ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC PARISH
Costa Mesa, California
served by the Norbertine Fathers of St. Michael's Abbey
THE HERALD
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Dear Friends in Christ,
Greetings and Happy New Year from the Norbertine Fathers and Sisters, and the staff, of St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish.
This issue of THE HERALD includes a Thank You from our pastor Fr. Pascal, highlights our joyful Advent preparations for Christmas, contains information about upcoming events and a prayer for the repose of the soul of our late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and looks back with gratitude on God's blessings for our parish in 2022.
The month of January is dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus. Below is an article about the devotion.
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THANK YOU . . . from our priests and sisters for your prayers, cards, gifts, and support during the Advent and Christmas seasons and, indeed, throughout 2022!
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GAUDETE! REJOICE!
A BUSY, BEAUTIFUL, ADVENT SEASON!
St. John the Baptist parish, in preparation for the coming of our Lord Jesus at Christmas, hosted a number of joyful events surrounding the 3rd (Gaudete) Sunday of Advent.
December 8th saw the celebration of beautiful parish Masses and an all-school Mass for the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
A few days later we rejoiced on the 3rd Sunday of Advent (Gaudete!), which was immediately followed by the Mass (and festivities!) of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Monday, December 12th.
On December 13th and 15th our school children presented their Christmas Concert and Pageant, which included a re-telling of the Nativity story by the students in the drama class.
December 20th marked the date of our school's annual “snow day” – a new SJB tradition that marks the approach of the Christmas vacation break.
SJB was truly ready for our Lord's arrival on Dec 25th!
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My deep and heartfelt thanks to our SJB parishioners, friends, and benefactors for your prayers, service, and financial support of our parish in 2022.
I am especially grateful for your warm welcome, encouragement, and assistance upon my return to St. John the Baptist Parish as your pastor this past summer.
Please continue to keep me, all of our Norbertine Fathers and Sisters, and our parish, in your prayers in the New Year 2023.
God bless you and thank you again for your ongoing generous support.
Fr. Pascal Nguyen, O.Praem.
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Our entire St. John the Baptist Parish Community, extends heartfelt thanks to Đức and Stephanie Nguyen and their family for their exceptional effort building the magnificent Nativity scene that is in our church. They and their extended family worked for three days - far into the night in order to accommodate our busy liturgical schedule - to create this masterpiece.
They have been building the Nativity scene for SJB for almost 20 years now. Without them, we would not have the beautiful and elaborate Nativity scenes that we have enjoyed over the years.
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REQUIESCAT IN PACE
JOSEPH RATZINGER
(Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI)
April 16, 1927 - December 31, 2022
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It is with great sorrow that we have received the news of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s death. We invite you to join us in praying for the repose of his soul and remembering him in your own devotions.
PRAYER FOR A DECEASED POPE
God, Who, in Thine ineffable providence,
didst will that Thy servant, Pope Benedict XVI,
should be numbered among the high priests,
grant, we beseech Thee, that he, who on earth
held the place of Thine only-begotten Son,
may be joined forevermore to the
fellowship of Thy holy pontiffs.
Through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son,
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in
the unity of the Holy Ghost, God,
world without end. Amen.
May the soul of Joseph Aloisius Ratzinger,
our faithful Pope Benedict XVI, through
the mercy of God, rest in peace.
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EVERY SATURDAY
11:20 AM
(Pacific Time)
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Pray the Rosary with our Norbertine Sisters
The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon.
Use it with confidence and you'll be amazed at the results.
-St. Josemaria Escriva
Register for Zoom Link:
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SUNDAY, JANUARY 8
6:30 PM
HOLY MASS IN ITALIAN
Refreshments after Mass in the parish hall.
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FRIDAYS,
JAN 13, FEB 10, MAR 10
6:30 to 8:30 pm
Bible Sharing
with our
Norbertine Sisters
St. John the Baptist Convent
2960 Mendoza Drive
Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Our Norbertine Sisters invite young women to a
Monthly Bible Sharing every 2nd Friday of the month.
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Family Ministry
Date Day
SATURDAY, JAN 14
1 to 4 pm
We encourage you to take advantage of this FREE childcare!
