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Adult Formation
Ministries
We
hope you will consider enrolling in the Adult Confirmation class this
year. There will be an introductory class held at Saint Augustine Rectory
in the Conference Room, 7:30 p.m., Thursday, September 13, 2007. Classes
will continue on Thursday evenings throughout the year with the sacrament
celebrated at the Easter Vigil, March 22, 2008.
“Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent them Peter and John, who went down and prayed for them, that they might receive the holy Spirit, for it had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them and they received the holy Spirit.” (Acts 8:14-17).
Theological Perspective and Personal Testimony The sacrament of Confirmation is a call to personal spiritual growth. In the words of one of the candidates who received the sacrament during the Easter Vigil 2007, “I realized that this journey was not about being welcomed to the community or developing our faith as a family, since that was already achieved. This decision was all about deepening my personal relationship with God. On that Easter Vigil night, I stood before the altar in anticipation of receiving the Holy Spirit; I knew once and for all that I was home.” Be not afraid. Open yourself to the power of the Holy Spirit and you, too, shall experience what millions of others have experienced from Pentecost to the present. Adult Confirmation Program Structure The
adult confirmation program at CCOP is a holistic approach that tries
to synthesize theory and practice.
It imparts knowledge about the faith through well prepared classes and excellent discussions. The primary sources for the program are the Holy Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. During class there are frequent references to the Bible to help the participants get familiar with the Word of God and to kindle in them an interest in reading the Bible. We also invite a variety of people involved in Church ministry to share their experience and findings with the group. The practice component of the program has two elements – prayer and charity. The participants are introduced to prayer books and the various prayers by reciting them during the classes. They are helped to familiarize themselves with various Catholic devotions like The Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Novena Prayers, Litanies and so on. The charity component consists in helping one’s neighbor. Members are presented with opportunities for help in the parish with various activities as well as for getting involved in neighborhood apostolate and small Christian communities. Obviously, adult confirmation is a wonderful opportunity to know more about one’s faith and to grow in the same faith. If you wish more information, or would like to discuss your journey in Faith, contact Fr. Padraig Greene, 846-4489. Throughout the year, short Homilies, presented just before the conclusion of the Weekend Masses, enrich us with messages that touch a variety of topics. The text of some of the small Adult Formation Homilies are presented here. Contact:
Jim Silva, Director of Adult Formation, (925)
484-1143 ext 115 or email jsilvausa@aol.com. AIDS Volunteer Group A group of volunteers who offer both practical and emotional support to people who have been diagnosed with HIV Disease and to their families and friends. Volunteers are trained, prepared and helped by professional staff in this work of service and compassion. There are regular meetings and support group meetings designed to insure that adequate care is given to the clients and volunteers. Contact:
Sharon Calhoun or Carol Ghilardi
through St. Augustine, 846-4489 Cursillo
What
is Cursillo? Women's
Cursillo Weekend Core team formation
will be finalized by mid-November. If you are interested in being considered
by our Pre-Cursillo Committee or if you would like to work the weekend
in the Rollo Room, Kitchen or with Music, please call or email Nita Volker,
nitavolker@hotmail.com as soon as possible. Gathering @ 12:30
pm If you want to be on the planning team for this and other Diocesan-wide Grand Ultreyas, please contact David Grubbs, (925) 484-0862 or by email drgrubbs@pacbell.net.
WOMENS CURSILLO Please start talking to your potential candidates now! Beat the rush! Send in those applications! Don't wait for the last minute. Please pray about sponsoring and get those applications in. Diocese
of Oakland The Oakland Diocese
women's and men's cursillo 3-day Weekends are at Angela Center, Santa
Rosa (August and September 2008). The discernment for our Rector/Rectora
will be held on November 10th, 2007. Please pray for us as we always include
you in our prayers. Please start talking
to your potential candidates now! Beat the rush! Send in those applications!
Don't wait for the last minute. You
can contact me for updates on our community or simply log in our web site:
http://www.fccoakland.org/
God bless each of you for all of the prayers you have offered for the many prayer requests that have come to you via email. Bless all who have asked, all who have need of prayer and all who continue to pray! ANSWERS TO FAQ:Who may take part? The
Cursillo Weekend is open to all Baptized Christians, 25 years of age or
older, who are emotionally mature. Attention is paid to special needs
such as diet, medication and lodging, if needed. May you be blessed with God's wisdom as you consider this beautiful experience. The SPIRIT NEWSLETTER(pdf) is on-line. Meet your Advisory Council and details of Cursillo activity in the Diocese of Oakland. Work a Cursillo? Apply now (pdf) for upcoming weekends.A CURSILLO BROCHURE (pdf) is available on-line. The Oakland Cursillo has an interim site for additional information as well. For more information or for an application for the weekend, call or email: Jeanne Magoon 846-4871 jmmagoon@yahoo.com or Joyce Freeman 462-5902 ernestofre@aol.com.
Annual
Parish Mission Small Christian Communities What's
in a name? Small means roughly 8-12 adults or 4-6 families, meeting usually
in one another's homes. Christian means we help each other grow in the
four essentials of our faith: community, prayer, study, and outreach.
