Our neophytes (a Greek word meaning “new plant” now it is referred to the newly baptized adults from Easter Vigil) are undergoing the mystagogical stage fo their formation. Mystagogy is an old process in the Catholic tradition dating from the 4th century and it is described as the final stage of the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (OCIA) in the Catholic Church. It begins after the Easter Vigil, when new Catholics called "neophytes" have received the sac- raments of Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation. This period usually lasts throughout the Easter Season until Pentecost. The purpose of mystagogy is to help the newly initiated deepen their understanding of the mysteries of faith and integrate into the Christian community. It involves reflecting on the sacraments, participating in the liturgy, and growing in their relationship with Christ. While mystagogy is formally associated with new Catholics, it is also a lifelong process for all believers, as faith is an ongoing journey. CLICK HERE to view and download the 2025 Easter Vigil Mass Photos

Bishop Rey will be one year ordained as an auxiliary bishop of Sacramento on May 31st. He requested to have a simple celebration for his anniversary in St. Paul on May 30th. He will celebrate the Holy Mass at 6:00 PM and will be followed by a simple reception at our Parish Hall. Let us join him in this celebration. We thank God with him in the Holy Mass for the gift of service and episcopacy. We bring our food (potluck) and share it with each other. Let us show our hospitality and generosity for him and his lauda- ble service to the diocese and to the whole church.

April 26, 2025 at 6:00 PM First Reconciliation of 1st Communicants (Eng.) May 1, 2025 at 6:00 PM First Communion Mass Rehearsal (Eng.) May 3, 2025 at 9:30 AM First Communion Mass (Eng.) May 5, 2025 at 6:00 PM First Reconciliation of 1st Communicants (Sp.) May 8, 2025 at 6:00 PM First Communion Mass Rehearsal (Eng.) May 10, 2025 at 9:30 AM First Communion Mass (Eng.) May 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM CFF Catechists' and Families' Appreciation Day May 19, 2025 at 6:00 PM Confirmation Rehearsal May 21, 2025 at 6:00 PM Confirmation Mass

The Divine Mercy devotion in the Catholic Church traces its origins to the visions and messages received by St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun, between 1931 and 1938. She recorded these revelations in her Diary, where she described Jesus appearing to her and instructing her to spread the message of God’s mercy to the world. One of the most significant aspects of this devotion is the Divine Mercy image, which Jesus asked her to have painted, de- picting Him with rays of red and white light emanating from His heart. The devotion includes several key elements: - The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, a prayer Jesus taught St. Faustina in 1935. - The Feast of Divine Mercy, celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter, which Jesus said was a day of special graces. - The Hour of Mercy, observed at 3 PM, recalling the time of Jesus’ death on the cross. Initially, the devotion faced opposition, and in 1959, the Vatican banned its spread due to concerns about the authenticity of St. Faustina’s writings. However, in 1978, the ban was lifted, largely due to the efforts of Karol Wojtyła, the future Pope John Paul II, who became a strong advo- cate for the devotion. In 2000, he canonized St. Faustina and officially established Divine Mercy Sunday as a feast day for the universal Church. https://www.thedivinemercy.org/message/devotions/ chaplet-history

It’s Mother’s Day on May 11th. It is always good to remember our mothers on that day for all the love, care and sacri- fices they gave and still giving to us. Their maternal instinct is a gift that is given to them by God that men could never commensurate. That makes them uniquely created by God for a lifetime role that they are vested to do. There are Mother’s Day envelopes by the entrances of the church if you wish to offer prayers for your mothers, alive or deceased. The envelopes will be on the altar, and they will be prayed to at every mass that is celebrated in the church. Advanced Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers.

