Proclaim the Good News

The Diocese of Fresno's Weekly Newsletter, published every Monday morning.

July 22, 2024

Office of the Bishop

Bishop Brennan invites you to the Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood

Bishop Brennan proudly announces the Ordination of Deacon Bill Lucido to the Priesthood!

Deacon Bill Lucido was ordained a Deacon on January 15, 2011 and will be ordained a Priest on August 17, 2024. Throughout his service to the Lord, he was the Diocese of Fresno's Development and Communications Director. He currently serves the parish community of St. Paul Catholic Newman Center in Fresno!

Join us for this special Ordination Mass on Saturday, August 17, 2024 at 10:30 am at Holy Spirit Church in Fresno. All are invited to attend!

A livestream will be provided on our website for those who cannot make it in person.

Learn more about the Ordination!

Bishop Brennan to Bless Backpacks to Kick-off the New School Year

Join us for the Blessing of the Backpacks celebrated by Bishop Brennan on Sunday, August 4th at the 10:00 am Mass at Holy Spirit Church in Fresno!

The Blessing of the Backpacks is a great way for our catholic students throughout the diocese to kick-off the new school year!

Bring your backpack and place it at the designated table set up by Holy Spirit's Mom's Group and Bishop Brennan will bless the backpacks after the 10:00 am Mass!

10th Annual Harvest of Hope

Catholic Charities of Merced

Join Catholic Charities of Merced for a special evening filled with joy and gratitude! We’ll be celebrating the incredible generosity that has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands in our community.

We hope you’ll join us to celebrate hope and generosity at the Harvest of Hope gathering on Saturday, August 10th!

For tickets, sponsorships or silent auction donations, please contact Mackenzie Villalobos, Catholic Charities Development Director at mvillalobos@ccdof.org or (559) 237-0851.

Bishop Brennan wishes his Diocesan staff a Happy Birthday

Office of Communications

View Here!

Check out our Updated Directory!

July 2024 Edition

The most updated Diocesan Directory is now available on our website!

The Directory is an important informational tool and research reference for parish offices, individuals and other organizations.

We ask all parish personnel and other interested parties to refer to the latest edition for any necessary information. If there are changes that need to made to the Directory, please contact Sr. Rosalie at srrosalie@dioceseoffresno.org.

Parish Focus

Garden Plot Project Underway to Feed Community Residents in Need

St. Paul Catholic Newman Center, Fresno

The St. Paul Catholic Newman Center's Community Garden Ministry will serve an estimated 380+ parishioners and community residents through the Garden Plot Project by providing 70 raised and irrigated garden plots on a half-acre of parish land just west of the Cardinal Newman Hall.

The Community Garden Ministry plans to enrich the lives of those in most need of assistance by supplementing the meals of low-income families in Fresno and Clovis through the Garden Plot Project.

Construction of the garden plots has started and will be completed by September 2024!

Courtesy of Katie Fleener, Ph.D., Parish Life Coordinator, St. Paul Catholic Newman Center, Fresno

Women's Retreat: The Balancing Act of Mary and Martha

St. Patrick's Church, Merced

The figures of Martha and Mary are familiar ones and often cause us to ask...am I a Martha or a Mary? Does Jesus really want me to choose one or the other?

Join us for our Women's Retreat on July 27th at the St. Patrick's Parish Hall in Merced as we explore these iconic saints and discover for ourselves who they were and what we learn from them. Ultimately, we will learn how we can create a peaceful balance as women of God.

This is a FREE retreat with lunch and hospitality provided. If you need assistance registering, you are welcome to call St. Patrick's Parish office. Any donations made will first support this retreat and their Adult Faith Formation program.

Courtesy of Rosemarie Pierce, Administrative Assistant, St. Patrick's Church, Merced

Sign-up here!

Vacation Bible School

St. Brigid Church, Hanford

Everyone had a great time during Vacation Bible School at St. Brigid Parish in Hanford! Thank you to everyone involved and an extra special thank you to Fr. Cesar Solorio and Deacon Gary Anderson, Director of Faith Formation!

Courtesy of Cindy Anderson, Ministry Coordinator / Administrative Assistant, St. Brigid Catholic Church

Office of Formation and Evangelization

Postponed:

Eucharistic Revival The Diocesan Experience

Join us in 2025!

The Diocesan Eucharistic Revival Congress is set to be rescheduled to next year! The new date will be announced at a later time.

We ask you for your interest in this one-day experience where you will have the opportunity to network, worship, pray and more!

For more information, please contact Ely Medina, Youth and Young Adult Ministries Coordinator, at emedina@dioceseoffresno.org or

(559) 549-0012.

Events

Event Name	Location	Time	More Info
"Come and See" Discernment Retreat	St. Anthony Retreat Center, Three Rivers	July 26 - 28, 2024	View the Flyer
A Retreat for Women: The Balancing Act of Mary and Martha	St. Patrick's Parish Hall, Merced	July 27, 2024 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM	View the Flyer
Spiritual Direction Program: Open House	Verbum Dei Seeds of Life Spirituality Center, Tracy	July 28, 2024 12:30 PM	View the Flyer
Blessing of the Backpacks	Holy Spirit Church, Fresno	August 4, 2024 10:00 AM	View the Flyer
Veneration of the Arm of St. Jude the Apostle	Shrine of St. Jude Thaddeus, Livingston	August 6, 2024 2:00 PM - 10:00 PM	View the Flyer
Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood	Holy Spirit Church, Fresno	August 17, 2024 10:30AM	Learn More

*A Note to our Parishes: Do you have a Parish Event you would like to promote? Send over your event flyer to smejia@dioceseoffresno.org and we'll include it in the event section on our newsletter and website!