March 5 , 2007VOL. 45, NO. 5Oakland, CA

Celebration of Scouting
Three members of Girl Scout Troop 1924 from St. Joseph Parish in Fremont get ready to walk into St. Bonaventure Church in Concord, Feb. 11, for the annual diocesan celebration of scouting. During the ceremony, scouts from 17 parishes were honored for completing requirements for religious awards and emblems. Father Larry D’Anjou, diocesan scout chaplain, presided.

Honored for 30 years of service
Holy Family Sister Aurora Perez, director of the diocesan Special Religious Education Department (SPRED) was recognized Feb. 22 for 30 years of service to people with developmental disabilities and their families. She has recruited and trained catechists and volunteers, and developed and nurtured SPRED centers at parishes across the diocese that help those with special needs to grow in faith.

Cheers for the champs!

Congratulations to all of the contestants who took part in the recent diocesan girls’ CYO (Catholic Youth Organization) volleyball playoffs. Special applause go to: Corpus Christi in Piedmont which defeated St. Theresa in Oakland (8th grade), 15-7, 15-9. The team from Corpus Christi was last year’s diocesan champions and the final game between the two teams was a rematch of last year’s 7th grade championship game.

In the 7th grade competition, St. Elizabeth in Oakland defeated Assumption in San Leandro, 15-10, 15-3. The team from St. Elizabeth was also last year’s 6th grade champion.

And in an exciting match featuring the 6th grade teams, Corpus Christi in Piedmont defeated St. Bede in Hayward 15-11, 8-15, 15-10, in a match that lasted three games. The playoffs were held at St. John Parish in El Cerrito, St. John Parish in San Lorenzo and St. Joachim Parish in Hayward.

Students help the homeless

Students at Our Lady of Guadalupe School in Fremont have been major contributors to the parish’s participation in the Tri Cities Homeless Coalition Winter Relief Program. Students in every class decorated a display board to welcome the families who arrived for their stay in the parish hall last month. They also supported two stuffed animal raffles by sixth graders that raised $540. The funds were used to purchase Food Max gift cards that they donated to the Winter Relief program

A new wine is born

A new wine, named for the late Christian Brother Timothy Diener, a longtime cellar master, will help continue his community’s support for education in the Bay Area.The Brother Timothy 2004 Mont La Salle Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon was officially released on Feb. 26 in Napa.

Handcrafted by Hess Collection from grapes harvested entirely from Mont La Salle Vineyards, the wine is available in limited quantities. All proceeds benefit the Lasallian Education Fund’s effort to continue helping at-risk youth transform their lives through education. For employees of Lasallian schools, a 30 percent discount is available. For more information or to place ordersgo to: www.lasallianeducation.org.

In the Oakland Diocese the Christian Brothers administer De La Salle High School in Concord, St. Mary’s College in Moraga and the Lasallian Educational Opportunities (LEO) Center, an Oakland-based program offering homework help and academic enrichment opportunities for youth in grades 6-12 and adult classes.

Around the Parishes

The parishes of the Alameda Deanery are offering adult enrichment programs during Lent through their School of Faith. Hour-long sessions are offered on Tuesdays at St. Albert the Great Parish, 1022 Holly St., with soup served at noon, followed by the presentation from 12:15-1:15 p.m., and again at 7 p.m. on Thursday nights in the Sablan Room at St. Joseph Basilica Parish, 1109 Chestnut St., after the Lenten Soup Meal. Freewill offerings accepted. For topics and speakers, see Datelines in this issue of The Voice. For more information, call Anne Marie at (510) 749-7158.

The Dominicans who administer St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Berkeley invite anyone who is interested to join them for Liturgy of the Hours, each weekday morning and evening before Mass. Morning prayer begins at 7:40 a.m. and evening prayer at 5:10 p.m. The church is located at 2005 Berryman St. in Berkeley.

Parish groups will honor St. Joseph, patron of workers and protector of the family, on his feast day, March 19 with the traditional St. Joseph Table. At St. Ignatius Parish in Antioch parishioners will gather for dinner at 6:30 p.m. The Italian Catholic Federation at St. Philip Neri Parish in Alameda will host its dinner following the 5 p.m. Mass.

Concord’s St. Bonaventure Parish recently welcomed Jenny Matteucci and Daniel Lockert as co-music directors. Matteucci has experience as a choir director and cantor, while Lockert plays both the piano and organ.

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Around the Schools

Congratulations to the 7th grade class at Our Lady of Grace School in Castro Valley which raised over $2,000 for Heifer International, an organization that donates revenue and food-producing animals to poor families throughout the world. The 7th graders divided into small groups, chose the animal they wished to buy, and then performed jobs for family, relatives and neighbors to raise the funds.

