Video of Fr. Gerard celebrating Mass https://www.ourladyofrefuge.org ; From the homepage, select the Video icon
Confessions are Saturday 3 – 3:45 P.M. in the Garden of the School of Religious Education
Weekend Masses: SA 4:00 P.M., SU 8:00 A.M., SU 10 A.M.
Daily Mass: 8 A.M. (M, Tu, W)
A Directive from the Covid-19 Response Team at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles is attached.
Greetings my good friends,
I hope all of you are doing well and coping O.K. with life. Walking the dogs early this morning and watching the wonderful golden sunrise, I was reflecting on the Glory of God in nature. God’s creative force is present all around us and the early morning sunshine brought it all into perspective with light permeating everywhere.
Nature is so beautiful and how often we take it for granted. Since I was a kid, my eyes and ears have always been focused on the beauty of nature, the song birds of spring, the arrival of the swallows, the new leaves on trees, birds nesting, first blossoms, and fragrant scent. Last weekend I planted sweet peas for spring flowers in the rectory garden and I also planted two nectarine trees and one fig tree. I have always loved gardening and when I visited OLR for the first time, the beautiful landscaping around the parish gave me great joy. Thanks to Steve Lang and his expert advice.
If God could create such a beautiful world for us humans, can you just imagine God’s creative touch on us humans, created in the image of God? We humans are called to be godly in nature; we love God; God loves us; we are called to Love One Another. Loving one another can be very difficult for us humans, particularly those for whom we do not like, those who are different than us and have other beliefs or cultures or ways of life. Not loving one another, knowing that God loves everyone, we humans are led astray. God knows everything about us and wants us all to trust Him and take risks in loving others.
Maybe this is the time in our beautiful country to start making baby steps in acknowledging others who are different, a time to start building bridges of God’s love, a time of reconciliation and forgiveness, a time to Glory in the one and only God of Jesus Christ.
Lots of prayers for all our parishioners at this time, particularly those who are sick.
On Saturday next at 11 A.M., Bernie Raab’s funeral will take place at All Souls. Please say special prayers at that time for his sorrowful mother Johanna Raab.
Peace, perfect peace, is the Gift of Christ the Lord.
Regards,
Fr. Gerard
Please remember in your prayers Patty Lothman.
Food Finders sent a thank you for the cash donations made in November.
The Parish, Religious Ed and School Offices are closed on Monday, January 18, in observance of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Diaconate Information Day: The ADLA Diaconate Formation Office will host a Diaconate Virtual Information Day on Sunday, January 31, 2021 (2 P.M. – 4 P.M.) For more information or to register, contact [email protected].
Baptisms are held once a month in the Our Lady of Refuge Outdoor Chapel on Saturday at 10:00 A.M. Health protocols are in place to keep everyone as safe as possible. Parents and Godparents are required to attend a pre-baptism class online. Call the Religious Ed office with any questions or to reserve a space. (562) 597-3102
Bequests: Please consider including Our Lady of Refuge Parish and School in your estate plan. Our correct legal title is: The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Los Angeles, A Corporation Sole for the sole benefit of: (Our Lady of Refuge Parish and/or School) For further information, please contact Kimberly Jetton at 213-637-7512. www.ADLALegacy.org
OLR Church Office (562) 498-6641 9:30 A.M. -- 2 P.M. (M-F)
5195 Stearns Street, Long Beach, CA 90815-2901
OLR website -- https://www.ourladyofrefuge.org
Betty Guevara, Parish Secretary -- [email protected]
Shirl Giacomi, Director of Religious Education -- [email protected]
(562) 597-3102 9 A.M. -- 3 P.M. (M-F)
Donnie Green, OLRS Interim Principal -- [email protected]
OLR Catholic School -- (562) 597-0819 7:30 A.M. -- 3 P.M. (M-TH), 7:30 A.M. -- 1 P.M. (F)
5210 E. Los Coyotes Diagonal, Long Beach, CA 90815
Team Refuge -- Holly Cavallaro, Coordinator (562) 822-9191
Faith Direct -- https://membership.faithdirect.net/enroll/CA966 ; or the app Faith Direct – eGiving for Churches. To securely make a one-time gift to Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church, text a dollar amount to (562) 414-6831.
Realm -- https://onrealm.org (to access your account) or the app Connect – our Church Community, ACS Technology Group (Realm Connect)