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.
The 7:00 pm Mass will be live-streamed for the sick and home-bound.
There will be a collection at all Masses.
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.
Ash Wednesday and Good Friday are days of fast and abstinence.
The obligation of abstinence begins at age 14.
The norms on fasting are obligatory from age 18 until age 59.
Tickets will be on sale following Mass,
February 10 & 11 (cash or check only).
Your order has not been processed if you do not receive a thank you for your order notification.
Come and help decorate the church for Lent
We will be decorating for Lent following the Sunday 9:00 am Mass on February 11th.
Come and spend an hour helping to decorate.
We promise to get you home in time for your Super Bowl Parties.
St. Theresa Parish Lenten Opportunities
The retreat will be recorded and will be available to view later in the day following each session, on the Lenten Retreat Page of the parish website https://sttheresaoakland.org/Lenten%20Retreat
A Word From Our Pastor
On Sunday, besides celebrating a ‘Rise and Shine’ Mass involving many young people among us we celebrate CYO. Pope Francis writes: Sports in the community can be a great missionary tool, where the church is close to every person to help them become better and to meet Jesus Christ."
"Sport is a human activity of great value, able to enrich people's lives. As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, she is working in the world of sport to bring the joy of the Gospel, the inclusive and unconditional love of God for all human beings." We celebrate all our team members and pray God blesses each of them in their sport. We also pray for our coaches, CYO Board and Athletic Director(s). May God guide their judgments for the good sake of the children who participate.
I am sure one or two of you will say a prayer for the teams in the Super Bowl today. No matter the outcome, a lesson is in our midst today. When all call you ‘Mr. Nobody,’ God may have very different plans, so let us trust God’s wisdom in our lives!
This week, Lent begins Wednesday which is also St. Valentine’s Day. I am teasing when I say we will put ash hearts on our foreheads this year instead of the crosses we usually do, but it is a great time for us to do several things: Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving.
Lent was originally a special retreat for all who have studied the faith and were about to be baptized, confirmed, and welcomed to receive the Eucharist in the early Church. It was a devoted time to pray, fast and be sure that they were ready to make the commitment to God, through Jesus and to the Church that would continue to nurture and accompany them on the pilgrimage of the Christian life.
It is now a season when all of us can spend some extra time in examining our relationship with God, and each other and the Church that unites us.
Prayer is not so difficult. We have our memorized prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary, etc.) as guides to our own words and expression of our feelings to God. Prayer involves our speaking but also our listening to God whom we believe wants to be in a close relationship with each of us. I know many of you have a deep and personal prayer life. My hope is that all of us will grow even further in our prayer with the Lord who loves us.
I invite you to all the formal prayer services and Masses that our parish provides, but I also encourage you to spend some time each day in prayer in the quiet of your home or another special place. Once again, small pocketbooks are offered to help you do this. I often ask young people how often they text or speak with their best friends. God wants to be as close to each of us as a close friend or family member in our lives. Don’t be hesitant to call and speak and listen often each day.
We use the slogan around our ‘rice bowls project’ that if we go with a little less, others will have a little more. Fasting has been a component of Christianity since the earliest days of its existence.
During Lent, we give us something sometimes (meat on Fridays, etc.) because Jesus gave up everything for us and our redemption. Don’t just fast from something you like or will miss, try to fast from gossip, moments that lack charity or moments that judge.
Almsgiving is the third part of the traditions of Lent. So many have so many needs. I encourage you to be generous to our Catholic Relief Service appeal through the ‘Rice Bowls.’ You are so generous in this parish, and I simply encourage you to continue that example.
As you heard, many of our parishioners are planning to join the building of a home through the Corazon organization the first week of April. I know many supported these efforts in the past. You can give support by attending the Ravioli Dinner coming up or by contacting one of the coordinators. Please say a prayer for the family who has waited a long time without decent housing as they finally get some decent shelter to live in. Please keep the plan in your prayers so the new logistics will be safe, smooth, and successful.
Again, make sure you have the parish retreat on your calendar. This year, Deacon Mike offers many sessions each Sunday after the morning Mass. Fr. Ngema is again offing some Bible Study on Tuesday nights online. You don’t want to miss it! Happy Lent!
The latest email scam attempt:
This was sent to a parishioner using another parishioners name as the sender in an attempt to obtain the parishes account information.
What's the current available balance in the account? And do we have Zelle or Venmo Linked with our bank account? Also, You need to process the payment immediately to the vendor for our Website Upgrade . Kindly get back to me Asap.
A number of people have once again received phony emails from Fr. Bob and/or our principal Alicia Ortegon asking for gifts cards. If you receive an email from either of them requesting help with gifts, gift cards, money ..... PLEASE IGNORE and DELETE. It's a scam! They will never request help from you in this manner.
Parish Finance Committee
The Finance Committee has a need for someone whose background includes being a controller.
It will not be a big time commitment but we need your skills. If you'd like to explore this, please call Carolyn Mahoney at 510-918-1987.
