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St. Agnes Catholic Community Many Visions † One People

14th Sunday in Ordinary Time July 5 2020

OUR PARISH MISSION To know Christ, and to make Him better known by

all, teaching and sharing the Faith, providing worship and spiritual growth opportunities, and serving those in need.

PARISH OFFICE 3966 Chestnut Ave. Concord, CA 94519 Tel: (925) 689-0838 Fax: (925) 689-7899

Website: www.stagnesparish.net E-Mail: stagnesoffice@comcast.net Instagram: stagnesparishconcord

Twitter: @stagnesparish

OFFICE HOURS The Office is closed at the current time.

MASS Sunday on Facebook at 8:30 a.m.:

facebook.com/stagnesparish/

Monday-Saturday: 8 a.m. in Church (limited to 100 people)

COMMUNION Sunday from 10 am—11 am in the Church

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION Chapel daily 6 am—9:00 pm

STAFF Rev Fr. Johnson Abraham, Pastor

(925) 689-0838 chemans@gmail.com

Marlene McCann, Business Manager

marlene.stagnesparish@gmail.com

Deacon Tony Reyes deacontonyr@gmail.com

Donna Roberts, Bulletin Editor and RCIA Coordinator

donnaroberts1956@gmail.com

Mike McDermott, Pastoral Council Chair mtmcder@pacbell.net

SCHOOL OFFICE 3886 Chestnut Ave., Concord

Tel: (925) 689-3990 Website: www.stagnesconcord.com

Jill Lucia, Principal, jlucia@csdo.org

Ana Kelley, Secretary, akelley@csdo.org

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Saturday, July 4, 2020 5:00 p.m. Daniel Gomes—Repose Herbert Honniball—Repose Ed Lexon—Repose

Sunday, July 5, 2020 8:30 a.m. Jim Armstrong—Repose Fr. Jim Rude, SJ—Repose Camille Tabones—Repose Fred & Doris Da Silva—Special Intention

Monday, July 6, 2020 8:00 a.m. Capt. John Hallett III—Repose Pat & Norm Jung—Special Intention

Tuesday, July 7, 2020 8:00 a.m. Lois Auld—Repose William Donald—Repose

Wednesday, July 8, 2020 8:00 a.m. For the People of St. Agnes, Living & Deceased

Thursday, July 9, 2020 8:00 a.m. Pacifico Garcia III—Repose Amadeo Perez—Repose

Friday, July 10, 2020 8:00 a.m. Marie Frisbee—Special Intention

Saturday, July 11, 2020 8:00 a.m. For the People of St. Agnes, Living & Deceased

5:00 p.m. Ed Lexon—Repose Carol Urban—Special Intention

During this difficult me, and while our Parish Office is closed indefinitely, parishioners have the opportunity to send in requests for daily and weekend private Mass inten ons. You could mail the request to our parish office or email marlene.stagnesparish@gmail.com and we will confirm your request via phone or email. The suggested s pend is $10 - please send your dona on via mail or drop it through the mail slot in the Ministry Center door.

Mass Intentions

All events and meetings are canceled until further notice.

Here at St. Agnes, we are keeping our chapel open daily (6 AM – 9 PM) for personal prayer. The Ministry Center Office will remain closed un l further no ce. You can reach the office by telephone (925-689-0838) or email marlene.stagnesparish@gmail.com. Father Johnson has invited each of us to set aside a brief moment at 7 p.m. each evening, from our own loca ons, to reach out in prayer and care to surround each other with God’s wisdom, healing power and peace. “We remain bound together during this me, which is both challenging and a moment of God’s Grace, in our need for mutual support for each other in our lives and ministries...as well as for God’s care for the people of our community and the world.” SAINTS AND SPECIAL OBSERVANCES Sunday: Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Monday: St. Maria Gore Thursday: St. Augus ne Zhao Rong and Companions Saturday: St. Benedict “The spiritual life is made up of seasons, and even in the darkest moments it is important to remind ourselves that spring will come again.” - Ma hew Kelly

Parish Events and Meetings

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Pastor’s Reflection

Dear Friends, It has been more than three months since we were not able to celebrate public Mass in our church. This has been a journey through the desert to be sure, and now we have a glimpse of the Promised Land, but we are not there just yet. We must con nue to pray for an end to the virus and pray for healing and restora on for all those affected by the virus and the shelter in place. We must con nue to pray for our many friends with health concerns preven ng them from returning to Mass at this me. With the approval of our Bishop Barber and our county health department, we have been able to restart daily public Mass from July 1st. We are happy to welcome back parishioners who are symptom-free and are willing and able to follow the instruc ons. Hopefully in the near future we will be able to announce the reopening of weekend Masses to all of you with restric ons. In a na on that takes pride in self-achievement and hard work, it is almost considered sinful to rest. We are overwhelmed by life and by our circumstances. Burdens literally weigh us down. Burdens rob us of the joy of life. So it is to a red, stressed out people that Jesus offers this invita on. “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, because my burden is easy and my yoke is light.” Isn’t it odd that Jesus invites us to come to him when we are weary and then invites us to pick up another burden—his burden. Jesus specifically asks us to take his YOKE upon us. A yoke involves two, Jesus and you or me. The yoke of Jesus is a training yoke. This means that Jesus carries the bulk of the burden. Jesus only gives us what we can carry. Being yoked to Jesus also means that we are doing what Jesus wants us to do. We go where he leads us. We are then invited to get rid of those obliga ons where God is not involved. A er all, we do not live to impress the boss, meet the expecta ons of others or even a ain our goals. We live to be obedient and faithful servants of God. When we are red, grumpy and powerless, we are not very a rac ve witnesses of God. Our acceptance of Jesus’ invita on to rest in HIm, enables us to be refreshed and renewed children of God. May we seek and rest in God’s presence. Fr. Johnson

