First Sunday of Lent

All of this weekend and next week, I am away giving a retreat at St. Monica Parish, Santa Monica, CA. It will be the retreat I gave last year here at St. Simon, Cairns on the Second Mountain of Life, with some modifications to localize it. St. Monica Parish is a mega parish with over…

Eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Over the last several weeks, I have shared some insights about the mental health continuum and how important it is that we become aware of what contributes to good mental wellness. Last week, I shared how traumas can often cause us to slide down the continuum, sometimes without us becoming aware of it.   I…

Shower Van Pop Up

We would like to partner with BASICS (Brothers and Sisters in Community Service), Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County,and ex-Village House volunteers to offer a shower service for the homeless and unhoused at Our Lady of Refuge Church in San Jose on Thursdays, from 1 PM to 4 PM each week.  Each week the “Shower…

Casa de Clara

The St. Simon Parish Outreach and Social Justice Council has two opportunities for our parishioners to provide service to others in our local community.  Come and help us make a difference! These are wonderful opportunities to serve our community as a family or fulfill service hours as a student. We need help to open a shelter…

Afghan Refugees

Over the next week, Catholic Charities will be resettling 5 Afghan families. These are refugees who were forced to evacuate Afghanistan after the collapse of the former government. All of these families were targeted by the Taliban for the support that they provided to the United States military over the last 20 years. Some of…