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We acknowledge that the land on which this diocese is built is the traditional territory of the Paiute, Kawaiisu, Tubatulabal, Yokuts, Chumash, Miwok, Chukchansi, Western Mono, and Me-Wuk people.
Let’s take a moment to honor these ancestral grounds that we are collectively gathered upon and support the resilience and strength that all Indigenous people have shown worldwide.
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Reconocemos que la tierra sobre la que está construida esta Diócesis es el territorio tradicional de los pueblos Piaute, Kawaiisu, Tubatulabal, Yokuts, Chumash, Miwok, Chukchansi, Western Mono y Me-Wuk.
Tomemos un momento para honrar estos terrenos ancestrales en los que estamos reunidos colectivamente y apoyar la resiliencia y la fuerza que todos los pueblos indígenas han demostrado en todo el mundo.
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Friday Reflection
As Christian men and women and even children, we find ourselves in a world where we have a responsibility to take care of our brothers and sisters who continue to go through troubled times and situations as we go on in life. Especially for those who cannot afford the basic necessities of life. When our Lord and Savior was preaching and teaching His hearers, He made sure that he emphasized the duty we all do owe to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Nowadays when we look around at what's going on both in our homes and all around us, we see that there are people who go through their day's activities without affording food, shelter, and even clothing. We are therefore reminded in the gospel of Matthew chapter 25 and verse 40, “ Truly I tell you, whatever you do for the least of these my brethren, you do it unto me”! When we think of this statement and look around, we are reminded of our responsibility to take special care of those of our numbers who benefit a whole lot from our soup kitchens that make extensive efforts to feed those who cannot afford the basic necessities of life. Day in, day out our brothers and sisters go to those spaces and have a meal a day, coupled with clothing and encouragement through prayers they continue to go on in life with faith in Christ, that there are men and women who care for those who cannot afford. This has become vital within our communities and we are reminded of it as a serious responsibility.
This phrase “Truly I tell you” is a solemn declaration used by Jesus to emphasize the truth and importance of His words. “The least of these” refers to those who are marginalized, vulnerable or in need. The context of the time placed a strong emphasis on hospitality and charity, especially towards those who could not repay. We are being challenged as believers to see Christ in every person, particularly those who are overlooked by society. This statement also identifies Jesus with the needy and suffering, illustrating the profound connections between acts of services to others and service to Christ Himself. We are to be reminded that when and if they were in their best, they wouldn't have been in these situations, so Jesus himself was moved with compassion so he made passionate pleas for help for them! We are encouraged even in our day and generation to be of great help to them as when the need arises. This verse, which is a part of the parable of the sheep and the goats, continues as a reminder of how we treat those in need, particularly those within the Christian community. It is also our true relationship with Christ and will be a basis for judgement at the final judgement. We never know or can tell what these great help can be to those of our brothers and sisters. May God continue to give us the necessary graces to help as and when necessary. It is our hope that we continue to help and provide for those in need as we “look back and continue to move forward with FAITH AND HOPE”.
The Rev. Christian Hagan is an Associate Priest at St Anne's Episcopal Church in Stockton.
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Memorial Service for Archdeacon George Cano
Archdeacon George will be remembered at a service at St Paul's, Modesto, at 11am on Saturday September 20th 2025.
Clergy are invited to robe with white stole. A light lunch will follow the service.
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August 31
Bishop Visitation @ St Clare's Avery
September 2
COM Meeting on ZOOM @ 7:30pm
September 6
COM Day of Discernment, 11am-3pm, St James Cathedral
September 7
Canon Supply @ St James Fresno
September 8
RESOLUTIONS TO CONVENTION DUE!
September 8-16
Bp David @ House of Bishops
Dominican Republic
September 11-14
Meet & Greets for Bishop Nominees
(see above for more information)
September 19-20
Joint Commission Retreat @ ECCO
Registration for Women's Retreat Closes (Sept 19)
September 21
Bishop Visitation @ St Matthew's San Andreas
Canon Visitation @ St John's Stockton
September 22
Lay Preaching 101 on ZOOM
6:30pm
September 24
NOMINATIONS FOR POSITIONS VOTED ON AT CONVENTION DUE!
