Frequently Asked Questions During This Time of Coronavirus (Covid-19)
With everything going on because of Coronavirus or Covid-19, our Parish will need to do things a little differently. Check out this page for frequently asked questions.
Don’t see your question answered here? Please contact the Parish Office. We will do our best to assist you by telephone or by email.
We are currently closed to in-person visits at this time.
How do I offer a Mass Intention?
For those that still wish to have Mass Intentions, during this time we will accept Mass intentions by phone or by email. Please let us know the name of the person or the people you would like to be prayed for and we will get those names to Fr. Glenn and to be prayed for during the private mass. You may send the donation by mail. Please note that his private masses will not be following our regular Mass schedule.
Can I view Mass online?
The private Mass can at times be viewed online through Facebook live. These masses will be held outside of our regular Mass schedule.
If I can not go to Mass, how do I give my weekly donations?
You may send any donations through mail or give online.
Send Mail To:
St. Catherine of Siena Parish Office
3450 Tennessee St.
Vallejo, CA 94591
Will the church be open for people to pray?
At this time, the doors for St Catherine of Siena Church are open Monday through Saturday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Sundays 1:00pm to 5:00pm for private personal prayer. For those that do come to church, we expect for everyone to maintain the minimum 6 feet social distancing. If there are too many people in the church at a given time, we suggest to wait for someone to finish with their prayers before starting.
Will there be times when I can go to confession?
Confessions will always be available for those who need them. Please contact the Parish Office to coordinate a time.
What should I do if I need to pick up something from the office?
Magnificats: Physical copies of the Magnificat will be available for those that subscribed. Please contact the Parish Office to confirm the arrangement. The readings from Magnificat are also available online complimentary from Magnificat directly.
Sacrament Certificates: If you need a Baptism, First Communion, Confirmation, or Matrimony certificate, we may send them by mail upon request. Please use the link below to request. The form is located at the bottom of the Sacrament page.
Statements for Tax Purposes: At this time we can send the statements through mail or email depending on your request.
Can I still schedule things like house blessings, car blessings, or a personal appointment with Fr. Glenn?
During this time, we have all been expected to stay at home as much as possible, and to only go out for “essential” reasons. For some of these things, it can wait until the right time. Please contact the Parish Office if you have any questions or concerns.
Also please note that with new updates and regulations from our city and state, our Diocesan policies and mandates will also change for everyone’s health and well-being.
FREE FORMED.ORG Subscription
We at St. Catherine of Siena encourage you and your families to take advantage of a FREE subscription to FORMED.ORG.
Discover thousands of Catholic books, audio talks, movies, documentaries, and studies... there is something for every member of the family to help them grow closer to Christ and His Church!
Encontrarás cientos de libros, presentaciones en audio, películas, documentales y programas de estudio en video… hay algo para ayudar a cada miembro de la familia a profundizar en su relación con Cristo y su Iglesia.
We at St. Catherine of Siena encourage you and your families to take advantage of a FREE subscription to FORMED.ORG.
Discover thousands of Catholic books, audio talks, movies, documentaries, and studies... there is something for every member of the family to help them grow closer to Christ and His Church!
Encontrarás cientos de libros, presentaciones en audio, películas, documentales y programas de estudio en video… hay algo para ayudar a cada miembro de la familia a profundizar en su relación con Cristo y su Iglesia.
Need Help Registering or Signing In?
How to Give Online Donations
First time making online donations? Follow these guidelines!
How to Give Online Donations
Step 1: From the Home Page, click on the GIVE ONLINE button located in the upper right hand corner (circled in yellow).
Step 2: The screen will show the following:
FUND: Select from the drop menu (marked with the red arrow) and choose which fund you would like your contribution to go to. Select General Fund for regular contributions and Todays Gift Tomorrows Hope Capital Campaign for Capital Campaign contributions.
AMOUNT: Type in the amount you would like to donate (marked in the green arrow)
ADD DONATION (optional): Click on ADD DONATION (marked in the blue arrow) if you would like to make a donation to more than one fund.
MAKE THIS GIFT RECURRING (optional): Select MAKE THIS GIFT RECURRING (marked in the yellow arrow) if you would like to set up a automatic card donations. *Note: you must have an account set up in order to move forward with this option. Skip to RECURRING GIFT Step 4: Get your Account Information to Set Up a Recurring Gift.
