NEWS & EVENTS
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VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!
JOIN US FOR "RAINFOREST FALLS" JUNE 15-19, 2026 Rainforest Falls VBS is coming to the Catholic Community of Pleasanton June 15-19, 2026 from 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. each day. Step through the mist into Rainforest Falls, which promises a week of wonder as kids explore the powerful nature of God and what it means to be rooted in a relationship with their creator, a safe place in life's storms! Through life-changing Bible stories, the coolest animal buddies, and joyful worship, they'll discover who God is and how to stay rooted in His love. NON VOLUNTEER PRICING Cost: $100.00 per child 3 Children or More: $300.00 |
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125TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO CONTEST
As we prepare to celebrate our 125th anniversary, we need a logo! Are you skilled with graphic design? Help us make parish history! Requirements for entries area:
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MEN OF FAITH
Spiritual Direction: The Heart of Spiritual Health Guest Speaker: Fr. Kwame Assenyoh Faith Sharer: Matt Isola Thursday May 28 @ 6:00 PM St. Augustine Hall The Catholic Community of Pleasanton (CCOP) “Men of Faith” regularly gathers Christian men to break bread, share and grow in our faith. This year’s theme is “Building A Foundation”. A faith-filled dinner event including an internationally-known keynote speaker, along with prayer, music, table discussions and fellowship! Many Catholics are unaware of “Spiritual Direction” as a valuable practice to grow, strengthen and enrich their faith and spirituality. In this presentation, Father Kwame discusses Spiritual Direction, how it differs from the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and how the practice of both boosts our personal and communal relationship with Christ. About Our Guest Speaker Bernard Kwame Assenyoh was ordained as religious missionary priest in 1998 in Ghana, West Africa, the country of his birth. A month after his ordination he arrived in the USA for his missionary assignment. Fr. Kwame has pastored churches in Louisiana, Massachusetts, and California. Alongside pastoring, Fr. Kwame has held teaching positions including lecturer at Stanford University and instructor at Xavier University Institute of Black Catholic Studies; he was a former administrator of CCOP and Saint Charles Borromeo Church. In 2021 Fr. Kwame was incardinated as a Diocesan Priest for the Diocese of Oakland after being a religious priest for 24 years. Currently, Fr. Kwame is the Chaplain of Saint Mary’s College of California at Moraga. He describes his work as assisting students, staff, faculty and alumni to transform their learning into living through liturgy. SIGNUP NOW https://ccop.flocknote.com/signup/258877 |
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BENEFIT CONCERT
A Rising Star Concert featuring Celicia Thendean Friday, June 5 @ 7:30pm St. Augustine Church Celicia Thendean is an extraordinary young pianist living in Pleasanton. She will be giving a benefit concert at St. Augustine Church on Friday, June 5 at 7:30pm. All proceeds will benefit the Amador Friends of Music which supports the music program at Amador Valley High School. She will be joined at the concert by pianist and Church Music Director, Ira Stein, along with Chiara Thendean (violin) and friends. $15.00 General Admission Students FREE! http://bit.ly/4ntYQfu |
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JOIN US FOR CASINO NIGHT!
Saturday, June 27 @ 6:00 PM St. Augustine Hall
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DO YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE, LAPTOP OR TABLET TO DONATE?
