April 23, 2007VOL. 45, NO. 8Oakland, CA

Stations of the Cross in Oakland
Ivan Nicolat portrays Jesus during a re-enactment of the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday, April 13, around the block adjacent to St. Elizabeth School. Franciscan Brother Jose Luis Nerio organized the passion play which involved many of the Oakland parish’s youth.
JOSE LUIS AGUIRRE PHOTO

Singing the Rosary

Liturgical composer Bob Hurd and Charles Rohrbacher, an Alaska-based iconographer, will visit the Oakland Diocese next month to conduct a multi-media version of the Rosary and a prayer workshop.

They will be joined by the Deo Gloria Choir of Fremont, directed by Sharon Xavier de Sousa, in presenting “A Contemplative Rosary” (The Glorious Mysteries) in word and song at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 40382 Fremont Blvd. in Fremont, May 4, at 7:30 p.m.

Icons of each mystery from the life of Christ will be projected while that mystery is being sung. A free-will offering ($10 suggested donation) will benefit the Respect Life Ministry of the Oakland Diocese.

The following day (May 5) Hurd and Rohrbacher will present a prayer workshop, “Lectio Divina: Praying the Paschal Mystery with Scripture, Icons, and Song” at the Holy Family Sisters chapel, 159 Washington Blvd., in Fremont. The workshop is open to anyone, but especially pastors, deacons, choir directors, cantors, choir members, musicians, liturgists, and catechists. Suggested donation: $20.

For more information about either event, contact Monika Rodman at Mrodman@oakdiocese.org, (510) 267-8394 or Sharon Xavier de Sousa at sxesousa@aol.com, (510) 796-1977.

Media missionaries gather

Shortly before Easter 85 Northern California Catholics, including many from East Bay parishes, gathered in San Francisco for an Eternal Work Television Network (EWTN) Day of Recollection for volunteers who promote the 24-hour Catholic TV network.

“It was very, very inspirational,” said Dick Duckart of St. Agnes Parish in Concord. “And it was wonderful to realize that you are not alone, that there are a lot of other people out there spreading the word about EWTN.”

Patricia Sawitsky, a member of St. Ambrose Parish in Berkeley, agreed, adding that it was a plus to meet Father Mark Mary and Brother Leo Mary from EWTN’s Alabama headquarters.

Those interested in learning more about EWTN’s Media Missionary Program may contact Duckart at (925) 676-8248.

Around the Parishes

Kate Peck, a cantor at All Saints Church in Hayward, performed her senior recital on April 22 at Mills College in Oakland with works by Messiaen, Handel, Webern, Strause and others. Peck’s mother used to be the pianist at All Saints and parishioners remember young Kate being placed in her baby carrier near the piano.

Oakland’s St. Jarlath Parish and the Oakland Community Organizations sponsored a free forum on immigration, April 22, in the parish hall. Immigration attorneys were on hand to provide individual consultations.

This month marks the 50th year since the current St. Leander Church was dedicated at 474 West Estudillo Ave. in San Leandro. The parish will celebrate the anniversary, April 27-29. Activities include: “Walking through the Windows,” an evening reflection on the church’s stained glass with Sister Armanda Santos, April 27 at 7 p.m.; a 50’s dance with live music by Mike and the Maniac in Ryan-O’Connell Hall, April 28 at 8 p.m. (entry is free with a plate for the finger food buffet); and a Mass of Thanksgiving, April 29 at 11 a.m. with a reception following. For more information: (510) 895-5631.

Members of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Union City will gather April 28 to mark the 100th anniversary of the first Mass that was celebrated in the parish. A semi-formal dinner will include special guests, Bishop Allen Vigneron, past parish priests and staff members. A small fireworks show on the parish grounds will follow the banquet. Originally a mission of two parishes, Holy Spirit Parish and Corpus Christi, both in Fremont, Our Lady of the Rosary officially became a parish in 1951.

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Around the Schools

Congratulations to Michael Baliton, a 7th grade student at St. Bede School in Hayward, who participated in the People to People World Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C., March 12-18, to study the characteristics of American leadership during times of national challenge and prosperity. Baliton earned high school credit for participating in the forum.

