9/1/2023 William Norman Berg1937 - 2023Funeral Liturgy
Thursday, September 28 10:00 am Padre Serra Parish Burial Thursday, September 28 12:30 pm Mortuary Conejo Mountain 8/26/2023 The Rock of the ChurchDear Friends, My ability to quote chapter and verse from the bible is limited, but I’ve always remembered this short verse from today’s gospel: “And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church.” This verse was firmly planted in my mind at an early age in the same way other historical facts take root in a young person’s mind. My understanding of the verse was not deeply theological or spiritual in my early life, but I knew it meant that Jesus Christ founded the Catholic Church. I often turn to The Catechism of the Catholic Church for greater understanding, and I love what Paragraph 748 of The Catechism ends with, “The church has no other light than Christ’s; according to a favorite image of the Church Fathers, the Church is like the moon, all its light reflected from the sun.” As the Catechism often does, it helped my understanding by tapping my imagination. To see the light of Christ reflected by the Church is a beautiful image. The Church provides the introduction and the infinite path to grow in our relationship with Christ. In 2006, Benedict XVI spoke to the youth in Krakow. He encouraged them to meditate on the themes of building their life on a foundation of rock and not to be swayed by the shifting sands of their own worldview. This message of encouragement from Benedict XVI is applicable across time: “There is only one rock on which it is worthwhile to place everything. This rock is the one to whom Christ said: You are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my Church (Mt 16:18).” The worldwide Catholic Church has many beautiful church buildings (including our own Padre Serra), but the Church is not our beautiful buildings; it is the people who gather to encounter Jesus in our Catholic faith. We are the Church, and Christ calls us to reflect his light on the world around us. Guided by the Holy Spirit, the Church has assembled a rich body of work that authoritatively proclaims Christ’s teachings. ![]() To be Catholic is to be part of the body of Christ. As members of the body of Christ, we are each called to bring the light of Christ to the world. Siempre Adelante, Manuel Leon Business Manager 8/18/2023 Living the Mission![]() Dear friends on the journey, On July 29, I attended a jubilee Mass and celebration to honor four Sisters of Notre Dame (SND) for their collective 240 years of service to their religious order! The afternoon turned out to be a happy reunion with several sisters who taught me in elementary and high school. This joyous occasion also included the ceremony of commitment for three associates of the Sisters of Notre Dame, one of whom is my friend and our fellow parishioner, Patricia Guzman. Did you know our parish has several lay associates of religious orders? Do you know what an associate is? An associate is a layperson (man and woman, married or single) who, after formation and a formal non-vowed commitment, embraces the order’s particular mission, charism, and spirituality, and lives them out in their respective jobs, families, and faith communities. Patricia joins Padre Serra parishioners and associates Sherry Reynolds, Bruce and Heidi Kelly, Caroline Waltman and Pat Yost, all who live and serve the Sisters of Notre Dame mission to proclaim God’s goodness and compassionate love for people of faiths and cultures. These good folks are involved in a variety of parish ministries that include adult formation, Catholic education, feeding the hungry, visiting the homebound, prayer and adoration, and more. The Sisters of Mercy have influenced parishioner Julie Ames’ life, first in her education from kindergarten through nursing school in San Francisco and then as an associate since 1985. She lives out their charism to “serve the poorest of the poor” in volunteer ministry and in her nursing career in Ventura County. Rooted in the Franciscan spirituality, Gary and Chella Freeberg are associates with St Camillus Spiritual Care Center in Los Angeles with Fr. Chris Ponnet and other Catholic chaplains whose “mission is to accompany people in the midst of suffering with holistic healing and hope.” They can be found at our parish’s monthly Pax Christi gathering and other ministries devoted to living the corporal works of mercy. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) are very active here at Padre Serra with Sisters Carol, Barbara, Pat, Lois, Jill, Lana and Barbara and associates. Denise Ginty has been an associate for seventeen years and currently serves as the CSJ Director of Associates. Gwen Ripplinger has been an associate for six years. In the Camarillo Associate group, Denise and Gwen are mentoring three candidate to live out the CSJ charism “to achieve unity—of neighbor with neighbor and of neighbor with God.” You might know Denise or Gwen from their ministry to neighbors like Landings, our ministry for returning Catholics, or in women’s ministries. ![]() Please join me in thanking these lay associates who go beyond the parish to live their baptismal call and Jesus’ mission in this way and then bring those spiritualties and charisms back here for the betterment of our community and ministries. If you were or currently are an associate with a religious order, I’d love to hear from you. Siempre Adelante, Teresa Runyon Pastoral Associate |
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