Faith and Spirituality

FOR SPIRITUALITY:

EUCHARISTIC ADORATION - Chapel daily from 6 am—9 pm. Contact Veronica Peery at 925-286-6794 for scheduling.

FOR ADULT LEARNING: SCRIPTURE SHARING: Thursday Scripture Sharing and Tuesday Evening Bible Study are canceled until further notice.

FOR MINISTRY:

PRAYER TREE: A ministry of people who pray specifically for those who are ill. Please no fy the parish office if you or a member of your family are in, or going into, the hospital.

HELPING HANDS: Contact Cecilia Aronson, cnaronson@gmail.com. Helping Hands provides meals in me of need, such as funeral recep ons, illness or births.

MARTINEZ SHELTER MEALS: Plan a meal for 35 residents. Purchase & prepare food; serve dinner at the shelter. Please contact to volunteer: Anne Kurylo, 925-876-7510 or Anne.kurylo@gmail.com.

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL MINISTRY: Please contact the St. Vincent de Paul Hotline at (925) 689-0838, Ext. 250.

Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

July 5, 2020

“Come to me, all you who labor and are bur-dened, and I will give you rest.”

— Ma hew 11:28

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Jim Adams Dianna Andrews Ron Artale Joaquin Bigol Paul Boback Cara Carmody Fr. Ricardo Chavez Kandy Chhi Marian Comber Eileen Con Carmen Crisafulli

Zane Drobick Marie Frisbee Maria Luisa Garcia Monica Garcia Merv Hammond Tony Harpouche Todd Hurst Janine Judge Suzanne Klassen Chris Klyse Todd Long

Lorna Macadaeg Joel Manalang Tom McEachran Lisa O’Brien Robert Rivera Kayle Robinson Nena Rofon Ellie Rowe Connie Schulte Marsha Selhorn Sophia Senh

Heather Solari Shirley Spahl Bill van Ha em Lougene Simisim Jeorge Villanueva Mike Wehrlie Be y Wilson

PLEASE PRAY FOR HEALING FOR:

Parish News and Activities

JOIN OUR CHURCH AS WE CONTINUE TO PRAY NIGHTLY TO END CORONA VIRUS! Fr. Johnson invites everyone to join our parish to pray for the End of Corona Virus. Please join by calling in nightly between 6:50 and 6:55pm. Here are the direc ons to join by calling Free Conference Call: 1. Call: (425) 436-6358. 2. When prompted, enter: 418980# 3. Once connected, and prompted, announce your name. However, if you call a er we begin at 7, please enter silently. 4. Now place your phone on MUTE so everyone will only hear the hosts. The Corona Virus is s ll prevalent throughout our state. Through your prayers and “sheltering-in-place” orders, plus the hard work of the front line workers, we are seeing an improvement and fewer new cases. But, we should not let up our prayers. Instead, we need your help to stop this virus from infec ng any more people. Please join us in this mission.

SAINT MARIA GORETTI (1890-1902) - July 6 Does anything match a mother’s pride in her children? First Communions, confirma ons, gradua ons, weddings: how these delight a mother’s heart! Imagine, then, Assunta Gore , the only mother ever to a end her child’s canoniza on! In poverty-stricken rural Italy, widowed Assunta tended fields for the Serenelli family, whose eighteen-year-old son, Alessandro, proposi oned her barely twelve-year-old Maria; then, when she resisted, crying, “It is a sin! God forbids it!” he stabbed her fourteen

mes. As she lay dying, Maria assured the a ending priest, “Yes, I forgive Alessandro! I want him to be in Paradise with me someday.” Imprisoned, unrepentant, Alessandro changed a er dreaming that a radiant Maria had offered him fourteen lilies. “I’ve kept my promise,” she smiled. “You’ll be here with me someday.” Upon release, he rushed to beg Assunta’s forgiveness. “Jesus has forgiven you,” she replied, “my Maria, too. How can I refuse?” Next morning, mother and murderer walked arm in arm to church and knelt side by side for Communion. —Peter Scagnelli, Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

GOING HOME Life is a voyage that’s homeward bound. —Herman Melville

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Parish News and Activities

Dear Parishioners, I would like to thank all of you who have mailed your envelopes to the parish. I appreciate your support and generosity. As we are not having our Sunday celebra ons, we have already experienced decreased giving. If this con nues, it will put the parish in an increasingly difficult financial posi on. Without your help, we will not be able to maintain our facili es and ministries and hire staff. During this me, we ask that you consider enrolling in our Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program. Or mail checks payable to “St. Agnes Church” to 3966 Chestnut Ave, Concord, CA, 94519. Fr Johnson

TODAY’S READINGS

First Reading — Rejoice hear ly, O Jerusalem! For see, your savior comes (Zechariah 9:9-10).

