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June 24, 2014
bAtCC organizes god’s presence
among underprivileged
By Charles AntoineRoche
“You tell us that to love God and
neighbor is not something abstract, but
profoundly concrete: It means seeing in
every person the face of the Lord to be
served, to serve him concretely” (Pope
Francis, May 21, 2013).
Combining the Lenten observance
and the invitation of Pope Francis,
BATCC (Bay Area Tamil Catholic Community) organized a Food-Clothing
Drive and Charity for the Homeless
in San Francisco.
BATCC is a community of Tamilspeaking Roman Catholics who are
first generation immigrants from
South India living in the Bay Area. For
the past 10 years, they have organized
monthly Mass in Tamil every second
Saturday at St. Joseph Church, Mountain View.
BATCC gathered its members for
a charity pilgrimage to St. Anthony’s
Church in San Francisco where they
met about 75 homeless families and
served dinner along with Blessed
Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity Sisters.
Din ner started with a Sunday
Gospel reading, followed by a Gospel
message and Divine Mercy Novena,
and concluded with hymns of praise
by the children’s choir. There were
20 volunteers who helped Mother
Teresa’s Sisters set up the tables and
serve the food, and later clean up.
Volunteers had an opportunity to
share conversation with the homeless. Through the generosity of donor
members, BATCC provided food and
clothes to the Missionaries of Char-
The Valley Catholic
community
BATCC visited Missionaries of Charity in
San Francisco, provided food, clothing to
poor.
ity and a check toward their future
charitable works.
“For us Christians, love of neighbor
springs from love of God; and it is its
most limpid expression. Here one tries
to love one’s neighbor, but also to allow
oneself to be loved by one’s neighbor. These two attitudes go together;
one cannot be exercised without the
other,” a BATCC member said.
Printed on the letterhead of the
Missionaries of Charity are these
words of Jesus: “As you did it to one of
the least of these my brethren, you did
it to me” (Mt 25:40). “Loving God in
our brethren and loving our brethren
in God” (Pope Francis, May 21, 2013).
iCF sponsors multi-cultural celebration
at St. martin of tours
Woman in authentic costume explains Filipino customs to ICF members Tony and Lillian
La Pres.
By John Busco
People of ethnicities from the far corners of the world shared their cultures
and cuisines for International Heritage
Day at St. Martin of Tours Parish, San
Jose. From Native America and Mexico
to Japan, from Ireland to the Philippines,
and from China to Italy and Sicily, exhibitors showed their cultures through
costumes, exhibits and snacks.
The celebration was sponsored by
Italian Catholic Federation Branch 391,
whose members prepared a ravioli
dinner to culminate the colorful day.
St. Martin of Tours is celebrating its
centennial year as a parish in 2014, and
this was one of many commemorative
events plann