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Thanks
for reading our newsletter. The Catholic Community of Pleasanton
has an ongoing commitment to keep its members informed about what
is going on within the parish.
We welcome your thoughts on how we can make CCOP a great place to
worship and a place to hang out and share quality time with family
and friends! Just email your comments and suggestions to:
newsletter@catholicsofpleasanton.org
The Communications Committee
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Workshop on job loss - its impact on
marriage and family scheduled July 21
We are seeing more issues with family and loved ones coping with
the loss of employment. This workshop is for all who are touched by
a job loss and the struggles of finding new employment. Fr. Padraig
and the Employment Ministry team will address those issues in a
workshop on Tuesday, July 21 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the St.
Elizabeth Seton chapel.
Join us, and if possible, bring your spouse and loved ones.
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 Farewell
reception held for
Anna, Bernardo, Howard, and Linda
Well-wishers came to the Parish Hall last Sunday after the 12:00
p.m. Mass to formally say thank you to Anna Horen, Director of
Faith Formation; Bernardo Reyes, Youth Minister; Linda Kliment, Minister
to the Sick and Homebound; and Howard Powleson, Business Manager.
They are leaving their roles this summer. The reception, which
followed the Mass, provided everyone with food and refreshments.
During Mass, Fr. Padraig said, "We pause today and express our
gratitude to Anna, Linda, Bernardo and Howard for the way they have
lived their ministry with us over the years. God has imbued each of
you in a unique way with a passion for your ministry for which we
pause today to say 'Thank you.' I want to say to each of you,
sincerely, on behalf of the parish, you leave an indelible mark on
your parish and our lives. The gifts that you have given us will
not disappear. Your gifts will stay with us not just because you
will continue to be present in our community, but because of the
generous and professional way you have used your gifts as Lay
Ecclesial Ministers."
A word of thanks to Susan and Larry Patskowski, Rob Hebron, and the
Knights of Columbus for hosting the farewell reception.
Photos of the farewell reception could be viewed here:
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Energy
saving program kicks off at Sunday Masses
Visiting relatives of one parish
family were impressed by the environment inside St. Augustine at a recent Sunday
Mass. The moment they entered the space, they noted it was peaceful
and reverent. They were referring to the low-light setting before
Mass started. They expressed their approval to the Liturgy
Coordinator who in turn thanked them. The Liturgy Coordinator
explained that both St. Elizabeth Seton and St.
Augustine have begun an energy program where savings
could be achieved when lights are dimmed before each Mass. For
that, we thank the Facilities Committee for the energy saving idea.
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Meetings
with Fr. Padraig
Fr. Padraig has scheduled meetings with the following groups to
meet one another and share ministry experiences of the past year
and identify needs for next year.
Filipino Community
Monday, July 20, 7:30 p.m. at John Paul
II Activity
Center
Baptism Ministry Team
Thursday, July 23, 7:00 p.m. at St. Augustine Parish Hall
Marriage Care
Saturday, July 25, 10:00 a.m. at St. Augustine Parish Hall
Includes groups working with couples - Marriage Enrichment,
Marriage Encounter, Retrovaille, Evenings for the Engaged, Couples
for Christ, MOMS/Expectant Family Liturgy.
Korean Community
Wednesday, July 29, 7:30 p.m. at John Paul
II Activity
Center
Ministry Coordinators
Saturday, August 1, 9:15 a.m. St. Augustine Parish Hall
Families of the Cemetery
Saturday, August 8, 10:00 a.m. at John Paul
II Activity
Center
Indian Community
Monday, August 10, 7:30 p.m. at John Paul
II Activity
Center
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 A
personal testimony of RCIA experience by Dream Psutka
What caused me to explore
becoming a Catholic at this moment in life was watching the joy in
my children on the day we went to one of our family friend's
daughters First Communion. After we left the church our son turned
to us with the biggest smile on his face and said that was fun can
we do this again?
We knew at that moment it was time to start bringing our children
to God. We had them baptized as babies and always knew we would
raise them Catholic but somehow we had not made the commitment or
the time just was not right.
Read more of the personal testimony of Dream Psutka on her RCIA
experience this year by clicking here:
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 A
message from Vince our new youth minister
I recall being a first-time retreat leader in high school. After
the main events ended on Saturday night and before lights out, I
approached my youth minister glowing about how well everything went
and said, "Bob, we did it." He put his hand on my
shoulder and said, "Vince, God did it, we were just
here."
That perspective changed me forever. It taught me that we are
servants. It also told me that great things will unfold here in our
parish for young people. It is what God wants. We merely serve.
On that note, I would like to dispel one myth: our teens are not
the Church of the future. They are the Church now. They are young
parishioners. This basic understanding makes a substantial
difference in ministry for youth and how a parish values its teens
and serves them.
Youth Ministry is many ministries, all of which serve to draw young
people to deeper faith in Christ, nurture their active and rightful
roles in our community, the Church at large, and in the world. In
light of this, one change has already occurred. High school age
youth work has a new name: CCOPYM (Catholic Community of Pleasanton
Youth Ministries) the plural. Under this umbrella, we describe the
many things provided for high school teens: retreats, community,
liturgies, conferences, a youth group, service, recreation,
confirmation, mentoring, and much more.
