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 from the Norbertine Fathers and Sisters, and the staff, of St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish.
This issue of THE HERALD celebrates our Chili Cook-Off, includes a "thank you" to Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen for helping celebrate our Marian Days, contains important information about exciting (and inspiring) upcoming events at the parish and Christ Cathedral, as well as updates on ministry activities.
November is the month traditionally dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Below is an article about why and how we pray for those souls.
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A HUGE THANK YOU . . .
to EVERYONE who worked so hard to make our 2022 Chili Cook-Off and Classic Car Show such a fun day and
a GREAT SUCCESS!!
Special thanks to our SJB Knights Council 14581 for their organizational and creative talents, to our SJB School for their assistance and participation in our Trunk or Treat, to our superb chili entrants, to Surf City Classics Car Club for the amazing cavalcade of cars.
And to ALL OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS who helped
with the pie and watermelon eating contests, silent auction,
pumpkin carving, face painting, food booth,
and . . . with the Stein Holding Competition!!
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!!
May God bless and reward you all for making this year's
Chili Cook-Off so incredibly awesome!!
- Father Pascal Nguyen, Pastor
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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: HERE
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SAT & SUN
NOVEMBER 5 & 6
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
CHRISTMAS WREATH SALE
ADVENT WILL BE HERE SOON! Our St. John the Baptist Knights of Columbus will be taking orders for beautiful Advent Wreaths after the Vigil & Sunday Masses on Nov 5th and 6th.
Advent Candles and Christmas cards will also be available for purchase. Download the order form and fill it out in advance HERE.
Proceeds sustain our Knights’ worthy activities, including support of seminarians, pro-life, school scholarships, and parish projects.
Brighten up your Advent season with a beautiful wreath! Each time you see it, you’ll know you’re supporting and fostering our Catholic faith.
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REMEMBER A DECEASED RELATIVE OR FRIEND IN NOVEMBER
MONTH OF THE HOLY SOULS IN PURGATORY
Special envelopes available in the church vestibule or the rectory office
A Novena of Masses will be offered in November for these intentions.
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Friday, November 11, 2022
Calling all VETERANS & ACTIVE DUTY PERSONNEL!
10 AM VETERANS DAY MASS in the church
Light refreshments in the parish hall after Holy Mass
ARMY, NAVY, AIR FORCE, MARINES, COAST GUARD
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FRIDAYS,
NOV 11 and DEC 9
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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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19
"I Thirst Orange County"
all-day event - Christ Cathedral Campus - in the Arboretum
Are you thirsting for more? More of Jesus? This is your opportunity for your cup to be filled. Come and be part of an exciting movement of the Holy Spirit which will bring you to a powerful transformation experience and a renewal in Jesus Christ through the Sacraments of the Catholic Church.
* Powerful evangelists
* Experience the power of the Eucharist and the Mass
* Repentance and Sacramental Confession
* Tools to better pass on the faith as an evangelist in these challenging times
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24
THANKSGIVING DAY SCHEDULE
Holy Hour & Adoration - 7:45 AM
Holy Mass - 9 AM (also livestreamed)
the one and only Mass of the day
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There will be no other public prayers, devotions, or liturgies.
No afternoon adoration or evening confessions.
Parish office closed.
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FOR YOUR SUPPORT
OF OUR BELOVED
PARISH!
Your generosity is helping us to impart the Faith to
559 children enrolled in our English, Spanish, and Vietnamese religious education, 1st Communion, and Confirmation classes.
Together - we're working to advance the
Kingdom of God!
To sign-up for ONLINE GIVING - the easiest way to support St. John the Baptist Parish - click HERE
If you wish to use Sunday Offertory envelopes, email Tony at tony@sjboc.org
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YOUTH, YOUNG ADULT, & FAMILY MINISTRY UPDATES |
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YOUNG ADULT MINISTRY - THURSDAY, NOV 10
Candlelight Mass is back!
Confession will be offered before Mass, starting at 7:00pm. Confessions will take place during the San Martin Caballero celebration in the two back confessionals. There will be no adoration. At 8:00pm, a Norbertine frater will present brief instructions on the Mass. The candlelight Mass will then begin promptly at 8:15pm, and end at 9:15pm.
Afterwards, we will head over to In-n-Out for food and fellowship.
"Put all the good works in the world against one Holy Mass; they will be as a grain of sand beside a mountain."
- St. John Vianney
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YOUTH MINISTRY
FRIDAY - NOV 11
Join us for Youth Group at SJB!
Friday, Nov 11th, the parish hall will open at 6pm for fellowship. Catechesis with Fr Peter Adrian starts at 7pm. At 8pm, we'll move to the church for adoration and confession. At 9pm, we'll be walking together to Round Table Pizza for a late dinner. Make sure to bring some money if you want pizza!
Please note - when getting a ride home, you'll either need to be picked up from the church immediately after adoration OR from Round Table before 9:45pm. We hope to see you on Friday, Nov 11th.
