St. Theresa Mission Statement
We are a welcoming, active Catholic Community
united by our faith, open to transformation, growing spiritually
and reaching out to love and to serve others as Jesus taught us.
A Word from our Pastor
The saying goes that ‘March roars in like a lion.’ I hope you have your tickets for the Irene Crosetti Ravioli Feed as it is always a great night for our parish, and we have already exceeded past year’s reservations! Another tradition in March is to have a parish ‘workday.’ Please consider giving an hour or two to shine up the parish site we call our spiritual home. The date will either be Saturday, March 29 or Saturday, April 5 and will be settled on by next week.
This week we begin the season of Lent which started a long time ago as an intense period for those who would be baptized on Easter and join the Church. Now it is a season for all of us to reflect on our Baptism and membership in the Church. Fr. Dennis Hanley was a Maryknoll priest who actually spent some of his youth in my hometown parish before I was born. He is one of the twenty-six who were ordained priests who grew up in St. Ignatius Parish in Hicksville, NY. He gives a good description of Lent:
Happy Lent! Most people don’t know what the word “Lent” means, yet I’m sure they’ve gone through it all their lives. Lent means springtime. Believe it or not, it means springtime. And what it is short for lengthening, you see. And lengthening days, now that’s a sign that winter is over, and the springtime draws near, so that’s what Lent means.
Most people have very dark thoughts about Lent. So, the first thing to learn about Lent is it’s not meant to be a dark period. It’s supposed to be filled with hope, just as Advent.
Christians are people who live on hope. They don’t live on money; they don’t live on good friends; they live on hope.
And that means that we hear often about faith, and we hear often about love, but hope is the person that gets up every morning and says, “Give it another try.”
Lent is a time where we’re supposed to give up things. But many years ago, I met a priest. He said, “You should stop saying what you should give up and start asking what we can do.”
And he had a whole list: you can be compassionate to the rest of the family or be compassionate to those who are suffering. You can try to love and understand when all love and understanding seems empty, when the people which you are with or the people that you love but they can’t seem to get things straight…
Compassion is God’s — God’s own special virtue. He is the compassionate one. Sometimes we think of God as creating sort of like little difficulties that we might overcome and gain merit or whatever that was. It’s not true. God can only love.
He can’t hate. He can’t hold grudges. Although when you read the Old Testament, a way of understanding God is to see His negative side, so they always talk about God as complaining about His people not living up to their promises and all of these things. And it’s true. But he says in the depths of great love He bargains with His people.
The Jews had a great understanding about God. They saw Him as a bargainer. Abraham used to pray to God in this way. He would say, “You’ve got to help my cousin Lot, who is in terrible condition in one of those evil cities.”
And God would say, “Well, why should I help him, he never even thinks about me?”
And then Abraham pulls the string, he says, “But you’re God. You have to help.”
Everybody else can live life totally be selfish and awful and that, but not God. He’s not allowed, even if He could be. But He can’t be, He doesn’t know how to be. God doesn’t know how to be angry, fierce, and destructive — or small minded.
Remember that: God loves, God lives, God serves. What are we supposed to do? We’re supposed to live, love, and serve. It’s lasted two thousand years. That’s the doctrine of the Messiah.
Why did Jesus come? “I came to love, to live with you and to serve.”
You ask the saints, “What should I do to be a saint?” Love, live with people, open your heart to people. One is to learn how to be patient with people, and the second one is to learn how to bring yourself and others a new flowering of hope.
And it will give you the best gift of all, which is to face yourself so that you can live with wonderful opening faith, with great love in your heart, but, most of all, to keep your hope strong and let no one take away from you what God has given to you, which is how to have faith, how to have hope and, most of all, how to love each other.”
Let us pray this Lent for all who are approaching the Sacraments of Initiation that will make them part of us as a Church. Let us pray for all who are struggling in body, mind and or spirit. May they find comfort in this season and know God’s love by our care, concern, and love.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence.
The law of fasting allows one full meal and two smaller ones.
The law of abstinence prohibits the eating of meat. The Fridays of Lent are days of abstinence in the United States.
The obligation of abstinence begins at age 14. The norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59.
