Volunteer SVDP is open to both men and women who wish to grow in their faith by serving God and their neighbor. Members are united in their efforts to conduct their ministry with compassion and confidentiality, while promoting human dignity and respect. To learn more about volunteering, contact: Terri Korell korellhome@verizon.net From a current member of the ministry: "Being a volunteer is a blessing. It makes me aware of the blessings in my own life. Viewing the world through the eyes of the less fortunate keeps me grounded and more aware of the people around me. Our parish conference very special. The love and support we receive from our fellow Vincentians is wonderful and the service itself keeps faith in front of everything you do. Come and join us and count your blessings." Ways to help in the good work of St. Vincent de Paul: DonationsSVDP relies on donations to support their efforts. Ongoing simple fundraising opportunities include:
Bundle SundayThe donation truck is onsite twice a year to accept your donations of gently used clothing, books, games, DVD/CDs, sports gear, toys, and small household items such as lamps, small appliances, frames, etc. One Can Makes a DifferenceEvery Monday food is bagged and distributed to families in need. Remember our friends and neighbors in Camarillo served by our food pantry. All the items you place in the boxes in church are taken over to our centralized storage at St. Mary’s Chapel on Sunday afternoon. Adopt-a-Family
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Our parish team of volunteers are standing by to assist seniors & other individuals at higher risk of contracting COVID-19 with their grocery shopping needs.
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Dear Parishioners,
This is a long one, but I have a number of important items to pass on to you. The first is that I am praying for you, for your patience, for your confidence and fearlessness, for your generosity of spirit, and for your health and safety.
The second is that I and the parish pastoral team and staff are fine. The seniors have all gone home to work from a safe place, and most of the staff do as much from home as possible, which is quite a lot. We had some confusion as our first round of responses, limiting exposure, have all been undone by subsequent instructions, eliminating exposure. Sigh.
Dominic MacAller and I are working on next week’s liturgy. Be there at 10:00 am on Sunday.
Brett Becker, our youth minister, is doing amazing things online in Zoom meetings and the like with the teens. If you have a lonely teenager twiddling her thumbs, suggest she look in on Brett’s online gatherings (brett@padreserra.org). Guys too!
Tere Delgado is working with her lovely team to get lessons home to all the children in faith formation, to do with their parents. This will be a team effort, parents. Do your best!
Among Teresa’s goals at this time is to keep people in ministry connected to each other. If you belong to a parish ministry that needs to meet, please contact her (teresa@padreserra.org) and ask how we can help set up a Zoom meeting. It’s fairly easy, even for this 60 year old who never attended a Zoom meeting until this last week.
Among the parish ministries that deserve particular praise is St. Vincent de Paul and members of the Young Adult Ministry, who are working very creatively to take care of households in financial crisis. Now would be a very good time to consider a donation to St. Vincent de Paul!
On that point, the parish collection this last weekend was under 1/5th of what we would normally receive. I know that many people have financial stresses. If you can contribute to your parish, now would be a very good time. Checks can be mailed or online offerings can be made at: www.osvonlinegiving.com/4191
Appointments with me:
Parish Seniors
Moral concerns:
The sacrament of reconciliation / confession:
Pastoral care of the sick
(Please read even if no one in the household is sick yet)
Sunday and weekday Mass
Stations of the Cross
Holy Week and Easter
Baptisms, weddings and funerals
If you have general questions, email the parish (parish@padreserra.org) or call the parish number (805) 482·6417 and Jane will direct your question to the right person.
In everything, we have to keep seeking those ways in which we can experience Jesus, even in a more constrained environment, and be His disciples in these troubled times.
Love from your priest,
Fr. Patrick
This is a long one, but I have a number of important items to pass on to you. The first is that I am praying for you, for your patience, for your confidence and fearlessness, for your generosity of spirit, and for your health and safety.
The second is that I and the parish pastoral team and staff are fine. The seniors have all gone home to work from a safe place, and most of the staff do as much from home as possible, which is quite a lot. We had some confusion as our first round of responses, limiting exposure, have all been undone by subsequent instructions, eliminating exposure. Sigh.
Dominic MacAller and I are working on next week’s liturgy. Be there at 10:00 am on Sunday.
Brett Becker, our youth minister, is doing amazing things online in Zoom meetings and the like with the teens. If you have a lonely teenager twiddling her thumbs, suggest she look in on Brett’s online gatherings (brett@padreserra.org). Guys too!