September 26-28
Interfaith Movement for Human Integrity Pilgrimage
(see above for information)
September 28
Bishop Visitation @ St James Fresno
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For Truth-Telling and the Defense of Human Rights
God of truth and justice, your formed humanity in your image and called us to walk in your ways. As governing authorities retreat from their role in identifying and ending human rights abuses, we ask for your guidance as the church continues speaking out and acting to defend those harmed and at risk. Strengthen us to speak with courage, to defend the powerless, and to proclaim your kingdom where righteousness and peace are embraced. Inspire governing authorities to use their power rightly for the common good, so that all nations may reflect your compassion and justice. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Al-Ahli Hospital and All Who Serve in War Zones
God of mercy and healer of all, we pray for the staff of al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza, who risk their lives to uphold the sacred duty of care. As they tend to all who come to them wounded, we grieve assaults that have killed and injured many in a place of healing. Guard them and all who serve in hospitals and clinics under fire, that their ministry of healing may continue without fear of attack. We remember the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, meant to shield the sick and those who care for them, and we cry out for accountability, protection, and peace. Strengthen your church, oh Christ, to lift its voice in advocacy, and to walk in steadfast solidarity with all who suffer in war. Amen.
For Peace in Myanmar
God of mercy, you created us to live in harmony, and your peace surpasses all understanding. We lift before you the people of Myanmar, longing for safety, justice, and hope. Let your Spirit breathe healing upon this land. Protect those who suffer—the displaced, the hungry, and the grieving. May your kingdom come, and your will be done, in Myanmar and in all the Earth. Through Jesus Christ, our Prince of Peace, Amen.
For Victims of Terror and Those Who Seek Peace
Almighty God, source of justice and our everlasting hope, through your prophet Isaiah you spoke of a day when terror shall give way to peace. We mourn with all communities shattered by violence, where lives are stolen, and fear thrives in darkness. Comfort those who grieve and shelter the wounded in your mercy. Strengthen all who stand for justice and peace in places torn by hatred. Guide leaders and neighbors alike to reject vengeance and pursue reconciliation. Give us courage to name evil, faith to hold fast to your promises, and love to overcome fear. Through Jesus Christ, our light in the darkest hour. Amen.
EPPN in now offering weekly prayers that you can add to your personal and church prayer lists!
To subscribe go to: https://www.episcopalchurch.org/ministries/office-government-relations/eppn-sign-up/
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Is God Calling You to Ministry? Join Us for a Day of Discernment
Are you feeling a tug toward something deeper in your spiritual journey? Do you sense a call to serve God in a new way, whether in lay ministry, the diaconate, or the priesthood?
The Episcopal Diocese of San Joaquin and its Commission on Ministry (COM) invite you to a special Day of Discernment. This free event is a sacred opportunity for anyone curious about their vocation in the Church to learn, reflect, and ask questions in a supportive environment.
Understanding Discernment
The word discernment comes from a Latin root meaning "to separate or distinguish." In a spiritual context, it is the prayerful process of listening for God's voice and guidance in your life. It's about separating your own desires from what God may be calling you to do. The journey of discernment is not always a straight path; it often involves prayer, reflection, conversation with trusted mentors, and an openness to where the Holy Spirit is leading you.
This conference is designed to give you the tools and space you need to begin or continue this important work. It is an opportunity to move from a feeling or a "tug" to a clearer understanding of your call, whatever it may be.
Attendees will have the chance to:
· Learn about various ministry paths within the Episcopal Church.
· Hear from both clergy and lay leaders who are actively serving.
· Better understand the formal process of discernment and ordination.
· Engage in personal and group reflection on their spiritual call.
This conference is ideal for anyone who feels a calling to serve in a deeper way, parish leaders interested in supporting others in their discernment, and individuals simply curious about their vocation.
Event Details:
What: Day of Discernment
Who: Hosted by the Commission on Ministry
When: Saturday, September 6, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Where: St. James Episcopal Cathedral, 4147 E Dakota Ave, Fresno, CA 93726
Cost: This is a free event, and a complimentary lunch will be provided.
To help with planning, please RSVP by contacting Nancy Silva at nnsilvalcsw@gmail.com and providing the following information.
First Name:
Last Name:
Email Address:
Telephone:
Name of your home parish or mission:
We look forward to seeing you there to take the first step toward discovering your ministry.
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A prayer for the season of Pentecost
Holy and Great father, you. Created all things and love all that you created.
