the Parish Office for

Marriage Contact the Parish Office at least six months prior to

Homebound, ill or Infirm Contact the Parish Office if you, need to

hospital. Assisted listening devices available St.

1 St. Perpetua Church Celebrating our Faith Enriching our Community Sharing our Gifts Eucharist Daily Mass Monday-Thursday, 8:30 am (Chapel) Weekend Liturgies Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30 am Holy Days 8:30 am, 7:00 pm Reconciliation Saturday 4:00-4:30 pm or by appointment Baptism Contact the Parish Office for Sacramental Preparation and Baptismal date. Marriage Contact the Parish Office at least six months prior to anticipated wedding date for sacramental preparation. Homebound, ill or Infirm Contact the Parish Office if you, need to receive communion or Anointing of the Sick at home or in the hospital. Assisted listening devices available St. Perpetua School Contact the school office for enrollment (TK-8) and After School Program. Tours by appointment call or 3454 Hamlin Road, Lafayette, CA Phone (925) Fax (925) Parish Office Hours Monday Friday 7:30 am 4:00 pm

Parish Staff Reverend John Kasper, OSFS Pastor jkasper@stperpetua.org x202 Christoph Nauer Pastoral Associate chnauer@stperpetua.org X203 Wendy Levich Business Manager wlevich@stperpetua.

2 Parish Staff Reverend John Kasper, OSFS Pastor x202 Christoph Nauer Pastoral Associate X203 Wendy Levich Business Manager x207 Kristine Kvochak Director of Faith Formation x204 Gary Guerrero Director of Youth Ministry and Confirmation x208 Jan Stegner Middle School Faith Formation Coordinator x206 Arlene Connors Secretary X201 Donna Stoering Music Ministry Sr. Laurel O Neal, Er. Dio. Pastoral Assistant Karen Goodshaw School Principal kgoodshaw@csdo.org Suzanne Kozel School Office Manager skozel@csdo.org, Oscar Jovel Maintenance Manager ojovel@stperpetua.org x214 Dear Friends, Last week s bulletin listed the beginning of a summary of Pope Francis s most recent Pastoral Letter Gaudete et Exsultate, ( Rejoice and Be Glad. ) This week we continue the summary of this papal document that was presented recently in America Magazine. The first two points last week were: Holiness means being yourself and Everyday life can lead to holiness. The next three summaries by Fr. James Martin, SJ include: 3. Two tendencies to avoid: Gnosticism and Pelagianism Pope Francis may send people racing to either dictionaries or their theology textbooks when he asks us to avoid two dangers in the spiritual life. The first is Gnosticism, from the Greek word gnosis, to know. Gnosticism is the old heresy that says that what matters most is what you know. No need to be charitable or do good works. All you need is the correct intellectual approach. Today Gnosticism tempts people to think that they can make the faith entirely comprehensible and leads them to want to force others to adopt their way of thinking. When somebody has an answer for every question, says Francis, it s a sign that they are not on the right path. In other words, being a know-it-all is not going to save you. The second thing to avoid is Pelagianism, named for Pelagius, the fifth-century theologian associated with this idea. Pelagianism says that we can take care of our salvation through our own efforts. Pelagians trust in their own powers, don t feel like they need God s grace and act superior to others because they observe certain rules. Today s Pelagians often have, the pope says, an obsession with the law, an absorption with social and political advantages, punctilious concern for the church s liturgy, doctrine and prestige. It s a real danger to holiness because it robs us of humility, sets us over others, and leaves little room for grace. 4. Be kind Gaudete et Exsulatate is filled with Pope Francis trademark practical advice for living a life of holiness. For example, don t gossip, stop judging and, most important, stop being cruel. That goes for online actions, too. Francis comments on this topic are memorable. Online, he writes, defamation and slander can become commonplace since things can be said there that would be unacceptable in public discourse, as people look to compensate for their own discontent by lashing out at others. In claiming to uphold other commandments, they completely ignore the eighth, which forbids bearing false witness or lying and ruthlessly vilifying others. To be holy, be kind. 5. The Beatitudes are a roadmap for holiness As you might guess from the document s title, the Beatitudes, Jesus list of blessed are, are central to this exhortation. The Beatitudes are not only what Jesus means by holiness, they are also a portrait of our Lord himself. So we re called to be poor in spirit, meek, peacemakers, to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and so on. But let me focus on one beatitude: Blessed are the merciful. Pope Francis says mercy, one of the central themes of his papacy, has two aspects: helping and serving others but also forgiving and understanding. Jesus does not say, Blessed are those who plot revenge! And what is Pope Francis overall summary of holiness? It s based on the Beatitudes: Seeing and acting with mercy. Lorena Rojas, Housekeeping lrojas@stperpetua.org Knights of Columbus Ruben Galindo, galindo1jr@yahoo.com

In doing so, we bear great fruit in the world and allow the Spirit of God to move in and through us in all things.