Two thumbs way up for Holy Rosary School in Antioch, which swept the recent Contra Costa Science and Engineering Fair. 8th grade winners: Kristen Artz, physical science for “Black Gold, Canadian Tea,” $350 in cash prizes, 1st place American Vacuum Society, 1st place Petroleum Engineers, 2nd place overall in junior division, Association for Women Geoscientist Award; Jessica Fleming and Kelsey Gay, physical science, “Give Me a Break,” $200 in cash prizes, Excellence in Electricity and Magnetism, Most Outstanding Exhibit in Materials Science, 2nd place overall in junior division; Nicolaas VanderKlugt and Chad Truesdell, engineering, “Hauling Out The Trash,” 3rd place in 8th grade biology; Alyza Dietzel, physical science, “Resist the Rust,” participant. 7th grade winners: Jackie Peterson, biological sciences, “It’s The Source of Course! How Different Sources of Water Affect Plant Growth,” $200 in cash prizes, U.S. Stockholm Junior Water prize, 1st place overall 7th grade, grand award junior division, Bio-Rad Laboratories Best Project junior division; Jordan Tebbets, physical science, “Alternate Power for Model Airplanes CO2 Solar,” $150 in cash prizes, 2nd place in 7th grade physical science, 2nd place Petroleum Engineers; Kaitie VanderKlugt, biological sciences, “Color Me Naturally,” 3rd place 7th grade biology; Leslie Creighton, biological sciences, “Now You See It, Now You Don’t,” 3rd place 7th grade, best project for International Society for Optical Engineering; Marcus Cardona, physical science, “To Stone or Not to Stone,” participation.

St. Catherine School in Martinez will honor long-time teacher Mary Bergamini, on May 26 with a Mass at 4:30 p.m. at the parish church followed by a reception. Bergamini, who is retiring at the end of this school year, has taught at the school for 33 years. Her daughter is also a teacher at the school and her granddaughter is in kindergarten there. Bergamini’s former students are invited to take part in the festivities. For more information, call (925) 957-1174 or e-mail: MSBERGAMINI@aol.com.

Three cheers to the cheerleaders at Salesian High School in Richmond who earned three national titles at the annual Jamz competition in Las Vegas last month. The 50-woman squad brought home two titles in show cheer, one in dance performance and three third-place awards in the novice team division.

At St. Joseph Notre Dame High School in Alameda, seniors Natalya Caraballo and Marcus DeFrantz were recently named scholarship winners by the East Bay Basketball Officials Association for their commitment to athletic and academic success. Caraballo’s first place award is $1,000 and DeFrantz received a $500 award; senior John Nguyen is a regional finalist in the 2007 Bank of America Achievement Awards Program, which honors seniors who demonstrate scholastic success, leadership ability, and participation in school and community activities.

All grandparents of current students or alumni at Salesian High School in Richmond are invited to the campus on May 24 for a celebration of Grandparents Day. The gathering will begin with an 8:15 a.m. Mass honoring Mary, Help of Christians, patron of the Salesians of Don Bosco. Breakfast and a visit to classes will follow the liturgy. For more information, contact Janet Wilks at (510) 234-4433, ext. 1204 or jwilks@salesian.com.

Are you a member of the Class of 1942 of Presentation High School in San Francisco? If the answer is “Yes!” you are invited to a 65th class reunion luncheon hosted by Cecelia Nihill Gaddini at Cityscape Restaurant at the Hilton in San Francisco on May 19. For more information, contact Helen Harwood, director of alumnae, at (415) 422-5015 or hharwood@pbvmsf.org.

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Names, News, Notes

Congratulations to Dave and Vi (Legge) Cary, members of St. Joseph Basilica Parish in Alameda, who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

The East Bay and Contra Costa Districts of the Italian Catholic Federation (ICF) held their annual Bishop’s Day Celebration on April 1 and presented Bishop Allen Vigneron with a spiritual bouquet and $3,750 for seminary support. ICF Grand President Leonard Rossi presented the bishop with an additional $2,000 check from the Sir Luigi and Lady Augusta Providenza Scholarship Fund, supported by ICF members in memory or honor of loved ones

Interested in helping to battle local hunger? People from across California will gather in Sacramento on May 8, Hunger Action Day, to meet with elected officials to seek solutions to ending hunger in the state. A bus coordinated by the Alameda County Community Food Bank will leave Oakland at 7 a.m. and return by 5:30 p.m. Registration deadline is April 27. Call: (510) 635-3663 x 307.

Next Voice: May 7. Send submissions, by April 25 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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