Psalm — I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God (Psalm 145).

Second Reading — The one who raised Christ from death will give life to your mortal bodies also

(Romans 8:9, 11-13).

Gospel — Come, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest (Ma hew 11:25-30).

READINGS FOR THE WEEK Monday: Hos 2:16, 17b-18, 21-22; Ps 145:2-9; Mt 9:18-26 Tuesday: Hos 8:4-7, 11-13; Ps 115:3-10; Mt 9:32-38 Wednesday: Hos 10:1-3, 7-8, 12; Ps 105:2-7; Mt 10:1-7 Thursday: Hos 11:1-4, 8e-9; Ps 80:2ac, 3b, 15-16; Mt 10:7-15 Friday: Hos 14:2-10; Ps 51:3-4, 8-9, 12-14, 17; Mt 10:16-23 Saturday: Is 6:1-8; Ps 93:1-2, 5; Mt 10:24-33 Sunday: Is 55:10-11; Ps 65:10-14; Rom 8:18-23; Mt 13:1-23 [1-9]

MASS VIA MEDIA EWTN offers mass on television. Formed offers mass on the internet. St. Agnes will live-stream Mass at 8:30 a.m. on Sundays on Facebook. Daily Mass is offered at 8:00 a.m. If you do not have access to Facebook, you can call in via Conference Call. The call-in number is (425) 436-6358. When prompted enter the access code 418980 followed by the pound (#) sign.

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Parish News and Activities

UPDATE ON “ELLEN” 6/27/20

You probably read the story of “Ellen” in a previous bulle n. The Holy Spirit is working—-a private Go Fund Me account has been able to pay for the family to get off the street into a motel. Thanks to several dona ons from a neighbor in Concord and a founda on in East County, she will have a car next week! Another neighbor in Concord gave her her first job interview, and she will be able to work there for a few hours a week. Thank you to everyone for your prayers, dona ons, and car searches! We now need eyes and ears on a search for a small apartment, co age, or share rental for $1500 or less, and also for any other employment opportuni es. Hopefully, the more people we have searching, the faster we will find something! Keep up the prayers and contact Donna Walton 925 212 7679 or jdwalton@astound.net.

SHARE THE BURDEN “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Ma hew 11:28). These words of our Savior seem to be in stark contrast to the previous chapter from the same Gospel, when we were told that if we do not take up our crosses, we are not worthy of Christ. Connec ng these two messages might help us on our faith journeys. Being a follower of Christ surely means that we must embrace the cross, in its mystery of both suffering and triumph. This is something that we need not do alone, for the burden is o en too heavy for us to carry by ourselves. Who, then, do we turn to? We can turn to the Body of Christ—the community of disciples gathered for worship. When we find the burden too heavy, let us remember that we can share that burden with our Chris an sisters and brothers, who can help bring us rest. Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co.

FINDING PEACE If you want peace, work for jus ce. —Pope Paul VI

REACHING OUT in COVID19 Times by Mary McCarthy

Like almost all of the St. Agnes Ministries, the work of the Reaching Out Ministries has been greatly curtailed because of the Sheltering in Place order. With monetary support from our St. Agnes families, St. Vincent de Paul and SHARE Food Pantry Ministries are s ll able to serve those in need while social distancing. The Prayer Tree con nues. Because of age or chronic health issues of our St. Agnes teams, most Loaves and Fishes ministers have been unable to serve at the Dining Room or at the Central Kitchen in Pi sburg.

Ann York, parishioner and St. Agnes School parent, who had been part of one of the parish’s serving teams ‘stepped up’ when the rest of the volunteers had to ‘step down’. She saw the cri cal need. Since mid-March Ann has been working three days a week with a core team at the Pi sburg Dining Room. Ann helped serve bag lunches and other food to a record number of clients. Ann is now working daily at the Loaves and Fishes newly opened Trinity Dining Room in Walnut Creek. Thanks, Ann, for your willingness to reach out and serve during this unprecedented

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Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the rising case numbers in our county, we are s ll unable to meet together on Sundays to celebrate the Mass.

However, we are blessed with technology in that Father Johnson is able to live-stream Mass on Facebook on Sunday mornings at 8:30 a.m., and we are able to receive the Lord through the Eucharist in church from 10 to 11 a.m.

Thank you to all of our parishioners who are coping with the changes, and to those who have stepped up to help with their leadership and direc on and

assis ng in sharing the Lord’s love through these unusual mes.