You should end up with something like the image below. In this example, John Smith would like to donate $50 for the General Fund and $100 for the Capital Campaign as a one-time donation.
Step 4: Complete Your Information For a One-Time Donation
Complete your card information, and billing information then click the blue SUBMIT button.
Recurring Gift Step 4: Get your Account Information to Set Up a Recurring Gift.
If you already have an account set up, enter your email address and password associated with the account.
If you do not have an account set up yet, click on REGISTER FOR AN ACCOUNT marked in blue text in the image below.
RECURRING GIFT Step 5: Register for an Account
Complete all of your information below before moving forward with your card information.
Jesus: The Way, The Truth, The Life video presentation
Every Wednesday starting March 4 at 7pm at Parish Life Center…
Every Wednesday starting March 4 at 7pm at Parish Life Center…
Everyone is invited to view an engaging video presentation entitled: Jesus: The Way, the Truth, and the Life starting March 4, 2020 every Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. in St. Catherine of Siena Parish Life Center.
Jesus is our savior, our redeemer, our Lord, and our God. Our belief in Jesus is what makes us who we are as Catholics, as Christians, but do we really know him as we should? Who is Jesus for you? Is he a part of your life, or is he at the center of your life as he should be?
This 5-week video study program is anchored in the life of Christ as presented in the Gospels. We’ll explore the entirety of Jesus’ life—who he is, what he is really like, what he taught, what he did for our salvation, and what all of this means for us as Catholics today.
The study is presented by world renowned theologians and biblical scholars Marcellino D’Ambrosio, Jeff Cavins, and Edward Sri and was filmed in the Holy Land so you can experience the extraordinary world in which Jesus lived and taught—the historical context, the politics, the clashing cultures, the history, and the ancient land—and see where the most significant events of his life took place, from his infancy to his ascension.
We will learn how Jesus is God Incarnate, fully divine and fully human. We’ll experience his intimacy with the Father, his revelation of the Father’s love, and his gift of the Holy Spirit to each of us. Most importantly, our encounter with Christ will empower us to know and love him in a new and life-changing way.
We hope you can join us!
Photo Credit: AscensionPress.org
Annual Catholic Appeal 2020
The 2020 Annual Catholic Appeal emphasizes that the finest gifts we have to offer are the mercy and joy of the Lord Jesus. Bishop Soto reminds us that whenever we share in the mission of Jesus, we do so as His friends and companions. We become messengers of mercy and heralds of hope for others.
“Through the Annual Catholic Appeal, the whole Catholic community leans in to help our Catholic Charities…and our local parishes…to open doors and hearts to the mercy of Christ. Join me in making a sacrificial gift this year.”
Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Homily on “Sermon on the Mount: A Matter of the Heart” based on the Gospel of Matthew 5:17-37 (Cycle A – Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time):
In the Old Testament, God revealed Himself and gave directions to His people through the law and the prophets. The law began with the Ten commandments that were given to Moses on Mount Sinai. These ten commandments became 613 commandments in the Jewish tradition.
Just as Moses went up Mount Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments, Jesus climbs the mountain of the Beatitudes to present the New Law to the people… called the Sermon on the Mount.
In our Gospel reading, Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. In the Gospel, the word “fulfill” does not mean – to do away with – but it means to make complete, or to supply what is lacking – to make perfect something that is imperfect.
Matthew's Gospel was written primarily for Christians who were Jews who knew the commandments, but they knew them as their rabbis had taught them. The rabbis, for the most part Pharisees, put all the emphasis on the letter of the law and on its external observance.
Jesus taught that that the attitude of his followers towards the commandments must be different, and must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees… because merely fulfilling the law was not enough. The attitudes and lifestyles of the Christian must reflect living the law. That is why Jesus began with the Beatitudes…
….Instead of giving a list of do’s and don’ts, Jesus gave a list of what we are to become:
Peacemaker, Merciful, Pure in Heart, Hungry for Righteousness,
Jesus, by His teachings and His life, showed the true purpose behind the law… the Spirit of the Law. Jesus taught his audience to understand that obedience is not the ultimate purpose but becoming more like God…a matter of Being.
