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
We continue our Lenten journey with rain, and many down with the flu or other ailment. It seems lighter this year so I have not written the annual reminder that if you are ill, stay home and do now spread whatever ails you, but as more and more seem to be getting something, the above should remind you of our time tested protocols.
Lent is a time for reflection on our faith and again asking is our path of discipleship is bringing ourselves and others to be closer to the Lord. The Vatican website really seems to be providing more and more by way of good solid reflections that can help up. They are promoting their new widget that will give easy access to their pages that I encourage you to look at and maybe sign up to use.
Many parents have come to me worried through the years sadly telling me that their children no longer go to Church. I often point to St. Monica’s example when I seek to answer them. The Late Pope Benedict was featured on the Vatican website directly speaking about this situation:
“In the book “The Faith of the Future,” a homily by the then Cardinal Ratzinger presents Saint Monica and her attitude toward her son Saint Augustine as the personification of the ecclesial community: a space of life, of welcome, of freedom, where each person’s freedom is respected, and faith is never imposed.
By Andrea Tornielli (taken from the Vatican News website)
“Suffering, she learned to let him walk his own road, without constraints. She learned to endure that his road was altogether different” from the one she had imagined for him. This reflection on the mother of Saint Augustine, spoken at the consecration of the parish church dedicated to Saint Monica in the Neuparlach district of Munich.
In this homily, the Archbishop of Munich presents the figure of Augustine’s mother as a living experience of what the Church is in its most profound essence. “In her,” Ratzinger writes, referring to the saint of Hippo, “he experienced the Church as person, the Church personally, so that for him it was not some kind of apparatus, from which one feels something very distant, structures that turn out to be somewhat incomprehensible. In this woman there was personally present what the Church is.” Augustine, the cardinal recalled, wrote of his mother: “She not only gave me this bodily life, but she gave me a space of the heart, she gave me a space of life in which I was able to become a man.” The human being, Ratzinger affirmed, “needs a relational space of trust, of love; and a meaning that allows him to walk toward the future.”
But this “space of life” has little to do with ecclesiastical structures or with identity-based communities of the perfect who isolate themselves from the world, condemning it day in and day out. On the contrary, it admirably sketches the face of a welcoming Church, respectful of everyone’s freedom and of each person’s timing. Just as Monica was with her son, who considered “allowing him to be free" to be "an essential element for the formation of this vital space”: free to make mistakes, free to follow his carnal passions… Monica “knew how to wait. She knew how to accept the conflict between generations. Suffering, she learned to let him walk his own road, without constraints. She learned to endure that his road was altogether different from the one that, in faith, she had imagined for him; and yet she learned to love him, to stand beside him, not to abandon him, while still leaving him the freedom of his being. In this openness while waiting, by which she left him the freedom to become himself—not imposing the faith on him, but simply being there for him as a person, as a mother—precisely in this way she transmitted the faith to him.”
These are enlightening words for parents, for educators, and more generally for those who proclaim the Gospel. A Church as a “space of life, of freedom, of hope.”
The future Pope commented, “I believe that today there is much suspicion and aversion toward the Church… because we experience the Church very little as person, very little the Church personally. We hear it spoken of only as structure, office, and apparatus. But the Church will be able to subsist, and we will be able to take root in her and she will be able to become our homeland, only if she continues to subsist in persons. This space, all spaces—even the halls where we spend our free time and meet—should be spaces that help us to become Church in person for one another; space that for us may be vital space, mother, someone who makes available to us a place of trust and of the possibility of living.”
A Church, a “field hospital,” that accompanies you, where love heals the deepest wounds, and one feels at home.”
Gate Closure Schedule
Just a reminder that the Clarewood gate will be open Monday - Friday until 9:15 am. The Mandalay gate will close at 7:45 and stay closed until 9:30. This allows our school families time to exit the school parking lot, using the Clarewood exit. It also allows parishioners access to the Clarewood gate for both arrival at Mass and when leaving. We will close Clarewood at 9:30 and reopen Mandalay and it will stay that way until school dismissal.