Your children are divided and have turned against one another. Many live their lives in fear. As you sent our spirit to teach and comfort the first disciples 0n that first Pentecost we ask today for your spirit. May your spirit touch our leaders filling them with knowledge and compassion. May your spirit touch those in fear filling them with comfort and strength and may it give strength courage to your church to be able to walk in solidarity with those in need. We ask all of this through your son our brother Jesus Christ. Amen.
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God without borders
There are two reasons that led me to write on this topic: the first is that in August 2008 we arrived in this country full of hopes, dreams, and projects, and overwhelmed by the nostalgia of leaving our homeland. And the second is the hopelessness and uncertainty we are currently experiencing, not only in the United States, but throughout the world.
We have been a very adventurous, or unstable, couple, as some friends and family call us, but that desire to experiment and discover new horizons led me to find God, the only one who has never abandoned us. I remember how I felt in this beautiful and dangerous country. I think it is very difficult for an adult to integrate into other worlds, to the point where I began to lose my own identity in the desire to please those who were part of my husband's first congregation at the Episcopal Church of Los Angeles, where we were judged, rejected, accused, and forced to do things outside our customs.
There were times when I thought about returning to my country, but God was always with me, opening borders and giving me proof of his infinite love. So, I found strength and moved forward, trying to be an example of perseverance for my daughters and supporting my husband in his ministry. Like many servants of God, he found himself alone with a bunch of keys to open and close doors and solve problems that others had left behind. He was only looking for a way to support his family, who had left everything behind to follow him. We worked hard day and night to move forward with God as our banner, and each of us began to find our own path.
Then, a new change occurred in our lives, which separated us as a family. We had to emigrate from California to Connecticut. It was a very difficult change in every way. We met people from other countries with very different customs and traditions. We lived through the terrible COVID pandemic, where we were forced into confinement and could only see each other through screens (oh, blessed technology!). We feel immense and inexplicable sorrow. The streets were completely silent. We only saw sad faces, fearful of death, food shortages, and, of course, the abuse of merchants who raised the prices of everything, as well as of hospitals and clinics that couldn't cope with so many sick and dying people. Some wanted to escape and run to their loved ones but there was no way out, the world was sick, the borders were closed, I lost my mother to whom I could not say goodbye, but there was God among us, in the middle of the crowd raising his flag saying do not give up this is just one more proof of my love for all of you, a love that makes no distinction of skin color or language, nor between poor and rich, because in those moments money was of no use, not even to obtain enough oxygen for all the sick, because there simply was not any.
Sometime later, we had to return to our beloved California in search of new horizons to be closer to our daughters. My husband found a new opportunity in the Diocese of San Joaquin, and there I understood that God has no borders, that there are good people willing to support others, who fight to keep their churches open, despite the injustices we experience today. For the first time, I felt included in my Church, and thanks to that, my faith, my commitment to it, and my love for God have been strengthened. The God who does not deport His people, the God of open arms and open borders for all who choose to follow Him. Amen.
This song inspired me, and it's called, “Tu Bandera” by Jesús Adrián Romero which conveys the theme of finding solace and guidance in faith during of confusion, symbolized by the metaphor of flag rising like the sun, guiding the individual towards love and the cross. https://youtu.be/Fo2oxhPnrBQ?si=WSGN_qI6nXBIOag0
Tu Bandera
Como en un país extraño
Me encontré sin ti
No entendía el idioma
Ni las cosas que viví
Y corrí a buscar sin ver
Tu rostro entre la gente
Y aún sin conocerte
Convencido estaba de encontrarte a ti
De encontrarte a ti
Y en medio de mi confusión se alzaba tu bandera
Se enarbolaba como el Sol diciéndome que fuera
Y a ti te siguiera
Y así me refugié en la cruz y en tu bendito amor
Nunca imaginé la vida que ahora vivo en ti
Ni la gracia que me diste, cuando a ti volví
Más ahora sé que en ti yo tengo lo que anhelo
Tengo vida plena tengo paz eterna
Si te tengo a ti
Si te tengo a ti
Y en medio de mi confusión se alzaba tu bandera
Se enarbolaba como el Sol diciéndome que fuera
Y a ti te siguiera
Y así me refugié en la cruz y en tu bendito amor
Your Flag
As if in a strange country
I found myself without you
I didn't understand the language
Nor the things I experienced
And I ran to search without seeing
Your face among the people
And even without knowing you
I was convinced of finding you
Of finding you
And amid my confusion your flag rose
It rose like the sun telling me to go
And follow you
And so, I took refuge in the cross and in your blessed love
I never imagined the life I now live in you
Nor the grace you gave me when I returned to you
But now I know that in you I have what I long for
I have full life, I have eternal peace
If I have you
If I have you
And amid my confusion your flag rose
It rose like the sun telling me to go
And follow you
And so, I took refuge in the cross and in your blessed love
Ms. Patricia Pallares is the spouse of Padre Jorge Pallares in Ridgecrest. For more information on SJRAISE, reach out to Jonathan Partridge and Emily Burnias at sjraise@diosanjoaquin.org.
