tvc.dsj.org | June 11, 2019
COMMUNITY
9
ON A FIRM FOUNDATION: Reflections on Change
By Mary Quilici Aumack
“To live is to change, and to be per-
fect is to have changed often.”
-Cardinal John Henry Newman
If you’ve read my column for a
while, you know that there are just a
few recurring themes: Gratitude, Faith,
Family (genetic and otherwise), food
(I do write a lot about food) and Hope.
Today, in the context of all of these, I
reflect on change.
Last month I attended two beautiful
Masses. Now don’t think that I only
went to Mass twice last month; these
were weeknight liturgies, in addition
to Sunday. One was in gratitude for
twenty years of leadership by Bishop
McGrath. The other was a celebration
of 25 years of priesthood for Bishop
Cantú. This is what makes me reflect
on change.
Our change of episcopal leadership
after 20 years is BIG, and it’s NOTH-
ING. Stay with me…
Of course, there will be change.
We welcome the vision, priorities and
expectations of new leadership. Bishop
Cantú has outlined his plans to build
a “Culture of Vocations,” encouraging
all to pray for increased decisions for
priestly and religious life. This will be
a family-centered initiative, supported
by the broad community of faith. We
pray, and we foster conversations. With
the guidance and grace of the Holy
Spirit, we have the opportunity to posi-
tively affect the future of our Diocese.
Bishop Cantú also has a deep and
strong passion for Catholic education.
We have this in common. Both the
bishop and I are products of Catholic
education, and we were both able to
experience it through the support of
others. I pledge to assist as we work
to increase the strength of our schools
across all measures, and to make them
accessible to all.
Our new bishop will make changes
in his leadership team, process, plan-
ning criteria, metrics. He will have his
own style of homilies and worship. He
will ask things of us that are different
from Bishop McGrath.
So yes, much will change.
And yet, NOTHING will change.
Did I already say, “stay with me?”
Remember when you were learn-
Presentation Center Has Been Sold
The Sisters of the Presentation are
happy to announce the sale of Presen-
tation Center in Los Gatos, California
to Little Tree Montessori Schools.
While this is truly a bittersweet event,
we are pleased that the property will
be utilized by an educational group.
The tradition of using the beautiful
natural surroundings to nurture and
develop the whole person that began
with the visionary Professor Ernest
Rogers and the Montezuma School for
Boys in 1910, and was carried through
the decades by the postulants, novices,
sisters, staff, teachers, students, visi-
tors and guests who lived, worked and
visited the Center between 1956 and
2017, will endure well into the future
under the tutelage of Little Tree Mon-
tessori Schools.
We are grateful for all who support-
ed the Center and its many programs
throughout the years and supported
us over the course of the entire clos-
ing and sales process. Thank you for
the gifts shared and the seeds of love
planted then and for the future. We
are hopeful that the historic land and
buildings, so significant in our history
and mission, will continue to afford
children and adults the unique and
profound opportunity to walk among
the redwoods, hike by a rushing
stream, gaze upon the stars and listen
for the many mysterious whispers of
God in such a special setting.
ing a new skill, language, or subject?
Your dad, mom or teacher would say
“learn the basics, because the basics
don’t change. Everything from there
is variation.” This is how I think of a
foundation. A foundation provides
the backbone, the “jumping off point”
if you will.
So it is with our faith, and the funda-
mental teaching of Jesus, which are the
blocks of our foundation, the unchang-
ing truths and guideposts. We live by
Gospel values and those don’t change.
For me, these tenets get stronger. I
am bolstered by my relationship with
Jesus. I am fed by the Eucharist, and
I am called to be the Body of Christ,
ministering to those in need, and wit-
nessing through my actions.
In fact, there is a long list of things
that will not change:
• The sacraments and the grace
accompanying
• Our support of each other, in
our parishes and schools, fami-
lies and friendships
• Our “call to action,” responding
to need because of gratitude
• Our opportunity to deepen a
friendship with Jesus the Christ
At the Catholic Community Foun-
dation, you know that we speak often
of FOREVER VALUE: the idea that
through building endowments for
ministry and planning estate gifts
to remember our cherished faith in-
stitutions, we support the unending,
unchanging gifts of Word, Worship
and Witness.
Psalm 148: Let them all praise the
Lord’s name ... For he commanded and
they were created ... Assigned them
their station forever ... Set an order that
will never change.
In the end, my reflection on change
results in a strong feeling of HOPE.
I pledge to support Bishop Cantú,
and take comfort in our enduring
foundation.
Mary Quilici Aumack is the Chief
Executive Officer of the Catholic Com-
munity Foundation. Check out our
website: www.cfoscc.org,