3 Teens, today s Gospel includes the well known vine and the branches story. This story is an analogy for our faith. If we are properly rooted in in the Word (of God), the sacraments, and love of God (love for not only him, but love of neighbor and ourselves) we will remain close to God and his hope for us. In doing so, we bear great fruit in the world and allow the Spirit of God to move in and through us in all things. Youth Ministry gathers twice this week: Sunday, April 29, Confirmation candidates gather for a final evening on how holiness is possible and to write their official request to be confirmed. Monday, April 30, Youth Group gathers for an evening on Mary. Join us to see how God works in and through you. Gary First Eucharist Masses Please join us in celebrating with the children of St. Perpetua who will be receiving First Eucharist on the following dates: Saturday, April 28 at 5:00 pm Sunday, April 29 at 9:30 and 11:30 am Saturday, May 5 at 5:00 pm Sunday, May 6 at 9:30 and 11:30 am Holy Names Sisters celebrate Holy Names Sisters will celebrate the 150 th Anniversary of their arrival in California with the opening event on May 10, at Oakland's St. Theresa Parish Event Center. The reception and a short program will be from 4:30-6:30 pm. All are welcome. Please RSVP to An article about the Holy Names Sisters was in the April 23rd edition of The Catholic Voice. The Poor People Campaign A National Call for Moral Revival is uniting tens of thousands of people across the country to challenge the evils of systemic racism, poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and the nation s distorted morality. To learn more please visit audit/ Congratulations to the following Cub Scouts of Pack 645 who received the "Parvuli Dei" (Children of God) award at the 5:00 Liturgy on Saturday: Donovan Bantique Jackson Crinnion Liam Crinnion Spencer Clark Sebastian Strittmatter Thanks to their adult leaders who give their time and guidance to these youngsters. Safe Environment Protecting God s Children April is Child Protection Month. Safe Environment training for adults, children and youth is a concrete way we as a church can recognize situations of potential abuse and give our children the tools they need to stay safe and protect themselves from those who would do them harm. Working together we create a culture of protection and healing. Every time a victim is heard, or a survivor flourishes in spite of devastation, we participate in creating an environment that proclaims never again. All children in faith formation, youth ministry and Catholic schools are required to train annually in Safe Environment. Diocesan policy requires Safe Environment training every three years for every adult engaged in ministry, and fingerprinting for those who have direct, ongoing contact with children. All other volunteers (those not required to fingerprint) are screened through Megan s law annually. If you have trained on Virtus you will be notified by when to recertify. If you have not trained on Virtus you must train beginning July 1, 2018 and have completed the certification no later than October 1, Please go online to and follow the instructions for Safe Environment training. For more information, contact Diana Bitz at or dbitz@oakdiocese.org or Arlene Connors at or aconnors@stperpetua.org. Hospice Volunteers Needed in Our Area Patients who are nearing end of life have a variety of needs that can be filled by volunteers. Some patients have little or no support and are in need of companionship. Volunteers must be at least 18 and have not suffered a close personal loss in the last 12 months. The commitment is usually 1-2 hours per week. Thorough training will be provided to help volunteers feel comfortable with their assignments. There are patients in our area who are awaiting volunteer assistance. If you want to volunteer or get more information, contact Laurie Herbert at Kindred Hospice at (925) or Laurie.Herbert@Gentiva.com.

TOGETHER WE PRAY FOR THE SICK Chris Fliflet, Elizabeth Cox, Jennifer Rosko, Giselle Contreras, Juanita Estrellas, Dennis Callahan, George Buonocore, Charlotte Cairney, Judy Russell, Orlando Portillo,