For school dismissal the Clarewood gate will be open at 2:50 and close at 3:20 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. The schedule for Wednesday is one hour earlier. The Mandalay gate will be closed at these times.
At the conclusion of school pickup the Clarewood gate will be closed. It reopens at 5:00 pm.
Zoom Meeting ID: 851 1878 2741
Passcode: 424233
Passcode: 424233
Lenten Fasting and Abstinence
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are obligatory days of universal fast and abstinence. Fasting is obligatory for all who have completed their 18th year until the beginning of their 60th year. Fasting allows a person to eat one full meal. Two smaller meals may be taken, not to equal one full meal. Abstinence (from meat) is obligatory for all who have completed their 14th year of age. If possible, the fast on Good Friday is continued until the Easter Vigil (on Holy Saturday night) as the “paschal fast” to honor the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus and to prepare to share more fully and celebrate more readily his Resurrection.
Fridays in Lent are obligatory days of abstinence (from meat) for all who have completed their 14th year.
As always, anyone for whom fasting or abstinence would pose a health risk is excused.
The St. T morning rosary group invites you to join them in praying the Holy Rosary, Monday through Friday, from 8:00–8:30 a.m. in the church. Drop the kids off and then slip into the church for a little peaceful prayer time.
The Rosary is a powerful prayer that draws us closer to Christ through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother. It brings peace to our hearts, strength to our lives, and guidance for the day ahead. We’d love to have you join us as we gather in prayer, asking Our Blessed Mother to intercede for our families, our parish, and the needs of the world. What better way to start your day than spending 30 minutes with the Blessed Mother?
Come one day a week or every day. All are warmly welcome.
Social Justice Committee
Corpus Christi’s Living Our Faith Group and
St. Theresa’s Social Justice Group
Invite you to:
Blessed Are They: A Prayer Vigil
Join us on Thursday, March 12th from 7:30 – 8:00 p.m. in the church as we gather in prayer, song and reflection to discern our response to the poor and vulnerable in our midst.
You are welcome to join our joint meeting at 6:30pm to see what our committees are doing to live out our faith followed by a prayer vigil at 7:30pm. The meeting will be at The Gibson Center at Corpus Christi followed by a prayer vigil in the Church.
For more information, please reach out to Lydia Deck at ltdeck@me.com
St. Vincent de Paul
Thank You for Your Generosity Our St. Vincent de Paul Conference extends heartfelt thanks to our parish community for your continued generosity. Because of you, we collected 350 pounds of food from the church vestibule just last month—a tremendous blessing during a time when many families are struggling due to reductions in SNAP and other welfare benefits. Your donations go directly to stocking our pantry and supporting neighbors who are facing real and immediate hardship.
We are also deeply grateful for your support of our Parish Festival bake sale, where we raised $800. These funds, together with the special 5th Sunday collections earmarked for our parish conference, help us keep families housed, assisting with essential rent and utility payments.
Thank you for living out the Gospel call to love our neighbors. Your kindness makes a real difference.
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.
Theme for the 2025/2026 year
”Pilgrims of Hope ”
March 4, 2026
Fr. Ngema W. Enow
Priest in Residence, St. Theresa’s Church
What if you were meant for a time like this? Engaging Esther as Coach
St. Theresa 100th Jubilee Year
Watch the Jubilee Video at
Poland ~~ September 10–19, 2026
Join Fr. Tehga Nji on a pilgrimage to Poland to experience the writings, life and place of the saints of Poland — Pope St. John Paul II, St. Maximillian Kolbe, and St. Faustina.
http://augustineinstitute.org/missioncirclepilgrimages
This link will take you to our pilgrimage landing page which has the Poland trip on it.
Make sure to choose the Poland pilgrimage and click "Register now" to get started.
This link will take you to our pilgrimage landing page which has the Poland trip on it.
Make sure to choose the Poland pilgrimage and click "Register now" to get started.
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.
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
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.
