The Catholic Voice is the official newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland. As a public communication between bishop, clergy and laity of Alameda and Contra Costa counties, it shares in the Church’s mission to tell the good news of Jesus Christ in the context of today’s world.

Its purpose is to help Catholics reach a clearer understanding of the Church’s mission in the world through objective reporting, insightful columns and comment, challenging editorials and emphasizing news about events in the local church community. By providing a forum for the exchange of views it can also foster lay participation in the life of the Church.

It seeks to do this by informing, educating and inspiring its readers and inviting their response. By reflecting the great diversity within the local Catholic community it reinforces Christian respect for the dignity and human rights of all people.

The Catholic Voice informs

• By publishing news of Church activity on the international, national, state and local levels and by reporting those events, issues and problems which are particularly related to parishes, schools, institutions and departments within the diocese.
• Beyond relating the news, the Voice provides a Catholic perspective and insight into events already covered by the secular press, as well as issues which have an impact on the Catholic community but have not been adequately addressed in other forums.
• By providing the bishop with a vehicle through which to communicate his concerns, his priorities, the needs of the diocese and the assignments, activities and interest of local clergy and religious as well as the issues with which American bishops are dealing.
• By opening the paper as a forum through letters to the editor and by inviting discussion of topical issues of importance, whether civic, governmental, educational or religious.

The Catholic Voice educates

• By presenting and explaining the official teaching of the Church and broadening understanding of such teaching through national and local analyses and discussion.
• By an honest presentation of controversial issues.
• By helping readers understand how diverse are the ethnic and racial communities within the diocese.
• By reporting on and proposing solutions to problems of social justice (actively investigating and presenting problems of social justice and proposals for their solution).
• By recognition of ecumenical outreach on a local level as well as throughout the world and by informed reporting on other religious groups.

The Catholic Voice inspires

• By accounts of the dedicated religious lives in our midst, by attention to spiritual occasions, books, films and retreats, and by keeping alive an awareness of prayer, both private and in community.
• By making visible the vitality of the Catholic faith to the secular community within the two counties that form this diocese, clarifying the Church’s relationship to this larger community through its schools, its charities, its ideals of family life and its standards of moral and civic responsibility.
  

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