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The Diocesan Digest Volume 15,
Issue 1, 2009
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East Bay Native Among Newest Priests |
Meet another of the three priests newly ordained to the Diocese of Oakland. Two things distinguish Father Kenneth Norbrega from most of our recent or current seminarians. First is his age. To first meet Father Ken one might assume that he has many years of priestly experience. Although the median age of Oakland’s seminarians is rising (which Father estimates to now be about 35), at 48 he has answered the call to the priesthood a little later in life than most of his classmates.
The other thing that sets him apart is that he is a native of the Diocese of Oakland, the first home-grown priest to be ordained here in more than five years. Father Ken grew up in San Leandro, where he attended public schools. |
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He attended Mass and catechism classes at the Church of the Assumption. He graduated from what was then known as Hayward State College (CSU East Bay) with a degree in philosophy. Though he may not have realized it at the time, his major was actually a first step toward the priesthood, since philosophy is an essential element of seminary education. But the next step was years away and family enticed him into the construction business and before long he was a general contractor. Again family beckoned and he agreed to help out part-time at a care facility serving the mentally ill. His work there involved certain licensing requirements and Ken gradually acquired credentials sufficient to be asked by another facility to take a stab at saving it from closing down. He did and before long Ken was Executive Director of a non-profit organization treating mentally ill adults suffering from schizophrenia and drug and alcohol dependency—all while still successfully running his construction business.
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| Older seminarians are a special blessing for our Church, since they bring years of life experience and practical knowledge to the priesthood. In Father Ken’s case, the combined experience of a manager and a care-giver to the less fortunate could hardly be more ideal preparation for the busy vocation he has chosen. “I was told that as a priest, I can be as busy as I want to be,” and Father has chosen to be quite busy indeed. After a pastoral year at Saint Philip Neri in Alameda, Father’s first priestly assignment is at Saint Joseph, Pinole. At Saint Joseph, Father is following the pattern that he used at the seminary; to first observe and participate in as much as possible, and then choose which tasks and responsibilities to make his own. For now, Father is participating in every aspect of parish life and attending as many meetings as he possibly can, “even those I’m not required to attend.” At seminary, he likewise observed for about six months, then took personal ownership of what appealed to him most. He was Student Body President, Head Sacristan, and chairman of several committees. Not surprisingly, we of the Bishop’s Appeal, already know Father Ken as an enthusiastic volunteer speaker on our behalf. One project in his ights is a ministry at the Deanery level reaching out to young, married, adult Catholics. “There is a lot of focus on youth and the elderly. I want to make sure that Catholics in the middle aren’t overlooked.” |
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Father might chuckle at a recent movie trailer in which Clint Eastwood growls to a baby-faced priest, “I have no desire to confess to a boy that’s just out ofthe seminary.” Father Ken is well past his boyhood, but is one priest who cites hearing confessions as one of his favorite responsibilities in the parish, along with counseling and giving spiritual direction. It was in the idea of reconciliation “that my desire to become a priest first became present,” says Father Ken. “God’s mercy was a gift I wanted to share with others.” Father Ken was raised by his Portuguese grandparents and Portuguese was his first language. Although Saint Joseph is not among the seven parishes in the Diocese offering Portuguese Mass, Father has already heard confessions in Portuguese at Saint John the Baptist parish in San Lorenzo.
A great joy for Father was celebrating his first Christmas Mass, actually the family Mass on Christmas Eve vigil. Although he volunteered to be a part of Midnight Mass, his Pastor mercifully ordered him back to a sick bed to recover from a bout with the flu.
Speaking of Father Kenneth and theother new ordained priests, DiocesanVocations Director, Father Larry D’Anjousays, “God is answering our prayers for more good and holy priests. If we continue to make prayers for vocations our central focus Jesus assures us that workers for God’s Kingdom will continue to come forth.” And when they do come forth, your support of the Bishop’s Appeal will insure the
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Youth Retreat Center Pursues The Mission |
Our regular readers know how the Diocese helps youngsters to know Christ better in our schools, seminaries, catechetical programs, and special needs programs like SPRED and Saint Joseph Center for the Deaf. It doesn’t end there. Young Catholics also encounter Christ in a very special way at the Diocesan Youth Retreat Center. This beautiful camp-like complex is nestled in the hills above Lafayette from where visitors enjoy a stunning view of Mount Diablo. Youth retreats are held almost every weekend during the year and some groups opt for extended stays during the summer months. Nature-loving Pope John Paul II considered the outdoors “a special place to meet God.”
