News & Events
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LENTEN EXPOSITION, ADORATION AND BENEDICTION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
When: Every Saturday during Lent Where: St Augustine Grotto (in inclement weather, Adoration will be moved indoors.) Looking for a way to make Lent a little more prayerful and beautiful this year? We invite you to join us every Saturday afternoon during the Lenten Season from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the grotto behind St. Augustine Church for Exposition, Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. Exposition will begin at 3:00 PM, Adoration will last for two hours, and Benediction will be held at 5:00 PM. Simultaneously, COVID safe Confessions will be held in the hall for those who would like to celebrate the sacrament in preparation for Easter. Come as you are able, stay as long as you wish. Please bring your own lawn chair to sit in, or blanket to sit on, wear a mask, and bring your own hand sanitizer. We look forward to praying with you. |
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HOMELESS: A LOCAL SOLIDARITY INITIATIVE
Our faith calls us to look outside ourselves and focus on our brothers and sisters in need. The Social Justice Committee invites all members of our Parish to participate in the annual Lenten collection serving the needs of the homeless in our neighborhoods in partnership with Livermore Homeless Refuge and St. Mary’s Stockton. What to Donate
How to Donate
When to Donate Beginning Sunday 28th February Thank you for your generosity! This small act of kindness is so essential for the daily livelihood of the homeless and they are so very grateful for your support. Year-Round Giving Online
A message from the Social Justice Committee
For questions or comments please email us at socialjustice@catholicsofpleasanton.org |
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WORDS FOR THE WEARY
Embracing the Lenten Season after a Challenging Pandemic Year CCOP has purchased a parish license from The Pastoral Center for an excellent eResource providing daily reflections for Lent. If you need encouragement and guidance for Lent, this is an excellent way to get started. These small, simple yet powerful daily reflections written especially for where we find ourselves this year, will guide you through your Lenten journey. A great way to get #10intoday! Available in a PDF download of individual pages, a PDF download for booklet printing & Microsoft Word download. |
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LENTEN SMALL GROUPS: SHARING YOUR FAITH
Would you like to enrich your Easter experience? Join a small group for reading and discussion during the 6 weeks of Lent. Meetings are held via Zoom once a week between Ash Wednesday, February 17, and Easter, April 4. Materials will be provided. Participants reflect on readings and share how passages relate to our everyday lives. A sign up form is available by clicking the JOIN A GROUP button below: |
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CRS RICE BOWLS
Join our faith community—and more than 12,000 Catholic communities across the United States—in a life-changing Lenten journey with CRS Rice Bowl. Pick up your family’s CRS Rice Bowl from St. Elizabeth Seton Church this Sunday or in the vestibule at St. Augustine Church on Sunday. During the 40 days of Lent, we will reflect on how hunger and malnutrition affect our human family, and on the need to take action to end this global injustice. Visit https://www.crsricebowl.org/ to learn more. |
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STATEMENT ON RACIAL JUSTICE
Bishop Barber and the Diocese of Oakland Task Force for Racial Justice have published a statement on racial justice, which you can read and download below, as well as find on the Racial Justice Task Force page of the Diocese of Oakland's website. You can read the statement by clicking HERE. |
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40 DAYS FOR LIFE
The Beginning To The End of Abortion Our community will take part in the 40 Days for Life Campaign through prayer and witnessing to the sanctity of life. With the help of the Holy Spirit we will change hearts and perhaps offer a woman a last chance for help in a crisis pregnancy. It requires prayer and peaceful conduct with no judgements and no offensive signs. It is not a demonstration to change laws. Vigil Location: Outside Walnut Creek Planned Parenthood - 1357 Oakland Blvd. Walnut Creek, CA Vigil Hours: 7:00 AM to 12:00 PM daily except Sunday, February 17 through March 28. How To Sign Up: Please sign up for an hour or more at any time during the campaign at 40daysforlife.com/walnutcreek. For further information contact Lou Santero, 925-846-5124 or lpsantero@yahoo.com. |
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UPDATE: A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM THE SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE & THE PASTORAL COUNCIL
Over the past year our CCOP ministries have asked you to open your hearts and support one worthy cause after another and you have responded with such generosity of spirit. The new year continues to be very challenging for many household as parents struggle to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. The very long lines of people at food banks is indicative that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in millions of families losing a stable source of income. The aid agency Feeding America has estimated that more than 50 million people, including 17 million children, may experience food insecurity in 2020. This is likely to continue well into 2021: Facts About Hunger and Poverty in America | Feeding America The daily hardship of food insecurity experienced by Rose Rodriguez’s family is just one example of the new reality that so many families now face: CNN Replay - This mother is struggling to feed her children as food insecurity worsens during the pandemic As you can see from Rose’s experience this is much more than a food crisis. There is a very real emotional and physical impact on the entire family that strikes at the very core of their well-being. We can make a difference by a simple act of kindness. And so we need to ask you to open your generous hearts once again and continue to help those in need of food and comfort by donating to our sister parish St. Raymond Food Bank. Non-Perishable Food Needed Now
Drop-off Location Drop-off bins are available 24/7 in front of Moran Hall at St. Raymond Church, 11555 Shannon Ave, Dublin CA. $10 Gift Cards from Walmart, Lucky, or Safeway are also most welcome and they can be dropped off every Saturday between 10am and 12 noon at St. Raymond Church Parking Lot along with food supplies. Please know that we do not take your generosity for granted and whatever you can give will be greatly appreciated and received as a blessing. Maximizing our Impact The Social Justice Committee, with the support of the Pastoral Council, is currently exploring ways to provide food aid to struggling families in our neighborhoods. We encourage and welcome the participation of all our parishioners and ministries. We want to hear your thoughts and ideas. Please email us at socialjustice@catholicsofpleasanton.org |
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CATHOLICS OF PLEASANTON PODCAST IS NOW LIVE!
