Alum Rock Park Entrances

Following the heavy rains of 1997 and 1998, the road to Alum Rock Park was damaged. The city of San Jose then closed that entrance and made Penitencia Creek Road the primary entrance. On July 20 there will be a meeting to discuss the plans for Alum Rock Park Entrances.

What: A community meeting to discuss the plans for the entrances to Alum Rock Park. San Jose Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services Department will hold a community meeting to discuss their new recommendation not to proceed with their plans to relocate Penitencia Creek temporarily, or build a high-water bypass channel, as it is extremely unlikely the City would receive the necessary permits from regulatory agencies (e.g., the National Marine Fisheries Service). The Alum Rock Avenue entrance to the Park was closed in September, 2000, due to the deterioration of the roadway following the 1998 landslide. The planned work could have stabilized the toe of the landslide near Penitencia Creek and eventually led to the reopening of the Alum Rock Avenue entrance to vehicular traffic.

Click here for the "Dear Resident" letter announcing this meeting.

When: Thursday, July 20, at 5:30 PM

Where: Dr. Roberto Cruz/Alum Rock Library, 3090 Alum Rock Avenue (at the corner of Alum Rock Avenue and White Road)

More Information contact: Matt Cano, Park Operation and Development Division Manager at (408) 535-3580 or e-mail at matt.cano@sanjoseca.gov

If Not You, Who?
By Ellen Turner

"If I am not for myself, who will be for me?
If I am not for others, what am I?
And if not now, when?"
Rabbi Hillel (30 BC - 9 AD)

Since our first Town Hall meeting, prior to Fr. Tim Kidney's arrival two years ago, St. John Vianney parishioners have been asking for opportunities for adult spiritual enrichment. Some asked for an evening Bible study. (Folks who are not working days have enjoyed a Tuesday morning Bible study with Fr. James, but many cannot make a day time meeting.) Some have asked for a return of the Renew program which the parish participated in for several years. Others have asked for retreats, missions, and other choices for growing in our Faith.

Well, it is time for you to step forward and make this happen. There are several options available. One is the Alpha Program. This could happen in our parish as early as this Fall if we can find a small group of people to organize it. The Alpha program involves small groups of people, meeting around the dinner table in parishioners home, to share a meal, pray together, watch a short video, and then discuss it. In some ways it is similar to the Renew program. In other ways it is simpler and easier to organize. But it does require someone to manage the basic organization. If you want this to happen in our parish, please consider volunteering to call a committee together and get started.

Another possibility is a program called Little Rock Scripture Study. Again, this program is set up to be organized by a small committee of volunteers. The materials include all the information you need in order to carry on a series of small groups, meeting in homes to discuss, pray, and share on the scripture. A similar program, called the New Threshold Bible Study, is also a possibility.

Another interesting series is called People of Faith. This one is an intergenerational faith formation series, with materials suitable for singles, families, seniors and youth of all ages. Surely one of these would work well for our parish. There are five different curriculums, each six weeks in duration:

1. Following Jesus
2. Professing Our Faith
3. Celebrating the Sacraments
4. Acting for Justice
5. Prayer

Please take some time to pray about this thirst for enrichment that seems to be so strong in our parish right now. Ask God if you are being called to work in this area. If you are ready to heed this call, please come to a meeting on Monday, July 17, at 7:00 PM in the Parish Office Center.

Click the following links for more information about:

• Alpha Program
• Little Rock Scripture Study
• New Threshold Bible Study
• Generations of Faith/People of Faith

For information about next steps to bring something like this to St. John Vianney Parish, visit our Parish Office Center on Monday, July 17, at 7:00 PM.

Did We Make a Difference?

Back in March, St. John Vianney Parishioners were encouraged to sign some postcards to send to Senator Diane Feinstein regarding Immigration Bill HR 4437. The bill would have a seriously bad impact on immigrants, and also make it illegal to offer basic assistance to them. Senator Feinstein heard our plea, and changed her position on the bill.

Our deanery also agreed to make immigration reform an important part of our call for justice. Many participated in a massive peaceful march for immigration reform on May 1.

There will be a meeting to discuss the marches and HR4437 and/or S.2611, the two bills now before Congress. This meeting will be in Spanish only. If you speak Spanish or wish to share this information with Spanish speaking friends or relatives, click here for the Spanish version of the flyer. For the English version, click here.

St. Mary Magdala - Feast July 22

Most of us have an image of Mary Magdala as the repentant sinner, who washed Jesus feet. But that is not the story that is actually in the Bible. The woman who washed Jesus feet, as well as the woman caught in adultery, is not named and is most certainly not Mary Magdalen. This incorrect story has been used to the disadvantage of women for centuries. It reminded everyone of the sin of Eve and reinforced a view that held women as less important than men.