​We welcome and congratulate our neophytes and candi- dates who received the Initiation Sacraments this Easter. NEOPHYTES: Daniel Bravo-Lara, Melissa Bravo Lara Alexander Munoz, Alonzo Munoz, Eloisa Landeros Vazquez, Jason Wayne Wong, Desirée Priscila González NEWLY INCORPORATED CATHOLICS: Camila Almanza Avelina Alvarado Christian Jacob Andujar Ariana Cabral Moreno Mia Abbygale Carbonel Dylan Madison Carbonel Gabrielle Dang Remalie Joy Dapanas Jacob Delgado Francisco Dominguez Jr. Lilliana Dominguez Saul Escalante Amee Fang Yaretzy Garcia Teresa Campos Gonzales Ricardo Arellano Gonzales Shawn Brendan Ignacio Danne Marie Laquian Alan Moran Adriana Murgo Tyler Nguyen Jocelyn Oceguera-Jimenez Anthony Ramirez Estrada Antonietta Domingo Ramos Khang Tran Michael Colin White Mai Chue Zing Yang Cuauhtémoc Mendoza Emma Juliana Avalos Ernesto Galván Javier Mendoza Juan Felipe Iñiguez Ilsia Lizeth Escobar Mónica Gabriela Garcia Santiago González Jr Yadir Zavala Yoselím Cervantes Brandon José Martínez Dafne Itzel del Rio Jason Ottoniel Rosales Mayra Arely Ramírez Salvador Joshet Bailón Víctor Daniel Vieyra Naschby Rosalía Bailón ​ May you continue to persevere and to grow in your faith as you attend the Sacraments regularly and actively participate in the Church activities as being disciples of Christ to build his kingdom on earth. Remember you are anointed and you participate in the Prophetic, Kingly and Priestly ministry of Christ.

OUR THANKS GO TO all those who helped with our Li- turgical programs for the Lenten Season, Holy Week and Easter Triduum: • Fr. Luis Urrego, Deacon Antonio, Sister Cristina, Lina Marco, Consuelo Gutierrez and all in CFF Staff and catechists. • Parish Pastoral Council and Finance Council • Our dedicated OCIA teams in English and Spanish, the neophytes and the newly received members of our church, their families and sponsors. • Our church and parish hall decorators for the Holy Week and Easter Triduum: Lucy Laforteza, Millie Brooks, Josefina Nicolas, Ana Quijas, Carmen Ramirez, Blanca Vasquez and others to name only a few. • All our Ministers: our dedicated Sacristans Mr. Primo Atienza and Catalino Baxa, our Master of Ceremo- nies for the Triduum, Mr. Philip DeLeon; the different Choirs, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Hospitality, Altar Servers of both the English and Spanish congregations; Knights of Columbus and Catholic Daughters of the Americas. • To the team of Dale Yamamoto and Manuel Garcia and the volunteers to operate our slides and livestream for the Holy Mass. • To Dylan Pletcher who generously and patiently set up the lights in the parish hall for our Holy Thursday evening adoration. • To all volunteers in the preparation and during the Holy Week and Triduum. • To all those who donated Easter lilies for decoration. • To all our sponsors for the “Bread and Soup” dinner after the Stations of the Cross • To all those donated Easter lilies for decorations • To all of you parishioners of St. Paul for your undying support to the activities of our church and your con- stant prayers • We are all Easter people. We continue to live it with our undying faith in God. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES. HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!

We are well into the Jubilee Year – Pilgrims of Hope! We encourage you and your family to continue living the Jubilee throughout this year. One of the ways to do this is to reflect upon the three themes for the Jubilee introduced by Bishop Soto: 1) To See God; 2) To Be Living Stones in His Temple, and 3) To Unite All Creation in Christ. Each quarter of 2025, we will be focus on a specific theme. Between now until the end of March, we invite you to reflect upon the 1st theme: To See God inspired by the scripture passage from 1 John 3:2-3, “We shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure as he is pure.” For reflection and prayer resource, please visit www.scd.org/ Jubilee2025 to access these materials.

