A Word from the Pastor

“Paul planted, Apollos watered, but God made things grow.” (1 Corinthians3:6)  This scripture sentence is often quoted when we speak about how some share in the ministry of Christ on behalf of the Church, the People of God.  All ministry is not for the edification of a single person be it a pope, lay ecclesial minister, religious sister, priest, lay minister but as cooperators with God whose people we  all belong to and are headed toward day by day.

Nevertheless, throughout our lives we sometimes experience someone who does so much in front of us and behind us that opens, supports, challenges, and loves us and really helps us grow closer to God and allows God to grow good things in our personal lives. This weekend, we acknowledge Cathy Brady who, for twenty-two years, has done so much for St. Theresa Parish behind the scenes and in front of us each weekend and throughout the week. We thank her as a parish family and individuals, and assure her as she begins a well earned and deserved retirement that she has diligently kept many on our path to God. A few years ago, I tried to highlight just some of the ways that we see and don’t see that Cathy has aided us on our spiritual journey at St. Theresa. She crafted prayer services and blessings for St. Francis Day animal blessings, rituals for blessing the Advent wreaths, processions for beginning Lent, children’s first Reconciliation and Communions, the RCIA path for adults wanting Baptism and membership in our Church.

Cathy has studied and then kept our IT growth that aided our parish. Whether it was guiding the video component of our worship aids and then upgrading them, getting the Bulletin and Flocknote online, and facilitating the online giving, she has always met the new challenge or twist, or the realization that a fix or replacement has to be made. The paschal candle is ordered around each fall because she remembered it.  As Advent began, she would ask the staff about planning the next Lenten parish retreat. When the parish festival approached, her checklist would come out, so we had everything covered. Cathy’s personal faith and beliefs came out each year with the adults she guided through the RCIA (now OCIA) process with personal testimonies and stories of her own faith journey and the journey with her family.

At Cathy’s strong demand, we are not having a parish-wide ‘thank you’ and ‘happy retirement’ party as we would for a transferred priest or deacon. She deserves no less, but we honor her wishes and I publicly, in all your names, say thank you, many joys in your retirement and may the blessings you have so generously given us over these years be returned to you a hundredfold!

We send her forward with our love and blessings. May she always know this is her home and feel welcomed to visit. I will rely on being able to call her as “other” staff when we face an ‘only Cathy will know what to do’ situation unless she finally blocks our phone numbers. May God bless her with good health, wonderful retirement adventures and the assurance of our gratitude and love!

There are many other things to say, but I hope you will personally take some time to let Cathy know how she ministered to you. We are trying to cover all that she did for us with five different people. Say a prayer for them that as mentioned above, we do what our talents allow but are assured God will make things grow!

Clarewood and Mandalay Gate Weekday Schedule

Effective August 18, 2026

Clarewood Gate:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday the gate will close at 9:15 am and reopen at 2:45 pm

Wednesday the gate will close at 9:15 am and reopen at 1:45 pm

Mandalay Gate:

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the morning it will be closed until 9:15 am when it will be opened. It will then close at 2:45 pm and reopen at 6:00 pm

Wednesday in the morning it will be closed until 9:15 am when it will be opened. It will then close at 1:45 pm and reopen at 6:00 pm

Friday Flocknote and Bulletin submission Deadlines

Send your submissions to Renee Lorda at renee@sttheresaoakland.org

Fellow Parishioners:

You may not know that your 5th Sunday collections are the fuel that funds the St. Theresa Conference of St. Vincent de Paul. Lately there has been a need like we’ve not seen in many years. We try to keep to a strict budget prioritizing those with the greatest need but there’s only so much we can do without your help.
It is true that we can go to the District’s Aid to the Needy Fund when our money runs short. Ironically St. Theresa used to be one of ATNF’s biggest contributors but the shoe is now on the other foot and we find ourselves asking for their funds.

Last month we were able to help ‘Latasha,’ a single mother with two boys, 5 and 14. She had recently moved back to Oakland from Texas, found a job with no problem but then lost it due to illness. She was almost $1000 behind on the rent and their only furniture was blowup beds. Our Conference helped her catch up on the rent plus we were able to get them both a bed and a sofa bed from our Fremont resale store.

The calls keep coming in but we can only help others when you help us with your contributions to our St. Vincent de Paul 5th Sunday collections. If you are more interested in hands-on contributions email Judy Bojorquez, jtsbojorquez@yahoo.com. We’d love to see you at one of our meetings on the third Saturday of the month, too!

 St. Vincent de Paul, St Theresa Conference 

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. Contact Basil Fedynyshyn at st.theresa@svdp-alameda.org 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.

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."

Weekend Mass Schedule

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

Weekday Mass Schedule

Sacrament of Reconciliation

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, , Susan Buller, Ann Springer, Ray Bertolotti, William McCarthy, Cindy Crimmins, Fred & Lidia Loupy, Rebecca Rogers, Kathleen Guevara, Clarence Robinson, Armando Diaz de Leon,  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, Betsey Thornton, Karen May, Tom Wallace, John Cocores, Olivia Cors,  Aglaia Panos, Keri Nims, Jerome Deck, Sr, Tom Salvatore,  Pauline Shear.

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:          Martha Gamino ~ martha@sttheresaoakland.org

Middle School Youth Ministry (Grades 6-8):                 Martha Gamino ~ martha@sttheresaoakland.org

High School Youth Ministry/Confirmation:                  Martha Gamino ~ martha@sttheresaoakland.org

O.C.I.A.  Order of Christian Initiation of Adults:           Lydia Deck ~ lydia@sttheresaoakland.org