St. Theresa Parish Lenten Opportunities
Daily Reflection Booklets
Lenten Retreat
Sunday's, April 6 & 13
10:15 am in the church
Fr. Ngema, Lenten Bible Journey
Enriching our Lenten Observance with Insights from Esther
March 11, 18, 25, April 1, 8, 15
Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89196571494?pwd=PM6lk78cGHalwKjypW6d1eaca5ai7T.1
Lenten Companion
“Walking with Mary to Jerusalem”
Weekly Flocknote Reflection
Sign-up for weekly reflection at:
https://sttheresaoakland.org/pray/lent-2025/lenten-companion-walking-mary-jerusalem
Stations of the Cross
March 21, 28, April 4, 11
Provided by the school
9:30 am & 2:30 pm
Stations of the Cross Booklets
These booklets are available at the back of the church for your use in praying the stations of the cross.
Rice Bowls
Pick up a Rice Bowl in the church vestibule
Lent in a Bag
Pick up a bag at the Lenten table in the church vestibule
Anointing of the Sick
April 6, 9:00 am Mass
Seder Dinner
April 9, 6:00 pm
Make a reservation: https://sttheresaoakland.org/pray/lent-2025/seder-dinner
Check out the Lent page on the parish website for details.
St. Theresa 100th Jubilee Year
Upcoming events.
The parish is celebrating its 100th Jubilee. There will be monthly events celebrating our Jubilee .
If you would like to be a part of the planning process for these events, send an email to anniversary@sttheresaoakland.org.
Upcoming Events
March 8: Irene Crosetti Ravioli Dinner
March 9: Celebration of OCIA (formerly RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
March 29: Lenten Soup and Concert
We are making a Centennial Celebration video!
Fill in the Questionnaire, save the file and email a copy to:
Catholic Organizations Helping Migrants, Refugees, and At-Risk Populations
*Catholic Relief Services (CRS) -- Operation Rice Bowl and other funds
*Jesuit Refugee Services
*Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC)
Urge Congress to Protect the Persecuted
“It is the historic policy of the United States to respond to the urgent needs of persons subject to persecution in their homelands. . . . Congress further declares that it is the policy of the United States to encourage all nations to provide assistance and resettlement opportunities to refugees to the fullest extent possible.”
These opening lines of the Refugee Act of 1980—the law creating the statutory authority for the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP)—communicates the importance of responding to the needs of those forced to flee their homes because they are persecuted on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. Carrying out the Gospel’s mandate to care for the “least of these” (Mt. 25:31-46), the Catholic Church has served refugees in the United States since well before USRAP’s creation. Learn more about USRAP and the Catholic Church.
Today, no refugees are being resettled through USRAP. This ban impacts thousands of refugees who had already been fully processed, undergone extensive security checks, and approved for refugee status by the federal government while outside of the United States. This includes many persecuted Christians, as well as Afghans who had been approved for special immigrant visas because of the assistance they provided to the U.S. mission and U.S. service members in Afghanistan.
The indefinite suspension of USRAP is the result of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on January 20. The order requires the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, to submit a report by April 20, 2025, regarding whether refugee resettlement is in the national interest. However, the order leaves the decision about whether to resume refugee resettlement to the President alone, without any timeline stated for that decision.
On January 24, the State Department issued suspension notices to domestic resettlement agencies, including the USCCB, impacting their ability to carry out services under the Reception and Placement (R&P) Program. The R&P Program provides crucial assistance to refugees and Afghan special immigrant visa holders during their first three months in the United States to support their successful integration and help them to achieve self-sufficiency as quickly as possible. Services provided through the R&P Program include help finding initial housing, securing employment, enrolling children in school, scheduling medical appointments, and English language classes.
The chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration, Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, addressed the suspension of USRAP on January 22, stating: “Indefinitely halting refugee resettlement is unmerited, as it is already proven to be one of the most secure legal pathways to the United States.”
Ask your members of Congress to lift up their voice in support of upholding our nation’s bipartisan legacy of refugee resettlement.
