On this year’s Mother’s Day, we pause with grateful hearts to honor and thank all mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, religious sisters, and all women whose lives quietly reveal the beauty and tenderness of God’s love in our world.

A mother is truly a “living sacrament” — a sacred and visible reflection of God’s invisible love, in whom we encounter something divine: a love that gives without measure, forgives without condition, and hopes without end. The strength of a mother is often hidden in ordinary and unnoticed moments: in the meal lovingly prepared, in the tears silently shed, in the burdens quietly carried, and in the prayers whispered for her family late into the night.

Perhaps mothers are among the least selfish souls on earth; they are sanctuaries and protectors of life. Much of the goodness, compassion, and stability that remain in our world exist because of the silent sacrifices of mothers. Indeed, the world continues to endure because countless mothers continue to love without counting the cost. Their self-giving love becomes a quiet foundation upon which families, communities, and even humanity itself are held together.

Let us also remember with tenderness and prayer mothers who suffer in silence, mothers who mourn the loss of a child, mothers longing to hold a child in their arms, mothers separated from their loved ones, and mothers who have gone before us into eternal life. A mother’s love never truly disappears; it continues to live in the hearts, memories, and lives of those she nurtured.

May the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Heavenly Mother, bless and protect all mothers.

Happy Mother’s Day to all our dear mothers.

In Christ,
Fr. Lijoy Jose, OFM Cap.
Pastor

Friday, May 1st
First Friday 24 Hour Adoration:  Friday 7:00 AM, until Saturday, 7:45 AM.  Spanish mass 7:00 PM on Friday.
Spend some time with the Lord in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. Sign-ups are on a clipboard on the door of the chapel and at the back of  the Church, or call Carolina at 805-588-0068.  But you can also just stop by whenever you feel so moved. "Lord, it is good for us to be here."  Matthew 17:4

Friday, May 1st
Healing Mass and Anointing of the Sick: 12pm Noon, Blessed Sacrament Chapel - Ministry of Hospitality and Caring

Saturday, May 2 updates:
No Confessions in the Church - call Priest for appointment
No Bible Study @ 10am, resume May 16

Monday, May 4th 
Men's Club meeting, 7:00 pm, Lower Conference Room.
All men of the parish are encouraged and invited to join.
Ministry:  Parish Men's Service Club

Wednesday, May 6th 
Hospitality Meeting, 8:45 AM, Lower Conference Room
Breakfast hostesses: Kathy Airey, Mary Dascomb and Kathy Hirth.
Ministry of Hospitality and Caring

Saturday, May 9th
Sacrament of Confirmation, 2:30pm
Please pray for our 41 Candidates as they prepare to be sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  

The Candidates share this original poem:
  God makes the birds sing,
  Raising the sun over the night,
  So you can share your knowledge with much delight.
  Strive to be like God, glorious and majestic,
  And you'll never be wrong and remain realistic.
  You can measure understanding with quizzes and tests,
  But God's understanding triumphs over the rest.
  I fear nothing like a lion,
  It is the Lord's guidance I rely on.
  I know the difference between right and wrong,
  His judgment will always prove strong.