Community means we we get to know each other well and become like family
to one another. SCC's are diverse. At various times, we have had SCC's composed of neighbors, families, moms and tots, gays and lesbians, cursillo members, singles, individuals in 12-step recovery, women only, men only, couples, etc. All are welcome! Jim Silva, our Adult Formation Director, sums up the secret of SCC's: "There is no more effective way of growing in your faith than to be part of a Small Christian Community where that faith is shared, listened to, and celebrated." Contact: Jim Silva at St. Elizabeth Seton, 474-2783 and/or Anna Horen at St. Augustine, 846-3531, our Youth Faith Formation Director.
Retrouvaille The Retrouvaille Program consists of a weekend experience with six follow-up sessions. It is designed to provide the tools to help put your marriage in order again. The main emphasis of the program is on communication between husband and wife. It will give you the opportunity to rediscover each other and to examine your lives together in a new and positive way. It is for couples with troubled marriages including separated or divorced couples who want their marriages to work. Contact:
Jeff and Donna Heusler, (510) 276-5722 or . . . Dave and Maria Elena Byron, (510) 489-5799 (home)or (510) 792-9297 (work) E-mail address: DByron1339@aol.com
Whatever your reasons…TRY US AGAIN! COME & SEE! Inactive or Returning Catholics: consider this an invitation to take another look at the Catholic Church.The “Returning Catholics” program, co-sponsored by the Catholic Community of Pleasanton, St Michael Church in Livermore, and St. Raymond Parish of Dublin, provides discussion of important issues in today’s Church, education on current belief and practice, opportunities to tell your story, ask questions, and renew your faith in a supportive and non-judgmental environment. Some of the topics include: Vatican II, the Bible, annulments, conscience formation and Church authority, changes in the Mass, and many more. This 11 week program begins on September 19th, and will be held on Wednesday evenings at St. Elizabeth Seton Church (4001 Stoneridge Dr. Pleasanton) from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. For more information, please call Andrea Giovannoni at 484-1143, ext. 113.
Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults - RCIA The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) is a process for adults interested in becoming members of the Catholic Church. It is based upon the model of the early Christian Church in which prospective members passed through several stages of learning and spiritual preparation culminating in full membership at Easter. The first stage, Inquiry, is a no-strings-attached opportunity to learn more about the church. Participants in the Inquiry program meet Sundays from 9:30 - 11:00 a.m. in the Rectory Conference room at St. Augustine. Subsequent stages deepen the commitment if the inquirer decides to pursue the process to Easter. Sponsors help guide and encourage the participants, as well as teams of parishioners who lead the meetings and provide hospitality. At the Easter Vigil, the participants receive the Sacraments of Initiation - Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist; or if already baptised, complete their Christian initiation by receiving Confirmation and Eucharist. For more complete information about Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, please visit the Catholic Community of Pleasanton RCIA Web page. Contact: Andrea Giovannoni at St. Elizabeth Seton, 484-1143, ext.113 or email at agiovannoni@catholicsofpleasanton.org.
Young Adult Group (Mid 20s through 30s) About UsWe are single and married people in our 20s and 30s who get together on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM. We focus on enabling young Catholics to discuss subjects which affect their faith journey in a socially inviting small group setting. John us for this special evening. Our meetings take place in varying locations, most 1st & 3rd Tuesdays we meet at St Elizabeth Seaton in Rm A. Normally, on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, we meet in the café at Barnes & Noble in Dublin’s Hacienda Crossings shopping area. We also have periodic social events at restaurants and other locations in the area, many times surrounding various holidays or in months with a 5th Tuesday. All events are typically listed in the parish bulletin and in the bulletins of other parishes in the Tri-Valley. Our group is not
quite a year old and we are growing and thus we value your interest
and participation. Whether that means just attending events, or taking
a more active role, all young people mid 20’s through 30’s
are welcome. If you have experience with young adult groups, or even
if you do not, and you have the time, energy, ideas and commitment that
would help our group continue to expand its activities and outreach
we need your help! Launch - Beyond High School - Mid-20's Adult Group Join Fr. Jim Sullivan to learn about this new ministry for the Tri-Valley Deanery. LAUNCH is a new group for college-age young people — beyond high school through mid-20’s. High school seniors who plan to stay in town after graduation are welcome to attend. May & June Launch Events @ St. Elizabeth Seton Church: Launch
discussion group events, dates and times for May & June to be announced. Scripture Readings See Bible Study Contact: Anna Adams at St. Augustine, 846-3531
Audio Tape Library Services and Video Tape Library An Audio Tape Library is currently being reorganized.. Please watch for announcements about its new location and the audio tapes available our Catholic community. The Video Library for the Catholic Community of Pleasanton, which contains approximately 550 video tapes, is located in Room 3 of the St. Augustine Parish Hall. The Library is open 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. each Sunday. For more information, please visit the Web page regarding the Video Library, which provides a complete listing of the video tapes currently available. Audio
Library: Rosemary Mecozzi or Pat Kumar; |
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