By Marge Bitetti

SAN BERNARDINO—“He who can no longer listen to his brother will soon no longer listen to God.”
 Marciano Avilla, Director of the Diocesan Office of Restorative Justice, offered these words authored by noted German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer at the opening of the Victims Symposium that was held at the Diocesan Pastoral Center April 10 to commemorate National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. It was a day for listening, sharing, and reflecting on hope and forgiveness.

SAN BERNARDINO—Elder Samaniego has been named the new Director of the Diocesan Office of Child and Youth Protection, replacing Sister Cathy White, s.P., who retired in December.
 Samaniego had served as Associate Director of the Office since 2009, conducting all of the ministry’s Spanish language outreach and coordinating the Restoring Me retreats that it offers.

 Each month the BYTE will publish sections of the U.S. Bishops Pastoral Letter “Encountering Christ in Harmony: A Pastoral Response to Our Asian and Pacific Island Brothers and Sisters.”

 While Christianity has been in India since the time of the Apostle Thomas, the majority of Asian countries encountered Christianity in the Middle Ages and later. This was the time when European and Asian missionaries entered China, Japan, Vietnam, and the Pacific Islands. The missionaries encountered people spiritually engaged with their own distinctive traditions and culture. They met people who took great pride in their festivals, rituals, and communal observances.

SAN BERNARDINO—Nearly 200 people gathered at the Diocesan Pastoral Center on April 13 for the annual Theological Symposium offered by the Department of Ministry Formation Institute.

 Each year on Good Friday the Church pauses to recall Jesus’ passion and death on the cross. This is the only day of the entire year that there is no celebration of the Holy Mass, causing us to ponder and venerate the cross.

By Malie Hudson

   On May 18, Bishop Gerald Barnes will ordain three seminarians to the priesthood. It will be the culmination of nearly a decade of formation for three men—Ted Drennan, Juan Carlos Lopez and Gino Galley—who came from various backgrounds to pursue a vocation to the priesthood.