The Valley Catholic August 21, 2018 | Page 10

MONDAY
MONDAY , SEPTEMBER 10 TH , 2018, SEPTEMBER 10 TH , 2018 9AM TO 7PM
9AM TO 7PM
Concluding Mass at 7:30pm Concluding Mass at 7:30pm
OUR LADY OF PEACE CHURCH & OUR SHRINE LADY OF PEACE CHURCH & SHRINE
10
COMMUNITY
August 21 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic

An Abundance of Mercy

By Gregory Kepferle
CEO , Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and President , Charities Housing Development Corporation
Have you ever been overwhelmed , not by the challenges we all have to face , but by all the good that is pouring out into the world ? Last month I accidently received an abundance of God ’ s mercy . It all started innocently enough with an email enquiring how volunteers could help the young children and their parents who were being separated at the border as they sought safety from violence in their home countries . Somehow my name got attached to an email request for volunteer attorneys and therapists to help out . Then another kind soul turned it into a Facebook post and encouraged others to copy and send . Before I knew it , I was inundated with kind offers via phone calls and
emails from across the country . Attorneys were ready to jump on planes . Therapists were ready to close their practices for days to help . A day care center operator was ready to temporarily close down to provide early childhood help . Donors offered to pay for travel costs . An abundance of mercy !
As I write , Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County is sending a Border Crisis Response Team to help address the family separation crisis affecting immigrant children and families on the border . We are sending seven volunteers ( five from our Diocese joined by two from Catholic Charities in Dubuque , Iowa ) as teams over two weeks to Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande in McAllen , Texas . Our team will provide support at their family transit day shelter for reunited children and families released by the federal government and being sent to different parts of the country for legal hearings . Donations to
Catholic Charities USA are covering travel and lodging expenses , and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation is covering staff expenses . Team members will coordinate volunteers , manage services , and assist with communications and development .
While we help our sister Catholic Charities agency with the families at the border , I encourage volunteers and donors to support their local Catholic Charities that already does so much for children and families facing crises due to their immigration status , homelessness , mental illness , disabilities , incarceration , or poverty .
We celebrate an abundance of God ’ s mercy here at home . We continue to build new affordable housing through our Charities Housing Development Corporation . Our CORAL summer school provides a safe place for children to learn throughout the summer while our senior services continue to provide opportunities for wellness and socialization . Meanwhile
, we continue to respond to the needs of immigrants and refugee foster youth , as well as the families displaced by last year ’ s flood . We are strengthening our social enterprises and employment services , providing healing to individuals and families affected by mental illness even as we prepare to launch our new House Sharing program .
Thank you to all of our generous donors , funders , volunteers , and supporters as we provide an abundance of mercy by changing lives for good . I invite those new to Catholic Charities to join us and put mercy into action .
For more information regarding Catholic Charities , please visit www . CatholicCharitiesSCC . org .

RELICS OF ST . PIO TO VISIT THE DIOCESE OF SAN JOSE

MONDAY

MONDAY , SEPTEMBER 10 TH , 2018, SEPTEMBER 10 TH , 2018 9AM TO 7PM

9AM TO 7PM

Concluding Mass at 7:30pm Concluding Mass at 7:30pm

OUR LADY OF PEACE CHURCH & OUR SHRINE LADY OF PEACE CHURCH & SHRINE

2800 Mission College Blvd .
2800 Mission College Blvd .
Santa Clara , CA 95054
Santa Clara , CA 95054
On the occasion of the 50th commemoration anniversary of Saint Pio passing the relics of St On the occasion of the 50th commemoration anniversary of Saint Pio ’ s passing , the relics of St . Pio will be touring around the United States with stop at Our Lady of Peace Church for public Pio will be touring around the United States , with a stop at Our Lady of Peace Church for public veneration The day will conclude with Mass at 7:30pm which will be celebrated by the pastor veneration . The day will conclude with a Mass at 7:30pm , which will be celebrated by the pastor , Rev Brian Dinkel IVE in honor of Saint Pio The Saint Pio Foundation will sell books and items Rev . Brian Dinkel , IVE , in honor of Saint Pio . The Saint Pio Foundation will sell books and items related to Padre Pio in front of the church related to Padre Pio in front of the church . The relics on tour include Saint Pio glove crusts from the wounds cotton-gauze with Saint The relics on tour include : Saint Pio ’ s glove , crusts from the wounds , cotton-gauze with Saint Pio blood stains lock of his hair his mantle and his handkerchief soaked with his sweat Pio ’ s blood stains , a lock of his hair , his mantle , and his handkerchief soaked with his sweat hours before he died All are invited to come venerate the relics and attend Holy Mass hours before he died . All are invited to come venerate the relics and attend Holy Mass .
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