CARRIE DAMERON
RCIA Elect I am Carrie, and most people at CCOP know me as Troy’s wife, as he plays guitar at the 10 am Mass. We have two daughters and five grandchildren ranging in age from 9 to 15. I am a born-again Christian who accepted Jesus as my personal savior over 30 years ago. I had a radical transformational experience with Jesus healing me from a difficult childhood. He overwhelmed me with his love, grace, acceptance, and joy! Since that time, I have dedicated my life to loving and serving Jesus through Christian Nursing, women’s Bible study, and writers' groups. I was happy and content at my church, which Troy and I had attended for many years. Then, in 2022, the Holy Spirit led Troy to return to his Catholic faith and receive confirmation. So, we began attending Mass at CCOP and our Christian church. When I would attend Mass and see Jesus on the crucifix, I would weep with love and joy. It is hard to explain and continues to be difficult to put into words. Over the next few months, I felt a pull and turmoil in my heart and spirit. I knew the Holy Spirit was moving in my life, yet I was resistant. I was content with my church, my ministries, and my life. Why did I need to change? I met with RCIA Director Matt and Father Fili, who were both kind and patient in encouraging my faith journey. My husband was also a great support as I grappled with faith. One day, after a very tearful Mass, clarity and purpose came. The Lord said, “I want you to love me through the liturgies and the traditions of the Catholic Church.” Even today, I become weepy as I say these words. How could I say, “No” to God? He has done immeasurable more for me in the past 30 years than I can share in the limited space. My heart swells with love and joy as I anticipate continuing to love Him into eternity. In some ways, it would make sense to become Catholic. Troy, says, I have been “catholic” for many years, since I pray the Liturgy of Hours, attended Stations of the Cross, and have read many of the saints' writings. RCIA is a community of caring people dedicated to each person on their faith journey. I most appreciate the ability to ask questions and explore topics as I attempt to understand how God wants me to love him. One of the greatest things I enjoy about Catholicism is the various opportunities to pray. I love coming together with the community for Taizé Prayer and the monthly rosary for life. In addition, I look forward to continuing my work with international Christian nurses and 40daysforlife ministries. Thank you, CCOP community for your prayers and support. Your prayers continue to give me and other catechumenates courage to walk this pilgrimage in obedience and love of God |
CHASE POLLOCK
Adult Confirmation Hello, my name is Chase Pollock. I’m 24 years old and recently moved to Pleasanton. I’m originally from a small rural town near Sacramento and went to college at Sacramento State. After graduating in 2022, I decided to take an engineering position in San Leandro and I’ve lived here since. When my siblings and I were growing up, my parents wanted us to receive our first Communion so we could participate in that portion of Mass, but they gave us the choice to decide as an adult if we wanted to be confirmed or not. As we got older, all our conflicting schedules made us start going to Mass less and less frequently until we eventually stopped. In early 2023, I felt like I was missing out in that aspect of my life and felt called back to church. I googled Catholic Churches in the area and that’s when I discovered St. Augustine’s. I attended Mass for the first time in over 5 years and I felt the warm embrace of God and the community at this Church. It was such a great experience and brought me unexplainable peace and joy. Since then I’ve been attending Mass regularly, and after some time I decided to be confirmed and joined RCIA to further immerse myself in the faith. I’ve always enjoyed learning, and learning more about how to grow closer to God through prayer, acts of service, and the various Catholic traditions has been incredibly rewarding. I am blessed to have stumbled across such an amazing community and I’m very grateful for all that I’ve learned from Father Mark at Mass and the RCIA team at our church. I still have a lot of work to do, but hope to continue growing in my faith and building the skills to be a light in the world. |
DANA DELUCCHI
Adult Confirmation Hello! My name is Dana Delucchi and I am excited to join the Catholic Community of Pleasanton! I grew up in Our Lady of Angels parish, just across the bay in Burlingame. There, I was baptized, attended CCD, received my first Holy Communion, and began the process for Confirmation. Unfortunately, due to family circumstances, I was not able to finish the Confirmation program. I became very busy with school and sports and the process of growing up. Although I attended a Catholic high school, and thereafter a Catholic college, I did not feel my faith needed to be a priority. However, I would periodically attend Mass on an “As Needed” basis. That was true, until last summer when my fiancé and I were driving to visit his family out of state. We witnessed and were first on scene to a terrible, terrible accident in Corning. In the aftermath, I was extremely shaken, and felt that I needed my dose of faith, ASAP. I asked my fiancé if he would mind coming to Mass with me. Faith wasn’t something that we had previously discussed other than we were both non-practicing Catholics and we soon learned that we both wanted to develop a stronger relationship with God. On our trip we were unable to find a church we wanted to attend (which I now believe that everything that had happened was God working in His mysterious way). Once we returned home, we attended St. Augustine’s per the recommendation of a close friend. As it happened, Father Mark mentioned the RCIA program, which then led us here. My favorite experiences so far include participating in the Thanksgiving food basket assembly. It was amazing to see all the hard work and generous spirit of the people come together to make a huge impact. I don’t know many people in Pleasanton, so I really value the social events where I can mingle. I am excited to continue to grow in my faith and want to thank everyone for being so kind and welcoming! I am looking forward to the days that come ahead. |