A cell phone or tablet can be a lifeline for our unhoused brothers & sisters in need. Cell phones and tablets give them the ability to take advantage of city, county & federal resources, connect with friends and loved ones, interact on social media....even apply for jobs. For our brothers and sisters in Christ, a digital device can make all the difference. Can you help? Android or iOS phones or tablets are needed. They should 1. Be in good physical condition 2. Able to hold a charge 3. Be wiped and ready for a new owner. Any donations can be dropped off at the rectory office Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM. Please include your name, email address and phone number with any donations. Have questions or need help? Please feel free to contact Michael Harmon at [email protected]. |
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STATEMENTS FROM BISHOP BARBER
Aligning Our Reality With Our Mission April 28, 2026 By: Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ Dear brother priests and faithful of the Diocese of Oakland, In 2021 we began the Mission Alignment Process, (MAP) a diocesan-wide effort to engage our clergy and our parishioners in a process of self-reflection and renewal. I write to you today regarding the next phase of MAP and the important role each one of us must play in aligning our operations with our sacred mission. With God’s help and with the resilience of our common faith, we press on in making our parishes places where people encounter Christ in the celebration of the Sunday liturgy, in our living the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and in our witness as missionary disciples. We do this important work not in a vacuum, but in light of the diocesan-wide trends in declining Mass attendance, participation in the sacraments and Catholic school enrollment began in the early 2010s. We are also at an all-time low of priests assigned to our 80 parishes, and the average age of our priests continues to climb. Some parishes and schools are struggling with financial sustainability. Meanwhile, some parishes are seeing growth, as demographics in the East Bay are changing. While many of our parishes were built to serve the Catholic Church of 1965, we now have far fewer priests and parishioners. Not all parishes can afford to pay for a support staff to fully serve the parish and our missionary aspirations. Others are surviving on rental of parish parking lots or empty school facilities. Our parishes were not created to be monuments to the past. As described in Evangelii Guadium (The Joy of the Gospel), “The parish is not an outdated institution; precisely because it possesses great flexibility, it can assume quite different contours depending on the openness and missionary creativity of the pastor and the community” (No. 28). Our clergy and lay parish leaders participated in 2021-22 in a deep and extensive MAP consultation, looking at parish data that revealed where our parishes are struggling most. The results of that consultation require significant change, change which is challenging for all involved. And, if we are open to the Holy Spirit, this change can also bring new life and blessings. Our Savior tells us, “See, I make all things new” (Rev. 21:5). We rest in that promise as we remind ourselves that, “if the parish proves capable of self-renewal and constant adaptivity, it continues to be ‘the Church living in the midst of the homes of her sons and daughters”‘ (Evangelii Gaudium, No. 28). This renewal begins with an effort to refocus on missionary work, therefore aligning our daily work with our divine mission. We must focus on the activities that foster prayerful celebrations of the Mass, prioritize works of mercy, and form missionary disciples. The status quo is not sustainable nor is it serving God’s people. We have successfully closed worship sites in the past. With considerable consultation and sustained prayer, I have determined it is necessary to close the following parish sites and pastoral center, and provide welcoming accommodation of all affected parishioners at another convenient location.
As I have full responsibility for the pastoral care of every Catholic in our diocese, it is my priority to ensure all affected parishioners are welcomed at a nearby parish. Many of these parish sites are already currently merged with or clustered with another parish. I am committed to working with all to find the best solutions in each situation. In addition, I want to say the following regarding MAP and the bankruptcy process. As you know, we are currently seeking bankruptcy court approval of our proposed plan of reorganization. Regardless of that outcome, we must face the realities described above and proceed with these closures. I deeply understand the sacrifice this will require. We cannot allow nostalgia and sentimentality to hold back the message of the Gospel. While we love our local church building, the church has never been solely a building. The church has always been a people called by God and united in faith. The faith of our people will continue, just in a different place and with new people. I ask all to join me in praying for those immediately affected by these changes. I also make a heartfelt plea to the “receiving” parishes to open your hearts wide to your fellow Catholics who will be joining you. Love them, make room for them not only in the pew alongside you, but in the activities of your parish. Welcome them as your own, for we are all one as Christ’s body. Together, we will fulfill Christ’s mission to go and make disciples, to the ends of the earth, as we rely on His promise that He will be with us always. With the assurance of my prayers and blessings, I am Yours sincerely in Christ, The Most Reverend Michael C. Barber, SJ Bishop of Oakland For more information, please visit: https://www.oakdiocese.org/aligning-our-reality-with-our-mission/ The Mission Alignment Process: Challenges and Opportunities
