St. Joseph Basilica

Dear St. Joseph Family,

Happy first week of Advent. At Christmas a year ago, I shared a letter with you from Stephen McHale, the pastor of Christ Episcopal Church here in Alameda on Santa Clare Ave. In that letter, he asked the leaders of the different religious communities to reach out to their congregations and ask for monetary contributions to help the Warming Shelter continue to serve the homeless in the area. In addition to financial contributions, He also asked for volunteers. A year later, Stephen is making the same petition. I have included his letter below.

If you are looking for a way to give back to the community, to witness to your faith, or meet Christ in the poor, this could very well be it. We at St. Joseph have a number of ways to participate in the corporal works of mercy, but sometimes, we are called to join other groups. We have some parishioners who are involved with the Warming Shelter, and they’d be happy if you joined them.

Remember, as I wrote last week at the end of the liturgical year, Advent is a season that can often be corrupted by the noise of consumerism. Indeed, it is good to procure gifts to give away at Christmas, but what our faith invites us to prepare for in this season is not simply to give physical gifts purchased in stores, but to give the more important ones: the gifts of our presence, our time, our concern; the gifts of compassion, mercy, and love to those who do not receive these things in the normal course of the year. These are the gifts Christ came to give us as He took a human form. His life, from the manger to the cross, was a total gift to all, to the rich and especially the poor.

With much love,
Fr. Mario
 
(Click here to read more)

Listen to fellow parishioner, former law enforcement officer, and veteran, Tim DeGrano, as he walks us through a scenario of disruption during mass.  Please watch this important video on our YouTube channel so that we can be prepared if and when 'go time' occurs.  Thank you for watching.