The March-April 2022 issue of Catholic Herald magazine has been published. The theme for this issue is "Hallmarks of a Welcoming Church: A Merciful Church." The digital edition of the magazine is available at https://www.scd.org/catholicherald.
In the cover story of this issue, Yvonne Ruiz shares her story of being homeless and living on the streets of Sacramento for 13 years before she could move into a studio apartment last October at Mercy Housing's 7th and H Street community. Her life took a turn for the better when she was assisted by Transition to Permanent Housing Solutions (TPHS), a program of the St. Vincent de Paul conference at Holy Spirit Parish in Sacramento, that provides assistance to people who are in temporary financial distress and are in danger of becoming homeless due to threatened evictions, or who are homeless and need assistance in obtaining housing.
Other stories in this issue include Bishop Jaime Soto's column on: "Take advantage of the Lenten and Easter seasons to begin a personal revival of reverence for the Eucharist;" how Sharing God's Bounty ministry at St. Philomene Parish in Sacramento since 1983 serves more than hot meals, but feeds people's souls; in an extensive interview, Sister of Mercy Mary Katherine Doyle speaks about her new book, "Braided Lives," and details the history of the Sisters of Mercy in Sacramento, 1857-2008; how St. Joseph Community Land Trust is the Tahoe Basin's compassion voice for sustainable and affordable housing; and a special report on "Safe Environment: Our promise to protect, our pledge to heal."
In the Last Word column, Msgr. James Murphy shares with readers how Bishop Emeritus William K. Weigand doesn't have much patience with those who deny the Holocaust ever happened and with good reason. Some years ago, he went to Europe to see a Nazi concentration camp for himself and the experience left a deep impression on him.
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/herald/donate. To view the archive of past issues of Catholic Herald magazine, visit https://www.scd.org/catholicherald.