San Jose Bishop Oscar Cantú urged prayers for the victims and their families after a gunman opened fire the morning of May 26 at a rail yard operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, or VTA, north of downtown San Jose.
California
Archbishop in SF Says No to Communion for Pro-Choice Catholics
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco has become the latest American bishop to advocate barring Catholic public figures who support abortion rights from communion, as the debate on the topic continues to grow since President Joe Biden, the country’s second Catholic president and a pro-choice Democrat, took office.
California Bishops Welcome Court’s Ruling Easing Worship Restrictions
Two California Catholic bishops applauded the Supreme Court’s Feb. 5 ruling easing the state’s restrictions on indoor worship put in place with the COVID-19 pandemic.
HHS Acts on Violations of Conscience Protection by California, Vermont Hospital
Two U.S. bishop’s committee said Dec. 17 they “strongly commend” the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services taking “corrective action” against a Vermont medical center and the state of California for violating federal conscience protection laws when it comes to abortion.
With Virus Spike, California Has New Round of Closures, Including Churches
In keeping with new directives from the state of California to stop the spike in confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced July 13 it will discontinue indoor Masses and other liturgical services, effective immediately.
Fire Ravages Historic California Mission, But Community Vows to Rebuild
The fire that ravaged Mission San Gabriel Arcangel church in the predawn hours of July 11 left behind a haunting scene. In a matter of minutes, the mission’s 230-year-old roof was nearly gone.
Getty Fire Impacts a Catholic University, Schools and Retired Sisters
The Getty Fire that began whipping through mountain communities west of Los Angeles during the early hours of Oct. 28 caused the closure of several local Catholic schools, the evacuation of students and staff at Mount St. Mary’s University and a call for the retired sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet to shelter in place.
Hearts ‘Heavy With Sadness’ Over Shooting at Garlic Festival, Bishop Says
Late July 29, San Jose Bishop Oscar Cantu held a bilingual prayer vigil for victims, survivors and first responders at St. Mary’s Church in Gilroy in response to a July 28 shooting that claimed the lives of three people and injured 12 others on the last day of a popular festival.
California’s Bishops Call for Ecological Conversion on ‘Laudato Si’ Milestone
Timed to mark the 4th anniversary of Laudato si’ -Pope Francis’s landmark document on the environment – the Catholic bishops of California have released a major pastoral statement calling for statewide ecological conversion.