Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Road
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
|
|
Parish Newsletter
November 3, 2021
Staying Connected
|
|
A Letter From Our Pastor - Fr. Paulson |
|
Dear Friends,
Starting November 1, our county has relaxed Covid-19 protocols. “Under the order, participating businesses, organizations and hosts must verify that all patrons, employees and attendees are fully vaccinated before allowing people inside their facilities not to wear face coverings. There can be no more than 100 persons present at these facilities, and the group of those present must gather on a regular basis. Those present should also not have COVID-19 symptoms.” Since we do not check vaccination status before entering church, and our numbers are always above 100 folks at CTK, we will continue to adhere to the mask mandate for now at both churches. Thank you for your understanding.
|
|
As I write this column, our world leaders including our fearless leader, Pope Francis are lending their voices and support to climate change. I know it is a hot political topic, and it does not have to be that way. We are called to be stewards of God’s creation. After Pope Francis in 2015 published his landmark teaching document on “our common home” that called for action on climate change, Archbishop Joseph Kurtz of Louisville went before the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., and described an urgency “to act as true stewards.”
In the days before that, Kurtz had told The Courier Journal that Laudato Si', the pope’s encyclical on the environment, would have “a mighty effect” on U.S. bishops. At the time, Kurtz was president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Many bishops have since issued statements on climate change and other environmental matters including our own bishop (thank you, Bishop Barber).
We can access a number of resources on our diocesan website: here
According to Jim Bruggers, new research out of Creighton University has found that Kurtz and most U.S. bishops were largely silent on the subject from 2014 to 2018 by at least one important metric — columns they wrote to their parishioners in official Catholic newspapers or newsletters. Nationally, only 93 columns mentioned climate change at all, and just 56 described climate change in terms that suggest it is real, according to the study by professors Sabrina Danielsen and Daniel DiLeo, in Creighton’s Department of Cultural and Social Studies, and Creighton student Emily E. Burke.
In their own words, "Our numbers show they have failed their duty.” The failure is all the more troublesome, DiLeo said, given the Catholic Church’s “extraordinary potential to address the climate crisis,” through the management of its vast real estate and property holdings, investments and interaction with 70 million U.S. Catholics, including about 50 million adults. Bill McKibben, a best-selling author and environmentalist, said the pope has been “perhaps the foremost voice linking the climate crisis and social justice around the world,” by “restating Catholic social teaching for the greenhouse era.”
Let us continue to be the voice of social justice, standing up for life and caring especially for the unborn and the marginalized - working together to take care of the sacred creation. We need to embrace it all, and that is what I call holiness – our ability to hold together divergent moral and human values, regardless of our personal feeling about it.
In our recent deanery meeting, Fr. Lawrence D’Anjou, our Vicar General reminded us about the diocesan plans for implementing Pope Francis’ vision for the synod. In a major speech at the University of Fribourg, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny has made the case for the just begun Synod on Synodality as a deeply necessary and Catholic project that builds upon the graces and truth of the Second Vatican Council. I will continue to keep you updated on the synod. I am instituting a team for CTK and St. Stephen to assist the two parishes to embrace and implement the mandates of the synodal process.
Fr. Paulson
|
|
Fall Back!
Set your clocks back one hour
before bed on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Enjoy the extra hour of sleep!
|
|
This Sunday, November 7 at 12 pm we will have a special Mass to remember and pray especially for those who have died over the past 12 months. All are welcome to join our many families that have buried a loved one this past year.
|
|
Have You Completed Our Parish Survey? |
|
We need your help!
Please help us by participating in a diocesan-wide survey!
Christ the King and St. Stephen Parish will be participating in a parish survey about discipleship conducted by the Catholic Leadership Institute!
CTK Parishioners can click here
St. Stephen Parishioners can click here
If you prefer a paper copy of the survey, you may pick one up in the back of the church or at the parish office.
Thank you for helping with this important project!
|
|
Our Halloween Religious Education Family’s Mass was a great success!
Thank you for coming with all of your beautiful, scary and otherwise impressive costumes. Read More
A Reconciliation Enrichment Session for parents of students preparing for the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion will be presented this Saturday, November 6, from 9:00 AM until 12:00 Noon, and again on Tuesday, November 9, from 6:00 until 9:00 PM, in the Parish Hall. Read More
|
|
Youth Ministry News
This Sunday, November 7th, the Sacramental (Confirmation) Prep class will be hosting their first
Teen Adoration in the church from
3:30pm to 3:55pm.