February 28 & March 1, Parish Maintenance & Improvement Fund
March 14 & 15, Catholic Relief Services
Sunday Collection (February 16 - 22)
Online: 48 Donors, $ 2,168.00
Mass Donations: 41 Donors, $ 2,862.00
Ash Wednesday
Mass Donation: 27 Donors, $ 1,107.00
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."
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
Volunteering Made Simple
Have you thought about volunteering but worry about fitting it into your schedule? We know life is busy, but here's the good news - serving on Saturdays and Sundays is easier than ever! Out parish used Ministry Schedule Pro, so you can check the schedule online anytime, get reminders, and even request a sub when needed. If you're willing to volunteer, we'd love to have you! Come see me after church today, and I'm happy to help you get connected.
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, Danny Ramos, Mark Leonard, Christopher Rodriguez, Maryanne Walsh, Rhonda Santeen, John Whatley, Nancy Coyne, Kevin Stallone, Della Spinelli, Susan Buller, Ann Springer, Ray Bertolotti, William McCarthy, Cindy Crimmins, Fred & Lidia Loupy, Rebecca Rogers, Kathleen Guevara, Clarence Robinson, Armando Diaz de Leon, Fr. Ron Schmidt, Bonnie & John Bouey, Susan Rubio, Fr. Paul Schmidt, Marley Malone, Phil Stover, Joey Smith, Raymond Buckley, Jr., Norma Ninalga, Betty Jo Olson, Jennifer Walwark, Greg Govan, Anita Lim, Marilyn McCabe, Steve Lauth, Mary Malloy, John Donovan, Mary Martinez, James Spalding, Tiffany Converse, Adrian McEvilly, Joan Marchi, Diana Nelson Curtis, Charlie Schnellbacher, Maureen Carver, Vince Nims, Barrett Baker, Rick Fama, Eleanor Ceccarelli, Lois Johnson, Antoinette Tamburrino, Anne Marie Roseme, Greg Anderson, Judy Udove, Mary McCole, baby Gianna Sorbello, Yolanda Igano, Rick Arellano, Betsey Thornton, Karen May.
Mass Intentions
February 28 - March 8
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
341.202.0077
Schedule a Mass Intention Online
Parish Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
The parish office is closed Monday, and Friday
Parish Office, ext. 120
Parish Office (direct line) 341.202.0077
Parish Office (direct line) 341.202.0077
Cecile Cuttitta
Yvonne Gabor
olunteer@sttheresaoakland.org
Rev. Robert J. McCann, Pastor
(direct line) 341.202.0159
rjmccann@sttheresaoakland.org
Rev. Ngema W. Enow, In Residence
(direct line) 341.202.0137 ngemawil.enow@gmail.com
Cathy Brady, Liturgy Director
(direct line) 341.202.0086
cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org
Rob Cakebread, Music Ministry Director
(direct line) 341.202.0139
rob@sttheresaoakland.org
Keri Nims,Coordinator for Early Childhood Catechesis
& RCIC
(direct line) 341.202.0076
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
dolcedeb@yahoo.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
Kinderchurch
Shanon Ciston
s.ciston@gmail.com
Baptisms and Marriages: by appointment admin@sttheresaoakland.org
To arrange a Funeral call parish office 341.202.0077 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): Keri Nims ~ keri@sttheresaoakland.org
High School Youth Ministry/Confirmation: Keri Nims ~ keri@sttheresaoakland.org
R.C.I.A. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: Cathy Brady ~ cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org
Please be aware that a scam is going around involving our clergy, and staff (both parish and school) seeking gift card donations.
We will never contact you and ask you to purchase gift cards for us or the parish.
Always stay vigilant and verify all requests from the parish or school office or speak to a staff member.
Protect Yourself:
- Check the email address. The parish address ends in sttheresaoakland.org and the school address ends in sttheresaschool.org
- Always verify
- Trust Your Gut
- Look For Clues
- Skip Unknown Links
St. Theresa Parish Goal
$35,800
Percentage Achieved 54.90%
$19,655.00
as of January 31, 2026
Thank you for supporting the Annual Bishop's Ministries Appeal