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Contra Costa Health Department bans Public Masses starting on July 13th
By order of the Contra Costa Health Department, public Masses are banned until further notice due to the significant increase in the COVID-19 cases in Contra Costa County in the past few days. Therefore the Saturday 5:30 pm Mass will be closed to parishioners - private Mass (no one allowed in the church) as well as the Sunday 1 pm Spanish Mass - private Mass (no one allowed in the church) . Parishioners may attend the Sunday 8 am (Spanish) and 10 am (English) Masses in their car in the rear parking lot. All Masses will continue to be livestreamed via SFA Facebook and available as a recording on SFA YouTube.
The dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday and Holy Day Masses continues until further notice per Bishop Barber. Also, those who are at higher risk of COVID-19 (e.g., those who are sixty-five and older or who have underlying health conditions) are advised to continue staying at home.
After Mass, communion will continue to be given to people who do not attend Mass but drive through the parking lot in their car after Mass (see below).
Drive-Thru Holy Communion Sundays: 9:00 am -10:00 am; 11:00 am -12:00 pm; and from 2:00 pm -3:00 pm
Drive-Thru Holy Communion Instructions
Parish Office Closed Friday July 31st thru Friday August 7th. Reopening on Monday August 10th at 9 am.
Anyone coming to the Parish Office is required to wear a mask per Contra Costa Health Services.
Schedule of Masses:
Monday thru Saturday: 8:30 am English outside in the Church Courtyard
Tuesday 7 pm Spanish outside in the Church Courtyard
Saturday Vigil: 5:30 pm English - private - no parishioners allowed inside the Church.
Sunday Masses: 8 am Spanish and 10 am English - attend in your car in the rear parking lot.
Sunday 1 pm Spanish - private - no parishioners allowed inside the Church.
To View St Francis of Assisi Facebook Mass videos live or past recordings, click on link below - you do not need a Facebook account to view these videos. When you click on the link, a pop-up comes asking you to sign in or join Facebook. Simply scroll down to the bottom of the pop-up and click “not now.”
St Francis of Assisi Facebook Mass Videos
Video recordings (no live broadcast) are also available at our St Francis of Assisi YouTube Channel, click on link below
St Francis of Assisi YouTube Channel
Confessions/confesiones
The Tuesday 6 pm to 7 pm Confessions will be in the Chapel in church. Saturday 4 pm to 5 pm Confessions will either be in the rear parking lot or in the Chapel in church, depending on the weather.
Emergency Food and Meals Information - click on the links below
Senior Emergency Food and Helping Hand Programs
Everyone coming in to Church to pray is required to wear a mask and keep at least 6 feet of distance from others. Also remember to wash your hands frequently.
PARISH FINANCIALS:
September 4th Faith Direct electronic donations = $12,702
September 6th Sunday donations = $6,539
September 13th Sunday donations = $9,941
September 15th Faith Direct electronic donations = $8,585
September 20th Sunday donations = $7,493
Before the COVID-19 crisis, our weekly donations averaged about $16,000 per week. We are now receiving an average weekly donation of about $8,000 thanks to several large one-time donations.
As reported in April, we were forced to lay off 5 of our long time staff and to take all (approximately $129,000) of our money from our Diocesan savings account which was being saved to make repairs at the parish and use it to pay our operating expenses. In addition, we were able to obtain a Small Business Administration Paycheck Protection Program loan in late May of $49,200 which basically covered the wages and benefits expenses incurred for our 2 priests and 2 remaining lay employees for two months. Based on our current donation rate and the money we took from savings we have sufficient funds to pay the current staff and projected bills for the remainder of this year.
We are looking forward to when we can again reopen the church for public Masses. We hope this will happen in the Fall. Once the church reopens, we are hopeful that donations will increase and we can look at hiring staff back.
For those who can afford to, you can still mail in your donations to the church or drop them in the white drop-box outside the Parish Office. Better yet, consider donating electronically via our Faith Direct website at https://membership.faithdirect.net/CA762 - you can also text a donation to us. Text $ amount to 925-204-2211 and follow the link to complete a one-time registration. God Bless You!
Thank you to all who continue to support our parish through your donations.
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SEE THE BULLETIN ON THIS SFA WEBSITE FOR THE WEEKLY SCHOOL REPORT
St. Francis of Assisi School is a private Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Through the 8th grade Catholic school.
Our value-centered academic programs empower students to be faith - filled people, lifelong learners and problem solvers and globally responsible citizens.
