Over 85 presentations connecting faith with real life in areas such as current events, contemporary moral issues, evangelization, faith and science, marriage and family, church history, scripture, and prayer will be offered in 13 parishes around the county.

Catalogs in the church lobby or parish office.
Learn more about all the sessions offered and sign up at ventura.theuniversityseries.org/classes

Life Centers helps women make healthy and informed decisions and offers testing, ultrasounds, counseling, resources, and baby supplies for women and men who are facing an unplanned pregnancy. They provide emotional support and practical needs free of charge in a completely confidential setting. 

Also visit: Outreach, Giving

Once a year the men of our parish join with other Catholic men from around the diocese for a weekend silent retreat at the Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center in Sierra Madre, materdolorosa.org

Read more about this year's theme God is Doing Something New in Us: Exploring Paths of Deepening Faith

​Also visit: Groups, Spiritual, Men's Ministry

Padre Serra Parish Altar Servers served the 37th Annual Red Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angeles on October 15, 2019.  This was the seventh time that our servers were requested and have served the Red Mass liturgy. 

​The Shepherd’s Gate, or sheep gate, is a reference to Jesus Christ, the Shepherd of His flock, who welcomes all. The gate is the main point of entry for those entering the complex from the street.

On the south wall of the Plaza that borders Temple Street is the Carillon Wall. It contains 36 stationary bells programmed as a musical instrument to ring beautiful hymns throughout the course of the day and to call people to worship services.

There are 35 bells from St. Monica's Church in Santa Monica. When Monsignor Nicholas Connelly announced plans to build the Church in 1925, Johanna Shanahan, an elderly Irish-born parishioner who had spent most of her life in the employ of Senator John P. Jones, founder of Santa Monica, offered to give her life savings of $11,000 if the pastor would allow a carillon to be built and installed in the bell tower of the envisioned church. Monsignor Connelly immediately instructed his architect to make whatever modifications would be necessary to accommodate the carillon. The bells were manufactured during several years in the late 1920s by Felix Van Aerschodt of Louvain, Belgium, partnered with Marcel Michiels of Tournai, Belgium. The bourdon-bell, weighing half a ton, is the largest of the group and was engineered to strike the hours, while a second large bell counted off the half hours. Unfortunately, Mrs. Shanahan died in October of 1931, and was unable to see the bells operational.

The carillon was used only rarely after its dedication in December of 1931, mostly because of its operational complexity. On at least one occasion, it went off accidentally during the night and upset the entire neighborhood before being shut off. Connelly's dream became "Connelly's folly." During the devastating earthquake of 1971, the bell tower at St. Monica's Church suffered structural damage and was judged unsafe to support the massive weight of the carillon. The bells were taken down and placed in storage at the San Fernando Mission.

The 36th bell, the largest of the set, comes from St. Timothy's Church in Los Angeles. It was originally one of a set of 48 commissioned by William Randolph Hearst in 1926 for the bell towers at San Simeon. It was cast in 1929 by Marcel Michiels Jr. Chimes Manufacturer in Tournai, Belgium and delivered to the Castle by 1932. At the time, however, it was discovered that only 36 bells could be installed, so the bell was warehoused at San Simeon until the mid-1950s.

The bell was delivered to St. Timothy's on September 1, 1956, arranged by an executive at Twentieth Century Studios. It is 38 3/4 inches, weighs 1200 lb, and is the musical note G.

There are two inscriptions on the bell, " Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be" and "Ring in the valiant man and free the larger heart, the kindlier hand."

Also visit: Altar Servers

Also visit: Becoming Catholic

Now accepting applications for the 2020 – 2021 year.

Principal Mike Ronan invites all to school for campus tours and presentation on various programs.

• Faith – filled environment
• Community service learning
• National standardized testing
• Music and art programs
• Integrated classroom technology
• Outstanding high school acceptances
• Honors Math, Literature, and Writing Programs
• Foreign language
• Kindergarten through 8th grade
• Extracurricular Activities: National Junior Honor Society, Football, Basketball, Volleyball, Track, Softball, Art Club, STEM Club, Chess Club, Bricks 4 Kidz, Manners 4 All, Science Club

Whether interested in giving the gift of Catholic education or just knowing about our school, all are welcome to come see this dynamic gem.

Contact:
mronan@smmschool.net
(805) 482·2611
www.smmschool.net
2534 Ventura Blvd. 
Camarillo, CA 93010 
Centrally located near the 101 FWY in Old Town

WHY is the great question of mission.  Sometimes, we can forget the WHY of the Church.  A clear sense of WHY, however, changes what we do as Church and how we do it. 

The WHY of the Church, in fact, is really a WHO: Jesus!  Renewal in the life of the Church means starting again from our WHY.  Come renew your sense of missionary discipleship.
 
Ordained from St. John’s Seminary in 2015, Fr. Parker is the Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. 

Founded by Fr. Greg Boyle in 1988, Homeboy Industries is the largest gang-intervention, rehabilitation, and re-entry program in the world. Homeboy provides hope, training, and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated men and women, to redirect their lives and become contributing members of the community.

While Fr. Greg was initially scheduled to be here and regrets that he is called away, we have the unique opportunity to see Fr. G and Homeboys Industries through the eyes of the people who know him best.

Representative Homeboys will be with us to share the stories that brought them to Fr. G and how he and his outreach ministry forever changed their lives. 

Learn more about Homeboy here.

The official installation for all newly trained servers.
On this day, at the 9:00am liturgy, all altar servers will process into church in a grand opening procession. This is the only time when the entire college of servers is acknowledged in their ministry of altar serving in our parish. ​It is understood that some of the servers will have already served a liturgy for that weekend, but all will be present none-the-less as a sign of unity.

Questions,concerns: contact Bob Shadduck.

Also visit: Altar Servers

Through volunteer efforts and generous donations, Many Meals provides free home-cooked meals twice a week to the under served and homeless in Camarillo.

Questions or to volunteer:
manymealsvolunteers@verizon.net

​Also visit:  Care, Outreach 

​Contact: Teresa Runyon

Ushers welcome us as we arrive to worship, helping us find our way around the worship space and into comfortable seats, facilitating our processions (especially at Communion), and handing out worship aids and bulletins. They also help all of us be responsible stewards by taking up the collection at the liturgy. Contact: Paul Collier

Everyone is invited to join in a nationwide praying of the rosary, organized by America Needs Fatima, for
world peace, for the leaders of our nation, for victims of disasters, for our families and for personal intentions. ​Let us join together to be a living witness of the power of prayer.
 
Begins promptly at noon. Bring sun protection and your own chair.

​

Contact: filipinoministry@padreserra.org
Sponsored by our Filipino Ministry

​Also visit:  Prayer