By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer

PALM DESERT—Founders, friends and key ministers in the early days of the Diocese of San Bernardino will be honored at the Fourteenth Annual Bishop’s Dinner on April 6 at the J W Marriot Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert.

 In the 35th anniversary year of the diocese’s founding, Bishop Emeritus of Reno Phillip Straling, founding bishop of the diocese, Rabbi Hillel Cohn, and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word will receive Bishop Gerald Barnes’ Episcopal honor, the Amar Es Entregarse Award, at the dinner.

YUCAIPA—To mark the Year of Faith, Bishop Gerald Barnes decided to bring all six vicariates of the diocese together for a day of fellowship, reflection, faith sharing and worship.

 The diocese holds Combined Vicariate meetings for the San Bernardino and Riverside pastoral regions each year, allowing Bishop Barnes to address parish leadership and staff on a large scale. This year, on Feb. 19, the two meetings became one “Unified Vicariate,” held at St. Francis Xavier Cabrini Church in Yucaipa.

By Mary Huber

SAN FRANCISCO—To mark the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Catholics from the Diocese of San Bernardino once again joined Auxiliary Bishop Rutilio del Riego in San Francisco for the 9th annual Walk for Life, West Coast. 

By Anne Alhadef

 “One of the most important realities of our lives as Christians is the Bible,” began Father Michael Manning, SVD, as he opened his mission retreat talk at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Riverside recently.

 Unbelievable Faith was the theme of the three-day mission, and its focus on scripture was fitting for this Year of Faith. Benedict XVI in Porta Fidei, his Apostolic Letter for the Year of Faith, said, 

By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer

 For many parishes in the diocese, passion plays, or dramatic reenactments of the Jesus’s trial, suffering and death, bring large crowds during Holy Week.

 Putting on the annual passion play often calls for long hours of preparation, but it brings great rewards for the actors and spectators.

 This article is one in a series of articles highlighting the new seminarians at Blessed Junipero Serra House of Formation.

By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer

 Growing up Simon Nguyen enjoyed serving in the Mass. Coming from a devout Catholic family, it came as no surprise when he answered the call to serve God as a priest.