ONTARIO—St. George Parish in Ontario started the Chinese New Year with a bang—literally.
The parish, which has a sizeable Vietnamese community, has long held a celebration of the Lunar New Year, or, Tet. But with the blessing of local fire officials, St. George was able to incorporate fireworks into the festivities for the first time.
By Anne Alhadef
REDLANDS—Composer and performer Bradley James received a warm welcome when he joined the Italian Catholic Federation (ICF) Branch 217 at its monthly meeting in February at The Holy Name of Jesus parish in Redlands.
By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer
FONTANA/RIALTO—In an effort to respond to the needs of the community, St. John XXIII parish has eliminated fees for families seeking to receive the Sacrament of Baptism.
“For families that make excuses not to come to church, money should not be one of them,” said Father Cletus Imo, administrator of the Fontana-Rialto parish. “I see this is as a pastoral need. We need to make sure the doors are open for everyone and Baptism is a door to the faith.”
By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer
MECCA—Following years of challenges, struggles, prayers, and fundraising, crowds swelled to witness the opening of their new spiritual home in Mecca.
More than 1,000 people streamed into the new church for the dedication Mass of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Feb. 15. The dedication of the church marks the beginning of a new chapter for the eastern Coachella Valley faithful.
YUCAIPA—On Jan. 31, the Respect Life Ministry of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini Parish held a Walk for Life in Yucaipa in support of unborn babies and their mothers. This drew participants from other area churches. Also present and speaking were representatives from two organizations to tell about the work they do in helping pregnant women: Pastor Craig Turley of the Blessing Center in Redlands and Linda Brown of the Aldeana Hinkle Pregnancy Resource Center in Yucaipa.
By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer
CHINO HILLS—Walking along to the sound of drums, the crowd took their places behind an image of the Santo Niño de Cebu raised on a platform covered with roses. Parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle Parish, Chino Hills processed from the church entrance into the parking lot.