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FAMILY MINISTRY
Nov 19 - Date Day
Our next date day will take place on Saturday, November 19th. We encourage you to take advantage of this FREE childcare!
This Date Day will be a great opportunity for parents to do some Thanksgiving prep and Christmas shopping!
To make sure that 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 little ones all the way up to your high school aged children. We want you to enjoy time with your spouse, to give you the ability to rest, and/or to get things you otherwise could not do, done!
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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For information about our Youth, Young Adult, and Family Ministries, contact Brandon Tait at brandon@sjboc.org.
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When the Saints . . . in the making . . .
Came Marching In!
St. John the Baptist School All Saints Parade is a hit!
The custom of keeping holy one day in the year as the festival of all God’s saints, whether commemorated in the Liturgy or not, dates back to at least the beginning of the Fifth Century. Although millions, or even billions, of people may already be saints, All Saints' Day observances tend to focus on known saints --that is those recognized in the canon of the saints by the Church.
The children who attend St. John the Baptist Catholic School – “saints in the making” – happily anticipated this great feast by dressing up as their favorite saints on Oct 31!
Early in the morning the boys and girls arrived in full regalia, but also ready to study! Then after morning prayer and class photos, they went to their classes where they were visited by costume adjudicators (a team comprised of SJB Pastor Fr. Pascal, School Rector Fr. Damien, Sister Gemma, Sister Philomena, Art Teacher Kelly Champlin, and Learning Support Teacher Jennifer Ritter). Best “saint” in each classroom was a combination of best costume + knowledge about the saint being depicted.
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At lunchtime our students gladly welcomed their parents and grandparents! And following lunch we had the 2022 version of a long-standing SJB school tradition – the awesome parade of the Saints, accompanied by, what else, “When the Saints Go Marchin’ In!” |
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INDEED . . .
Wonderful things continue to happen at
SJB School!
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Parents who would like to learn more about our school are encouraged to click the link below:
or call (714) 557-5060
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THANK YOU BISHOP THANH THAI NGUYEN!
St. John the Baptist parish was delighted and honored to welcome Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen, Auxiliary Bishop of Orange, on October 15th for the final day of our Marian Days celebration.
Marian Days are organized and sponsored each year by our Vietnamese community and take place over 3 evenings. The first two evenings include special speakers, Marian prayers, the Holy Rosary, Adoration, and opportunities for confession.
This year, on the final evening, we experienced a bit of a rainstorm (complete with thunder and lightning), which prevented the procession from taking place. However, in spite of the weather, the pre-Mass ceremonies still took place under the tents in the church courtyard.
Fr. Andrew Tran welcomed the hundreds who gathered, then there was the presentation of flowers, and the holy rosary prayed in Spanish, English, Tagalog, Indonesian, and Latin - all presided over by Bishop Nguyen, who was also the principal celebrant for the beautiful tri-lingual Mass that followed in the church. Fr. Pascal and Fr. Andrew were among the concelebrants.
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St. John the Baptist parish is grateful to Bishop Nguyen for his attendance and support, and for his warm and inspiring message on this prayerful and festive occasion. |
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THANK YOU . . .
to the 252 people who have signed up for Adoration in our Blessed Sacrament Chapel . . .
and to the 81 people who have made recurring adoration commitments
Please prayerfully consider signing up.
We are using an electronic sign-up system, called WE ADORE HIM. Signing up, checking in, and finding substitutes is simple and easy.
1) Sign up by going to our SJB Adoration Chapel website: Click HERE.
2) Once you are on the SJB Adoration Chapel website, click on SIGN UP at the top of the page to create your account, set your password, and input your information. The activation code is STJOHNCHAPEL.
3) Among the choices you’ll have is how to receive notifications of your adoration time(s) – by text, by email, or by phone.
4) Another choice will be if you are willing to be a substitute.
5) Checking in for adoration will be done on an iPad located just outside the Adoration Chapel. You’ll see your name on the screen, and just check in!
6) Log-in to your account to update your information, see your upcoming adoration commitments, and to request a substitute.
7) If you request a substitute, the system will contact – one by one – those who have indicated they are willing to be a substitute. If the first person declines to be a substitute, the system moves on to the next person, etc. Once a substitute is found, you’ll receive a message telling you your spot is filled.
Contact Tony at the parish office if you have questions or need help signing up. He may be reached at tony@sjboc.org or by calling (714) 540-2214 x160.
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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 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 reach 750 followers in November!
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SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL
We're at 1,380+ subscribers! Thank you!
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November is the month of
the Holy Souls in Purgatory
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“Purgatory is where the Love of God tempers the Justice of God,” -Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
November is the month dedicated to the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The month opens with the Feast of All Saints, where we celebrate the Church Triumphant, when all the elect (i.e. in Heaven) bestow their graces upon us.
