The July-August 2021 issue of Catholic Herald magazine has been published. The theme for this issue is "Hope through dialogue." The digital edition of the magazine is available at https://www.scd.org/catholic-herald-magazine.
In the cover story of this issue, Adam Bowers, as chair of the Diocesan Pastoral Council (DPC), envisions a significant role for the laity with their pastors in shared responsibility and accountability through developing strong parish pastoral councils. “The essence of the idea is that all of us are being called by the Church to holiness,” says Adam, who has served on the DPC since 2016 and is a member of Sacred Heart Parish in Gridley for the past 12 years. In a sidebar story, pastors and pastoral council chairs offer reflections on Bishop Jaime Soto's pastoral letter, "Call to Holiness," and the path forward.
Other feature stories in this issue include Bishop Jaime Soto's column on: "Dialogue and Discernment are essential parts of the work of the Church; Monica Smith and members of St. Ignatius Parish in Sacramento strive for racial equity, healing and justice; Patty Symkowick of St. Ignatius Parish says "If we don't do anything against racism, it's going to get worse"; Joanne Hammett, patient advocate at the Sacramento Life Center, says compassion is the vital link between heartache and hope; Ned Dolejsi, who is concluding his service as executive director of the California Catholic Conference, reflects on dialogue with elected leaders; and Steve and Terrie Fraher of Holy Family Parish in Citrus Heights testify to the Lord's call to come home to the church.
In the Last Word column, Msgr. James Murphy reflects on Dorothy Day's unusual devotion to prayer.
Bishop Jaime Soto is the publisher of Catholic Herald magazine, which is published six times each year and includes moving faith stories about Catholics in the diocese, as well as news and events of the local church. Individual faith stories are the cornerstone of the magazine and columns also explore the Catholic faith and education about church teachings. To donate $15 per year to receive Catholic Herald, call 916-733-0266 or visit https://www.scd.org/catholic-foundation/giving. To view the archive of past issues of Catholic Herald magazine, visit https://www.scd.org/catholic-herald-magazine.