The Easter Season ends with Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit continues to bring healing and good works to the lives of those who believe. The Holy Spirit is the agent of change.
The Catholic Church of Oakland, does many good things for many people. Your support of the Bishop’s Ministries Appeal helps to provide services to more people than we know. Did you know, that if each of our registered families made a one-time donation to the Appeal of $60.00, then our goal would be met. Visit https://oakdiocese.org/bishops-ministries-appeal and select a pledge option. Please select St. Mary Magdalen as the parish option.
The office will be open from 1 pm to 5 pm.
Apr 21 – Fr. Nick shares a book reciew of Reading Genesis by Marilynne Robinson.
Apr 14 – Fr. Nick is on vacation this week. However, he wrote a column for us about Japanese Customs
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Mar 31 – Happy Easter! Fr. Nick poses a question, and shares a response.
Do you have existing artwork that you would like to have displayed in a gallery? If so, consider submitting it to the Art Show we are planning in July. Fr. Nick believes that we have many artists in the parish and he would like to see as many artists as possible represented. The Submission deadline is April 29. Details for submissions are available on the website and in the church vestibule. All visual artforms such as paintings, sketches, textile art, sculpture, and photography will be considered along with poetry and possibly dance. You may submit up to three pieces to the selection process. The Blackfriars Gallery will be the location of our St. Mary Magdalen Art Show beginning Friday, July 19.
Please see the flyer for more details.
The Berkeley Crop Hunger Walk is this Sunday, April 21, beginning in the parking lot at 1:30PM. You can still donate. Please use this link to get more information.
He will be away from the parish from April 11 through April 28. Wish him Bon Voyage!
Come to the church on Friday, Apr 26th at 3:00 pm to pray the Rosary for an end to the wars and conflicts occurring in our world today.
On May 2 & 3 JST Berkeley will host a seminar on “Women and Synodality, Where Can We Go From Here?” There will be presentations and breakout sessions on Friday. Two of the speakers participated in the Synod on Synodality in Rome. See the flyer for more information. Attendance is limited, please pre-register for the event.
Did you know that Ann made cookies and scones? She did the seating arrangements and she was in the kitchen during the Tea. Ann gave of herself for others. Kasey Flemer, her daughter-in-law, wants to be a protege of Ann. Let’s support her in her willingness to step into Ann’s shoes. The Tea is Sunday, May 19, 2024, from 1:00PM to 3:00PM in Magdalen (Parish) Hall. Tickets are $50 per person and available at https://square.link/u/vGcxWALN If you wish to reserve a table, please select a point person and let us know who will be at the table. Up to 8 people per table. We can only seat 65 people. Get your tickets soon.
The Lay Mission Project is having a workshop for those currently engaged in the process. They need two to three people to set up for lunch in Magdalen (Parish) Hall. It may take about two and a half hours for set-up and clean-up. Please contact Norah Hippolyte at nhippolyte@marymagdalen.org or 510-526-4811 x111.
If you are interested in joining the trip to Mexicali, then mark your calendar for Friday, November 15th, to Sunday, November 17th, and contact the office to let us know. We will reserve a block of rooms at a Holiday Inn to lock in lower rates.
The Word Among Us for April is available in the church. Donations are greatly appreciated.
We would like to have greeters at every Mass each weekend. Greeters welcome folks before Mass, assist with seating, if necessary, hand out bulletins at the end of Mass, and seek out and speak to the visitors or new parishioners at the end of Mass. Please contact Norah Hippolyte if you would like to join this ministry in our parish.
One of the jobs that happens each week is the collection which needs to be deposited at the bank. We are looking for one or two volunteers to do this task on Tuesdays. If you are available, please contact Norah Hippolyte at the parish office, 510-526-4811. Thank you
Those who attended the Parish Conference voted to change the name of the Parish Hall to Magdalen Hall. You may begin to see that name more often. Soon we will have the official renaming event.
If you are seriously ill or contagious, please be reminded that you are not required to attend Mass. The Sunday obligation is excused for sickness.
Ceasefire is a program that brings together law enforcement, clergy, and community members to help reduce gun violence. The walks are sponsored by participating Oakland congregations and held frequently throughout the year. The one to two-hour gatherings begin at 6:00 PM with prayer. Signs and instructions are given out at the start of the neighborhood walk.
Ceasefire Night Walk schedule can be found on Faith in Action East Bay’s website.
Have you thought about submitting information for the bulletin, email blast, or for the website? If so, please review the submission guidelines to be sure your information will be reviewed for submission in a timely manner. You will find the submission guidelines on the website. (Resources>Information Submission Guidelines . . .)
Eucharistic Ministers regularly visit homebound parishioners to bring them communion. In addition, Fr. Nick pays periodic visits as well. If you know someone who should be added to the list, please contact the parish office (510-526-4811).
Not too long ago there was not a thought to stream Mass or meet online. Now it begins to seem like the thing to do. Fr. Nick would like to engage as many people as possible in the ministries of support that the pandemic made real for us. We are looking for folks to provide support on Zoom/GoToMeeting calls. We need a small team to video Masses on Sundays and Holy Days. We also need people who can help us with getting the word out about events within the parish and the events we want to open up to the surrounding community. Will you help? Email: mailto:parish@marymaglden.org with your name, contact information, and our area of support. Thank you
Adults seeking Baptism or Confirmation participate in a process called RCIA, Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. If you are interested in fully participating in the Catholic church, consider joining the RCIA study group which meets on Tuesday evenings, 7 – 9 pm in Norton Hall. You can learn more about this program by visiting the RCIA web page, Sacraments>RCIA.
Do you have an infant or young child you would like to have Baptized? Learn more on the Baptism web page, Faith Formation>Youth Faith Formation.
Teens seeking Confirmation participate in the Teen Confirmation program. Learn more at Faith Formation>Youth Faith Formation.
Have further questions about these programs, or to register call the Parish office (510)-526-4811.
