By Sister Sue Reif, O.S.F.

SAN BERNARDINO—During the past two years, the diocesan Office of Restorative Justice has been trying to find ways of reaching out and assisting people who have lost a loved one to murder.  The following testimonial narrates one of those cases: 

 “On a Saturday morning I was driving from Temecula to meet a friend of mine for lunch and a movie. I had just gotten on the freeway when my sister called to tell me that my brother, a police officer for Federal Way Police Department, Washington, had been shot. My brother would die a few hours later.

 The following are excerpts taken from Bishop Barnes’ remarks during the World Youth Day 2013 Send-Off Mass held June 30 at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral, San Bernardino.

SAN BERNARDINO—There’s always a temptation to be more of a tourist. There’s nothing wrong with being a tourist. You learn things. You see things that are new. You taste new foods. You pick up a few words. And you will see how similar Brazilian Portuguese will be to Spanish, which is the language for many of our people in this diocese. 

This year just under 14,000 children in the Diocese of San Bernardino received their First Holy Communion. It was a moment to encounter the Lord Jesus as they never had before and a day of joy shared with their families and parish communities. The children faithfully participated in months of catechesis to prepare for their first Eucharist and, earlier in the year, their first Reconciliation. The BYTE congratulates these little ones and wishes them God’s blessings as they continue their journey of faith in the Sacraments of our Holy Catholic Church! 

SAN BERNARDINO—Catholic Charities San Bernardino-Riverside has partnered with Catholic Charities of California and the California Department of Public Health to promote Nutrition Education and Obesity Prevention (NEOP) among low-income families throughout the two Inland counties. 

 Part of Catholic Charities’ aggressive outreach is not only promoting nutrition education, but encouraging general health and physical activity. Catholic Charities utilizes two key components in this outreach. They include five minute and one hour presentations that focus on building healthy meals, cutting back on calories, and reducing the intake of foods with high fats, added sugars, and salt. 

SAN BERNARDINO—The Diocesan Sports Tournament is a great opportunity to motivate young people to participate in sports through the development of positive attitudes of fellowship, collaboration, and respect within a framework of faith.

By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer

SAN BERNARDINO—A trusted advisor and strong promoter of Catholic Social Teaching, Verne Schweiger retired from his position as director of the diocesan Office of Social Concerns June 28.

 “Working in this Church has been a great gift,” Schweiger said. “It has taught me the lesson that it’s hard to carry out effective ministry without structure. It has been a time of great growth.”