Tere Delgado is working with her lovely team to get lessons home to all the children in faith formation, to do with their parents. This will be a team effort, parents. Do your best!
Among Teresa’s goals at this time is to keep people in ministry connected to each other. If you belong to a parish ministry that needs to meet, please contact her (teresa@padreserra.org) and ask how we can help set up a Zoom meeting. It’s fairly easy, even for this 60 year old who never attended a Zoom meeting until this last week.
Among the parish ministries that deserve particular praise is St. Vincent de Paul and members of the Young Adult Ministry, who are working very creatively to take care of households in financial crisis. Now would be a very good time to consider a donation to St. Vincent de Paul!
On that point, the parish collection this last weekend was under 1/5th of what we would normally receive. I know that many people have financial stresses. If you can contribute to your parish, now would be a very good time. Checks can be mailed or online offerings can be made at: www.osvonlinegiving.com/4191
Appointments with me:
- I will be accepting online appointments with Zoom, Skype, or by phone.
- They don’t need to be emergencies. They just need to be important to you.
- Please, contact my assistant, Barbara at (babara@padreserra.org)
- She is working from home, so be patient
Parish Seniors
- If you are homebound with no family or friend support and need help with grocery shopping, please contact Teresa at (805) 482·6417 x322 or by email at teresa@padreserra.org
Moral concerns:
- You may wonder if there are any moral consequences to getting sick. Not in general, but if you get sick because you have been careless, in a time when the disease is deadly…then yes, there can be moral responsibility. This is because
- your own life is of value (and even the young have gotten very ill or died from this coronavirus);
- you may infect others;
- your caregivers are also put at risk;
- your sickness stresses an already overwhelmed healthcare system, taking sparse medical resources away from others.
- The moral implications are that we should do our very best to avoid getting sick, and that we are to follow the advice of the experts: stay home, maintain at least 6 feet, wash your hands, don’t touch your face, etc.
- Regarding hording, we are as important as others. However, we aren’t more important. Don’t let irrational fear drive you, especially when it may leave others at a disadvantage.
- The moral implications are that we should obtain, in as safe a way as possible, what we need, but that we should not horde.
- We have to treat every stranger as someone at risk. You don’t know when the person you see, who looks young and healthy, is actually compromised because of
- their smoking,
- a genetic disability, of which they might not even be aware,
- their health history, which you simply cannot know.
- The moral implication is that we are maintaining all of the recommendations given by the health community because our faith instructs us to have a general concern for everyone, including those who look healthy, but aren’t.
The sacrament of reconciliation / confession:
- The archbishop has suspended all confessions except for people in extreme danger.
- I cannot hear your confession over the phone or computer; priest and penitent must be physically present to each other. The archbishop told us specifically not to do drive by confessions.
- In the absence of the opportunity to go to the sacrament, please do as Pope Francis has instructed:
- make your confession directly to God,
- trust in God’s mercy,
- and make use of the first opportunity you have when the crisis passes, to make a sacramental confession with a priest.
Pastoral care of the sick
(Please read even if no one in the household is sick yet)
- Apart from emergencies, the situation does not permit me to make communion or confession visits, though I will certainly speak to the sick over the phone. Please, arrange this by emailing my assistant, Barbara (barbara@padreserra.org), who is working from home.
- If the sick have a severe case of the coronavirus, you need to tell me that before I come. I will not be able to touch them or stand close to their head. This means, to give them the sacrament of the sick, I will need:
- to wear a mask, goggles and gloves (I will bring them);
- to stand at their feet, one of which will need to be uncovered;
- to anoint them with a Q-tip or some other distancing mechanism.
- If there is a realistic fear of death from any disease or age related weakness, please call the parish emergency number, (805) 512·3208, and I will do my best to come.
- Please don’t wait to the very last moment, as it’s always better to care for the conscious, who may well desire to go to confession if they can.
- If you can call in daylight hours, please do so. In an emergency do what you need to do.
- Please hear this: In my experience, the dying most often know that they are dying (dementia aside), and though they may not want to make you uncomfortable by talking about it, they often will be very free to have a comforting conversation with me, discussing their fears and hopes – because they often have both. Don’t deny them that chance by waiting till they are unconscious.
Sunday and weekday Mass
- The current restrictions against saying Mass with a community present extend through April 18, the Sunday after Easter. This is following the request of the governor of California and the archbishop of Los Angeles.
