California Catholic Daily

01/24/2025

Churches Worth Driving To Holy Cross Chapel, Keuterville, Idaho ⛪

A hidden gem nestled in the countryside, Holy Cross Chapel is part of a unique three-parish group. Whether you’re seeking a peaceful retreat or a glimpse into Idaho’s spiritual heritage, this chapel is a must-visit destination.

Take a drive and experience the serene beauty and history of Holy Cross Chapel!

https://www.cal-catholic.com/churches-worth-driving-to-holy-cross-chapel-keuterville-idaho/

01/22/2025

Father Joseph Illo, pastor of Star of the Sea Church in San Francisco, shared a powerful 13-minute homily on Sunday, January 12, about the beauty of family life.

Get married early and often—well, only once

📖 Reflecting on the words of Saint John Paul II, Father Illo reminded us that 'Families are a necessary good, an indispensable good for society.'

https://www.cal-catholic.com/father-illo-on-family-life/

01/20/2025

Mel Gibson told Raymond Arroyo that losing his Malibu home in the LA fires may be spiritual preparation for making the highly anticipated The Resurrection of the Christ movie.

In the first episode of Arroyo’s new podcast called Arroyo Grande, the Catholic journalist asked Gibson why he said in an interview that seeing the loss of his home in the fires serves as a “purification” for him.

“It was an odd mixture of sadness and kind of a weird realization and blessing,” Gibson told Arroyo.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/loss-of-mel-gibson-home-preparation-for-new-movie/

01/17/2025

Churches Worth Driving To ⛪ St. Thomas More Church, Paradise, CA

A beacon of hope and resilience in a town forever changed. Despite the 2018 fire that reduced the population by 80%, St. Thomas More Church stands strong, offering faith and community to all who visit.

01/15/2025

The severity of the fires in California has prompted US President Joe Biden to cancel his planned trip to Italy, where he was due to meet the Pope today. In fact, a White House memo announced that Biden would remain in the United States “to focus in the coming days on managing the overall federal response” to the dramatic wildfires that are devastating the Los Angeles area, with several deaths already recorded and tens of thousands of people evacuated.

The fact that natural causes have prevented such a visit, however, does not detract from the seriousness of a papal audience – scheduled for 10 January – to the same Joe Biden for a final parade who, for the last four years, has been the world’s greatest promoter of the murder of innocents in the womb and their depravity through LGBT ideology….

https://www.cal-catholic.com/california-wildfires-lead-to-cancellation-of-biden-pope-visit/

01/13/2025

As he drove frantically past charred buildings along the smoky streets of Altadena in his SUV early Wednesday morning, Deacon José Luis Díaz had one prayer on his mind: God, please spare my church.

A few hours earlier, Díaz and his family had been roused from their beds by a cellphone alert ordering them to evacuate as fierce, dry Santa Ana winds pushed the Eaton Fire into their Altadena neighborhood. They packed up a few belongings and went to the Pasadena Convention Center nearby, one of several public shelters set up for local evacuees.

Shortly after falling asleep in a cot, he was awakened again — this time by his wife.

“José Luis, they’re saying the church is on fire!” his wife, Maria Esther, told him….

https://www.cal-catholic.com/deacon-and-others-save-sacred-heart-in-altadena/

01/11/2025

🌟 Churches Worth Driving To 🌟
St. John the Baptist, Laughlin, NV
A unique place of worship where faith meets the unexpected!

01/09/2025

My good Irish friend Donncha was convinced that if every Catholic in San Francisco put a nativity scene in their front window this December, the City would change. The problem with our cities, he rightly observed, is that we rush back and forth from work to play, from expensive restaurants to expensive entertainment, and we don’t stop to look at Jesus. We have forgotten the fundamental truth of human existence: that God became human so that humans could become like God.

Whole families spend 20 minutes in front of the scene.My good Irish friend Donncha was convinced that if every Catholic in San Francisco put a nativity scene in their front window this December, the City would change. The problem with our cities, he

01/07/2025

Two of Arizona’s Catholic bishops joined last week with a group of other Christian leaders in the state to express their “grave concern” over “the threat of mistreatment of undocumented persons who are our neighbors and contribute to our communities.”

