Be it a birthday, anniversary or graduation, remember or honor your loved one or friend through a gift to our building fund. Envelopes available in the narthex and office or the parish website, go to Parish Info, Donate to Padre Serra. Contact pam@padreserra.org

I would like to share the Called to Renew parish vision with you directly, so you can understand our projects, ask questions, and share your thoughts. I’m holding a reception to share the architectural plans and our vision for the future here at Padre Serra. Kindly join us for this special reception.

​Blessings,​
​Fr. Patrick Mullen

Also visit Called to Renew

For the past thirty years, our family has been a part of the Padre Serra Community. We have worked, served and prayed alongside wonderful individuals who have been generous in their financial giving and their participation in parish ministries. While becoming involved in these ministries I have witnessed firsthand our parishioners’ generosity, goodwill and kindness.

Many of you may not be aware that there is a parish finance council. The finance council’s main focus is to review financial matters of the parish, to act in an advisory capacity, and to provide guidance to our parish leaders. The finance council members have diverse financial experiences, which is beneficial in providing sound financial advice that will help fulfill the vision and mission of the parish. The current members of the finance council are: Fr. Patrick, Jerry DeVillers, Chase Lichtenstein, Laura Meissner, Kathy Milner, Gene West, Kevin Hrabovsky and Joe Loll.

I remember as a young boy growing up in our family of six, that we always helped and supported our parish community. My parents looked upon our parish as part of our extended family so weekly giving was part of our commitment to the parish. Since then, it has become a tradition as part of our family too. Our financial contributions go to support Padre Serra parish in many ways, including to assist the neediest among us, to keep our church community informed in its current Catholicity, and to provide a welcoming environment where our community spirit will continue to grow.

We don’t want to be in a situation that Jesus warned about in today’s gospel, “This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.” Our focus needs to be not only on our current results but we also need to be sure that we have the financial resources to meet the needs of the parish community on a long-term basis. This is the finance challenge of our parish: to meet the short-term needs while preparing for the major expenditures that are inevitable with the aging of the physical structures of the parish. With your support we can accomplish these goals.

Thank you for your continued support of Padre Serra parish through your prayers, financial giving and ministry participation. “One individual cannot possibly make a difference alone. It is individual efforts, collectively, that make a noticeable difference — all the difference in the world.”Jane Goodall.

​Siempre adelante,

Joe Loll
Padre Serra Finance Council Chair

​When we think of Jamaica, the thoughts of Ocho Rios, beautiful beaches and wonderful scenery come to mind—all of which are part of the island. A year before becoming a priest of the Diocese of Mandeville, I spent 5 days with our founding bishop touring the diocese—and, I saw a very different side of Jamaica! 
 
Bishop Paul Boyle said to me: “We have dire poverty.  It’s something the tourists don’t see, nor do the television ads feature.  Our people are poor.  Jamaica is one of the poorest nations in the hemisphere after Haiti, and our diocese is the poorest part of Jamaica.” 
 
In the Diocese of Mandeville, there are about six hundred thousand people. Sixty eight percent have no running water; only, outside latrines. Families are using “primitive methods” of disposing human waste—they go into the bushes. People need  basic necessities of life:  food, clothing, shoes to wear, mattresses—many need a home. The average annual income in Jamaica is US$1,500.00—a little less than $29.00 per week. Many workers don’t receive even this wage.  Among people’ aged 15 to 19, 25% are “functionally illiterate.” Many of those who are functionally literate have severe reading problems.  Seventy-five percent of students who take standardized testing cannot pass even one subject. There is an alarming number of destitute elderly and abandoned/neglected/abused children and adolescents. People are dying every day from diseases, which no longer exist in the United States because we have adequate medical care. BOTTOM LINE:  the Diocese of Mandeville is very, very poor!

Each spring, St. John’s Seminary welcomes benefactors and friends to our campus. This year, see the restored Stained Glass Windows in our Prayer Hall. Visit one of our newly revitalized Stations of the Cross. Pray in our chapel. Spend time in our historic library. Meet our seminarians. Let us show you how your prayers help our mission to prepare priests for service to the people of God in our Catholic community.
​For information, contact (805) 482·2755, x1105 or openhouse@stjohnsem.edu
Also visit: stjohnsem.edu

Leprosy Relief Rural Centre (LRRC) provides medical assistance to patients with leprosy and tuberculosis throughout the diocese of Salem at no cost. LRRC was started in 1956 when leprosy affected one in ten thousand people in the Salem district. The Centre has cured thousands of leprosy patients.