May 2, 2026 By: Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ The Mission Alignment Process (MAP), initiated five years ago, was designed to foster vibrant parishes by strategically aligning the valuable resources of the diocese. The goal is clear: to “Know Christ better and to make Him better known,” ensuring that every decision serves the mission of the Church. On April 28, I announced a significant new phase in MAP, which involves closing 13 worship sites: 12 parishes and one pastoral center. This decision brings understandable pain to those affected. I grieve with all who are coping with this change, knowing that grief is a suffering born from great love. One of the churches to be closed is where my paternal grandparents were married. These painful decisions have been made only after extensive consultation and research, in recognition that the future of our church must be distinct from its past. This is because the future demographics are vastly different from 50 years ago. Between the mid-1930s and early 1960s, the United States experienced a dramatic increase in births that is unparalleled. For a variety of reasons, Baby Boomers left organized religion in droves. But their sheer numbers meant a sizable number stayed. The generations following the Baby Boomers, Gen X and Millennial, also disengaged from a faith, but their percentage of the overall population is out shadowed by the Baby Boomers, even now. While we are seeing a resurgence in engagement in religion by Gen Z, their numbers are not expected to be anywhere near the Baby Boomers. We are seeing the impact of this reality in our diocese. It may be tempting to attribute the Mission Alignment Process solely to financial concerns, but the funding is but a symptom of other realities. Declining attendance and participation are evident in Mass attendance, ministry program enrollment, sacramental participation, enrollment in Catholic schools, and vocations to the priesthood and religious life. As the number of priests decline, and the age of our priests rises, we must acknowledge it is not feasible to expect pastors to take on additional church sites. Younger generations are delaying marriage and other vocational choices and having fewer children. Trying to maintain the status quo with “artificial income” from renting closed Catholic school properties does not address the root causes. More important than financial restructuring is the need to deepen relationships with Jesus Christ and rejuvenate our parishes. By focusing our resources where they are most needed, we address both financial and missionary objectives. Some parishes have responded proactively by utilizing the resources of organizations such as Amazing Parish and Catholic Alpha. These parishes are making concerted efforts to form missionary disciples and transition from a “maintenance to mission” model, resulting in growing congregations. All but one parish site and one pastoral center scheduled for closure already share priests and other staff and resources with neighboring parishes. This arrangement will continue in most cases. We anticipate no one will be burdened with driving more than 10 minutes to their new parish. Diocesan leadership will work closely with pastors of closing churches to determine which neighboring parishes will best welcome their remaining congregations. I am looking to my pastors and to the faithful of the diocese to help us through this challenging chapter in our history. With goodwill and consultation, we can find the best way forward so that no one is lost, and all are welcomed at their new place of worship. Jesus promised never to abandon His flock. With His guidance and the intercession of our Blessed Mother, let us work together in facing the current challenges. |
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PHISHING SCAM
Once again, along with many other parishes in the Oakland diocese and beyond, CCOP continues to be targeted by scammers impersonating Fr. Mark via BOTH email and text messages, asking for money, gift cards or simply a response. There were a number of reports today in particular. THESE EMAILS OR TEXTS ARE NOT FROM FR. MARK. PLEASE DO NOT RESPOND. If you receive one of these emails, please mark it as spam or simply delete it. If you receive one of these texts, simply delete it. Response only encourages more attacks. You will only receive email from Fr. Mark from his catholicsofpleasanton.org email address. He will not text you directly. Please contact Michael Harmon, [email protected] if you have any questions. |
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IGNATION SPIRITUALITY
If you’re searching for a deeper prayer life, sense of purpose, service to others and connection, Ignatian Companions offers a welcoming space to grow together in prayer and serve others. We are a community of women and men dedicated to spiritual growth through the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, fellowship, and service to those most in need. To learn more, visit their website at www.ignatiancompanions.org or reach out to Marco Matute, at [email protected]. If you are interested in joining us, registration takes place no later than mid-August for the coming Fall 2026-to Spring-2027 enrollment year. To get a sense of The Companions, you are invited to be our guests at our Closing Retreat on Saturday, June 6th at the Dominican Center in Fremont. If you’d like to attend the retreat, please RSVP to Marco Matutue [email protected] by Saturday, May 23rd. We look forward to welcoming you and walking this journey together! |
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A QUIET PLACE TO PRAY
ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH DAILY: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM St. Augustine Church is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. to give you a quiet place for prayer. |
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OCIA: COME & SEE
Are you feeling like you might want to experience full initiation into the Catholic Faith? The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) is the process that adults complete to receive the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist. Now is the time. Please contact Matt Gray at (925) 202-5425 or [email protected]. |
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