PHISING SCAM

It is the time of the year again that people take advantage of other people especially during this time of pandemic. This is not new. They have been doing this in the past years.

Some parishioners are receiving texts messages and emails posing to be priests and using our names. Do not be gullible with these e-mails and texts. Do not reply to their messages. If you do, next time that they e-mail you, they will be asking for “help” or “assistance.” They will ask you to buy gift cards for them and then will request you to send the numbers of the cards.

We priests are not soliciting gift cards or asking you to buy gift cards for us because we have no time to buy them ourselves. Our names may appear in the e-mail or in the text message but those are not our e-mail addresses and phone numbers.

Just ignore them. Block their e-mail addresses. Do not be fooled by them.

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EASTER 2021 LETTER

Dear St. Paul Parish Family,

After a year when we stopped celebrating as congregation most of the Sacraments and liturgical activities of the church due to the pandemic, we are blessed to have this year the opportunity to celebrate the Season of Lent and the forthcoming Holy Week as a community. We have been through a lot last year and even today, but with God’s grace we adapted ourselves in the way we express and live our faith, the manner we worship God and the process in which we reach out to each other in love and in faith as brothers and sisters in Christ.

We are resilient. We put our trust in God. God does not leave us. God sustains us with his love in these times of dire needs. This is because we are his children. We are his “resurrection” people. After all we are God’s family “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that we may announce the praises” of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2, 9)

Lent is a total surrender of ourselves to the will of God. We offer him all our trials, joys, successes, failures and weaknesses no matter what situation we are in. In the practice of penance, prayer and charitable work we are commending our spirits to the Lord. We want to be trans-formed in Lent that in Easter we will be repossessed by the Holy Spirit. Easter is the embodiment of who we really are and called to be. It is the time of renewal to live our baptis-mal promises.

This is our Catholic tradition. This is our undying hope as we go through the Lenten exercises, Holy Week services and Easter celebration. May God fill us with His grace in this journey.

In the glorified Christ,

(SGB) Rev. Joyle Martinez
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GUIDELINES FOR SINGING AND MUSIC AT LITURGIES DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

These new guidelines on singing (which, for this document, includes chanting) and playing music at liturgies replaces these older pandemic guidelines and directives or the portions indicated:

Outdoor Liturgies (All Tiers)

Musicians who are singing or playing a wind instrument must maintain six feet of physical distance from non-musicians and other musicians if they are wearing face coverings or 12 feet of physical distance if they are not wearing face coverings.

Indoor Liturgies: Tiers - Purple (Widespread), Red (Substantial), Orange(Moderate), Yellow (Minimal)

Musicians singing or playing a wind instrument must wear face coverings at all times.

The assembly may sing or chant as long as they wear face coverings and maintain physical distancing.

The assembly may not sing.

Such musicians must maintain at least 12 feet of physical distance from other musicians and 24 feet of physical distance from the assembly. Musicians must maintain physical distancing from the assembly and other musicians.

During a liturgy no more than ten musicians may sing or play wind instruments.

Musicians are encouraged to be tested for COVID-19.

When possible musicians are encouraged to have individual microphones. Microphones should be sanitized after use. The number of people setting up and breaking down equipment should be minimized.

Care should be taken to ensure musicians are able to receive communion during the liturgy.

As before, the presider may participate in song only while in the sanctuary. Also, per Guidelines for the Resumption of Public Masses in the Diocese of Sacramento (revised May 26, 2020) D(2)(b) the cantor still remains at their place rather than using the ambo.

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2021: YEAR OF ST. JOSEPH

Selected Prayers in Honor of Saint Joseph:

From the conclusion of the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde

Hail, Guardian of the Redeemer,

Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

To you God entrusted his only Son;

in you Mary placed her trust;

with you Christ became man.

Blessed Joseph, to us too,

show yourself a father

and guide us in the path of life.

Obtain for us grace, mercy and courage,

and defend us from every evil. Amen.

Saint Joseph, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary*

Grant, we pray, almighty God,

that by Saint Joseph’s intercession

your Church may constantly watch over

the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation,

whose beginnings you entrusted to his faithful care.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Votive Mass of Saint Joseph*

O God, who in your inexpressible providence

Were pleased to choose Saint Joseph

as spouse of the most holy Mother of your Son,

grant, we pray,

that We, who revere him as our protector on earth,

may be Worthy of his heavenly intercession.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Joseph the Worker*

O God, Creator of all things,

who laid down for the human race the law of work,

graciously grant

that by the example of Saint Joseph and under his patronage

we may complete the works you set us to do

and attain the rewards you promise.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph*

O God, who were pleased to give us

the shining example of the Holy Family,

graciously grant that We may imitate them

in practicing the virtues of family life

and in the bonds of charity,

and so, in the joy of your house,

delight one day in eternal rewards.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Various Needs: For the Family*

O God, in Whose eternal design

family life has its firm Foundation,

look with compassion on the prayers of your servants

and grant that, following the example

of the Holy Family of your only Begotten Son

in practicing the virtues of family life

and in the bonds of charity

we may, in the joy of your house,

delight one day in eternal rewards.

Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

*taken from the Roman Missal

MA in Theology for Ecclesial Mission – Applications closing soon

Help your ministry by growing in the faith! The Diocese of Sacramento has partnered with the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology to bring a new Master’s Degree program to our diocese. The Master of Arts in Theology for Ecclesial Mission will begin this summer. It is a four-year program designed for working people. For more information visit: https://www.dspt.edu/mathem For more information, contact Lauralyn Solano at 916-733-0153 or lsolano@scd.org

INVITATION TO PARISH CATECHETICAL TEAMS!

Friday, April 23rd, 2021 at 10:00 am – 11:00 am (Free event) An encounter that will reaffirm your vocation, identity, and being a catechist, leader, and evangelizer. What does it mean to be a Catechist in Today’s World? Presenter: Kathy Hendricks, M.A. Registration Link: www.SadlierWithYou.com For more information, Contact Teresa Donan at 916-733-0132 or tdonan@scd.org 

BUILDING INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE FOR MINISTERS

BICM April 22 to May 27 6:00pm - 7:30pm | Cost: $20 for Course Take the opportunity to Develop Intercultural Capacities in Ministers in your community. In addition, it credits them with hours of training to renew their Certification as Catechist or Lay Minister. For more information and register: https://catholic.formstack.com/forms/bicm_english Contact Teresa Donan at 916-733-0132 or tdonan@scd.org God is NOT done with you: Confirmation Retreat Due to health and safety restrictions many parishes are unable to hold daylong retreats. We would like to present this selfpaced Confirmation Retreat with an online journal to guide students. We invite parishes to send home a Retreat package from the parish prior to the beginning of the retreat and have an opening Mass (virtual or in person); packages could be picked up at the Church at the opening Mass as well. Click the link to learn more: https://www.scd.org/family-and-faithformation/confirmation-retreat For more information, contact Alejandro Barraza at 916-733-0134 or abarraza@scd.org

Youth Ministry After Confirmation

Thursday, April 22 10am-12pm & 5pm-7pm. We invite all Confirmation Coordinators, Religious Education leaders and Youth Ministers to an informative FREE session where we will explore how we can build together a strong Youth Ministry. Let us see how working together we can build a strong Young Church. Thursday, April 22 • 10am 12noon https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIpdeirpz4qE9VLSUgmZt-Z7hTFnbzOJ_zX

Thursday, April 22 • 5pm - 7pm

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuceitpjsuH9fMsAZuobUPZFjaOs-_v1LFor more information, Contact Alejandro Barraza at 916-733-0134 or abarraza@scd.org