4 TOGETHER WE PRAY FOR THE SICK Chris Fliflet, Elizabeth Cox, Jennifer Rosko, Giselle Contreras, Juanita Estrellas, Dennis Callahan, George Buonocore, Charlotte Cairney, Judy Russell, Orlando Portillo, Alex McLin, Fabricio Mendoza, Anne Lagache, Karl Smida, Bruce Wood, Pat McGinnis, Mary Beth Metz, Steve Luna, Chris Bruzzone, Carol Farrell Raffa, Terry Osburn, Dylan Cazin, Bryan Inderrieden, Sr., Chris Clogher, Irwin Mettler, Catherine Lomasney, Hamilton Coke, Maureen Graf and Sharon Flower. Fifth Sunday of Easter My friend Joni used to have this plaque hanging over her fireplace: Lord, thank you for everything I know today. And forgive me for everything I thought I knew yesterday. I think of that wonderful message when I consider Saul, he of the inherited Roman citizenship and perfect Jewish pedigree, the Pharisee who was the son of a Pharisee, breathing fire as he self-righteously marched to Damascus in order to arrest any Christians living there. Here s a guy who knew who was right and who was wrong, who was in and who was out. No one was a fiercer persecutor of the infant Church than he. And yet, when a light flashed around him and struck him to the ground, he had the grace to ask, Who are you? He heard, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. And that was that. All of history tilted at the moment when Saul, the tri-lingual Jewish defender of Orthodoxy, the one person who was as comfortable in the big cities as in the backwater, unincorporated, lawless badlands of the far-flung Roman empire, asked Jesus for his identity. He spent the rest of his life, in synagogues and law courts, in Gentile marketplaces and desolate prisons, telling everyone he met about that identity. There are no records of the event, but we can feel sure that he was still preaching Jesus to his executioners as they leveled the sword against his head. He risked it all so that we might know Jesus. Thank you, St. Paul. You ve shown us how to admit that we sometimes get it wrong. What example can you give of having the humility to admit that you were wrong? This Week at St. Perpetua April 29 May 6 Second Collection, April 29, Outreach Sunday First Eucharist, 9:30 am, Mass First Eucharist, 11:30 am, Mass Confirmation, 4:30 pm, 5:30 pm & 6:30 pm, Church Monday Confirmation Discernment, 6 pm, Chapel Centering Prayer, 7:15 pm, Chapel Youth Group, 7:30 pm, RRC Tuesday Confirmation, 4:00 pm, Chapell Liturgy Cmte., 6:00 pm, Parish Office Outreach Cmte., 7:30 pm, Parish Office Wednesday Confirmation Discernment, 6:00 pm, Chapel Choir, 7:00 pm, RRC RCIA, 7:00 pm, Parish Office Thursday Construction Meeting, 9:15 am, RRC Confirmation Discernment, 6:00 pm, Chapel Knights of Columbus, 7:30 pm, Panther House Saturday Silent Saturdays, 9:00 am, Chapel First Eucharist, 5:00 pm, Mass Sunday First Eucharist, 9:30 am, Mass First Eucharist, 11:30 am, Mass Confirmation Final Reflection with Sponsors, 7:00 pm, Church Second Collection May 6 Children/Youth Mass Intentions April 28 May 6 Saturday 5:00 pm Bryan Inderrieden, Jr. Sunday 8:00 am For the Community 9:30 am Michael Hazlewood 11:30 am Jonathan Antonio Tuesday 8:30 am Michael & Kathy Roche Friday 8:30 am Nancy Burnside Saturday 5:00 pm For the Community Sunday 8:00 am Raymond Adler 9:30 am Kathy Scanlon 11:30 am Michael Hazlewood

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2018 Bishop s Appeal By sharing your time, talent and treasure with our sisters and brothers and our Church of the East Bay, you are making a sacrifice and returning to God a small portion of the

6 2018 Bishop s Appeal By sharing your time, talent and treasure with our sisters and brothers and our Church of the East Bay, you are making a sacrifice and returning to God a small portion of the many gifts he has given to you. By embracing Lighting the Way through the 2018 Bishop s Appeal, you are contributing greatly to building up the Kingdom of God here in the Church of the East Bay. For most of us, our experience of Church is at our parish. The Church is, however, much more than that. We are all called in mission to serve the Church and its people through our parish, our diocese and universally. The Annual Bishop s Appeal in the Diocese of Oakland is but one way to serve our fellow parishioners and the broader community as we demonstrate our unity as Catholics of the Diocese of Oakland. We are asked to pray for our fellow parishioners, our clergy and leadership, for those who are served by the many ministries and programs offered by the Church, and for the success of the 2018 Bishop s Appeal. Every member of the faith community of our local Church is also asked to participate in whatever way possible by making a gift. All gifts to the 2018 Bishop s Appeal are equally important. As responsible stewards of our faith and the many gifts that God has generously bestowed on each of us, we are asked to make a sacrificial, proportionate and thoughtful gift. Those who are blessed with more are challenged to give more, but everyone is asked to respond. Imagine what can be done in the name of our local faith community if every parishioner were inspired by Lighting the Way and participated in our annual Bishop s Appeal. While parishes rely on the financial support of parishioners through weekly offertory collections, the diocese also relies on these same parishioners to make possible the many services it provides to thousands of individuals each year. The Bishop s Appeal supplies annual funding to many ministries which provide services throughout the Diocese of Oakland. Your Generosity in Action The Bishop s Appeal provides funds to offset some of the following expenses: Parishes and Schools in Need Pastoral Ministries and Services Clergy Formation and Retirement Religious Education and Formation At St. Perpetua we are at 87% of our goal, please help us to meet our goal. You may donate by going online to:

St. Perpetua Church Hamlin Road, Lafayette, CA Phone (925) Fax (925)

St. Perpetua Church Hamlin Road, Lafayette, CA Phone (925) Fax (925) St. Perpetua Church Celebrating our Faith Enriching our Community Sharing our Gifts Eucharist Daily Mass Monday-Thursday, 8:30 am (Chapel) Weekend Liturgies Saturday 5:00 pm Sunday 8:00, 9:30 & 11:30 am