JAMES TIDWELL
RCIA Elect Hello, my name is Jim Tidwell. I am a lifelong Bay Area native, born in Hayward and raised in Fremont. My wife, Judy and I were married in 1997 in the Catholic Church and moved to Pleasanton in 2001. We fell in love with the charming downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. We were also looking for a family oriented and friendly community. We made the right choice! Upon arriving to Pleasanton, my wife, who is a lifelong, devout Catholic, signed us up as parishioners at CCOP. I was not raised with any religion and have always wanted what my wife and her family have. I attended Mass sporadically for the first fifteen years and over time it has become more regular with the last five years being weekly. Attending Mass has always made me feel good, I enjoy the homilies but never had a true connection with the Church, until now. I joined RCIA after getting over the fear that my life would change in some mysterious way and also, getting over the fear of being presented in front of the congregation. I came to realize the fear was unfounded and that my life would only be enhanced by accepting God into my life and learning about the Catholic history and rituals. Being in RCIA has only solidified my decision. The time spent packing Thanksgiving food baskets, ushering at the healing Mass and helping with the toys for Santa Rita inmate’s children, was a rewarding experience. I plan to continue my support in future Church endeavors. Matt and the RCIA team members have been supportive and provided clarity with Catholic traditions and teachings. I am looking forward to my impending initiation into the Church and my Baptism at the Easter Vigil. |
JUSTIN AVRIETT
RCIA Candidate My name is Justin Avriett. I am from Pleasanton and have lived here most of my life. I am engaged to be married to my beautiful fiancé Dana and we have two dogs and a cat. My journey started when I was baptized Catholic as a young child and continued to play basketball with CCOP. I did not attend Mass, but I always had an interest in faith. More recently Dana and I took a road trip to see my family and witnessed a bad accident on the freeway. We pulled over to help as much as we could but there was little for us to do except call for help. After going through this traumatic event, Dana said she wanted to go back to church and invited me to join. I was more than willing to give it a try. The first Mass we attended we were both overflowing with emotion. We knew we had made the right decision to attend church and continue our faith journey. When we spoke with Matt Gray about joining RCIA and becoming confirmed Catholics it aligned with what I am seeking in my faith journey. Our first RCIA meeting was a little nerve-racking but once we started, I felt right at home. Now I belonged to something much bigger than me, a community of faith. I was lucky enough to be a part of adopting a family for Christmas through RCIA. It was great to give the family an experience they will cherish and remember. I hope to be involved with the Knights of Columbus and give back to my community on a regular basis. This has been a great experience for myself and my family. I look forward to growing in my faith. |
MELANIE BERGRUN
RCIA Candidate Hi my fellow CCOP friends! My name is Melanie Bergrun. I consider myself fairly new to the Pleasanton community as I moved here in 2021. I was baptized and raised in a Catholic household as my mother is Catholic. I began taking catechism classes when I was seven years old. Unfortunately, my parents had trouble at times, finding a way to get me to and from catechism. From that point, I continued to go to Catholic Church here and there, but never finished what I had started years ago. I never realized how much faith was missing in my life until September 2022. It was at that point, I had to make a very difficult decision, and that was to divorce my husband. I never knew how I was going to get through this until I started going back to church faithfully during the separation. I knew I needed God in my life. I started attending Mass regularly at St. Augustine and met a former RCIA member who informed me of this program. If it wasn’t for this individual, I am not sure if I would have joined. To be honest, I didn’t really know that RCIA existed until she mentioned it. I immediately realized that I needed to become part of the Catholic Community of Pleasanton. This RCIA experience has helped me not only trust in God and strengthen my faith, but it has also helped strengthen my relationship with myself and others. Taking the initiative as an adult, has made it so much more important as this RCIA journey was my choice. No one made this decision except me. I now have a completely different outlook on life whereby God is my top priority. As I embarked on my journey, I took part in preparing Thanksgiving food baskets and attended the healing Mass (Anointing of the Sick). Both had a powerful impact on me as it opened my eyes to be thankful for what I have in life. I was a greeter at the healing Mass, and it was pleasant connecting with CCOP members on a spiritual and personal level. While volunteering for the food baskets, it was sad to see the number of families who needed help. However, it made my heart happy seeing our parishioners come together to provide for these families. After receiving Eucharist and Confirmation at the Easter Vigil, I look forward to continuing my journey with God through being an active parishioner at the Catholic Community of Pleasanton. Supporting individuals in growing closer to their faith has been inspiring to me. I feel that journeying with elects through this process as a member of the RCIA ministry or the youth ministry would be perfect. I want to thank my sponsor, Ina Fullbright, for her support, guidance, and friendship during this RCIA experience. |