People see our actions but God sees our intentions. We can never deceive God who is able to look into our hearts and know what lies there.
Again, Christ is not abolishing the ten commandments, but He intensifies them and He is directing his followers – us – to go deeper to perfection – to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. Journey to perfection can seem impossible to achieve… but perfection is actually not so much our current state – but more of a movement to the right direction – to become whole and complete.
The law, understood correctly, guides people in right relationships with God and others – the two greatest commandments – love of God and love of neighbor.
Jesus explains that our external actions must be a reflection of what we really are like. If what we do is not a reflection of who we are, then we are hypocrites. Hypocrite, that’s the word that Jesus used over and over to describe the Pharisees.
To demonstrate his point, Jesus contrasts the written law of the Torah with the new Christian attitude.
For example Jesus says, "You have heard it said that murder is wrong, but harboring hatred is also wrong even if you don't physically kill someone. Why? Because murder is conceived by hatred. The person who hates but does not murder is not a good person. He is just a person who has followed the social norms perhaps to avoid punishment.
Instead of feeling self-satisfied because we are not murderers, let us examine our hearts to see the angers or resentments we may have towards others.
“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery, but I say to you, everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Meaning - To think and entertain evil thoughts is the same as actually committing the act. So do not entertain the evil thoughts that cross your mind. It is funny that someone said: “But I do not entertain the evil thoughts. They entertain me.”
We may not have committed murder or adultery, but maybe, if given the opportunity, we might have done it.
Jesus said: You have heard that it was said to your ancestors: “Do not take a false oath, but make good to the Lord all that you vow.”
But I say to you, do not swear at all. Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’
Meaning - Our trustworthiness should be so great that it would NOT be necessary to invoke God’s name or to take oaths. Other people, especially those close to us, need to be able to depend on us and believe that what we say is what we mean and what we will do.
So - How can our righteousness then exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees? We have what they did not have: We have Jesus dwelling in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. By our own merits, we are unable to keep the commandments; but Jesus is with us, we have the strength and understanding to obey. Through faith and by virtue of our baptism into Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are given the power to live a whole new life of obedience to the Father.
If we are living the Spirit of the Law with the help of God’s grace, then we do not actually need the extra reminder or commandment of the written law because we already observe the law naturally with our heart…
St. Paul was a Pharisee and a strict observer of the following of the law of Moses as such he believed he was working out his salvation by his careful observance… Once St. Paul was converted, after encountering Christ, he began to realize that even perfect observance and following every precept of the law did not lead to salvation because salvation comes from our personal relationship with Jesus and Jesus’ free gift of love.
Meaning – this is very important - we do good deeds or avoid evil as an expression of faith – rooted in our personal relationship with God - and not to earn or merit our salvation because if we can earn our way to heaven by our good deeds, or asceticism and long formulas of prayers, etc. - that would be trying to save ourselves through our own merits, therefore, we do not need Christ.
The truth is – Everything is Grace - We cannot do anything enough to earn our way to heaven. We cannot save ourselves. We need a Savior.
What – then - do we hope to gain by our good works and avoiding violating the ten commandments. Why? Why are we here in the church? Why do we come to mass?
Why? It is how we say thank you to God. We love God and others because that is how we respond to the fact that God loves us. He loved us first.
We love and respond to being loved = in this we are called to be gracious and merciful as God is…and do what Jesus asks of us – to love one another as He loves us…
In the first reading - God gives us a choice: choose Him or reject Him. If we reject Him, we die. If we choose Him, we live. Before man are life and death, . . . whichever he chooses shall be given him. (Sirach 15:17)
Free will. It’s God’s greatest gift to us. Of course, our heavenly Father longs for us to choose life in him, but he will never force himself on us. While God honors our choices, he also respects the consequences of our choices.
So, is it easier to be a modern Christian than an ancient Jew? Absolutely not. Christianity is extremely demanding upon us all because it calls us to be 100% committed to living in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Is it worth it? The answer - From our second reading today:
What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard,
and what has not entered the human heart,
what God has prepared for those who love him.
Is it worth it? Definitely… beyond what we can ever imagine.
We’re in for a glorious surprise!