COACHELLA VALLEY—On March 23, Catholic Charities San Bernardino-Riverside hosted its 8th annual Spring Health and Resources Fair at Veterans Park in the Coachella Valley. There were over 800 Coachella Valley residents in attendance and over 30 community agencies providing free information on nutritional health awareness to Coachella families.
Straling, Cohn and Sisters of Incarnate Word to receive top episcopal honor
By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer
PALM DESERT—Founders, friends and key ministers in the early days of the Diocese of San Bernardino will be honored at the Fourteenth Annual Bishop’s Dinner on April 6 at the J W Marriot Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert.
In the 35th anniversary year of the diocese’s founding, Bishop Emeritus of Reno Phillip Straling, founding bishop of the diocese, Rabbi Hillel Cohn, and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word will receive Bishop Gerald Barnes’ Episcopal honor, the Amar Es Entregarse Award, at the dinner.
All six vicariates gather under one (church) roof
YUCAIPA—To mark the Year of Faith, Bishop Gerald Barnes decided to bring all six vicariates of the diocese together for a day of fellowship, reflection, faith sharing and worship.
The diocese holds Combined Vicariate meetings for the San Bernardino and Riverside pastoral regions each year, allowing Bishop Barnes to address parish leadership and staff on a large scale. This year, on Feb. 19, the two meetings became one “Unified Vicariate,” held at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church in Yucaipa.
Bishop del Riego leads diocesan presence at Walk for Life
By Mary Huber
SAN FRANCISCO—To mark the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Catholics from the Diocese of San Bernardino once again joined Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio del Riego in San Francisco for the 9th annual Walk for Life, West Coast.
Retreat connects scripture to Year of Faith
By Anne Alhadef
“One of the most important realities of our lives as Christians is the Bible,” began Father Michael Manning, SVD, as he opened his mission retreat talk at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Riverside recently.
Unbelievable Faith was the theme of the three-day mission, and its focus on scripture was fitting for this Year of Faith. Benedict XVI in Porta Fidei, his Apostolic Letter for the Year of Faith, said,
Passion Plays inspire great commitment, devotion to faith
By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer
For many parishes in the diocese, passion plays, or dramatic reenactments of the Jesus’s trial, suffering and death, bring large crowds during Holy Week.
Putting on the annual passion play often calls for long hours of preparation, but it brings great rewards for the actors and spectators.