Send this Message to Congress
Support Refugee Resettlement to Protect the Persecuted
As a Catholic and your constituent, I urge you to engage with the Administration to resume the resettlement of refugees and Afghan special immigrant visa (SIV) holders.
Being a place of refuge for those fleeing oppression, including Christians and other people persecuted for their faith, is fundamentally American. The U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has safely and effectively fostered this, with strong bipartisan support, for almost 45 years.
The President’s recent executive order providing for the indefinite suspension of refugee admissions leaves thousands of thoroughly vetted people, who in some cases have waited years to experience freedom, in a state of grave uncertainty. Stop-work orders issued to domestic resettlement agencies also threaten the support promised to recently arrived refugees and SIV holders, undermining their prospects of self-sufficiency.
Protection of people fleeing persecution and those who risked their lives to support our country is not only in the national interest but a moral responsibility. Please urge the Administration to immediately resume refugee resettlement.
Click the link below to log in and send your message:
https://www.votervoice.net/BroadcastLinks/YserWGk94GHOgzS7fAtZ2w
Social Justice Corner
Join the Social Justice committee as we pray and meditate on the Themes from Catholic Social Teaching **
Solidarity: We are one human family whatever our national, racial, ethnic, economic, and ideological differences. Loving our neighbor is important. We are called to be peacemakers. We must promote peace in a world surrounded by violence and conflict.
Life and dignity of the human person: The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred and that the dignity of the human person is the foundation of a moral vision for society.
Call to family, community and participation: We believe people have a right and a duty to participate in society, seeking together the common good and wellbeing of all, especially the poor and vulnerable.
An Update on the family St. Theresa sponsored and supported back in 2016
-by Carolyn Mahoney (longtime parishioner of St. Theresa and member of our Social Justice Committee)
On March 23, 2016, I went to the Oakland Airport to meet the family that St. Theresa’s community had been preparing to receive. They were Adham Kamar Ali and his wife Sawsan Kandahar and their two daughters, Hevi and Avesta.
It’s been 8 years since their arrival. Many things have changed. The whole family are now US Citizens. Sawsan is a teacher’s assistant at the Emeryville School. Hevi will be 16 this June and is an excellent student as is Avesta who is in the seventh grade.
Adham had always wanted to be a nurse. He first attended Merritt College where he received his AA. He worked full time in the pharmaceutical industry. In the last few years, he has been attending a proprietary nursing school in San Diego. He flew to San Diego every week and managed to arrange his schedule to be down there for two back-to-back school days spending the night in a hostel. This past Fall he graduated with a BSRN and passed the NCLEX to get his state nursing license. He then decided that he wanted to give something back to the US. He joined the USAF and will be commissioned as an Officer in the USAF at the end of February. He thinks that his initial assignment will be at Travis AFB.
He and the whole family are very grateful for all the assistance he received from the St. Theresa Community.
We have been invited to join Corpus Christi, in reading – All is Grace: A Biography of Dorothy Day by Jim Forest from now thru the month of March. Stay tuned for a gathering at the end of March to discuss this book; it will be sponsored by Corpus Christi’s Living Our Faith Group.
Stay tuned for more happenings. Peace from The Social Justice Committee
Heat in the church
We, were able to get the heater running at 20% capacity, so there is some heat in the church. So please bundle up when you attend Mass.
March 5
Ash Wednesday Service
WOMEN IN GOD’S SPIRIT (WINGS)
WINGS is a group of women from many parishes who seek to deepen their faith and grow in their relationship with God and one another. Through prayer, thought-provoking presentations on a variety of subjects, and small group faith-sharing and discussion of how the Spirit is working in their lives, women journey together. The theme for this year is Living in Hope. The Fall Season, will focus on spirituality
Gatherings are held on Wednesdays in the Meeting Rooms from 9:00 to 11:15. All are welcome. For more information, contact Dee McDonough at deesigns@comcast.net .
Reception of the Precious Blood
The reception of the Precious Blood guideline from Bishop Barber, dated May 15, 2023 states; "Other than the priest, no communicant may ever dip the Sacred Host into the chalice to communicate himself."
Text to Donate
Text “GIVE” to the number above to receive a link to our online giving page.
