In This Issue: Pentecost Sunday SJV Parish Pastoral Council Meeting Hunger Week Focus of SJV's Marriage Community Emergency Information Our Sikh Neighbors Announcements Weekly Readings

Father's Day is coming. Do you have a story about your favorite father, or father figure, to share? Click here for some ideas/questions. Send your stories to newsletter@sjvnews.net.

Pentecost Sunday
by Ellen Turner

This weekend we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, the birthday of the Church. The word "Pentecost" refers to "fiftieth" or the fiftieth day after Easter. The feast is older than Christianity, indeed, perhaps older than the Ten Commandments. Pagan cultures celebrated a feast of first fruits at that time of the year. They held pageants and offered the first wheat from their harvest to their fertility gods. The Jews saw the value of this and took up the tradition of offering the first fruits of their harvests to the one true God. The Jews celebrated this harvest festival fifty days after Passover. The feast is also called the Festival of the Weeks, since a week of weeks is 7 times 7 or 49, practically fifty. (Remember the tradition of Jubilee, offering the forgiveness of debts every fifty years, again known as 7 times 7 years.) Originally, the Jews held these celebrations near their homes, but over time it became the ideal to go to Jerusalem to celebrate.

So it was that fifty days after Jesus rose from the dead, pilgrims from all the corners of the Hebrew world gathered in Jerusalem. Many different languages were spoken by these pilgrims. The followers of Jesus had gathered in the upper room, still unsure of themselves. That day, they were filled with the Holy Spirit as Jesus had promised them. With new courage, they ventured out into the city to tell others of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus the Christ.

Amazingly, the pilgrims understood the Good News shared with them by the Disciples of Jesus, even though their languages were different, and the small group of 120 followers quickly grew to 3000. This marked the beginning of the Church. In some traditions the day is known as Whitsunday or White Sunday, taking this name from the white robes of the newly baptized.

In our tradition, we wear red on Pentecost to remind ourselves of the tongues of fire hovering over the heads of the Disciples, indicating the infusion of the Holy Spirit into their lives and hearts.

In Italy it was customary to scatter rose leaves from the ceiling of the churches to recall the miracle of the fiery tongues; hence in Sicily and elsewhere in Italy Whitsunday is called Pascha rosatum. The Italian name Pascha rossa comes from the red colors of the vestments used on Whitsunday. In France it was customary to blow trumpets during Divine service, to recall the sound of the mighty wind which accompanied the Descent of the Holy Ghost.

So what lesson does Pentecost offer us today? Think about how you welcome the Holy Spirit in your life. How do you share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, even when they don't speak your language? (Hint: Tertullian, a second century Christian teacher wrote "See how they love one another!") You can use the idea of a birthday party for the Church to involve your children in the celebration. Have a cake and make presents for those less fortunate. Talk with your children about being open to the Holy Spirit in every day experiences. Show the world the love of Christ.

Parish Pastoral Council Meeting
by Ray Turner

Our next Parish Pastoral Council meeting is set for Wednesday, June 14. All parishioners are welcome to attend the council meetings, to observe the council at work and to offer input, time permitting. The agenda for the meeting, so far includes:

All parishioners are invited the attend all Parish Pastoral Council meetings. If you would like a particular item added to the agenda contact Ray Turner at council@sjvnews.net or 272-9234.

Hunger Week

Second Harvest Food Bank invites you to feed the hungry without lifting a finger or fork. On June 8, San Jose based Second Harvest Food Bank is launching its first "Change the Face of Hunger, Skip Lunch" event. As part of the National Hunger Awareness Week, Second Harvest encourages everyone to skip lunch and instead donate the money to the Food Bank.

Can you give up one meal to feed ten or twenty hungry people? Many of the 156,000 people fed through Second Harvest each month are the working poor. As you go about your day, skipping lunch, see how productive you are feeling around 3:30 PM when your own hunger reaches a high point.