To ensure we have enough volunteers for the number of children being dropped off, you must register in advance to participate: CLICK HERE to do so
The school yard, childcare room, and playground will be used with adult supervision. You are welcome to drop off your kids from 1:00pm to 4:00pm. We will watch your potty-trained little ones all the way up to your high-school-aged children. All children that are dropped off need to have eaten a full meal before arrival and be dressed appropriately for the weather.
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Young Adult Ministry
World Youth Day . . .
Italy Pilgrimage update
We are getting pretty close to finalizing our World Youth Day plans. We hope to have a price point and broader itinerary finished in January. If you have already completed the interest form below you should be receiving an email soon with more details!
The trip is looking as follows: 16 days total. We intend to visit the following locations in Portugal for WYD: Lisbon & Fatima. We also intend to include a trip to Italy at the following locations: Turin, Assisi, and Rome/Vatican. The entire trip will be with Fr Peter Adrian as Chaplain. Fr PA will also be our personal tour guide in Italy. Don't miss out!
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page”
- St Augustine of Hippo
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SUNDAY, FEB 5
1 pm
St. John the Baptist Catholic School
OPEN HOUSE
Visiting families will have the opportunity to meet our school's rich, faith-filled community. There will be guided tours of the campus and information on our many spiritual, academic, and extracurricular programs. Meet our dynamic and dedicated Norbertine Priests and Sisters, administration, and faculty!
INFORMATION NIGHT
Wednesday, March 22
7 PM
Anyone who would like to learn more about our outstanding school is encouraged to register using the link below to attend one of these events:
or call (714) 557-5060
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FRIDAY, FEB 10 - SJB CASINO NIGHT!
hosted by our parish Knights of Columbus Council 14581
Doors Open 6 pm
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$25 entry includes Italian Dinner
(catered by Claro's Italian Market) and $500 in "fun" money
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SUNDAY, FEB 12
5 pm
Please join us for Holy Mass and the Installation Ceremony of our pastor,
Fr. Pascal Nguyen, O.Praem.
Principal Celebrant
The Most Reverend
Timothy Freyer
Auxiliary Bishop of Orange
Light Reception in the parish hall following the Mass
All are welcome as we mark this milestone
in the life of our parish!
However, if you plan to attend the reception in the parish hall after Mass, please RSVP by Feb 8, 2023 to help us better plan.
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SJB SCHOOL FALL AWARDS CEREMONY . . .
RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE!
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Just before the Christmas break, our SJB school held it's fall awards ceremony for outstanding achievements in Activities, Attitude, and Academics. |
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Indeed, wonderful things continue to happen at
SJB School!
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Interested parents should contact the school.
or call (714) 557-5060
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REFLECTING,
REJOICING,
THANKING . . .
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST PARISH . . .
A look back at 2022
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We thank God for His many blessings bestowed in 2022 on our beloved parish and school. We also thank the many parishioners, benefactors, friends, parents, faculty, and staff members who gave of their time, talent, and treasure to sustain and build-up our community.
Among our 2022 highlights were the happy welcoming of many new families to our parish and school, the celebration of our beautiful Holy Week liturgies, First Holy Communions, Baptisms, and Confirmations.
We are grateful for the glory of our school’s May Crowning, all-school Masses, our 2022 8th grade graduation activities and ceremonies, the Saints Day Parade, and an incredible Fall Gala!
During Lent our intrepid Knights of Columbus Council 14581 sponsored delightful Friday Fish Fry dinners attended by hundreds of parishioners and school families.
In July we joyfully celebrated the 25th anniversary of priestly ordination of our pastor Fr. Augustine Puchner; and then one month later sadly bid him adieu as he left to assume the leadership of a new ministry being started in Springfield, Illinois by St. Michael's Abbey.
July also marked the 20th anniversary of the Norbertines arrival to serve St. John the Baptist Parish; and via the generosity of some wonderful benefactors we marked the occasion with the installation of a magnificent, marble, replica of Michaelangelo's Pieta in our beautiful church!