You can use our online giving platform to deepen your commitment to the church and the ministries you care about most. Your recurring gifts will sustain our mission month after month. You will also help our parish by cutting costs for envelopes and paper, and allowing our staff to spend less time processing cash and checks and more time on ministries.
Thank you for your continued support of St. Theresa.
You may also use Online Giving for Second Collections.
March 1 & 2 Parish Maintenance & Improvement Fund
March 22 & 23 Catholic Relief Services
April 4 & 5 Parish Maintenance & Improvement Fund
Sunday Collection (February 17—23):
Online: 44 Donors, $ 2,189.00
Mass Donations: 41 Donors, $ 2,168.00
Assisted Listening available at Weekend Masses
There are two ways to enjoy crisp, clear audio in the church for our weekend Masses.
Option 1:
Download the app, connect to the church wireless network, put in your earbuds, open the app and you are set.
The WiFi password you will need to connect to our wireless network will be available at the sound system desk before and after Mass.
Option 2:
Assisted Listening Devices are available at our weekend Masses. You can check out a device at the sound system desk prior to Mass.
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If you have any questions contact Cathy Brady at cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org
St. Vincent de Paul
For St. Vincent de Paul Society, preventing homelessness begins with home visits.
https://www.pillarcatholic.com/p/for-st-vincent-de-paul-society-preventing
Our Parish SVdP Conference meets bimonthly, every third Saturday at 9:30am. If interested in learning more about our Conference’s work, contact Judy Bojorquez at jtsbojorquez@yahoo.com with any general questions. Call Greg Govan at 510-547-0911 if you have a specific question.
You may use online giving to make a donation to the St. Theresa St. Vincent de Paul conference. https://sttheresaoakland.org/donate.
Volunteer for a Liturgical Ministry
Please consider volunteering for one of our Liturgical ministries. Liturgy is the work of the people and we need your assistance.
What is your gift, passion, what do you really like to do? Do you like to read, talk with people, serve people, work behind the scenes, electronics? Turn that passion into a ministry, there is something for everyone. Prayerfully consider one of the following ministries.
Contact Cathy Brady at cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org to volunteer or for more information.
https://sttheresaoakland.org/ministries/liturgical-ministries
Thank you for your faithful support.
Lector
Eucharistic Minister
Sacristan
Altar Server
Greeter
Usher
Projectionist
Video Ministry (9:00 am Mass)
Altar Linens
Weekend Mass Schedule
5:00 pm Saturday
9:00 am Sunday
The 9:00 am Sunday Mass is live-streamed on our YouTube channel for the ill and Homebound.
The link for the live-stream will be on our Facebook page.
https://www.facebook.com/sttheresaoak
YouTube channel link
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn5JX1e3QrqXTsa_7qmNCIw
Low Gluten hosts are available at all weekend Masses.
The hosts are less than 20 parts per million gluten, under .002%
For additional information go to https://www.parishcrossroads.com/low-gluten.htm
Please use the presider's communion station to receive a low gluten host.
Weekday Mass Schedule
Monday - Friday
8:30 am
Sacrament of Reconciliation
Saturday ~ 4:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Please remember in your prayers all those who are ill especially:
Matt Mercier, Heidi Parmelee, Dolores Gomez, Alegria Hipolito, Betty Wharton, Juanita Estrella, Olga Lamberti, Wendy Parmelee, Roger Baylocq, Susan Springer, Wendy Jones, Orlanda Gonzalez, Kevin Chapman, Diane Cerille, Tom Wilberding, Shirley Roberts, Danny Ramos, Mark Leonard, Christopher Rodriguez, Maryanne Walsh, Rhonda Santeen, John Whatley, Nancy Coyne, Kevin Stallone, Della Spinelli, Jeanne Cuttitta, Susan Buller, Ann Springer, Guy Wallace, Ray Bertolotti, William McCarthy, Cindy Crimmins, Fred & Lidia Loupy, Rebecca Rogers, Kathleen Guevara, Clarence Robinson, Armando Diaz de Leon, Fr. Ron Schmidt, Laura Jones, Bonnie & John Bouey, Susan Rubio, Fr. Paul Schmidt, Marley Malone, Isabella Guillot Williams, Ann Kirkman, Hal Lauth, Phil Stover, Joey Smith, Raymond Buckley, Jr., Norma Ninalga, Betty Jo Olson, Jennifer Walwark, Greg Govan, Anita Lim, Marilyn McCabe, Helen Lightner-Smith, Steve Lauth, Mary Malloy, Peter Cuttitta, James Lang, John Donovan, Mary & Leo Martinez, Sr., James Spalding, Tiffany Converse, Adrian McEvilly, Joan Marchi, Diana Nelson Curtis, Charlie Schnellbacher, Theresa Joyce, Maureen Carver, Ernestine Pernecco, Vince Nims, Barrett Baker, Genevieve ‘Beth’ McElroy, Rick Fama, Eleanor Ceccarelli, Maureen Querio, Karin Milliman, Lois Johnson, Antoinette Tamburrino.