With the publicity from the book and movie, The DeVinci Code, interest in Mary Magdalen has grown in the last few years. (The book and movie are fiction, of course, but rather fun.)

So who was this woman and why should we care in the twenty-first century? Mary Magdala is mentioned frequently in the New Testament, usually first when other women are listed. She was obviously an important figure in the early church. She is the only woman not named by a relationship to a man. Other women are listed as "wife of" or "mother of" a particular man. Mary Magdala is simply recorded as Mary of Magdala. Along with other women, she assisted and cared for Jesus and his followers, perhaps using her own money to provide for them.

We do know from the Gospel story, that Mary Magdala is the first to see the Risen Lord. This story could be used to show the value of women, in opposition to the myth that used Mary Magdala to reinforce a negative view of women.

So what is important about her today? Mary Magdala was the first to see the Risen Lord and she was the Apostle to the Apostles, the first to tell them about the Resurrection. She stayed with Jesus at the foot of the cross, when most of the other Apostles fled in fear. She was faithful and strong. A good roll model for all of us today.

For more information about Mary Magdala, click here.

Nurture Your Spiritual Maturity

Here are some opportunities to nurture your spiritual maturity. Click on the title to download a specific flyer.

Presentation Retreat Center invites you to:

" Soul Visioning: Discovering your Soul through Artwork "
Come explore what makes your heart sing and gain clarity on the vision for your life.

July 22, 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Facilitator: Suzanne Coll

" Spirit on the Mountain ~ Presenting a new Christian Mystic each month "

Sept 10, 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Facilitator: F. Kevin Joyce, Ph.D.

" From Inside Out: Cultures of Peace and Women Who Are Building Them "

Sept 23, 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
Facilitator & Author: Carol Lee Flinders, Ph.D.

For information contact: presentationcenter.org or call (408) 354-2346

Announcements

PARISH AND DEANERY:

Marriage Community Get-Together Married Couples: Join us for an hour of wine, hors d'oeuvres and good laughs Wednesday, July 26, from 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM, in the SJV Parish Office Center. Don't miss our discussion on Laughter in Marriage. On-site childcare is available. For more information, contact Richard and Veronica Wildanger (408) 937-1483 rpwildanger@earthlink.net.

Family Faith welcomes you and your family (pre-school through adult) to participate in the many educational and sacramental programs offered through this community:

• Basic Faith Formation (Discovering God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and Church)
• Sacramental Preparation (Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, Confirmation)
• Ongoing Participation (Our Role in Community, Our Commission to Serve)

This Fall, we are excited to offer a weekly fellowship, Faith Alive, for any adult who wishes to explore their personal faith. This fellowship will provide a time for prayer, personal reflection, candid discussion, and the opportunity to ask your own questions about God, Catholic traditions and 'everyday' faith. We hope that you will set aside one day a week to enrich the spiritual journey of you and your family members! Please call the Catechetical Ministry office at 258-7832 x18 English, or 258-7832 x30 espaņol. 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 x24 for more information. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

COMMUNITY AT LARGE:

Worldwide Marriage Encounter Convention, "In God We Trust", is coming July 28-30, Friday at 8 PM through Sunday at 12 noon, at Santa Clara University. For more information contact Dennis and Carrie Crawford at dennis.crawford@wizwire.com. To register, download a flyer. Couples, priests and religious from all over the northwestern United States will gather at Santa Clara University for the Section 12 and 13 Marriage Encounter Convention. If you've been on a Marriage Encounter Weekend, you don't want to miss this chance to get together with other couples, religious and priests who have shared that experience!

"Rooted in Faith, Embracing our Future" ("Arraigados en la Fe, Abrazando Nuestro Futuro") will be held at the Santa Clara Convention Center on November 10-11. This conference is sponsored by the Dioceses of San Jose, Monterey, Oakland and Stockton and the Archdiocese of San Francisco. For more information call (408) 983-0127, or click here to see the Faith Formation Conference web page.

Recycle Your Electronics: HOPE Services will take your old monitors and televisions at no charge. HOPE has been approved by the State of California to become a 'collector' of electronic waste. The items that they will be collecting include computer monitors, televisions, and laptops. If you have these items and would like to get rid of them, please call HOPE at (408) 748-2861, or drop them off Monday-Thursday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, or Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM, at 3100 Alfred St. (near Scott and Central), Santa Clara. Please use the Salvage door in the front of the building.

Weekly Readings

This Week: 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 16   Amos 7:12-15   Ephesians 1:3-14   Mark 6:7-13 Next Week: 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time: July 23   Jeremiah 23:1-6   Ephesians 2:13-18   Mark 6:30-34

Praying the Scriptures   Visit this web site for ideas   on praying the Scriptures.   Take a Moment to Pray   Visit this web site for ideas   on the Ignatius way to pray.

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