With faith in the risen Lord, Rev. Fr. Felipe H. Paraguya passed away on Thursday, December 19, 2024 in the Philippines. He was 87 years old. Fr. Paraguya served the Diocese for over 20 years. He stayed in St. Paul Parish for the remaining years of his service to the diocese as a Priest-in-residence. He loved St. Paul Church. He donated much of his financial savings to the Parish. Whenever he had a fund raising in his name, he donated everything to the Parish. He spent his time helping out in the sacramental life and activities of the Parish. Please pray for the repose soul of Fr.Felipe H. Paraguya. May you rest in peace Father Ipeng. NOTES OF CONDOLENCES: GRACE CAPULONG (NIECE ) 3793 FAIRFAX WAY SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94080

RESPECT LIFE TEAM INVITES MORE VOLUNTEERS. Now's the time to get involved saving lives of Unborn Children from abortion! We are looking for parishioners from ALL masses. Our projects are ...Sacramento March for Life; Forty Days for Life; Baby Goods Donations; Spiritual Adoption; End of Life issues; Advance Directives, and more!! Learn as you join, no experience needed, just the desire to express your Pro-Life self! Call or text John and Lynn at 916-500.1485 or email to [email protected]. God Bless and Thank You! Lynn and John Bertaut.

BABY GOODS COLLECTIONS RETURN - For the remainder of Feb and until the end of March, we are once again collecting donations of new baby goods. All donations are given to one of the following: The Bishop Gallegos Maternity Home, the Sacramento Life Center, The Gabriel Project. Help save the life of an unborn baby by helping Moms in a Crisis Pregnancy with your donations. Thank you and God Bless you. Please place your donations of NEW articles in one of the two playpens in the vestibules of the church. Your Parish Respect Life Team MARCH FOR LIFE COMES TO SACRAMENTO! That's right! It is planned for Monday, March 31st. It will begin at Noon with a Rally at 1315 10th St in Sacramento. The March will begin at 1 PM on N St. to 15th St, go to L St and end mid-block at 10th Street. Please mark the date on your calendar and as we get more details about The March we shall share them with you. Meantime please share this info with our friends and family on social media. Your Parish Respect Life Team. RESPECT LIFE TEAM INVITES MORE VOLUNTEERS. Now's the time to get involved saving lives of Unborn Children from abortion! We are looking for parishioners from ALL masses. Our projects are ...Sacramento March for Life; Forty Days for Life; Baby Goods Donations; Spiritual Adoption; End of Life issues; Advance Directives, and more!! Learn as you join, no experience needed, just the desire to express your Pro-Life self! Call or text John and Lynn at 916-500.1485 or email to [email protected]. God Bless and Thank You! Lynn and John Bertaut

As Pope Francis opened the Jubilee Year of Hope at the Vatican for the whole Catholic Church, we are encouraged to have a pilgrimage and receive the blessing of this Jubilee year. In the pamphlets that you picked up last Christmas, we have recommended ways to do during this Jubilee Year. One of them is to visit the designated churches of the diocese and make a pilgrimage. There are corresponding stickers of the churches that you would paste on them once you visit any designated church. Let us make ourselves pilgrim of hope as we journey through this Holy Year with much intent in our spiritual life.

