Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

   I offer you my most heartfelt and prayerful blessings as we celebrate the Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us carry in our hearts the incomparable joy that was felt in our world when the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us. Let us allow the Spirit of the Season to help us strengthen our bonds with family, friends and community members, and bring us to reconciliation with those from whom we are estranged. Let us take our rest from the busyness of our schedules, leaving room to contemplate the true meaning of gift, and of Christmas. And let us remember, too, the humble circumstances though which our Lord came into this world. How does this speak to us in how we view the meek and mild in our midst, and how we treat them?

   May God bless you and your family in this Holy Season and fill your life with hope. God is with us! Emmanuel.

Bishop Gerald R. Barnes

By Mary Huber

 Please join us at the fifth annual OneLife LA Walk for Life, January 19, 2019 as tens of thousands of Christians celebrate the beauty of every human life from conception to natural death. This year’s theme is “5 Years Together as One.” 

By David Dolores

SAN BERNARDINO—During the Christmas season many of us have the opportunity to be with family, to spend time in worship, and to reach out in charity to those in need. 

In the Coachella Valley, the Diocese reengages its ministry to Central American migrants

 The Diocese of San Bernardino is one of several Catholic entities located near the southern border of the United States that is addressing the ongoing migration crisis as federal immigration officials are again calling on the Church to provide transitional help to asylum seekers arriving from Central America.

A diocesan volunteer describes her experience in the Coachella Valley with a Central American family seeking asylum in the United States

By Cristina Mendez

 The first lady I welcomed into the shelter was teary-eyed and scared; clearly affected as she processed all that she had experienced.

SAN BERNARDINO—The last-minute directive from the Vatican not to vote on proposed reforms addressing clergy sexual abuse was, indeed, stunning and unexpected but it did not stop U.S. Bishops from making progress on the issue during their Fall gathering in Baltimore, according to Bishop Gerald Barnes.