A standing ovation goes to Alameda’s St. Joseph Notre Dame High School Advanced Band Ensemble for their performance at the Campana Jazz Festival at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton last month. The band received a rating of “excellent” and two outstanding soloist awards were given to Amanda Meyer on piano for her solo of “What’d I Say?” and Bethiah Benson on flute for her solo on “Watermelon Man.”

Speaking of the gifted musicians at SJND, Bethiah Benson will play flute and Arielle Williams will play percussion in the festival band at the California Music Educators Association conference in Ontario, CA later this month. Recommended by music teacher Paula Cekola to participate in the event, the students will attend two days of rehearsal on March 15-16 and perform in a concert on March 17 at the Ontario Convention Center Grand Ballroom.

Congratulations to Kirt Gill, a senior at Moreau Catholic High School in Hayward, who has been named a National Merit Scholarship finalist.

Three cheers to the boys varsity basketball team at Moreau Catholic High which defeated Ft. Bragg High School 66-54 in the first round of the North Coast Section playoffs on Feb. 21. However, the Mariner boys saw their season end Feb. 24 at St. Mary’s High in Berkeley with a loss in the second round game, 71-41. The Mariner girls, seeded fourth, were also defeated on Feb. 24 with a loss to Piedmont High at home, 47-45. Before the stunning loss the Hayward team had been 23-3.

Terence Johnson and Victoria Leftridge, seniors at Salesian High School in Richmond, were among four students awarded a 2007 Dr. William B. King Scholarship for college as part of the Black History Awareness Celebration event held at the Chevron Richmond Refinery last month. The Salesian students were selected for demonstrating leadership and academic skills, and for community service. The students also submitted an essay on a particular event in black history that affected their lives.

Plans are underway to transform a seminar room at St. Mary’s College in Moraga and dedicate it to the memory of the Christian Brother DeSales Perez, who died in October 2003. Brother Perez developed the campus’ Collegiate Seminars program. The refurbished room will include a tribute to Brother Perez’s parents, Juan Emanuel and Espernza Orona Perez, whom the late educator credited with encouraging his work in education. The room will feature commissioned portraits of Perez’s parents donated by former students as well as a custom-designed table and 22 chairs.

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Among the Religious

The St. Mary’s College Community in Moraga gathered Feb. 13 to remember in prayer the late Christian Brother James Miller on the 25th anniversary of his murder. A native of Wisconsin, Brother Miller worked in Nicaragua and Guatemala in the 1970s and 1980s during times of much political turmoil. A skilled farmer, welder, carpenter, handyman and teacher and administrator, “Hermano Santiago” was targeted like many Church workers at that time for ministering to the poor and indigenous people of Guatemala. He was killed on Feb. 13, 1982.

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Names, News, Notes

Best wishes to Nimfa and Leo Esquibel, members of St. Bede Parish in Hayward, who celebrated the 70th anniversary of their marriage last month. Family and friends gathered for a Mass of Thanksgiving at St. Bede, followed by a reception and dinner at the Fremont Hilton. The Esquibels, who have lived in Hayward since 1969, have six children, 11 grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Congratulations also go to Alina and Ziggy Jarkiewicz, members at St. Anne Parish in Walnut Creek, and Patti and Dave Gross, members at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Concord, who are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary.

San Domenico branch 72 of the Italian Catholic Federation (ICF) in Pittsburg recently installed new officers: Roselynn Jarrett, president; Patty Jarrett, vice president; Josie Leontini, second vice president; Grace Scanapico, recording secretary; Joann Thilgen, financial secretary; Helen Politakes, treasurer; Janelyn Russo, orator. Trustees: Larry Bastian, Lacie Leontini, and Denny O’Loughlin. Eleanor O’Loughlin, sentinel. Roselynn Jarrett was also installed as president of the ICF Contra Costa District and she was elected to the Central Council during the annual ICF convention.

What’s on EWTN? Tune in for a special St. Patrick’s Day program “Dana Sings: Ireland’s Classic Melodies,” on March 17 at 1 p.m. Dana blends the beautiful scenery of her homeland with beloved melodies that celebrate Ireland, the Irish people, and their deep faith. Another special, “Witness to Hope,” is a moving documentary on the life and times of Pope John Paul II, which airs March 24 at 5 p.m. and 11 p.m. and March 29 at 10 a.m. (2 hours)

In addition, the Knights of Columbus 125th anniversary commemoration Mass will be telecast live from St. Mary’s Church in New Haven, Connecticut, on March 29 at 2 p.m. EWTN is carried 24-hours a day on Comcast Digital channel 229; DISH Satellite channel 261; and DirecTV channel 422; in Alameda on Comcast channel 30 and Alameda Power channel 26. Visit the website: www.ewtn.com for more programming information.

Next Voice: March 26. Send submissions, by March 14 to Carrie McClish, 3014 Lakeshore Ave., Oakland, 94610; phone: (510) 419-1074; fax: (510) 893-4734; e-mail: cmcclish@oakdiocese.org.

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