St. Catherine 

of Alexandria 

Volunteer Here

Ways to Give

NEW ONLINE GIVING PROGRAM

Parish Giving Tree/Adopt A Family Christmas Program
Doing without things that most of us take for granted is a way of life for some families in our community.  Some children cannot go to social events, expect certain toys for Christmas or their birthday, or even have a Christmas tree because their families cannot afford these expenses.  Fortunately, the families of St. Catherine Parish have the Parish Giving Tree / Adopt A Family Christmas Program to help make the dreams of their children come true…
 
This program is more than just giving and receiving. It is mainly about sharing one’s love and strength with someone else who feels tired and run down. By participating in this type of program, “…the strength of our ever loving Christ child becomes present and joy fills the air.”
 
If you, your family, coworkers or a group of families would like to adopt a family, please contact Anna Quinones at aquinones@dsj.org. 
 
Of course you may choose to take a star from the Giving Tree as you do every year.  On your star there will be information about an Adult or Child, Female/Girl or Male/Boy, clothing size, and or toys.
 
Please return gifts by Sunday, December 9th; all gifts should be taken to the Parish Rectory Office during    M-F 8AM-6PM. On Sunday, December 16th at 10:00am in the Milani Center, we will begin sorting, preparing and delivering gifts to our families. You can volunteer to help on volunteer at www.stca.org
 
If you would like to participate by donating money or gift cards all gifts are appreciated. Please make your check payable to "St. Catherine Church - Parish Giving Tree" and deliver it to the Parish Rectory Office.

FOCUS Safe Parking Program  

With the number of homeless people on the rise in Morgan Hill and many depending on their vehicle or RV as shelter, faith communities and the City of Morgan Hill have established a Safe Parking site to provide a safe place for up to 8 families who are living in their vehicles. The site is located at the Morgan Hill Bible Church,15055 Monterey Rd, Morgan Hill, CA 95037.

In addition to a place to park, relax and sleep overnight without the fear of harassment or arrest for trespassing, we offer:

• Dignity, respect and accountability
• Access to showers, laundry, toilets and meals
• A dedicated case manager to help them transition to housing

From the Desk of Fr. Sergio Ovando, Pastor............

VATICAN 
Pope Message : May Advent prepare for the coming of Jesus, not just worldly goods (Vatican 12/03/20180).
 
Advent it is a period that has "three dimensions": past, present and future. It serves to "purify the faith", to "purify hope" and to "purify vigilance", because the Lord will return.
Even today, he explained, it can happen that faith can become a habit for us; we can get used to it, forgetting its “liveliness.” When the faith becomes a habit, he said, “we lose that strength of the faith, that newness of the faith that is always renewed.”
Pope Francis emphasized that the first dimension of Advent is the past, “the purification of memory”: We have to remember that Christmas is not about the birth of a Christmas tree, but about the birth of Jesus Christ:
The Lord is born, the Redeemer who has come to save us. Yes, it is a celebration… [but] we always face the danger, we will always have within us the temptation to make Christmas mundane, worldly… When the celebration stops being about contemplation—a beautiful family celebration with Jesus at the center—it begins to be a worldly celebration: all about shopping, presents, this and that… and the Lord remains there, forgotten. Even in our own life: yes, He is born, at Bethlehem, but [then what?]… Advent is [a time] for purifying the memory of this time past, of that dimension.
The Pope continued, saying Advent also serves to “purify hope,” preparing us “for the definitive encounter with the Lord”:
Because the Lord who came then will return! He will return! He will return to ask us: “How did your life go?” It will be a personal encounter. We have a personal encounter with the Lord, today, in the Eucharist; we cannot have such a personal with the Christmas of 2000 years ago: we have the memorial of that. But when He will return, we will have that personal encounter. It is purifying hope.
Finally, Pope Francis invited everyone to cultivate the daily dimension of the faith, despite so many cares and worries, taking “custody” of our own “interior home.” Our God, in fact, is the “God of surprises,” and Christians must constantly discern what the heavenly Father is saying to us today:
The third dimension is more daily: purifying our watchfulness. Vigilance and prayer are two words for Advent: Because historically the Lord came in Bethlehem; and He will come, at the end of the world and also at the end of our individual lives. But every day, every moment, He comes into our hearts, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
 
 
 

WELCOME to Saint Catherine of Alexandria Parish!

We, at St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish are a growing, diverse, and welcoming Catholic Community called to live and proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ through Worship, Discipleship, and Service.

¡BIENVENIDOS a la Parroquia de Santa Catalina!
 
La Parroquia de Santa Catalina de Alejandría, es una comunidad en crecimiento, acogedora y diversa, llamada a vivir y proclamar la Buena Nueva de Jesucristo por medio de la Oración, el Discipulado y el Servicio.