With an estimated 19% of the U.S. population suffering from some kind of mental illness, the Diocese of San Bernardino has begun an organized effort to look at the issue and help those in ministry confront it.

 Last November, at the request of Bishop Gerald Barnes, Sister Chilee Okoko, DMMM, director of the Diocesan Ministry of Life, Dignity and Justice, formed a Behavioral Health Committee consisting of diocesan ministers and mental health care professionals. 

By John Andrews
Editor

FONTANA—The Diocese of San Bernardino took center stage in the closely followed national story of children and families fleeing violence in Central America for the United States when St. Joseph Catholic Church in Fontana welcomed 46 migrants for temporary relief on July 10.

 The former convent at St. Joseph served as a transition center for 32 children and 14 adults who received food, water, clothing, access to showers and assistance with contacting loved ones throughout the United States. Catholic Charities workers helped them identify bus routes that would take them to family and saw them off at local Greyhound stations.

By Andres Rivera
Staff Writer

INDIO—An immigrant from Mexico, Alfredo Razo remembers asking St. Toribio for his intercession as he journeyed to the United States. 

 He had not been able to journey back to Mexico to pay tribute to the saint, but was overjoyed when he heard the relic, a bone from the saint’s left ankle, would be visiting Indio.

 The relic of St. Toribio Romo, a well-known saint within the Hispanic community and recognized as a protector of immigrants, visited the Diocese of San Bernardino July 15 – 17 and also on July 22-23. Large crowds of faithful from around the diocese gathered at three parish locations to view the relic.

By Deanna Bowers

GRAND TERRACE—On October 19, the day after the Feast of St. Luke, patron saint of physicians and surgeons, the Diocese of San Bernardino will celebrate a White Mass to honor the men and women who dedicate their lives to serving others as healthcare providers. 

UPLAND—PAGDIRIWANG 2014 brings back the traditions of the Philippines passed through levels of generations, sharing the country’s history, customs, culture and religiosity through music, songs and dances. Such traditions have lived through the mural of economic, social, spiritual and political changes as Filipinos steadfastly sustain this heritage which has become an integral part of the multi-faceted spectacle known as “Philippine Art & Culture.” 

By Ken F. Sawa
Catholic Charities CEO

SAN BERNARDINO—For over ten years, I have frequently driven to the Catholic Charities Administration Office on D Street in San Bernardino to get caught up on work early on Saturday or Sunday mornings. Every time I would drive up D Street from Baseline, I would notice the surprising number of poor people wandering the neighborhood streets at 7 a.m.