From this initial Feast – a glorious window into heaven – we, the Church Militant (i.e. on earth) gather strength and fortitude.
Throughout November, we increase our prayers and sacrifices for the Church Suffering (i.e. in purgatory) – those who will join their heavenly family elect, but who still need prayer.
This is beautifully expressed by venerable Fulton Sheen in a homily he wrote:
Just as the man who dies in debt has the maledictions of his creditors following him to the grave, but may have his good name restored and revered by the labor of his son who pays the last penny, so too the soul of a friend who has gone to death owing a debt of penance to God may have it remitted by us who are left behind, by minting the gold of daily actions into the spiritual coin which purchases redemption. Into the crucibles of God these departed souls go like stained gold to have their dross burned away by the flames of love.
These souls, who have not died in enmity with God, but have fallen wounded on the battlefield of life fighting for the victory of His cause, have not the strength to bind their own wounds and heal their own scars: it remains for us who are still strong and healthy, clad with the armor of faith and the shield of salvation, to heal their wounds and make them whole that they might join the ranks of the victors and march in the procession of the conquerors. We may be sure that if the penny that gives bread to the hungry body delivers a soul to the Table of Our Lord, it will never forget us when it enters into the homeland of victory.
While yet confined to that prison of purifying fire, they hear the voices of the angels and saints who call them to their true fatherland, but they are incapable of breaking their chains for their time of merit is passed. Certainly God cannot be unmindful of a wife who offers her merits to the captive soul of a husband waiting for his deliverance. Surely the mercy of God cannot be such that He should be deaf to the good works of a mother who offers them for the liberation of her offspring who are yet stained with the sins of the world. Surely God will not forbid such communication of the living with the dead, since the great act of Redemption is founded on the reversibility of merits.
Responsive, then, will we be to the plea not only of our relatives and friends but of that great mass of unarmed warriors of the Church Suffering who are yet wearing the ragged remnants of sin, but who, in their anxiety of soul to be clothed in the royal robes fit for entrance into the Palace of the King, cry out to our responsive hearts the plaintive and tender plea: “Have mercy on me, have mercy on me, at least you, my friends, for the hand of the Lord has touched me."
The only door out of purgatory for the Holy Souls there opens into heaven. We can open it for them. The most efficacious of all prayers is, of course, the Holy Mass.
The Church also hands us a ring of "keys" to open that door to heaven.
Key for November 1 to 8: Every year on these eight days the Church grants a plenary indulgence that can be applied only to the souls in purgatory. The faithful can receive this indulgence each of the eight days to apply to a particular soul — a parent, spouse, relative, friend, or anyone even unknown.
On each day from Nov. 1-8 a person seeking the plenary indulgence for a soul must (1) “devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, if only mentally, for the departed; (2) on All Souls’ Day (or according to the ordinary, on the Sunday preceding it or following it…) devoutly visit a church or an oratory and recite an Our Father and the Creed.”
Mighty "everyday" keys: These four can gain a plenary indulgence “each day of the year,” but “no more than once a day.”
- Eucharistic Adoration. “Visit the Blessed Sacrament for adoration lasting at least a half hour.”
- Praying the Rosary. “Devoutly recite the Marian Rosary in a church or oratory, or in a family, a religious community, or an association of the faithful, and in general when several of the faithful gather for some honest purpose…”
- Reading or listening to Sacred Scriptures. “Read the Sacred Scriptures as spiritual reading, from a text approved by a competent authority, and with the reverence due to the divine word, for at least a half hour; if the time is less, the indulgence will be partial.” Or listen to it being read.
- Pious exercise of the Way of the Cross. Walk them in church or where legitimately erected.
You choose who the indulgence applies to: either yourself — you cannot give it to another living person — or to a holy soul in purgatory.
General Conditions for the gaining of a Plenary Indulgence:
In order to obtain a plenary indulgence, the faithful must, in addition to being in the state of grace:
- have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin;
- have sacramentally confessed their sins;
- receive the Holy Eucharist (it is certainly better to receive it while participating in Holy Mass, but for the indulgence only Holy Communion is required);
- pray for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.
Another beautiful passage inviting us to prayerful practices for the holy souls is found in the 1962 Daily Missal:
The practice of recommending to God the souls in purgatory that we may mitigate the great pains which they suffer, and that He may soon bring them to His glory, is most pleasing to God and most profitable to us.
For those blessed souls are His eternal spouses, and they are most grateful to those who obtain their deliverance from prison, or even a mitigation of their torments. Hence, when they shall enter into Heaven, they will certainly not forget those who prayed for them. It is a pious belief that God manifests to them our prayers for them, that they also may pray for us.
Let us recommend to Jesus Christ, and to His holy Mother, all the souls in Purgatory.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
-compiled from various sources, including
Liturgical Meditations, The Sisters of St. Dominic
Catholic Culture
Venerable Fulton J. Sheen
1962 Daily Missal
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