MERCEDES WHITE
RCIA Elect My name is Mercedes White, and I am in RCIA as a Catechumen – seeking Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. Currently, I work full time, go to college part time, and I am engaged to be married to my fiancée Candelario this summer. When my schedule isn’t packed with work meetings, homework, and wedding planning, I spend time taking care of my beloved cat Scratchy. In my late teens I met my fiancée, and 6 years later, in 2023, he proposed! I’d always dreamt of having a wedding as a young girl and was so excited to start planning. Initially, I did not anticipate a church ceremony in my wedding plans since I was never baptized into any faith. His mom is Catholic and was the first to inform me of the importance of marriage in the church. I wasn’t familiar with the sacrament of marriage, so I was surprised when I found out how much a Catholic wedding was significant to their family. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to go through the RCIA process and receive my sacraments, or just receive a blessing from the bishop to marry into their Catholic family. At the time, going through the process felt very overwhelming and scary to me. We finally met with Father Fili to discuss our options, and he asked me if I wanted to start RCIA and be on the journey to receive my sacraments. Hesitantly, I looked at my fiancée, fully prepared to ask for the churches blessings instead of going through RCIA. Father Fili looked me in the eye and told me it was my decision and my decision only. In a turn of events, I told him “yes, I will participate in RCIA and receive my sacraments”. Thus, started my unexpected RCIA journey! I believe to this day, God was the one who changed my answer in that moment. I soon was connected with Matt Grey and started RCIA. I was so nervous on the first day because I didn’t know what to expect, but now I look forward to going every week! The community at CCOP has made me feel extremely welcome, and I deeply value the knowledge and experience I have gained. Not only do I now have a relationship with God, I have learned so much about the history of Christianity, and why people choose to be Catholic. Forming a connection with God has significantly helped my struggles with anxiety and guides me to make better choices every day. One of the moments that truly stood out to me in the RCIA program was working with the Santa Rita Jail to give Christmas gifts to the inmate’s children. I am so happy that we were there in that time to assist them, and their gratitude was truly something I could never forget. In the future, I look forward to continuing to go to Mass on Sundays and participating in giving back to the community as much as I can. I also look forward to my wedding this summer, and have a newfound excitement for the sacrament of marriage through the Catholic Church. Most importantly, I have so much left to learn about myself and my relationship with God, and I intend to continue to do so through CCOP and the Catholic Church. |
NAOMI FORREST
RCIA Elect Dear CCOP, The doors were open. Having grown up in Scotland and lived in many countries and cities, I was surrounded and submitted to following the Baptist and Protestant faith of my family. Not baptized, but subjected to faith by what was ordained to be so by the opinions of others. In schools, religions were segregated. You had to immediately know which faith you belonged to. I was always drawn to the Catholic faith. Unfortunately the doors to the Catholic Churches were always closed to the ones of other faith studies. About a year and a half ago I decided to pursue the idea of seeking a more faithful existence. I didn’t want to go to any church or any denomination. I wanted to be with God. The only church I recognized Him to be in was the Catholic Church. All my life I sought the blessings of fulfilling the needs of others. I prayed on it as I was fully aware that those around me would not accept my decision. Nothing immediately happened. And then a dream. Sitting in a pew of a church I’d never been in. I remember thinking I was in the wrong church as I have always been drawn to the more medieval architecture in God’s houses. This one, although large, seemed plain until I noticed the altar. Embarrassed, I turned to my side only to see Him. Skin, piercing blue eyes, blood drops dried from His thorned crown. He opened his mouth and without speaking I heard, “Come to me.” I woke up screaming, frightened and alone in my room. I tried to calm down but was shaking so badly. I was terrified. After calming down I tried to analyze the situation. Perhaps I had food poisoning. Bad takeout from work parties? Maybe overworked and bad sleeping habits? Hormone changes? Or had my cheese finally slid off my cracker? Changes. No joke. Something had flipped my switch 180*. I started sneaking into Saint Elizabeth Seton for Mass. I really loved it. After three weeks, I mustered up the courage to call Matt Gray. I’m very, very, very shy. And yet, I signed up for RCIA? I had never signed up for things. I had always felt unworthy. Two weeks following I'd applied for the cook position at St. Augustine’s. I still to this day have no rational explanation on what initially possessed me to do so. My journey has been met with resentment, disapproval, hatred, threats and loneliness. But it has also been met with acceptance, kindness, and love. Faith for me has been three parts.