Please feel free to call the school office at 925-682-5414 to schedule a tour and to get information about our academic programs.
You can also visit us on our website at: www.sfaconcord.org
Cathy VanderKlugt, Principal
Religious Education YEAR 2 ONLY registration is now open for online classes. Registration packets are available in the Parish Office.
Questions should be directed to the Parish Office at 925-682-5447.
Teen Sacraments (First Communion and First Reconciliation) are now open for registration. Registration packets are available in the Parish Office.
Due to the mandated order received from Contra Costa County Health Services and Bishop Michael Barber, Diocese of Oakland, the Senior Luncheons have been cancelled. Please stay healthy and safe - you are in our prayers.
The Family Center/Gym has dining capacity for up to 275 and includes tables and chairs and also room for dancing,
Commercial Kitchen
Includes AV system: projector with drop down screen, microphones and set-up.
Clean Air HVAC donated one of the units which would have cost us over $9,800. In addition, in 2018 Clean Air HVAC donated one of the two new heaters/ac units installed at the Parish Office which would have cost us $7,000. This represents significant cost savings for the Parish/School. Our Parish Repairs second collections helped pay for the cost of the other HVAC unit.
We are very grateful for the quality of work done by Clean Air HVAC and their continued support of our School and Parish. We wish to thank Roy Branda, one of the owners of Clean Air HVAC and a parishioner and member of the Knights of Columbus at St. Francis of Assisi Parish. We highly recommend Clean Air HVAC to our St. Francis of Assisi parishioners and School families.
Dear Friends and Parishioners of St Francis of Assisi,
Thank you for the donations of $4,000 that we just received. We cannot be more than grateful for the continuous support you give us. Your contributions continue to make the difference in the lives of many of our young men and women. Thank you so much for your generosity and support to this ministry of ours in Dodoma. We wish you many blessings. We keep you in our humble prayers!
Fr. Sossy, SJ Luyembe Sossy, SJ St. Charles Lwanga Parish, P.O. Box 2019-80200, Malindi, Kenya. Mobile: +254-745-739 586; +255-784-278 600
By embracing Rebuild My Church, you are contributing greatly to building up the Kingdom of God here in the East Bay. We are asked to pray for our fellow parishioners, clergy, leadership, and those served by the ministries offered by the Church, and for the success of the 2020 Bishop’s Appeal. All gifts to the Appeal are equally important. As stewards of our faith we are asked to make a sacrificial, proportionate and thoughtful gift. Those who are blessed with more are challenged to give more, but everyone is asked to respond.
Imagine what can be done in the name of our local faith community if every parishioner were inspired by Rebuild My Church and participated in our annual Bishop’s Appeal. While parishes rely on the financial support of parishioners through weekly offertory collections, the diocese also relies on these same parishioners to make possible the many services it provides to literally thousands of individuals each year. Jesus Christ promised us at His Ascension: "I will be with you all days until the end of the ages." If Christ has helped you and your family, if He has been generous to you, will you consider sharing some of the blessings you have received with Christ and His Church?
Thank you for your prayers and gifts!
Most- Needed Food Items: Cheerios, Oatmeal, Rice, Dried Pinto or Black Beans, Masa Mix, Cooking Oil, Apple Juice, Peanut Butter, Jelly, Saltine or Graham Crackers. Other Needs: Diapers Size 5-6, Laundry Soap, Paper Products, etc. School Supplies: We will collect donations of backpacks, binders, paper, pencils, etc., through July and August for the new school year.
WE ARE MOST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR PRAYERS, FOOD DONATIONS, AND GENEROUS FINANCIAL SUPPORT DURING THIS CRISIS!. Financial and Food Donations can be dropped off at the SVdP Office during regular hours.
We regret that we cannot accept used clothing and other donations– please take them to the SVdP Thrift Store on Contra Costa Blvd. in Pleasant Hill.
We are in need of bilingual volunteers interested in helping with home visits to families in crisis. We also need help picking up food orders from the Contra Costa Food Bank on Thursday mornings. Please call Jane (939-5978) for more information.
St. Francis Church has four “second collections” each year for the SVdP Ministry. You can also make or send a donation anytime to SVdP here at our Church. We are most grateful for your continued and very generous support.
Food Pantry Hours: 9:30 - 11:30 a.m. on MONDAY, WEDNESDAY and FRIDAY. Closed on Tuesday and Thursday. Please call 932-5811 for information or to volunteer.
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