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| At the Diocesan Youth Retreat Center in rural Contra Costa, where flora and fauna abound, there can be no doubt of God’s hand in the miracle of creation—plus it’s a fun place to be with friends. Six rustic cabins surround a spacious central building with meeting rooms, breakout rooms and full kitchen and dining facilities. There is a swimming pool, hiking trails, athletic field, and basketball court provided by the Y & H Soda Foundation. |
The Center’s new Manager, Tim O’Hara, was born in San Francisco but grew up in the Catholic schools of the Diocese of Oakland, beginning with Old Saint Peter Martyr in Pittsburg and ultimately Saint Mary’s College where he played baseball. Tim’s late father, John O’Hara, was among the original parishioners of Our Lady Queen of the World Parish in Bay Point and was the first President of the local Saint Vincent de Paul Society. Tim is a retired police officer who served with distinction on the Concord, Pittsburg, and Clayton forces. His own children attended Saint Mary’s in Walnut Creek and Queen of All Saints in Concord. As a dedicated CYO basketball coach, little league baseball coach, and ultimately CYO Athletic Director, Tim came to know countless local parents. The prototypical “Good Cop”, he became the go-to guy whenever any of the kids needed a little more guidance to stay on the right track. When retreats are underway, Tim keeps a low profile, but is on site at all times to offer whatever help may be needed. Tim is impressed with the exemplary behavior of the campers.
“None of the kids have ever given me a bit of trouble,” he says. Tim’s avocations of coaching and being an amateur handyman have blended perfectly in his new role. The buildings of the retreat center are old and require constantmaintenance and repair. Tim does much of it himself or supervises the work done by others.
The Center has also re-activated its Advisory Board, headed by Bill Ford, Diocesan CYO Director, plus other volunteers and Chancery staff drawn from Finance, Development, and Facilities Departments. Since the Youth Retreat Center is a most likely setting in which a young person might first hear his or her call to religious life, Father Larry D’Anjou, Director of Vocations, is also a member of the committee. The Committee’s tasks are to create a capital budget for needed maintenance and repair, exploring the possibility of erecting a chapel at the center, updating of the center website, and marketing the facility to potential weekday and adult users. |
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Catholic Schools Remain Top Priority |
East Bay Catholics who support the Bishop’s Appeal and the Diocese of Oakland are co-contributors to our poorest schools, parishes, the priesthood, and family programs. The Bishop’s Appeal accounts for about two thirds of the total contribution from the Chancery to these important ministries.
Despite declining revenues from all sources, the Diocese of Oakland has allocated the same amount of support as in previous years for subsidy of struggling Catholic schools and parishes. Catholic education and especially support for our innercity schools will again be the largest single recipient of funds generated by the Bishop’s Appeal. Since the 2008 Appeal fell short of the goal, it means the Diocese will need to dig deeper from other, equally hard-pressed, revenue sources to maintain the same level of support. |
Last year a story by the Associated Press covered the closure of a Catholic School in Florida and cited some troubling statistics. “Catholic schools across the country, long a force in educating the underprivileged regardless of their faith, face the same fate. . . . About 1,267 Catholic schools have closed since 2000 and enrollment nationwide has dropped by 382,125 students, or 14 percent, according to the National Catholic Education Association. . . . ‘We lose the kids. They can't afford it. And then as the school gets smaller, you have to raise the tuition to pay the costs and it's a vicious cycle,’ said Sister Dale McDonald, the association's director of public policy and education research.”