Remember that I am not doing anything. We are! Jesus invented
"village-mentality", which the Church calls its discipleship.
While I am excited about upcoming events and programs, I know I
will not be working alone. As the weeks move on, I hope the entire
parish prays about serving our teens in some capacity, and I really
hope teens are encouraged to open their eyes and take a look at our
parish in a new way.
Summer is a great time for recreational activities. Take a look at
what is coming up:
7/21: Umigo Kart Racing in Livermore
for ages 16 and up, with a driver's license
7/22: A's vs. Twins game
7/25: Mass with the Bishop at the Cathedral of Christ the Light
7/26: Service on Sunday (SOS) feeding the homeless event in San Francisco
7/28: Night Camp (an evening of fun)
In August we will go to Great America and to a Giants game. Open
Gym will start and leadership teams will begin to meet.
As you can see, we are off and running. Thank you for taking the
time to read these words. It is my hope to meet more and more
people throughout the summer. If and when you see me, please
introduce yourselves. I can also be reached at (925) 474-2774 or by
email at:
ccopym@yahoo.com
In God's peace,
Vince Nims
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 Mark
your calendars
Tuesday, July 21 - 7:30 to 9:00 p.m. at Saint Elizabeth Seton
"Losing a job - its impact on marriage and family" -
presented by Fr. Padraig Greene
Monday, August 17 - Time and location to be determined
"To Know Christ Better" facilitated by Fr. William
Rosario. Contact Lisa at (925) 600-1765 or lisafairchild@sbcglobal.net
to obtain further information.
Wednesday August 5, September 2 in Downtown Pleasanton.
1st Wednesday Street Party - Here's your opportunity to talk to
people about our church. It is a non-threatening way to begin
sharing your faith. For more information, contact Lori Nelson at lmnelson@costco.com.
Saturday, August 8 - 7:30 p.m. at St. Augustine
Celebration in honor of Our Lady of Help - Mass in the Church
followed by a candlelight procession around the parking lot.
Benediction follows.
Sunday, August 9 - 2:00 p.m. at St. Augustine
Celebration in honor of Our Lady of Help - Mass in the Church
followed by a procession around the parking lot. Lunch and social
in the Parish Hall after the procession.
Saturday, August 29 - 5:45 p.m. at Parish Hall
Knights of Columbus'
Hawaiian Luau summer end celebration
Tickets will be available after each Mass on August 16 and 23.
Sunday, September 13 - 1:30 p.m. at John Paul
II Activity
Center
A Summit
of Voices - dialog of ideas about the future of the Faith Formation
and Youth Ministry programs.
Sunday, September 20 - Parish Picnic at St. Augustine grounds
Start with Mass at noon then stay for the CCOP Family International
picnic.
First and Third Wednesdays - 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. in Room A at St. Elizabeth Seton
CCOP Employment Connections. Contact Mike Machi at (925) 519-5797
July 22, August 5, August 19, September 9, and September 23 -
7:30 to 9:30 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Seton
Divorced/Separated Ministry - Registration is required. Contact
Lisa at lisafairchild@sbcglobal.net
or (925) 600-1765 for further information.
July 23, August 13 and August 27 - 7:30-9:00 p.m. at St. Elizabeth Seton
Bereavement Ministry - These sessions are open to all, regardless
of religious affiliation. For more information please call Mary at
(925) 846-5377
PARISH YOUTH MINISTRY EVENTS
Wednesday,
July 22 - A's Game vs. Twins
Any A's fans out there? You do not need to pay in advance, just
bring cash. Cost for this event is $25 for the game ticket, plus
$7.20 for a round-trip BART ticket. You will also need to bring
food or bring money for food. You must RSVP now and I will
need a permission form signed. Two adult chaperones to come
with us are needed as well. We will meet at the Dublin/Pleasanton
BART station (Pleasanton
side) at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning. DO NOT BE LATE!
Your fiends are also welcome, but they need to fill out a signed
permission form, as well.
For more information about the A's and seating, click here:
Saturday, July 25 - Mass With the Bishop
The Most Reverend Salvatore Cordileone, our Bishop of Oakland, has
extended a personal invitation to the youth of our diocese to
celebrate faith and Mass with him. This is an excellent and unique
opportunity for us. We will take BART to this event taking place
from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The event includes: Gathering, a
Festival of Praise and Worship, Mass and Lunch in the plaza of the
Cathedral.
Cost for this event is an $8 BART round trip ticket. I have
registered space and lunch for 10 people. I need at
least one chaperone for this event. We will meet at BART at
8:15 a.m.
Sunday, July 26 - Service on Sunday (S.O.S.)
One Sunday a month committed to serving food to the homeless
people on the streets of San
Francisco. For more information, please
contact Vince at (925) 474-2774 or email him atccopym@yahoo.com
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