NEWS & EVENTS
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SAVE THE DATE!
125 Anniversary Celebration Kickoff Event Join us as we kick off our celebration of our 125 years as a parish community! Saturday, August 29th: After the 5:00pm Vigil Mass, we will process into the grotto for Eucharistic Adoration. Adoration will continue until Midnight. Sunday, August 30th: We will have a special celebratory Mass at 10:00am with Bishop Barber followed by a reception in St. Augustine Hall! PLEASE NOTE: There will be no 12:00 noon Mass or 4:00pm Mass on August 30th. |
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WELCOME TO OUR PARISH!
Have you been coming to Mass, but haven't had a chance to ask questions or to register? The Welcome Team would be happy to answer any questions or just say "Welcome". This Sunday, and every third Sunday of the month, the Welcome Team has a table at Mass. Stop by for a welcome bag and info on some of our parish ministries and upcoming events. We look forward to meeting you! |
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BACK TO SCHOOL BLESSINGS!
Special Blessing For All Students & Teachers August 15 & 16 At All Masses We will have a special blessing for all students and teachers at all Masses on the weekend of August 15 & 16. Please join us for this very special blessing as we kick off the new school year! |
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CYO BASKETBALL SIGNUPS ARE NOW OPEN!
The parish is once again offering the youth of our community an opportunity for fellowship and character development through participation in the CYO Basketball program. Children entering the 3rd through 8th grades who are either (a) residents of Pleasanton or Sunol; (b) parishioners of CCOP or (c) enrolled in faith formation classes can join. To learn more and register, go to https://www.ccopcyo.org |
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8 WEEK FALL GRIEF WORKSHOP
The death of a loved one is unlike any other loss. Whether the death was sudden and tragic, or one with warning and preparation, the reality of death leaves most of us in a state of shock, confusion, and sadness. Grieving people need time and space to honor their grief. Each person’s grief journey has its own path and its own timeline. Although there is no right or wrong path, these are stepping-stones that are part of each grief journey, and we’ll explore them in this eight-week series of workshops. Join us and let us accompany you on your healing journey. Pre- registration is required, Space is limited. A one-time donation of $20 is required. Dates & Time: September 3rd, 9th, 17th 23rd, and October 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd at 7:00 p.m. Register here: https://form.jotform.com/262226620205143 These sessions are open to all, regardless of religious affiliation. |
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ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
Second Collection Next Weekend Every 5th Sunday of the month, we hold a special collection for our St. Vincent de Paul conference. This group of volunteers, comprised of parishioners like you, serves the community through your generous contributions. They are able to help families in Pleasanton with food, rent payments, PG&E payments, motel stays for the homeless and so much more. Please be generous with your donations every 5th Friday. Thank you for your continued support! And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ - Matthew 25:40 PLEASE NOTE: We usually have our SVDP second collection on the 5th Sunday of the month but due to our 125th Anniversary Celebration, it has been moved up a week THIS MONTH ONLY. If you would like to make a donation to our SVDP conference, please use this link: onrealm.org/catholicsofpleasanton/give/svdp |
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CURSILLO IN SEPTEMBER!
Want to have a wonderful, inspiring, and faith-filled weekend? Attend a Cursillo weekend! The Cursillo is a Catholic weekend of discovery; a chance to examine your faith and renew or deepen your relationship with Christ. Cursillo is mostly led by lay people. A Cursillo weekend will help you recognize Christ’s action in your own life and in the lives of others. It’s an opportunity to experience authentic Christian Community. It can enhance your faith life in ways you’d never believe without experiencing it. The next Cursillo weekends will be this September. There is a separate men’s and women’s weekend. The men’s weekend begins the evening of Thursday, September 10 and concludes Sunday evening September 13. The women’s weekend begins the evening of Thursday, September 24, and concludes Sunday evening, September 27. The weekends take place at our very own St. Elizabeth Seton. For more information and/or to sign-up for the weekend, please email Nita Volker [email protected] or call 925-984-7980. Pre registration is required. If you would like to attend the men's Cursillo weekend but cannot afford to do so, please contact the St. Augustine rectory office at 925-846-4489. |
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SAN DAMIANO RENEWAL RETREAT
"Rebuild My Church" - A Franciscan Jubilee Year Parish Retreat October 2 - 4, 2026: San Damiano Retreat Center "Go and rebuild my house, which as you see is falling into ruin." -- Christ to St. Francis of Assisi What to Expect The retreat follows a carefully designed arc across three days:
The weekend also includes individual spiritual direction, Canticle of the Creatures garden prayer, daily Eucharist with Franciscan homilies, and genuine community — including an evening fellowship and ice cream social. The Jubilee Plenary Indulgence San Damiano has been designated a pilgrimage shrine for the Year of Saint Francis. The Saturday evening Jubilee Year Pilgrimage Prayer Walk fulfills all conditions for the Papal Plenary Indulgence: Eucharistic Communion, sacramental Confession (priest available during the walk), prayer for the Holy Father's intentions, and detachment from sin. This is an extraordinary spiritual gift — rarely available in one place. Presenters The retreat team includes Dr. Michael Cunningham, OFS (Executive Director, San Damiano; author of The Practice of Sacred Noticing); Ann Naffinger, M.Div.; Brother Mark Schroeder, OFM; and Fr. Henry Beck, OFM celebrating Mass. Cost Suggested donation: $350 per person (includes private room, all meals, and materials). No one will be turned away due to financial constraints — arrangements are available confidentially through the retreat office. Register Space is limited. Register at: sandamiano.org/events/rebuild-my-church-franciscan-jubilee-year-parish-retreat/ Or contact San Damiano directly: (925) 837-9141 | [email protected] |
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DRESS A GIRL AROUND THE WORLD!
Consider this an invitation to make simple dresses for girls in third world countries! We meet once a month and our next Sew-Fest is Saturday, September 5 from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM at Holy Cross Lutheran, 1020 Mocho St., Livermore We need all kinds of help, sewing, ironing, cutting; bring your sewing machine or serger, iron, ironing board, scissors, along with your helping hands! You can come for as long as you want--an hour or all day! (Please bring a bag lunch if you plan to stay all day!) We are always accepting cheerful cotton fabric donations! If you can't make the Sew-Fest but would like to sew, please contact us for kits that you can sew from home. Questions? Suzanne Beck, 925-352-8447 or [email protected]. |
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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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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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