Dear St. Paul Parish Family, Advent and Christmas are joyous seasons when we remember and celebrate the start of the unfolding of the mysteries of our salvation. We wait for the return of Christ to fully establish the perfect kingdom of God. On Christmas, we joyfully celebrate his first coming as he warms our hearts and souls. May the Son of God dwell in our homes and hearts as we acknowledge Him as our King and Savior. May His peace and love be the spirit that would fill all our days and the new year. May this Christmas and the coming New Year be blessed ones for all of us. In the name of the Parish Pastoral Council, Parish Finance Committee, Liturgical Committee, the Parish Office Staff and Religious Education, we all say: O come Immanuel and be born again in our hearts and families that we may truly live our faith. Advanced Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year to you! In the Word Incarnate, Rev. Joyle Martinez Pastor Schedule of Advent, Christmas Seasons: Christmas Masses: December 24 3:20 CFF Christmas Pageant 4:00 PM – Children Christmas Eve Mass 7:00 PM – Christmas Eve Mass 8:15 PM – Syro-Malabar Mass (Indian) 10:30 PM – Christmas Eve Mass December 25 9:00 AM – Christmas Mass 11:00 AM – Christmas Mass 1:00 PM – Christmas Mass (Spanish) Feast of the Holy Family December 28 December 29 2:45 PM Confession 4:00 PM Holy Family Vigil Mass 7:30 AM Holy Family Mass 9:00 AM Holy Family Mass 11:00 AM Holy Family Mass 1:00 PM Holy Family Mass (Spanish) Masses for the Solemnity of the Mother of God: December 31 6:30 PM – New Year’s Eve Mass January 1 9:00 AM – New Year’s Mass 11:00 AM – New Year’s Mass 1:00 PM – New Year’s Mass (Spanish) Masses for Epiphany of the Lord: January 4 January 5 2:45 - Confession 4:00 PM – Vigil English Mass 7:30 AM - English 9:00 AM – English 11:00 AM – English 1:00 PM – Spanish

The Filipino Apostolate of the diocese has made St. Paul Parish as the host of the 2024 Simbang Gabi Commissioning on December 7, 2024 at the 4:00 PM Mass. We are honored to be chosen to host this religious event. The bishop celebrates the Holy Mass and commissions all the parishes of the diocese which are doing the traditional Filipino Simbang Gabi in December. There were an estimated 24 parishes from all over the diocese who came to attend the commissioning. After the mass and commissioning, everyone came together in fellowship in the Rev. Nicholas Duggan Hall to celebrate the occasion. CLICK HERE to access photos of this annual commissioning held this year at St Paul. With great appreciation to Paul Pham for these memories, Thank You Paul!

On May 9, 2024, Pope Francis announced the Jubilee Year 2025 with a papal bull called Spes non confundit, which translates to "hope does not disappoint". The Jubi- lee Year began on Christmas Eve, 2024, when the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica opened, and will end on De- cember 28, 2025, when the Holy Doors of St. John Later- an, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul's Outside the Walls close. The Jubilee Year will conclude in Rome on January 6, 2026. I am inviting you to participate in a pilgrimage that seeks to renew your faith, grow in holiness and recharge your Hope. For more information, contact the parish office or Fr. J. Martinez. Dates Changed: June 16-25, 2025.

In re: The Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento, Case No. 24-21326 U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California Notice of Deadline for Filing Claims: October 1, 2024 YOU MAY HAVE A SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM OR OTHER CLAIM AGAINST THE DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO On April 1, 2024, The Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento aka Diocese of Sacramento filed a chapter 11 bankruptcy petition for protection under title 11 of the United States Code. If you were sexually abused by any person connected with the Diocese, you must file a claim so as to be received by October 1, 2024, or otherwise you will be forev- er barred, estopped, and enjoined from asserting such claim against the Diocese. Claims based on acts or omissions of the Diocese that occurred before April 1, 2024, must be filed on or before October 1, 2024, even if such claims are not now fixed, liquidated, or certain or did not mature or become fixed, liquidated, or certain before April 1, 2024. In re: El Obispo Católico Romano de Sacramento, Caso No. 24-21326 Tribunal de Bancarrota de los Estados Unidos Para el Distrito Este de California Notificación de fecha límite para presentar reclamaciones: 1 de Octubre de 2024 USTED PUEDE TENER UNA DEMANDA DE ABUSO SEXUAL U OTRA DEMANDA CONTRA LA DIÓCESIS DE SACRAMENTO El 1 de abril de 2024, el Obispo Católico Romano de Sacramento, también conocido como Diócesis de Sacra- mento, presentó una petición de bancarrota del capítulo 11 para obtener protección bajo el título 11 del Código de los Estados Unidos. Si usted fue abusado sexualmente por cualquier persona relacionada con la Diócesis, debe presentar su reclamo para que se reciba antes del 1 de octubre de 2024, o de lo contrario, se le prohibirá y excluirá para siempre hacer valer dicha reclamación contra la Diócesis. Las reclamaciones basadas en actos u omisiones de la Diócesis que ocurrieron antes del 1 de abril de 2024, deben presentarse el 1 de octubre de 2024 o antes, incluso si dichas reclamaciones no están ahora fijas, liq- uidadas o ciertas o no se vencieron o se volvieron fijas, liquidadas o ciertas antes del 1 de abril de 2024. For more information on how to file a claim or about the bankruptcy, please visit: https://www.donlinrecano.com/ rcbsacramento, or contact the Debtor’s claims agent Donlin, Recano, & Company, Inc. via email at rcbsacra- [email protected] or by phone at 1-866-714- 7301; or visit the Debtor’s website at https://scd.org and follow the links for Chapter 11 filing.