- My guess is, having observed the crisis in other places, that this shut down will probably be extended, rather than shortened. Whatever the governor says, I believe the archbishop will follow.
- We will continue to livestream Mass. We will always maintain a link on the home page of the parish. So you will be able to find our livestream at
- www.padreserra.org
- The actual page will be www.padreserra.org/mass
- The best streaming experience can be found at www.youtube.com/psptv/live
- We will try to have a worship aid, if possible. I received some pictures in which people watched the Mass on their TV, while following the worship aid on their iPad. If you have to choose one or the other, I recommend the Mass livestream.
Stations of the Cross
- The Stations of the Cross Garden is available for those who agree to maintain a 6 foot distance from others. If you come as a family, please respect the 6 foot distance others need and allow them to pass.
- Please do not use the plastic sheets containing the text of the stations. We have no one to sterilize them at this point and they could become a source of contagion.
- Instead, use the online versions, found at www.padreserra.org/stations. They work really well with your smartphone.
Holy Week and Easter
- We will be trying to observe a simplified, yet prayerful Holy Week / Triduum. This will include:
- the Chrism Mass, where the oils used in anointing the sick, baptism, confirmation and ordination are blessed;
- this will be streamed by the archdiocese, not the parish, and probably at lacatholics.org/tag/liturgy -- the actual URL has not been released yet.
- the Mass of the Lord’s Supper,
- the Good Friday service,
- the 10:00 am Easter morning Mass.
- The parish will stream them on the same channels as the Sunday Mass, above.
- the Chrism Mass, where the oils used in anointing the sick, baptism, confirmation and ordination are blessed;
Baptisms, weddings and funerals
- Baptisms, apart from danger of death, and baptismal classes are postponed indefinitely.
- Weddings are permitted with restrictions.
- The couple must have obtained a marriage license.
- With priest or deacon presiding, the couple may only have 7 guests, who must observe the 6 foot distancing.
- Only the brief wedding ceremony may be done, without the Mass and without instrumentalists or cantor, unless they are included among the 7 guests.
- Funeral Masses are replaced by the simple rites at the grave with a maximum of 10 attending, including the priest or deacon.
If you have general questions, email the parish (parish@padreserra.org) or call the parish number (805) 482·6417 and Jane will direct your question to the right person.
In everything, we have to keep seeking those ways in which we can experience Jesus, even in a more constrained environment, and be His disciples in these troubled times.
Love from your priest,
Fr. Patrick
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Food pantry is now closed. Thank you for your support. The St. Mary Magdalen Food Pantry remains open and in need of support. At this time, they are asking for donations of toiletries (soaps, shampoos, etc.), peanut butter, and socks, though they will gratefully receive anything.
Contact St. Mary Magdalen Christian Service: (805) 987·1155. |
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Postponed | |
Fairways to Heaven |  |
Congratulations to our Catholic Charities Partners in Service Honorees!On Sunday, February 16, Padre Serra joined with other parishes in Ventura County to honor and thank parishioners for their dedication to ministry and life as Jesus' disciple. Padre Serra proudly honored Laurie Nichols and Terri Korell. Laurie Nichols and her husband Jim joined Padre Serra when it was established in July 1988. Over the past 32 years, Laurie has been an engaged parishioner and disciple of Jesus. In the early years, she was a faith formation catechist, children's liturgy facilitator, alter server leader, and confirmation retreat volunteer. In the past 15 years, Laurie has served on the baptism team, as a Eucharistic Minister and, with her husband Jim, on the married couples retreat team. She has led our parish Welcome Team from its inception five years ago and currently leads the 44-member lector team. Through it all, she has sung in the alto section of the adult choir, which brings her tremendous joy. Terri Korell's life of ministry began in high school, where she was president of the Young Catholics in Action at San Gabriel Mission High School in San Gabriel, CA. She received her degree in nursing and had dedicated her working life to caring for the health needs of her patients for 46 years. Since 2002, she has served as a Eucharistic Minister. For the last twelve years, she has been a member of our parish's St. Vincent De Paul conference, where she has served as the Vincentian conference and district recording secretaries. Most recently, she has served as our conference's president. Also visit: Adults, Giving, SVdP, Volunteer | |
Shamrock Sponsor $500Your Tee sign will be displayed around the putting green as golfers arrive, then moved to a hole for the rest of the day. For your kind donation and support you will receive:
All sponsorships include a Tee Sign. With opportunities ranging from $500 to $10,000, Padre Serra’s Fairways to Heaven has a sponsorship package that ideally suits your business and offers plenty of exposure-generating opportunities and amenities. |  |
Saturday, February 8 |  |
Also visit: Knights of Columbus
Sunday, March 8 | Walkers take steps to support hunger issue  |
| 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. Learn more www.vclifecenters.com  |  |
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
| Each year the Knights of Columbus Council #5272 honors the devoted religious priests and sisters of our local community with a delicious dinner and a program that recognizes each faithful in attendance. This very public act of appreciation is very touching, and it is our annual opportunity to socialize with and personally thank the devoted who serve us all year long. Thank you to all honorees: Br. Miguel Cabrera | Select an image to enlarge: |
| Over 100 Padre Serra children are students at St. Mary Magdalen School and of those students, 24 receive financial aid totaling over $30,000. There is a need to help our Padre Serra parents give their children the gift of Catholic education. You can help by making an online donation through Online Giving, use quarterly envelopes, or contact pam@padreserra.org TK through 8th-grade applications are available on the school website at www.smmschool.net Also visit: Giving | |
December 14, 15 |  |
Monday, December 9
7:00 - 8:15 pm
Serra Center
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
Blessings,
Fr. Patrick Mullen
Also visit Called to Renew
| Thank You from Angel Tags! Sincere gratitude to everyone who helped make our Christmas Gift Share a success. We supplied gifts to 1200 kids & adults this year. Appreciation to all the Confirmation candidates and volunteers who helped sort & bag the gifts and to those who delivered the gifts to Fillmore, Piru, and RAIN. But most of all, thanks to everyone who took their time & resources to selflessly give gifts to these kids & adults who wouldn’t have a Christmas without your help. Merry Christmas! About Every year, you can help over 1,100 children and adults have a special Christmas morning! Select a tag from the trees in church, buy at least one of the items listed, wrap it, and attach the ANGEL TAG firmly to the outside of the package. This year we are collecting gifts for RAIN, OASIS, Ventura County Youth Correctional Facility, St. Francis Parish in Fillmore, San Salvador Mission in Piru, and Immaculate Conception Parish in New Cuyama . |  |
| Thank You from Concern America The total from the Concern America Fair Trade sales on November 17 was $2,029. Your generous purchases of hand-crafted textiles, baskets, ceramics, and wood products help to spread hope for a better future to hundreds of economically disadvantaged people in many developing countries around the world. Thank you! About Buy gifts with a purpose! This fair trade craft program directly supports materially impoverished artisans and their communities in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. We have an opportunity to support them by purchasing their beautiful hand-made items such as handcrafted textiles, ceramics and wood products from Bangladesh, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Mozambique. Our purchases provides a source of income to materially poor families while supporting community development, protecting the environment, and ensuring fair working conditions and fair prices earned for their work. Learn more www.concernamerica.org  |  |
Our St. Vincent de Paul ministry extends sincere gratitude for your generosity during Christmas. You helped make Christmas brighter for 31 families. With your support, 161 individuals experienced a Christmas they will never forget.
With the holidays fast approaching, you are invited to continue sharing your blessings with needy families in our community. The commitment is to purchase a gift for each family member from a list of gift ideas/needs from the families.
Questions or to participate: Marylee Hrabovsky (805) 504·4753. Thank you!
Also visit: St. Vincent de Paul, Groups, Outreach
With the holidays fast approaching, you are invited to continue sharing your blessings with needy families in our community. The commitment is to purchase a gift for each family member from a list of gift ideas/needs from the families.
Questions or to participate: Marylee Hrabovsky (805) 504·4753. Thank you!
Also visit: St. Vincent de Paul, Groups, Outreach
| Somethin’s Comin’, Sometin’ Good. Tuesday, October 15 |   Sponsored by the Adult Faith Formation Team. |
November 16, 17, 23, 24 |  |
Chorus Caritas in Concert |
Saturday, | Sunday, |
Chorus Caritas is a collaborative choral project by conductors James Drollinger and Dominic MacAller featuring singers from St. Charles Borromeo Church and Padre Serra Parish.
Our mission is to create beautiful choral music and to support charities who do the work of disciples - caring for "the least of these."
Our mission is to create beautiful choral music and to support charities who do the work of disciples - caring for "the least of these."
Suggested donation: Adults $20 (Seniors $10).
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
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
Also visit: 2019 Parish Financial Report
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