We have launched our own podcast called "Catholics Of Pleasanton" that will feature daily gospel readings and homilies with additional content coming soon! The podcast is a series of homilies, inspirational messages and content to nourish the faith of the community in Pleasanton and beyond. You can find us through the Apple podcast app, the Google podcast app, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholics-of-pleasanton-podcast/id1524231765 From Your Browser You can also access it from your browser: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/catholicsofpleasanton A great way to get your #10INTODAY! |
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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, mharmon@catholicsofpleasanton.org if you have any questions. |
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THE SACRAMENTAL LIFE OF THE CHURCH CONTINUES
Through the sacred rituals of the Sacraments we experience spiritual realities and their deep meaning and important value in our lives. Due to the necessary shelter in place restrictions, celebration of some sacraments was delayed, but it now continues with a bit of creative effort. At The Catholic Community of Pleasanton, the baptism of infants and small children was previously celebrated in groups about once a month. Now we are celebrating baptisms individually at St. Augustine Church in separate events with only the child's family and close friends present. We are planning more individuall baptisms and will continue to celebrate in this way as long as necessary. In addition, our previous two session in-person Baptism Preparation Class for Parents has been revised to be a single session class on Zoom. If you are interested in planning baptism for your child or joining the parent session, please contact Deacon Joe Gourley at jgourley@catholicsofpleasanton.org or (925) 474-2778. |
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FIRST FRIDAY EUCHARISTIC ADORATION
Beginning Friday, September 4, we will have Eucharistic Adoration immediately following daily Mass. This will continue every first Friday of the month for the foreseeable future. Plan on spending some quiet time with our Lord next Friday! |
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NOURISH FOR CAREGIVERS
Nourish is for anyone juggling the challenges of everyday life, health, career and caring for an aging parent, spouse or grandparent, in town or at a distance. Nourish provides caregivers a faith perspective, as well as practical and emotional supports, useful tools, and shared experiences. Be empowered. Discover the blessings that come from caring for another. Be nourished. https://nourishforcaregivers.com/ “I’m so overwhelmed, getting more involved helping my parents as they get older.” “There’s so many decisions to make -- I could really use some help.” “It’s a matter of time; my parents need me and I want to be there for them.” “How can I be more prepared?” If these thoughts have crossed your mind, you are not alone! Virtually every one of us will care for a loved one at some point in our life. Though rewarding, it is not always easy. The Nourish community understands family caregivers need somewhere to turn to for information, strength and connection during the caregiver journey. Each gathering provides practical approaches, tools and resources to help navigate these times with a Christ-centered view. Topics change and vary by month. |
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FOUR EASY WAYS TO SUPPORT YOUR PARISH!
Tithe.ly
Tithe.ly makes it very easy to donate to the parish. You can choose from one time or recurring donations and can be done from your PC, tablet or phone. The Diocese of Oakland
The Diocese of Oakland has created a site where you can give on-line to any parish in the Diocese, including the Catholic Community of Pleasanton. Giving Made Easy
Many of you have asked if we are still accepting donations via Giving Made Easy (GME). The answer is YES! We primarily offered Tithe.ly since it is quick and easy to use. However, if you are already setup using Giving Made Easy, that's great and we would ask you to continue to support your parish. You can also still signup for Giving Made Easy through our website. If you would like more information, just click the button below. Weekly Envelopes
If you would like to continue to donate using your weekly envelopes, you can mail them to the rectory or our PO box. The Catholic Community of Pleasanton 3999 Bernal Avenue Pleasanton, CA 94566 The Catholic Community of Pleasanton PO Box 817 Pleasanton, CA 94566 You can also just drop them through the mail slot in the rectory door 24 hours a day! |
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#10INTODAY?
Have you been giving 10 minutes a day to God? As many of you recall, during Advent I invited every member of our community to have ten minutes of personal prayer every day. The 10 minutes of daily prayer we are adding to our lives is time spent simply speaking with God from our own hearts and being still to listen for Him to respond. I would like to hear from you directly about how 10inToday is working for you and your relationship with God. Please send me an email directly at frmark@catholicsofpleasanton.org and share with me how it is working for you! - Fr. Mark |
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HELPING EACH OTHER
Please let us know if you need any assistance with grocery shopping, prescription pick-up, or other small errands. We have volunteers ready to assist. If you would like some assistance, or would be willing to help those who need assistance, please click the button below. ALL INFORMATION IS CONFIDENTIAL. |
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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. While we may not be able to gather there as a community, it is your faith home and you are welcome to visit if you wish and are able. |
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RCIA: COME & SEE
Are you feeling like you might want to experience full initiation into the Catholic Faith? The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) 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 mgray@catholicsofpleasanton.org. |
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