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Sanctuary People Resource List
Below are resources to support the immigrant community. This resource list will be updated as more resources are created and needs changes.
https://bit.ly/SanctuaryPeopleResources
Family Preparedness: helping immigrant and mixed status families make a plan in case of family separation due to ICE arrest
Rapid Response:
Know Your Rights for possible encounters with immigration authorities.
Sanctuary Resources:
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As we follow the news of the National Guard deployment to US cities and the attack on the legal scholars and systems, with mixed emotions, we can take comfort in resources curated by the Law Deans.
In a world grappling with racial injustice, the Association of American Law Schools (AALS) has created a powerful resource: the Law Deans Antiracist Clearinghouse. This webpage, born in 2020 out of a response to protests and violence against Black people, provides a multi-phase approach for legal scholars and leaders to engage in meaningful antiracism work.
The clearinghouse is a comprehensive toolkit, which emphasizes that antiracist action requires a continuous, long-term commitment.
This collection of resources reminds us that the work of justice is a journey, and we are not alone in our efforts. It provides a structured path for us to learn, lead, and grow together in the pursuit of a more just and equitable society.
Below are a few recommendations from the Anti-Racism Commission, curated from the resource webpage of the Law Dean Clearinghouse webpage.
Books
· James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
· John Hope Franklin and Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans – High School Edition – Sample Chapter
· bell hooks, Ain’t I A Woman: Black Women and Feminism
· Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me
· Toni Morrison, The Origin of Others – Sample Chapter
· Nell Irvin Painter, The History of White People – YouTube Video
· Angela Y. Davis, The Meaning of Freedom – Sample Pages
· Derrick Bell, Space Traders – Sample Pages
· Ibram X. Kendi, How to be an Antiracist – Sample Pages
· Brittney Cooper, Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower
· Clay Smith, Jr., Emancipation: The Making of the Black Lawyer 1844-1944
· Patrice Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandale, When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir
· Meera E. Deo, Unequal Profession: Race and Gender in Legal Academia – YouTube Video
Articles
· Kimberlé Crenshaw, Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex
· Melissa Murray, Law School in a Different Voice
· Cheryl Harris, Whiteness as Property (PDF)
· Angela Onwuachi-Willig, Trauma of the Routine
· Ta-Nehisi Coates, First White President
· Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Case for Reparations
Websites
· Lonnie G. Bunch III, The Smithsonian Institution and discussion with Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden
· Bryan Stevenson, Equal Justice Initiative
· Sherrilyn Ifill, NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Music
· Gil Scott Heron, The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
· Bob Marley, War
· Billie Holiday, Strange Fruit
· Miguel, How Many
· Common and John Legend, Glory
· Daye Jack and Killer Mike, Hands Up
· Lauryn Hill, Black Rage
· Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Jamila Woods, White Privilege II
· Public Enemy, Fight the Power
· KRS One, Sound of da Police
· Meek Mill, Trauma
· Meek Mill and Justin Timberlake, Believe
Art
· David Driskell, University of Maryland David Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts & Culture of African Americans & the Africana Diaspora
· Theaster Gates, The potter and social activist and his TED Talk
· Dianne Smith, Harlem-based artist and social activist
· Amos Paul Kennedy, Jr., Former IBM Executive turned print artist
Source: https://www.aals.org/antiracist-clearinghouse/ - 8/25/2025 The curators,
Deans Danielle M. Conway, Danielle Holley-Walker, Kimberly Mutcherson, Angela Onwuachi-Willig, and Carla D. Pratt
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4147 East Dakota Avenue
Fresno, California 93726
209-576-0104
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