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President's message - November 2024
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A great job to all who helped out with the post Fun Run Lunch in October, especially Tom Pham for running the grill, and John Pohlman on the food serving. It was well appreciated by the Family of Faith group.
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Our November meeting comes on a special night however, since we all should have voted by mail, everyone should be able to attend on Tuesday the 5 th (excused absence from Ron will is working his local polling place). Also, free info for the undecided.
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More importantly, we will be discussing our Fall retreat in San Juan Bautista on the 23-24 th , and include a short video. All parish men (not a requirement) are invited, so please mark your calendars to attend the Men’s Ministry General meeting on the 5 th of November in the Church Hall at 7:00PM.
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I look forward to meeting new members at the pre-meeting social.
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Yours in Christian Brotherhood,
Greg
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On Saturday, October 19, The St Joseph Men's Ministry (SJMM) hosted approximately 120 with a BBQ lunch in the Holy Family picnic area in support of the Family of Faith Ministry (FFM). The BBQ followed a money-raising Fun Run for the FFM. Runners, walkers, strollers, and perambulators circled a quarter mile loop in a clockwise direction around the field and Dominican cemetery behind Mission San Jose. Runners were sponsored with donations for each lap completed within the 9 AM - 10 AM time for the event. Featured among the 85 or so registered runners was St Joseph's own Fr. Anthony who completed 4 miles.
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Approximately $5000 was raised for FFM from runner sponsors and a free will donation box at the BBQ. The BBQ ran out of hot dogs quickly. We never seem to get that count right.
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Thanks to all the SJMM who assisted at the BBQ: Greg Stephens, Jerome Hubacek, Skip Phair, Richard Lightholder, Mike Burns, Gary Dorighi, Tom Leen, Mike Gaffey, Ron Brazil, John Pohlman, Steve Conn, William Eagan, Bill Irvin and Thomas Pham.
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Dominican Sisters Boutique
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Dominican Sisters are having their annual Boutique on Saturday, November 16. Sister Jane Rudolph has a request for 6-8 volunteers to help with parking from about 8:45am to 1:00pm, though the main rush will be in the morning, and we may not be needed in the afternoon. If you can help contact Ron Brazil at  or (510) 384-3703.
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Men's Ministry Annual Retreat
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The retreat is from Friday, Nov. 22, 4:00 to Sunday, after lunch at the St. Francis Retreat Center near the town of San Juan Bautista. Cost for the weekend is $240, payable by check to St. Joseph Parish. Please get there early as it's hard to find in the dark. It is 10 minutes from the city of San Juan Bautista. Our retreat leader is Father Loveronne, a retired Franscican Priest who has done retreats for us before, and has gotten very favorable reviews. We are looking to give him some ideas about what topics or direction you'd like him to go, so please discuss at the meeting and let me know what you'd like to focus on. Also, traditionally we get together after the program in the evening for some fellowship. You can bring snacks to share, and something to drink, alcoholic or otherwise.
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If I haven’t talked to you already, please let me know if you are planning to go, and for how many nights by email at
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If you have any questions, my phone # is 510-384-3703.
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A Stained Glass Journey - Venerable Fr. Augustus Tolton
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Fr. Augustus Tolton (April 1, 1854 – July 9, 1897) was a trailblazing figure in the history of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Born into slavery in Brush Creek, Missouri, his parents, Peter Paul and Martha Jane (née Chisley) Tolton, were Catholic slaves who were allowed to marry by their neighboring Catholic slave owners.
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When the American Civil War broke out, Tolton's father escaped to join the Union army but was killed in battle. Soon after, Tolton's mother fled with her three children, crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois with the help of Union soldiers. They settled in Quincy, Illinois, where they joined a Catholic church with a congregation largely made up of German immigrants.
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Despite facing harassment and discrimination in local schools, Tolton was encouraged by his mother and his pastor, Father Peter McGirr, to pursue an education. No American seminary would admit a Black student at the time, so Tolton was privately tutored by local priests until he was admitted to St. Francis Solanus College (now Quincy University) in 1878 as a special student. With the support of McGirr and other priests, Tolton began studying for the priesthood at the Collegium Urbanum de Propaganda Fide in Rome in 1880.
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In 1886, Tolton was ordained as the first African American priest in the Roman Catholic Church. He returned to the United States and served in various parishes, primarily in Chicago, where he was known for his dedication to his parishioners and his efforts to promote racial harmony. Fr. Tolton passed away on July 9, 1897, in Chicago.
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He was declared Venerable by Pope Francis on June 11th, 2019 a significant step in the canonization process.
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Year at a Glance
Here is a link to our "Year at a Glance" calendar:
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