Memorial Mass in Memory of Pope John Paul II
by Bruno Martinez and Olga Rodriguez

Pope John Paul II May 18, 1920 - April 2, 2005

More than 1,500 faithful and admirers gathered at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, on the evening of Tuesday, 5 April, as the Diocese of San Jose bid a solemn farewell to the Holy Father. The Cathedral Basilica was filled well beyond capacity with people standing 3 and 4 deep in aisle, filling the choir loft and spilling into the street. The Mass was celebrated by Bishop Patrick McGrath and concelebrated by Bishop Pierre DuMaine and dozens of other local clergy.

The first reading, from the Hebrew scripture of Isaiah, was read by Rabbi Dana Magat from Temple Emanu-El, who exemplified that our Holy Father touched the lives of more than just Catholics, but the whole world. In his homily, Bishop McGrath shared his personal experiences of the Pope. Among what he shared was the fact that the Holy Father always made a point of not just meeting new people but connecting with and remembering them. He also shared a story of when the Pope came to San Francisco in 1987, when the Bishop was then the rector of St. Mary’s Cathedral. He told of how the Holy Father, though surrounded by gifts of wine from all over the state, when asked if he wanted a drink by the Bishop, was told he wanted a beer. No one in the rectory drank beer, though they had hosted some priests earlier in the month that had bought a six-pack and by some unknown miracle, left one beer, which the Holy Father enjoyed.

Above all, the Bishop reminded us that though we are saddened by the loss of this great man, who had led the Church for almost 27 years. We should rejoice that through the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that the Holy Father is now joined with Christ in heaven. Let us remember the legacy of Pope John Paul II and pray, as the College of Cardinals gather to elect a new Pope, that they be guided by the Holy Spirit to find a successor worthy of St. Peter and Pope John Paul II.

Fundraiser Breakfast
By Olga Rodriguez and Patricia Pene

The Spanish Speaking community of Saint John Vianney has a Desayuno (Breakfast) fundraiser the 4th Sunday of every month. They have been doing this for 3 years now. The breakfast includes your choice of Menudo with all the fixings, or Eggs, Pancakes and Bacon, or Tostada with Rice a Beans, all served with juice or coffee. The cost is only $5 for adults and $3 for children. All food and time is donated by the group. All proceeds from the Desayuno go to the Multipurpose Building Fund.

The next Desayuno is scheduled for Sunday, April 24, 2005, after each of the morning Masses. Please, do not miss this opportunity to meet and mingle with the Spanish speaking community, have a great home cooked breakfast, and donate to the Building Fund. Donations of food are accepted. Please contact Fernando Pena for more information at 408-258-3470.

Global Week of Awareness for Fair Trade

This weekend, after each of the regular liturgies, you can taste some fair trade coffee and chocolate, then buy some for your own home or business.

Then, you're invited to a progressive coffee party! As our way of celebrating the Global Week of Action for Fair Trade, we are having a progressive coffee party.

We are gathering at 8:00 AM on Saturday, April 16 at the parish parking lot. We will divide into groups of four or five, and carpool around town in search of a cup of Fair Trade Coffee. Each person will get a supply of cards explaining what Fair Trade Coffee is and why we want it. We will visit a variety of coffee shops in the area, requesting a brewed cup of Fair Trade Coffee. If they don't have brewed Fair Trade Coffee, explain why you think they should, give them a card to share with the store manager, tell them "Thank you." and politely leave.

After visiting five or six shops, we will gather at the home of Brendan and Darby Cunning for a party with all the Fair Trade Coffee you can drink. (Other refreshments will be provided also.)

St. John Vianney JustFaith members and alumni, together with MT25.org, have provided kits to other parishes so they can have their own progressive coffee party. Together, we can make the world a better place.

www.ncrlc.com/GWofA-webpage.html

Californians for Healthy Kids Town Hall Meeting
by Bruno Martinez

Members of SJV PACT will be boarding a bus on Wednesday, April 13, 2005, at 3:00 PM. The PACT members will join more than 3000 other community leaders at the state capital to make sure that the voices of California's 800,000 uninsured children are heard.

Local PACT has successfully made sure that no child in San Jose is without access to preventative healthcare or insurance. This has not gone unnoticed. Now you have an opportunity to help spread PACT's success throughout the state. Our local PACT is joining with PICO ( Pacific Institute for Community Organizations, www.picocalifornia.org ) to meet with state officials at the California for Healthy Kids Town Hall Meeting.

Currently, some 800,000 children in California are without medical insurance of any kind. The numbers are staggering. When a child gets sick, without a regular doctor to visit, the odds are much greater that a child will need more intense medical attention or hospitalization. This means they have more sick days from lack of preventative care. California has the 5th largest economy in the world, yet these children, who have no voice and cannot vote, have less health care than children in some developing countries.

Help their voices be heard by making your voice heard.  Be part of the solution.  Embrace the love for others that Christ has shown us. Remember that Christ told us that "Whatever you do unto the least of My people, you do unto Me." For more information, or to join the trip, please call Lily Tenes at 408-272-1861.