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August found us welcoming our new pastor. Fr. Pascal Nguyen, O.Praem. who came to us from St. Michael's Abbey for his second "go round" here at SJB - he being one of the first four Norbertine priests who came to minister at the parish in 2002, serving here until 2009.
2022 saw much growth in our Family, Young Adult and Youth Ministries, and similar expansion and growth in our English, Spanish and Vietnamese religious education programs.
Our English, Spanish, Vietnamese and Latin music ministries are also thriving, and we were happy to announce in 2022 the formation/addition of a parish children's choir to our musical "line-up."
The SJB community in 2022 celebrated several Pro-Life Masses and participated in the 40 Days for Life campaigns and, just last week, we held our annual pro-life rosary procession and Mass on the Feast of the Holy Innocents.
Our Vietnamese community reveled in their Marian Days and mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, our Spanish Community joyfully celebrated the Feasts of San Martin Caballero and Our Lady of Guadalupe, and our Filipino-American community came together for the traditional Simbang Gabi Advent Mass.
Indeed, much for which we are grateful.
We humbly ask God for his continued blessings on our parish and school, and our SJB community, in 2023.
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Our Perpetual Adoration Chapel Is Open
A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION!
Please prayerfully consider signing up for a weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly recurring adoration hour.
We are using an electronic sign-up system, called WE ADORE HIM. Signing up, checking in, and finding substitutes is simple and easy.
Sign up by going to our SJB website: www.sjboc.org Click the Adoration Chapel Link. If you have questions, call Tony at (714) 540-2214 or email him at tony@sjboc.org
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LIKE & FOLLOW ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC CHURCH & SCHOOL
ON FACEBOOK
Keep up with the latest news, and help us spread the word about our magnificent Catholic Faith and important events.
Click the Facebook logo on the right and then LIKE and FOLLOW us!
Our goal is to reach 5,000 Page "Followers"!
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FOLLOW SJB ON INSTAGRAM AS WELL!
Click on the logo on the right.
Our goal is to get to 800 followers
this month.
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL
let's get to 1,500 subscribers in January!
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January is the month of
the Holy Name of Jesus
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The month of January has traditionally been dedicated to the Holy Name of Jesus.
God Himself chose Jesus’ name. The Angel Gabriel announced to Mary, “And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus” ( Lk 1:31 ).
And Joseph had a dream in which the angel told him, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins” (Mt 1:21). The Gospel of Luke further relates that “ After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb” ( Lk 2:21 ).
The New Testament is filled with incidents where the name of Jesus is invoked to drive out devils, cure illnesses, and perform miracles. The Holy Name is exalted by St Paul: “at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth…” (Philippians 2:10). Jesus reinforces the power of His name in St. John’s Gospel: “If you ask the Father anything in my name he will give it you” ( Jn 16:23 ).
The Holy Name was promoted in a special manner by St. Bernard, St. John Capistrano, and St Bernardine of Siena, who first used the monogram “IHS,” derived from the Greek letters forming the word “Jesus.” A later tradition holds that IHS represents the Latin Iesus Hominum Salvator , meaning “Jesus Savior of Mankind."
In their preaching missions throughout Italy, St. Bernardine and St. John carried the monogram of the Holy Name surrounded by rays. They blessed the faithful with this monogram, invoking the name of Jesus, and many miracles were reported. They also encouraged people to have the monogram placed over the city gates and the doorways of their homes. Dispelling the objections of some who considered this veneration superstitious, Pope Martin V in 1427 approved the proper veneration to the Holy Name and asked that the cross be included in the monogram IHS.
In 1597, Pope Sixtus V granted an indulgence to anyone reverently saying, “Praised be Jesus Christ!” Pope Innocent XIII extended the Feast to the whole Church in 1727.
St. Alphonsus Liguori said:
The name of Jesus is a name of gladness, a name of hope and a name of love. A name of gladness, because if the remembrance of past transgressions afflicts us, this name comforts us, reminding us that the Son of God became man for this purpose, to make himself our Savior. A name of hope, because he that prays to the Eternal Father in the name of Jesus may hope for every grace he asks for: If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it you. A name of love. For the name of Jesus brings to our remembrance all the sufferings which Jesus has endured for us in his life and at his death.
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