In re: The Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento, Case No. 24-21326 U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of California Notice of Deadline for Filing Claims: October 1, 2024 YOU MAY HAVE A SEXUAL ABUSE CLAIM OR OTHER CLAIM AGAINST THE DIOCESE OF SACRAMENTO On April 1, 2024, The Roman Catholic Bishop of Sacramento aka Diocese of Sacramento filed a chapter 11 bankruptcy petition for protection under title 11 of the United States Code. If you were sexually abused by any person connected with the Diocese, you must file a claim so as to be received by October 1, 2024, or otherwise you will be forev- er barred, estopped, and enjoined from asserting such claim against the Diocese. Claims based on acts or omissions of the Diocese that occurred before April 1, 2024, must be filed on or before October 1, 2024, even if such claims are not now fixed, liquidated, or certain or did not mature or become fixed, liquidated, or certain before April 1, 2024. In re: El Obispo Católico Romano de Sacramento, Caso No. 24-21326 Tribunal de Bancarrota de los Estados Unidos Para el Distrito Este de California Notificación de fecha límite para presentar reclamaciones: 1 de Octubre de 2024 USTED PUEDE TENER UNA DEMANDA DE ABUSO SEXUAL U OTRA DEMANDA CONTRA LA DIÓCESIS DE SACRAMENTO El 1 de abril de 2024, el Obispo Católico Romano de Sacramento, también conocido como Diócesis de Sacra- mento, presentó una petición de bancarrota del capítulo 11 para obtener protección bajo el título 11 del Código de los Estados Unidos. Si usted fue abusado sexualmente por cualquier persona relacionada con la Diócesis, debe presentar su reclamo para que se reciba antes del 1 de octubre de 2024, o de lo contrario, se le prohibirá y excluirá para siempre hacer valer dicha reclamación contra la Diócesis. Las reclamaciones basadas en actos u omisiones de la Diócesis que ocurrieron antes del 1 de abril de 2024, deben presentarse el 1 de octubre de 2024 o antes, incluso si dichas reclamaciones no están ahora fijas, liq- uidadas o ciertas o no se vencieron o se volvieron fijas, liquidadas o ciertas antes del 1 de abril de 2024. For more information on how to file a claim or about the bankruptcy, please visit: https://www.donlinrecano.com/ rcbsacramento, or contact the Debtor’s claims agent Donlin, Recano, & Company, Inc. via email at rcbsacra- [email protected] or by phone at 1-866-714- 7301; or visit the Debtor’s website at https://scd.org and follow the links for Chapter 11 filing.

English Baptism on July 27, 2024 ​ CKEORI BHENYL PAMITTAN LOTEYRO ANDREW JOSEPH DE LEON VINAS We welcome you to our Church. May your families, friends and godparents never weary to guide you in our faith as you grow with it everyday.