Father Larry in Kosovo
by Olga Rodriguez

Fr. Larry Hendel is the former pastor of St. John Vianney Parish. After Christmas 2004, he spent the rest of the year, and beginning of January, with his family in Novato, California. Fr. Larry returned to Ft. Lewis, Washington, where he prepared to transition to Germany and a new position as a Staff Chaplain. Those early days in January flew by with sorting, packing and getting ready to leave the United States. As he described it, the experience was well reflected in the phrase "Hurry up and wait". He finally arrived in Nuremberg early evening on Friday, January 14. He spent the next couple of weeks in Hohenfels, Germany, where as he describes it "a coat is necessary any time you step outside, whether in the middle of the afternoon or in the middle of the night. The accommodations were meager with barrack buildings that have no running water, bathrooms or showers. Next, he headed to Kosovo, in the former Yugoslavia, for the next phase of his training.

Fr. Larry just finished celebrating Triduum in Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo. Thirty-one people gathered on Holy Thursday and four people volunteered for the foot washing. All items used, from the towels to the basins, were donated or were improvised. On Good Friday, they gathered in the smaller south chapel where the aviation crew came up with a plain wooden cross made from some four by fours. Fifty-eight people attended this celebration.

On Saturday morning, they prepared a fire outdoors before entering the chapel. People shared stories of faith and renewed baptismal promises. They even had 3 boxes of incense and frankincense. As Fr. Larry said, "They either have too much or nothing at all.

After reading Fr. Larry’s stories, I was reminded that it is our faith that unites us. People came together, shared what they had and improvised on what they didn’t have, in order to celebrate during this solemn time. No matter what the conditions, a community of faith rallied together to make it happen.

Fr. Larry is touched and happy to be able to facilitate this experience for so many who otherwise would not be able to share their faith with a community. It touches my heart to know that these soldiers can be sure that God loves them, and that they are part of God’s family. Moreover, it is enlightening to know that the miracle of God is Risen is celebrated even under these bleak circumstances. Fr. Larry thanks us for our prayers and asks us to remember, especially the soldiers on patrol, in our prayers.

Parishioner in the News

Saturday, April 9, is the 74th birthday of Jim McEntee. Jim, a long time active member of St. John Vianney Parish, died all too soon, on September 13, 2004. He served as Director of Human Relations for Santa Clara County for over twenty-seven years, making this valley one of the most pleasant places in the world. Almost every non-profit organization that works for human services in this valley was touched by Jim's leadership.

Jim's family will be active in our parish Fair Trade coffee sale on Saturday, April 9th (Jim's Birthday) after the 5:15 PM Mass. Catholic Social Teaching tells us we are all responsible for each other. Using Fair Trade products is one way to do that. That's why Jim's family wants to spend their day on this project, continuing to do the work Jim would be doing if he were here with us today. Using Fair Trade products in your home is one way you can celebrate Jim and continue his legacy of justice.

Some of Jim's friends, along with his wife, Ann, are working to carry on the Jim McEntee legacy. One thing we are working on is getting the county to recognize Jim's contribution by naming a significant site after him. We are also working to set up a scholarship and leadership training program.

On Wednesday, May 11, 3:00-5:00 PM, and again at 7:00-9:00 PM, there will be a public hearing about how the county might honor Jim McEntee's legacy. The hearing will be held in the Supervisors Chambers of the Santa Clara County Building at 70 West Hedding Street, San Jose, CA 95110. Everyone is invited to come and discuss which site in the county might be named in honor of Jim, and to share stories of how Jim impacted life in our community. All are invited. This is an opportunity for us to honor Jim with our presence, even if one doesn't want to speak at the microphone. The more people who show up, the more likely the county supervisors will do something to honor Jim.

Today, we are announcing the Jim McEntee Legacy Story Collection . We want as many people as possible to share stories of Jim, so we can all remember and imitate him. If you have a story to tell, visit the website: www.JimMcEnteeLegacy.org

Announcements

First Communion Sundays: St. John Vianney Parish will celebrate First Communion on April 10, 17, and 24. This means we will likely have guests at Mass, so let's be especially welcoming and understanding.

The next SJV Fiesta meeting will be next Tuesday, April 12, at 7 PM in the School Library . We are still working on equipment & supply needs for each booth. We will also be discussing volunteer needs. The Annual St. John Vianney Fiesta is quickly approaching. This year it is set for May 20 through May 22. We need CHAIRS and CO-CHAIRS....Manage a booth (Chair position) or assist in managing (Co-Chair position). If you are interested in the above Fiesta Positions, please contact: David Couch at 408-314-2393 or at dcouch36@sbcglobal.net , or Patricia Tovar at patricia.tovar@arusd.org.

Weekly Readings

This Week:  

Third Sunday of Easter, April 10
  Acts 2:14, 22-33
  1 Peter 1:17-21
  Luke 24:13-35

Next Week:

Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 17
  Acts 2:14a, 36-41
  1 Peter 2:20b-25
  John 10:1-10

Praying the Scriptures:
  Visit this web site for ideas on
  praying the Scriptures:
  www.liturgy.slu.edu

Take a Moment to Pray:
  Visit this web site for ideas on
  the Ignatious way to pray:
  www.sacredspace.ie

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