Mass Intentions
March 1 - 9
To request a Mass Intention you can use the online form at
https://sttheresaoakland.org/pray/mass-confession-times/mass-intention
or by email or phone at: admin@sttheresaoakland.org
510.547.2777, ext. 120
Schedule a Mass Intention Online
Parish Office Hours
Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Safe Environment Training for Parish & School Volunteers
It is that time of year when notices of expiring Virtus training will be arriving in your email. Please uuse the link in the email to lob into Virtus and take the training that have been assigned. Training must be renewed every three years.
To renew or register for the first time, click on the link in your email or go to https://www.virtusonline.org or click on the link in the upper right corner of the parish website sttheresaoakland.org.
Please remember that in order to volunteer at the parish or school in any capacity (Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Catechist, Choir Member, St. Vincent de Paul, Legion of Mary, CYO etc.), you must complete the training.
If you have any problems or questions contact Cathy Brady at cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org.
Parish Office, ext. 120
Rev. Robert J. McCann, ext. 121
Pastor
rjmccann@sttheresaoakland.org
Rev. Ngema W. Enow, ext. 128
In Residence
ngemawil.enow@gmail.com
Cathy Brady, ext. 126
Liturgy Director
cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org
Rob Cakebread, ext. 127
Music Ministry Director
rob@sttheresaoakland.org
Joey Gutierrez, ext. 123
Youth Ministry Coordinator,
Middle School & High School
joey@sttheresaoakland.org
Keri Nims, ext. 124
Coordinator for Early Childhood Catechesis & RCIC
keri@sttheresaoakland.org
St. Theresa School
Alicia Ortegon, 510.547.3146
St. Theresa School Principal
a_ortegon@sttheresaschool.org
website: www.sttheresaschool.org
Parish Organization Contacts
Pastoral Council:
Chris Colby
ccolby@well.com
Finance Council:
.
.
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Greg Govan
glgovan@comcast.net
CYO (Catholic Youth Organization):
Carlos Palacios
sttheresaathletics@gmail.com
St. Theresa Men’s Club
mensclubsttheresa@gmail.com
Legion of Mary
Tom Wallace
tomw1313@sbcglobal.net
WINGS
Cindy Crimmins
cyncrim@gmail.com
Social Justice Committee (SJC)
Lydia Deck
ltdeck@me.com
Consolation Ministry
Cecile Cuttitta
cecile.cuttitta@att.net
Men’s Faith Sharing
Jim Frei
jim@ottofrei.com
Cursillo
Geri Tong
gt4palancaoakland@gmail.com
Kinderchurch
Shanon Ciston
s.ciston@gmail.com
Baptisms and Marriages: by appointment admin@sttheresaoakland.org
To arrange a Funeral call parish office 510.547.2777, ext. 120 or email admin@sttheresaoakland.org
Family Faith Formation (Grades TK-5) & R.C.I.C: Keri Nims ~ keri@sttheresaoakland.org
Middle School Youth Ministry (Grades 6-8): Joey Gutierrez ~ joey@sttheresaoakland.org
High School Youth Ministry/Confirmation: Joey Gutierrez ~ joey@sttheresaoakland.org
R.C.I.A. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: Cathy Brady ~ cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org