Be part of the solution this time. Go to www.IskippedLunch.com. Skip lunch and send your check to:

Second Harvest Food Bank
750 Curtner Ave.
San Jose, CA 95125-2118

To Love and Be Loved is Focus of SJV's Marriage Community
by Richard and Veronica Wildanger

Marriage takes commitment, selflessness and giving. A good marriage is marked by that and thereby honors God. That is the message a group of enthusiastic couples from St John Vianney heard the evening of Thursday, May 25. Lead by Richard and Veronica Wildanger, the May meeting brought together nine couples who share a desire to have rich, loving and holy marriages.

Richard and Veronica shared an exciting concept from Gary Chapman's bestseller The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. The book proposes that we each prefer one of five different ways of expressing and receiving love. If we express our love for our spouse in a different Love Language - in a way that they do not "understand" - then they won't realize what we are doing and might even feel upset or empty. Conversely, to express love for our spouse in the way that they understand might take us out of our own comfort zone and require us to pay attention to fulfilling their needs. This relates to last month's topic that the love in marriage is mostly about sacrificial service to your spouse, just as Jesus served others out of his love.

The evening had lots of good conversation and a reflection to help everyone understand his/her Love Language and what each can do to speak his/her spouses' language. At the end all enjoyed coffee and desert. All couples are welcome to the next meeting on Friday, June 23, for a presentation and discussion of "Couple Rituals: Finding a Rich Moment." In a busy day and hectic world, there are little things that we can make special between us to renew our spirits and give a shot of joy.

For more information about the St. John Vianney's Marriage Community, or to be added to the announcement list, contact Richard and Veronica Wildanger at rpwildanger@earthlink.net or (408) 937-1483.

Emergency Information
by Ginny Cox

I work for an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) based at El Camino Hospital which works with several hundred organizations - providing various services for employees and families of these specific companies. Among these are counseling, legal services, financial, child care and school resources. Whenever there is an emergency of any kind (local or national), we provide trainings and information either on our web site, www.concern-eap.com, or through other communications.

When Hurricane Katrina hit, we provided the following information, which through hind sight now, may be of use in the future to my fellow SJV parishioners:

FEMA - Government agency that deals with disaster relief. It can be used to locate and register for financial aid, emergency housing, and other resources. It is NOT to be used for donations to disaster relief. (800) 621-3362 (FEMA) or TTY (800) 462-7585. See www.FEMA.gov.

RED CROSS - This number can be used only for making donations. (800) HELP-NOW (435-7669). This is available in Spanish at (800) 257-7575. www.RedCross.org includes a registry for people who are trying to find missing family members or those who want to let family members know they are OK.

DISASTER HELP: - Family registry and links to other government help. See www.disasterhelp.gov.

We are currently working with some agencies to put together information for specific companies regarding the possible impending pandemic of the bird flu. Once compiled, I will tell us more specifics.

Our Sikh Neighbors
by Ellen Turner

I had an opportunity to visit the local Sikh Temple last week and thought that SJV parishioners might be interested in learning a bit about this religion from India/Pakistan. The temple off Quimby Road is very beautiful. There is a large waterfall in front and the temple sits on the hillside with a lovely view of our valley. The people there were very hospitable. In fact, hospitality to all is an important piece of their tradition. Founded in India where various religious groups were fighting each other, and people were divided into four castes based on their birth families, the Sikh tradition teaches equality and hospitality as central values. Each temple maintains a kitchen, open twenty-four hours a day to provide nourishment to all who come. If you are ever hungry, you can count on a free meal at a Sikh temple.

The Sikh tradition also includes refraining from cutting hair, so Sikh men usually, but not always, have long beards and long hair. You don't see their long hair, because every morning they wrap their heads in yards of muslin to make a turban that completely covers their hair. After 9/11, Sikhs were in great danger as some people mistook them for followers of Osama bin Laden. Several lost their lives to that ignorance. At the company where I was working at the time, we had a Sikh man working as a security guard. After a friend of his was murdered by someone thinking the man was an Al Quaida friend, the gentleman came to work without his turban. I had to go tell him how very sorry I was that our community could not provide him with basic safety. It made me very sad.