-Naomi Forrest p.s. Thanks for leaving the doors open. |
RANDY VANHORN
RCIA Candidate Hello I am Randy VanHorn, I grew up in Bakersfield, CA. Growing up, I was raised as a Baptist. I was fully involved and loved going to church, but in high school things changed. I questioned the church’s teachings and decided that I could learn about God without the church setting. I joined the military at 19 and chose to go to Europe. I was stationed in Germany and met my wife with whom I have been married now for 25 years. She was raised as a Catholic and we were married in a Catholic Church in the village where we lived in Germany. At that time, I promised the priest that we would baptize and raise our future children in the Catholic faith and I wanted to fulfill my commitment. We moved to Dublin so I could be closer to work. We were also looking for a new Church for our family and my wife liked what she saw at the Catholic Community of Pleasanton. For years we only attended Mass on holy days. JC invited us to the 4 PM children’s Mass and we started to attend Church on a regular basis. My youngest questioned why I did not receive Communion during the Mass. I was also questioning how I could be a better role model for my family. I struggled making a commitment for about a year before I decided to take the step to go through the RCIA program. Last September, I started my RCIA journey and the biggest feeling of joy came over me when I participated in the Rite of Acceptance and Welcome in front of the congregation with my sponsor Paul. During the Rite Father Mark looked into my eyes and blessed me. This made me feel like I had returned home and I was where I belonged. Our family participated in the preparation of the Thanksgiving food baskets with other CCOP parishioners. I felt good doing something helpful for my own community. Later that day my family and I went to the healing Mass where we greeted, registered and helped seat people who had come to receive God’s healing and mercy. My family attended the 4 PM Christmas Mass and there I witnessed how much my daughter loved participating in the Mass as a reader and singing in the choir. A special moment was when my family brought up the gifts during Mass. It was a memorable day that filled me with great joy, love, and hope that my family will be blessed going forward. I am excited to receive my sacraments at the Easter Vigil. I would like to thank Matt and the RCIA team for the insight and information they provide. I would also like to thank my sponsor Paul and his wife JC who have shown me how welcoming the Church is with their kindness. |
URSULA BEHIEL
Adult Confirmation My name is Ursula Behiel and I am seeking Confirmation. Dave, my husband of 33 years, grew up here in Pleasanton. He attended St. Augustine’s where he received his Sacraments. We have two adult children, Melina and Mason, who both live nearby. I grew up a cradle Catholic in Albuquerque, NM and attended Catholic High School. Although I was baptized as an infant and received first Communion in grade school, I never went through the Confirmation classes. We lived on acreage with horses and I commuted to school, so I never took the time to seek Confirmation as a teenager. I moved to California shortly after graduation to ride racehorses professionally. My Grandmothers had very strong faith and they taught me well, but I was not attending Mass regularly. I met Dave and we started attending Crosswinds Church. We were married there in March of 1990. I was the first one in our family to not be married in the Catholic Church. When our kids were little, we went to a wedding at St. Peter and Paul’s Cathedral in San Francisco. It was there that I realized that I had to return to the Catholic Church and raise my children Catholic. When we signed up to baptize our children, we did not have a Catholic marriage certificate. So, we were married on our 10 year anniversary in the chapel at St. Elizabeth Seton. As time went on, I started thinking more about my faith and Confirmation. A couple of years ago, I was on the Good Friday cross walk and met Caitlin Douglas. She had just gone through RCIA and was telling me how much she loved it. When I told her that I was not confirmed, she strongly encouraged me to sign up for RCIA. Since I have been so involved in the Church and am a Catechist, I was embarrassed that I was not confirmed and felt uncomfortable about signing up for RCIA. Finally, after lots of prayer and Caitlin’s encouragement, I met with Fr. Mark and I had no choice but to sign up! To my surprise, I love attending RCIA! The first night, I truly loved meeting everyone and learning about their faith journeys and what led each of them to seek the sacraments. Although I have the strong faith that my Grandmothers instilled in me, the weekly meetings led by Matt have made my faith even stronger. I realize there is so much more to learn, and I want to continue to learn as much as possible about our beautiful Catholic Church. I love all of the outreach activities that RCIA does for the community. I learned more about the Santa Rita Jail Ministry and admire all the work that is done there. For the past year, I have been a member of the Pastoral Council and am honored to serve as Secretary. I returned to being a Catechist after the pandemic and currently teach the first year children. I am also blessed to serve on the Hospital Ministry. I am excited to finally be confirmed, and I cannot wait to see where God will lead me to next! |
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