The centre is staffed to find those with leprosy, bring them in, and provide free medical care, The patients are diagnosed and if need be they are kept as inpatients also at no cost. In this way thousands of patients have been cured.

Since the leprosy cured patients are vulnerable to ulcers, mainly due to loss of sensation, LRRC imparts adequate awareness and training too on self-care management. It provides Micro Cellular Rubber Footwear and ulcer care materials. Patients with large ulcers may be hospitalized for a long time. Wherever possible skin grafting is performed for an early cure. Deformity is one of the most common problems for people with leprosy, so LRRC performs reconstructive surgeries to correct deformities in legs and hands so that patients can manage for themselves. Even now, LRRC performs 20 to 30 surgeries per year. The centre has rehabilitated several leprosy patients with self-employment, for example, some have been hired to clean and maintain the centre.

Since 1995, LRRC has also cared for tuberculosis patients. Patients are identified through saliva test, X-ray and treated with oral medications. Some patients need help getting nutritious food to help them get well quickly. We also have St. Joseph’s, a multi-specialty hospital with 70 beds caring for poor people from rural areas. We are conducting more than 20 cataract surgeries per month and we are treating diabetic ulcers also. We are providing free physiotherapy treatment to children suffering from syphilis and polio.

Our motto is quality medical care at affordable cost. We have a team of nurses who go to people’s houses, teach about the need for good health, and invite them for free diabetic and eye screenings and for free treatment for basic health care. We are providing total care to the leprosy and tuberculosis patients – all at no charge.

Obviously, the center needs financial support for all the medical care we provide. We depend solely upon philanthropic donors and well-wishers to be able to continue these free treatments. The center needs to renovate some old buildings which keep inpatients. Your generous contribution is greatly appreciated and allows us to continue the Lord’s work. I look forward to meeting you after the masses on July 14 and 15.

Help our school! St. Mary Magdalen School, transitional kindergarten (TK) through grade 8, earns money by collecting Box Tops. Each box top is worth 10 cents. This is an easy and great way to help our school earn money. Please collect your box tops and turn them into the parish office.

For years, our retreat leaders have volunteered their time (about 40 hours of preparation) and talent (years of experience sharing faith) for our Confirmation teens.

A little known fact, they also pay for room and board while many take time off work to help at the retreat. This year, we are hoping, praying and asking for help to offset the cost.

​Whatever is donated to our retreat leader fund will go into a pool to reduce, or even eliminate, the cost for our leaders to volunteer. The total cost for leaders this year is $3,000. Every dollar given will be humbly and gratefully received as a ‘thank you for your love and dedication to our young teens.’ Envelopes are in the church narthex. Thank you church.

Immediate financial support will be provided through the Cardinal McIntyre Fund for Charity.  The goal of the Cardinal McIntyre Fund for Charity is service to the "neediest of the needy” and those for whom no other resources exist and donations are tax deductible. 
 
These gifts can be made in three ways:

1. A simple envelope with your donation can be placed in the normal Sunday collection.
2. Checks can be made directly to:
   ​Cardinal McIntyre Fund for Charity
   3424 Wilshire Boulevard
   Los Angeles, CA 90010
   (for more information call: 213-637-7438)
3. Checks can be made out to:
   Santa Barbara Pastoral Region
   c/o Thomas Fire
   3240 Calle Pinon
   Santa Barbara, CA 93015

Also, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is providing support to the communities affected by the fires through Catholic Charities of Los Angeles and our local parishes and schools. A special fund has been established to help those impacted by the fires. Donations can be made at www.archla.org/fires.

There are also resources available from city and county agencies for those who are in the evacuation zones. You can find more information regarding where to get help if you are affected by the fires at the following links:
http://vcfd.org/
http://www.sbcfire.com/
http://www.lafd.org/
www.lacity.org