When the Sikhs first announced that they were building this beautiful new temple, a few people in the neighborhood printed up flyers, claiming that the presence of the temple and the congregation would decrease local property values. They tried to get the community to prevent the construction. Jim McEntee stepped in and helped calm things down. Through him, the Sikhs learned how to work with the local community to reach an understanding.

Now the local community is invited to a special Fourth of July Ice Cream Social at the Sikh Temple. Neighbors enjoy the beautiful building and the grounds. Families stroll through the property on sunny afternoons. Stop by sometime. You will find a welcome.

Announcements

PARISH AND DEANERY:

Fr. Francisco Rios, presently the Pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea in Alviso, has been named pastor of St. John Vianney effective July 1. Fr. Andres Parra has been named Parochial Vicar of Sacred Heart in San Jose. The new Parochial Vicar is Fr. Eddie Obero, presently at St. Thomas Aquinas in Palo Alto.

Next Parish Pastoral Council Meeting: Wednesday, June 14. All parishioners are invited the attend all Parish Pastoral Council meetings. If you would like a particular item added to the agenda contact Ray Turner at council@sjvnews.net or 272-9234.

Family Faith (CCD) 2006-2007 Registration: Walk-in registration (for St. John Vianney parishioners only) will be held 9 AM to 2 PM Tuesdays, and 9 AM to 11 AM Wednesdays, until June 7 at the Parish Office Center. All children/youth must be registered by their parent or legal guardian. Please bring baptismal certificates and 50% of the registration fees to register your children and youth. All parents or legal guardians who desire to register their children or youth for baptism, first communion or confirmation, must contact the Catechetical Ministry office at 258-7832 x18. For more information, click here.

Help Needed! Family Faith is seeking individuals (minimum age 16 yrs) who are interested in becoming a Catechist or Catechist aide for grades 1-6. TRAINING WILL BE PROVIDED. Please contact 258-7832 x 24 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Parish Event Calendar is Online: The SJV Parish Communication Team has launched a Parish Event Calendar. Click here to see the calendar. The calendar can also be found as a link from the parish web site, www.sjvnews.net. Taking the first term as the Calendar Administrator will be Leticia Scaringe, a communication team member. To post events, you may email (what, when, where) info about appropriate events to calendar@sjvnews.net. Events in the calendar, as with all productions of the SJV Parish Communication Team, are subject to review before posting.

COMMUNITY AT LARGE:

Catholic Communication Campaign collection is set for June 3 and June 4 in all parishes, and will support The Valley Catholic operating budget for 2006-07 fiscal year. Your gift to the CCC will remain in the Diocese of San Jose to enable continued quality news coverage of this Local Church. Look for the special envelope in your parish the weekend of June 3-4. -Roberta Ward

Greetings from St. Julie Billiart's prayer group: We would like to invite your community to our first healing Mass which falls on Pentecost Sunday, June 4. Click here to find a flyer which has all the information. Thank you. -Dr. Jaime Galindo

Justice Symposium is on June 24, at Santa Clara University. Registration forms will be ready soon. But please mark your calendar now and plan to attend and invite others. There will be several excellent national and local speakers including John Carr, Secretary of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Dept. of Social Development and World Peace, and Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren, as well as exhibits, lunch, prayer, an award ceremony, and an opportunity to network and share with others. This year, the Symposium will include a Spanish track. Hope to see you there! -Linda Batton, SJ Diocese.

Weekly Readings

This Week: Pentcost Vigil: June 3   Genesis 11:1-9 or   Exodus 19:3-8a, 16-20b or   Ezekiel 37:1-14 or   Joel 3:1-5   Romans 8:22-27   John 7:37-39 Pentcost: June 4   Acts 2:1-11   1 Corintians 12:3b-7, 12-13 or   Galatians 5:16-25   John 15:26-27; 16:12-15 or   John 20:19-23 Next Week: Most Holy Trinity: June 11   Deuteronomy 4:32-34, 39-40 or   Romans 8:14-17   Matthew 28:16-20

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 Ignatius way to pray:   www.sacredspace.ie

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