The May-June 2022 issue of Catholic Herald magazine has been published. The theme for this issue is "Hallmarks of a Welcoming Church: A Listening Church." The digital edition of the magazine is available at https://www.scd.org/catholicherald.
In the cover stories of this issue, as part of a special section on the upcoming Synod of Bishops 2021-2023, members of three parishes in the Diocese of Sacramento share their experiences of participating in "listening sessions" that make up the initial phase of the two-year synodal process.
Joe Offer, chair of the parish pastoral council at St. Teresa of Avila Parish in Auburn, sums up his parish's experience by noting that "I hope the diocese and the Church in general can carry on with this," hoping that "we do what we can to teach people to listen to each other." Olive Romero, a member of the parish pastoral council at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Vallejo, notes "it was amazing how the Holy Spirit was working." She recalls how easily participants expressed themselves during listening sessions, citing how "their thoughts were very organic and genuine." Father Francisco Hernandez, pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Chico, and Erika Sajben, a member of the parish pastoral council, both expressed how parishioners took time for reflection and to "be present with one another" during listening sessions in English and Spanish.
Other stories in this issue include Bishop Jaime Soto's column on: "The Mass is a living Gospel narrative in which we participate;" how Christine Jurisich assists people with spiritual and personal growth through the "Retreat, Reflect and Renew" ministry; and how Robert Paylor, graduate of St. John Notre Dame School in Folsom and Jesuit High School in Carmichael, who was paralyzed from the neck down in rugby game playing for UC Berkeley, found his mission during his pilgrimage to Lourdes.
Your Faith columns in this issue include: "Passion and Pursuit: Keeping prayer in a busy day," by Michael St. Pierre, and "How do I become who God has called me to be?" by Father Joe Krupp. Your Life columns in this issue include: "What's next after high school?" in parenting, and "What can I do for my second act?" in work life.
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.