Proclaim the Good News

The Diocese of Fresno's Weekly Newsletter, published every Monday morning.

April 17, 2023

Office of the Bishop

The Grand Reopening of Catholic Charities in Merced

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Fresno celebrated the grand reopening of their Merced location!

Bishop Brennan blessed the renovated facility.

The City of Merced presented Catholic Charities with a Special Recognition! Pictured with Bishop Brennan is Jeff Negrete, Executive Director of Catholic Charities.

St. Rita's Dedication Mass

Did you mark your calendars yet? St. Rita's Dedication Mass is NEXT MONTH on Monday, May 22nd at 2:00pm! Join Bishop Brennan and St. Rita's Catholic Church in celebrating the Dedication of the New Church.

Livestream information will be available soon! Stay tuned at dioceseoffresno.org/st-ritas

Bishop Brennan wishes his Diocesan Staff a Happy Birthday

Office of Catholic Education

K-8 Registration Openings at Saint Ann School in Ridgecrest!

Kern District

Preschool Enrollment at Mary Immaculate Queen School in Lemoore!

Hanford District

Parish Focus

Holy Week Celebrations at St. Joseph's Church in Firebaugh

Fr. Rayanna Pudota would like to express his sincerest gratitude to all of his staff and volunteers from St. Joseph’s Church in Firebaugh for all the hard work and effort put into making Holy Week and Easter a memorable and meaningful experience for the entire parish. From the Masses to the play of the Passion and everything in between, may God Bless you and your families.

The Play of the Passion is available for viewing on our parish YouTube channel at “St. Joseph Catholic Church, Firebaugh."

Courtesy of Linda Antunez, Parish Office Manager

Divine Mercy Chaplet & 1st Holy Communion

St. Anthony of Padua Church, Fresno

Deacon Edgar Briseño and Deacon Ed Valdez led our annual Divine Mercy Chaplet at 2:30 p.m. on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 16th. Divine Mercy chaplet guides were made available in both English and Spanish.

We are pleased to announce our 2023 First Holy Communion schedule for our GIFT (Growing In Faith Together) children. Reception will be during various weekend Masses during the month of May to enable the faith community to join along with the family and friends to witness this joyous moment.

Courtesy of Ray Young, Director of Ministries at St, Anthony of Padua Church

Easter Vigil at

St. John's Cathedral in Fresno!

Courtesy of Monica Dinis, RCIA - St. John's Cathedral

Catechetical Ministries

The Catechetical Corner

After Easter

As we just celebrated the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, we know that it ended Holy Week, days in which we commemorated the crucifixion and death of Jesus on Good Friday and his resurrection and appearance before his disciples on Easter Sunday. After Easter, we will be in a period known as Easter Season, which lasts fifty days and ends on Pentecost Sunday.

But what happened after Easter many centuries ago when Mary Magdalene encountered the empty tomb for the first time and what does it mean for us?

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus conquered death forever. The stone was removed from the empty tomb and we were given new life in Christ. Jesus appeared to many and spent 40 days on earth after His resurrection. During this time, He eased the doubts of His followers and guided them for the future. Jesus did not cry out His love from heaven. He showed His love on earth. Today, He does the same. He is still near, ready to hear our pleas and heal our hearts.

Jesus was the model of community. Whether breaking bread, on the road to Emmaus, or having breakfast on the beach with His disciples, Jesus made time for His relationships. Jesus was never busy to stop and show that He cared. As His followers, we are called to intentionally serve people in our family, workplace and communities. Just like Jesus, we can prioritize our community and loved ones. We can center all our friendships on and around God's Word.

Article by Roman Flores, Catechetical Coordinator

Health & Nursing Ministry

Nurse Volunteers Needed at Obria Medical Clinics

Help Needed!

Obria Medical Clinics is looking for a team of volunteer OB/GYN or Labor and Delivery nurses willing to provide assistance to women within our clinic. We are looking for Registered Nurses or Nurse Practitioners (with active/current certifications/registrations) willing to work one or more days per week for a 3-4 hour shift, to provide patient education and other basic patient assistance.

Obria Medical Clinics is a new, pro-life OB/GYN clinic that provides care to lower-income persons in Fresno. Our provision of care is consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church. Our clinic is located at the southwest corner of Fresno and Barstow.

If you are interested, please contact Obria at 559-705-6911 or email a statement of interest along with a resume to [email protected] with the subject line NURSE VOLUNTEER.

Diocesan Retreat Centers

Summer Camps at Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center!

Join us for faith-filled fun this summer!

Make a splash in your summer and join the Summer Camps at Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center in Three Rivers!

The Jr. High and High School Camps are filled with fun, fellowship and faith!

Here's an inside look into the camps:

Presentations based on Biblical Stories
Carnival and Movie Nights
Horse Riding at Riata Ranch
and more!

Spread the word to the youth in your parish! For more information and to register, visit stteresitaycc.org/retreats-events.

Scholarships are available upon request.

Learn more!

Events

Event Name	Location	Time	More Info
Shrine Pilgrimage	Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima, Laton	April 16 - 23,2023	View the Flyer
Duruflé Requiem	St. Charles Borromeo Church, Visalia	April 30, 2023 4:30 PM	View the Flyer
Shrine Pilgrimage	Shrine of Our Lady of Miracles, Gustine	May 14 - 21, 2023	View the Flyer
33rd Annual Blessing of the Bikes	St. Helen's Church, Fresno	May 20, 2023	View the Flyer
St. Rita's Dedication Mass	St. Rita's Catholic Church, Tulare	May 22, 2023 2:00 PM	View the Flyer
Come Away Retreat	St. Anthony Retreat Center, Three Rivers	May 23 - 25, 2023	View the Flyer
6-Day Silent Directed Retreat	St. Anthony Retreat Center, Three Rivers	June 11 - 17, 2023	View the Flyer
Catholic Night at the Park	Chukchansi Park, Fresno	June 11, 2023 5:05 pm	View the Flyer
Jr. High Camp	Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center, Three Rivers	June 26 - 30, 2023	View the Flyer
Healing Retreat for Victims of Crime	St. Anthony Retreat Center, Three Rivers	July 8, 2023 8:00 AM-5:00 PM	View the Flyer
High School Camp	Santa Teresita Youth Conference Center, Three Rivers	July 31-Aug 4, 2023	View the Flyer
Women's Retreat	St. Anthony Retreat Center, Three Rivers	September 22 - 24, 2023	View the Flyer