Our theme for the 2023/2024 year is:
”Walking the Journey of Faith”
WINGS continues this Winter on Wednesday mornings throughout the months of January and February. This faith enhancement group for women encourages spiritual growth through prayer, scripture study, life-sharing and community. Our Winter session meetings, each with a different expert speaker generally focusing on scripture and different aspects of our faith, takes place, from 9:15-11:15am, on Wednesday’s in the Meeting Rooms. Our engaging speakers will uplift you and keep you informed. You’ll experience a welcoming community as we support each other in our spiritual growth. Feel free to invite a friend! Women from local parishes and other denominations are most certainly welcome. If you’re new to WINGS or wish to sample a meeting, feel free to attend the meeting at St. Theresa’s. If you have any questions, contact Denise at mollend@aol.com.
February 14th
Ash Wednesday Program
Social Justice Corner
Join us this lent as we follow the meditations and prayers with the Ignatian Solidarity Network.
Lent 2024: it’s time to refresh.
In a world filled with personal and structural sin that allows injustice to grow, we are invited to refresh our souls and our imaginations to make space for the Spirit to work through us:
To reshape a dehumanizing immigration system into one that centers human dignity.
To recommit to making racial justice a reality.
To renew trust in abundance versus scarcity so that all people’s needs are met while safeguarding a fragile planet.
During the Lenten season, Psalm 23 reminds us of God’s intent that we find times of refreshing:Beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul.
St. Ignatius of Loyola refers to these times of refreshing as consolations: a deep-seated sense of God’s presence leading to spiritual growth.
How are we being refreshed and consoled in our lives, in our Church, and in our work for justice?
Throughout Lent, writers from the Ignatian network will guide us ina season of refreshing.Join us each day to be replenished, reinvigorated, and refreshed.
Here is the website for you to register but we will be highlighting some of their postings on Flock Note.
https://ignatiansolidarity.net/lent-2024
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Join us for our first social justice committee meeting on February 15th at 7pm via zoom. Join us planning on how we can respond as community to social justice issues that abound in our community and globally. What little tasks can we do as a parish community?
Contact Lydia Deck for more information and zoom link. ltdeck@me.com
Join the social justice committee on February 18th as we participate in this program called “Racial Wealth Gap Learning Simulation” This learning activity if an interactive tool that helps people understand the connections among racial equity, hunger, poverty, and wealth. We learned about this program from Meg Bowerman who is a volunteer coordinator for Just Faith in the East Bay. The program will be held at Epworth United Methodist Church (Fellowship Hall)– 1953 Hopkins Street in Berkeley; Gather time 12:30pm and Presentation at 1pm.
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 2 & 3 - Parish Maintenance & improvement Fund
Sunday Offering: January 29 - February 4
Online: 58 Donors, $3,130.70
Mass/Drop-Off/Mailed: 47 Donors $4,956.00
Parish Maintenance & Improvement: Jan 29-Feb 4
Online: 33 Donors, $1,597.00
Mass/Drop-Off/Mailed: 27 Donors $1,628.00
Safe Environment Training for Parish & School Volunteers
For many parish and school volunteers it is time for you to renew your training. You will or have received an email reminder with a link for you to complete the online training. Please complete the training by the renewal date in the email.
If you have any problems or questions contact Cathy Brady at cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org.
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 in any capacity (Lector, Eucharistic Minister, Catechist, Choir Member, St. Vincent de Paul, Legion of Mary, CYO etc.), or school, you must complete the training.
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
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 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, Alicia Gonzalez, 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, Bishop John Cummins, 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, Jeff Mills, Bonnie & John Bouey, Susan Rubio, Fr. Paul Schmidt, Isabella Guillot Williams, Violet Chancey, 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.
Mass Intentions
February 10 - 18
To request a Mass Intention contact Melody Marr
at
510.547.2777, ext. 120
or
melody@sttheresaoakland.org
Parish Office Hours
Tuesday - Thursday, 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Rev. Robert J. McCann, ext. 121
Pastor
rjmccann@sttheresaoakland.org
Rev. Abraham Addam, ext. 122
In Residence
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
Melody Marr, ext. 120
Parish Administrator
melody@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:
Paulette Tuckner
mtuckner@comcast.net
Finance Council:
Carolyn Mahoney
carolyn.mahoney675@gmail.com
St. Vincent de Paul Society
Greg Govan
glgovan@comcast.net
CYO (Catholic Youth Organization):
Clarence Robinson
sttheresaathletics@gmail.com
St. Theresa Men’s Club
Chris Bruni
mensclubsttheresa@gmail.com
Legion of Mary
Tom Wallace
tomw1313@sbcglobal.net
WINGS
Geri Tong
geritong1944@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
Family Faith Formation (Grades TK-5) & R.C.I.C: Keri Nims ~ keri@sttheresaoakland.org
Middle School Youth Ministry (Grades 6-8):
High School Youth Ministry/Confirmation:
R.C.I.A. Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults: Cathy Brady ~ cathy_b@sttheresaoakland.org
Bishop's Ministries Appeal
St. Theresa Parish Goal - $35,800
Percentage Achieved 96.01%
$34,370 as of January 31, 2024
Thank you for supporting the Annual Bishop's Ministries Appeal
You may make a donation using the QR code or the Oakland Diocese giving option.