Everyone is welcome to join us and spend some quality time with Jesus. The event will also be livestreamed if you can't join us in person.
|
|
Salesian High School
Information Meeting
Christ the King Church
Tuesday, November 9
7pm
|
|
Salesian College Preparatory is a private, independent, Catholic,
coeducational high school. Our 21-acre property spans two East Bay cities of
Richmond and San Pablo. Salesian has strong academics. Read More
|
|
Carondelet and De La Salle High School's 21-22 Admissions Season has officially opened! The application deadline for both schools is December 10, and Financial Aid applications open on December 1. |
|
To learn more about Carondelet, come to our Open House on November 14 from 12:00pm - 2:00pm.
|
|
Congratulations to Baby Jayson who was baptized over the weekend!
Welcome to Christ the King and St. Stephen Family!
Parents: Bless & Ace
|
|
Congratulations to Vitaliano & Rebecca Irineo as they unite in receiving the blessing of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
|
|
Thank you to all the children who attended our Halloween Mass in the Parish Hall on Sunday.
It was so fun to see all of you dressed in your costumes.
|
|
On Tuesday evening we celebrated,
"The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos)"
|
|
Weekly Reflections on Sunday Readings |
|
Welcome to our weekly reflections on
the Sunday Scriptures.
32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
The teachers of the law weren’t terrible human beings. They followed their vocation because they believed they answered a call from God. But as soon as religious leaders and teachers stop striving for holiness, they become weak. Read More
|
|
All Masses are Inside the Church.
Masks are required.
Weekday Masses
9am Mass - Monday - Friday
(9am Masses will be livestreamed)
6pm - Thursdays (Rosary begins at 5:40pm)
(Rosary and Mass will be livestreamed)
Weekend Masses
Saturday
9am and 4pm Vigil
(Saturday 4pm Mass will be livestreamed)
Sunday
7:30am, 9am, 10:30am and 4pm
(10:30am Mass will be livestreamed).
|
Worship Aide for Mass - Nov. 6/7 Here
Worship Aide for Nov. 7/Mass of Remembrance Here
Readings for Sunday Mass Here
|
|
Links to our services (live or archived) can be found at ctkph.org
or clicking the Facebook or YouTube images below.
|
|
Ongoing Services:
Drive-Thru Communion, Mass, Holy Rosary, Sacrament of Reconciliation
|
|
Drive-Thru
Holy Communion
Every Sunday
11:30am to 12 noon
In front of the church
|
|
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Private Confessions will continue every Saturday from
3pm to 3:30pm
Please meet inside the church.
|
|
|
Thursdays, 6pm - Indoor Mass
Honoring Our Mother of Perpetual Help
Rosary begins at 5:40pm
|
|
5:40pm - Holy Rosary
Monday through Friday
|
|
|
St. Stephen Church - Masses |
|
St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek 94597
Saturday - Mass 5pm
Sunday - Mass at 9:30am
Worship Aide Nov. 6/7 Here
St. Stephen now has mass in the church
Monday - Friday at 8am
Masses at St. Stephen are now being live-streamed on the St. Stephen Facebook page. If you are unable to attend with us in person, please join us through Facebook. A link is on our website: saintstephenparish.org.
Only the 9:30am mass will be live-streamed.
|
|
Thank You for Your Continued Financial Support to CTK and St. Stephen Church |
|
On-Line Giving: (click button below)
We depend upon your contributions!
|
|
Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
Christ the King Church
195A Brandon Rd.
Pleasant Hill, CA 94523
|
|
Offertory Envelopes and
Paper Checks
Can be sent directly to:
St. Stephen Church
1101 Keaveny Ct.
Walnut Creek, CA 94597
|
|
|
Upcoming Second Collections:
Nov. 7 - Catholic Education
Nov. 21 - Hungry and Homeless
Nov. 28 - Campaign for Human Development
Thank you for your generous support!
|
|
November is
Black Catholic History Month
|
|
Servant of God Sister Thea Bowman
A self-proclaimed, “’old folks’ child,” Thea Bowman, was the only child born to middle-aged parents, Dr. Theon Bowman, a physician and Mary Esther Bowman, a teacher. At birth she was given the name Bertha Elizabeth Bowman. She was born in 1937 and reared in Canton, Mississippi. As a child she converted to Catholicism through the inspiration of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity who were her teachers and pastors at Holy Child Jesus Church and School in Canton. These religious communities nurtured her faith and greatly influenced her religious vocation. Read more...
|
|
"To Hear the Gospel and Make a Difference" |
|
|
|
|
|
|
