The March-April 2025 issue of Catholic Herald magazine has been published. The theme for this issue is disaster preparedness and Catholic Charities. The digital edition of the magazine is available at https://catholicmagazines.org/magazine-archive/catholic-herald/sac0325.
In the cover story, Erna Friedeberg and Sendi Barrett of Northern Valley Catholic Social Service, which serves six Northern California counties, detail how over the past several years NVCSS has responded to successive natural disasters. "We've been able to create something here that's been successful," says Sendi, who serves as a program manager for NVCSS out of the Chico office. She points to a "fine-tuned model" adopted by Catholic Charities USA and used in other federally-declared disasters in California. Six years ago, when the Camp Fire in Paradise erupted, she was thrust into an intense situation and staffed the local resource center and learned how to navigate disasters.
Other stories in this issue include Bishop Jaime Soto's column on "The encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, provides a helpful roadmap for any pilgrim of hope"; a feature on the the legacy of the Sisters of Mercy in the Diocese of Sacramento since 1857; a feature on how Mercy General Hospital in Sacramento is celebrating its centennial; how Mercy Foundation's "Advancing the Mission" campaign honors the sisters' regional impact and legacy; and how Catholic Charities of Yolo-Solano takes a "human-centered approach" in bringing emergency preparedness training and resources to underserved populations.
This issue also includes special reports on safe environment in the diocese, "Our promise to protect, our pledge to heal" and on "Know something? Say something: report abuse." Columns focusing on Lent include "Be holy in thought and word," and "Rest well with the Lord this Lent."
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 magazine, call 916-733-0266. To view the archive of past issues of Catholic Herald magazine, visit https://www.scd.org/catholicherald