The situation in our own Diocese reflects the national problem. During the same period we have gone from 52 to 47 schools with a decline in students of 18%. |
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According to the article, “The problem is most apparent in inner cities, in schools like St. Monica [Miami Gardens, FL] with large concentrations of minorities whose parents often struggle to pay tuition rather than send them to failing public schools.” In Oakland and Richmond, Catholic schools are recognized as safe environments in tough neighborhoods which provide good discipline and high academic achievement. Most importantly, however, they and their suburban counterparts are places where children come to know Christ better and prepare them for lifetimes of helping others to know him. Whenever a Catholic school closes its doors, it is tragic for the Catholic families of the parish, but also for the larger community. According to the same article, “Advocates for Catholic schools say it's in the public's interest to preserve them. . . . Catholic school students save the government $19.8 billion annually. ‘They've left these urban inner-city schools when they close and they have to go somewhere,’ said Virginia Gentles, who oversees the nonpublic education office of the U.S. Department of Education. ‘It could be tough for the districts financially and from otherstandpoints to absorb those children.’”
Fortunately, our struggling inner city schools are getting help. In addition to Diocesan support, millions of dollars find their way into the schools in the form of tuition grants made directly to students from generous organizations like FACE, The Basic Fund, charitable foundations, and the hard-earned fruits of the schools’ own fund raising efforts; but the resources of these benefactors are being challenged too, same as the household budgets of Catholic school families.
Until all Catholics in our Diocese come to recognize that the preservation of Catholic schools is a sacred shared responsibility, regardless of where they live or whether or not they have school age children, the challenge to never close another Catholic school remains daunting. But it can be relieved by your generous support of the 2009 Bishop’s Appeal, “To Know Christ Better—The Campaign for Catholic Parishes and Education.” |
| Regina Mundi’s First Cathedral Event Draws Record Crowd |
The Regina Mundi Society gathered at the Cathedral Parish Hall. |
On November 19th, members of the Regina Mundi Society gathered for the first time at our new Cathedral, where they were greeted by an appreciative Bishop Vigneron. The day began with Mass, followed by a luncheon in the social hall of the Cathedral Parish. After lunch the group reconvened in the Cathedral sanctuary for an informative talk by the Bishop
about the unique design and artwork of the structure, including a question and answer session followed by docent-led tours. The event attracted double the number of Regina Mundi members who usually attend the annual recognition event.
The record turnout is attributed to curiosity, interest, and pride in the world’s newest Cathedral—further testimony that
it is a treasure for every Catholic in the diocese. |
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| Bishop’s Letter |
Dear Friends in Christ,
Two themes converge as we embark on our 15th annual Bishop’s Appeal. The first has come as an unexpected and unwelcome intrusion into our normal lives; the global financial crisis. The other is the product of Diocesan-wide planning and vision, our new Pastoral
Plan, Our Call to Holiness, from which we draw our campaign theme: To Know Christ Better, the Campaign for Catholic Parishes and Education. My prayer is that the economy does not stand in the way of the vision.
Pope Benedict recently put the economic downturn in perspective when giving a mid-Advent audience to a group of visitors from the United States and Ireland. He said, “The present economic crisis, causing so much suffering, can however, help us to focus on the spiritual meaning of Christmas, and to welcome into our hearts the hope brought by God’s coming among us as man. The Word became flesh to offer humanity the salvation which can only be received as a gracious gift from God.” In this year of Saint Paul, we can look at his words to the Philippians for a blunter comparison of the value of material things when compared to knowing Christ. “I even consider everything as a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ.” (Php 3:8)
In these challenging times, most of will be forced to do with less, which can only begin with an honest assessment of what is really most important. As we carefully audit our household budgets many will find a great number of things that we can do without, and such discoveries may even enlighten us to opportunities to enjoy even more of that which we consider really important. As we strive together, as Catholics of the Diocese of Oakland, to know Christ better, I pray the Church and other worthy charities remain at the top of your list. We are not just called as individuals to know Christ better, but to support the work of our parishes and schools which are dedicated to helping others know him. |
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More specifically, I urge you resolutely to commit to pledging the same level of support,
or more to your parish offertory as you have in more prosperous years, but also to commit
one fifteenth of that amount to the Diocese to help us subsidize poor parishes and schools,
our seminarians, our retired clergy, and the vital programs which advance the Christian
understanding of marriage, the family, and human life itself.
I ask that you pray for the success of the Pastoral Plan, “Our Call to Holiness,” as I will
keep each of you in my prayers as we face the challenging year ahead.
Sincerely yours,
The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron
Bishop of Oakland |
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