“While we recognize the lawful right of nations to monitor and control their borders, we also recognize that in many ways our current U.S. immigration laws do not uphold individuals’ rights to a dignified life, family unity, and safety,” wrote a group of 10 Arizona Christian leaders in a Dec. 28 AZ Central column.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/phoenix-and-tucson-bishops-warn-ice-away-from-churches/

01/03/2025

🌟 Churches Worth Driving To 🌟
Ss. Peter & Paul Church, San Francisco
A stunning place of worship where Italian, Chinese, and English traditions beautifully come together.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/churches-worth-driving-to-ss-peter-paul-san-francisco/

01/01/2025

My good Irish friend Donncha was convinced that if every Catholic in San Francisco put a nativity scene in their front window this December, the City would change. The problem with our cities, he rightly observed, is that we rush back and forth from work to play, from expensive restaurants to expensive entertainment, and we don’t stop to look at Jesus. We have forgotten the fundamental truth of human existence: that God became human so that humans could become like God. We have forgotten the real meaning of Christmas, even though everyone longs for the spirit of Christmas.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/the-shock-of-a-nativity-scene-in-san-francisco/

12/30/2024

….According to the always leftist, frequently hysterical, reporting of the National Catholic Reporter:

Trump’s choice of Brian Burch to represent him here in Rome is certain to raise eyebrows inside the Vatican, as he has long expressed criticism of the Francis papacy.

The NCR goes on to list some of those instances. Burch criticized the Vatican document allowing the blessing of same-sex couples. Burch took issue with Pope Francis punishing Cardinal Burke, who is perhaps the single most careful and respectful of all the Holy Father’s public critics.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/why-the-catholic-left-hates-brian-burch/

12/20/2024

⛪ Churches Worth Driving To – St. Scholastica, Erie, Colorado

Discover St. Scholastica Catholic Church in Erie, Colorado—a vibrant and welcoming parish that’s truly worth the drive!

🎤 Hear from parishioners as they share what makes this church so special: the strong sense of community, inspiring services, and a place where faith truly comes alive.

📍 Plan your visit to experience the warmth and spirit of St. Scholastica for yourself!

12/18/2024

📚 "I Do Believe in an Afterlife" – An Interview with a Lapsed Catholic

Meet Eric, an economics and statistics student at Taft College, southwest of Bakersfield. In this thoughtful conversation outside the Student Services building, Eric reflects on his faith, beliefs, and spiritual practices.

Join the conversation "Do you consider yourself religious?"

read the entire interview https://bit.ly/3VCu8E7

12/16/2024

This week many Catholic news sites are commenting on the report that former Speaker Nancy Pelosi has appealed to the Vatican to reverse the edict of San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone barring her from receiving Communion. This commentary is entirely based on a story posted by the National Catholic Reporter, running under the headline: “Nancy Pelosi’s Communion ban to be resolved by Vatican.”

Before we all plunge too deeply into how the Vatican might resolve the case, let me hit the brakes. We don’t know that the Vatican has the case. The Reporter is convinced that Pelosi has filed a canonical appeal. But we don’t know that. The story, as it appears on the Reporter site, does not justify the headline.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/pelosis-vatican-appeal-unlikely/

12/15/2024

Discover the Historic St. Patrick Church in Watsonville

Looking for a parish that feels like home? St. Patrick Church in Watsonville is a historic treasure and a vibrant community worth the drive! Known for its strong Hispanic heritage, this parish embraces tradition while fostering a warm, welcoming environment for all.

12/13/2024

Noose tightens on nuns in Nicaragua
'It doesn’t matter if they’re foreign or nationals, they must leave'

Officials from the Ortega regime had a meeting two months ago with the superiors of religious congregations in the country, in which they were told that residency permits would not be renewed for foreign priests and sisters once they expired, local sources told The Pillar.

“They also said that those who insisted on renewing their permits would be charged more than usual for the process and still be denied, so that they should not even bother,” a source close to the bishops’ conference told The Pillar.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/noose-tightens-on-nuns-in-nicaragua/

12/09/2024

L. A. Children’s famous trans doctor sued
Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy fast-tracked 14-year-old's puberty blockers, hormones, double mastectomy

A doctor celebrated as “America’s best-known practitioner of youth gender medicine” is being sued for medical negligence by a former patient — a young girl who underwent a gender transition and now feels she was deeply betrayed.

Twenty-year-old Kaya Clementine Breen accuses Dr. Johanna Olson-Kennedy of fast-tracking her attempted gender transition, including puberty blockers, hormones, and a double mastectomy, when she was a young teenager.

Her lawyers argue that Olson-Kennedy, the therapist she referred Breen to, the surgeon who removed Breen’s breasts, and other medical professionals are all guilty of medical negligence for rushing Breen through procedures that have deeply and negatively impacted her future.

https://www.cal-catholic.com/l-a-childrens-famous-trans-doctor-sued/