TERESA ROCHA
The former High Desert Vicariate Consultant in the Diocesan Office of Catechetical Ministry, Teresa Rocha is now the new Director for Community Services and Outreach Programs, which seeks to promote the basic principles of Catholic Social Teaching, especially the preferential option for the poor and the common good.
“The love for the people of God is in my heart, faith and courage are some of my strongest gifts,” Rocha said. “The ministry of catechesis formed me into the beauty of God’s Word applied in faith, and now the call is to apply the Word of God into action in the community.”
In her new position, Rocha is inspired by the support and guidance that her office can provide to the community-based groups, like providing resources, doing advocacy, uniting communities, promoting the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), and most importantly, inviting our communities to work towards Global Solidarity.
Rocha hopes to journey with the many faithful leaders who are on the streets serving the community’s needs, where she can humbly join them in the peripheries. In her free time, Rocha finds joy in exploring nature and spending time with her grandchildren.
ELENA MACIAS
The new Managing Editor of the Inland Catholic Byte print and online newspaper is Elena Macias. The Inland Catholic Byte online publishes weekly, and the print newspaper is published monthly to communicate the information and initiatives of the Bishop and the Catholic communities of the Diocese of San Bernardino.
“I am inspired by the faithful community in the Diocese of San Bernardino, and I look forward to sharing their stories and journeys in Christ,” Macias said. “I hope to use my skills of information gathering, communication and passion for writing to effectively share the news of the diocese.”
Macias hopes to continue the Byte’s and the Diocese of San Bernardino’s goal of bringing the Good News of Jesus Christ to all we encounter, guided by hospitality, collaboration, faith sharing and reconciliation.
Macias has three years of prior professional journalism experience and received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from San Diego State University. She is a lifetime parishioner of Immaculate Conception, Colton. In her free time, Macias loves to travel, hike and spend time with her family.
ADRIANA FRANCO
After 17 years in liturgical ministry for the Diocese, Adriana Franco has begun a new position as Coordinator of Adult Formation in the Department of Ministry Formation Institute (MFI). Franco will support the MFI’s Parish Ministry Formation Program (PMFP) and Continuing Ministry Formation Program (CMFP) as a facilitator and teacher. Presently, both programs are offered via Zoom.
“It’s an opportunity to grow and to learn and to collaborate,” Franco said of her new ministry.
The Diocese has received national recognition for its MFI programs and Franco says she’s excited to be part of the ministry, which helps adult Catholics learn more about their faith and prepare for roles in parish ministry. “It’s very important for the parish to support them,” she said of PMFP and CMFP participants.
Most recently, Franco served as Liturgical Formation Coordinator in the Diocesan Office of Worship where she was a fixture in planning diocesan liturgies. Her work as a teacher was focused primarily in the area of music. She is a parishioner of The Holy Name of Jesus in Redlands.
FATHER DUONG NGUYEN, SVD
The Diocesan Office of Mission has a new leader in Father Duong Nguyen, SVD. The Office fulfills a variety of functions related to the missionary work of the Church and its connection to local Catholics. This includes promoting and coordinating the visits of missionaries who come every year to the Diocese to share their mission experiences and encourage the local Church to a greater sense of global mission. It distributes the funds collected throughout the year in the Diocese to the Pontifical Mission Societies, to the missionaries who shared in the Mission Cooperation Plan of the Diocese and designated Mission Agencies. The Mission Office is also coordinating and fostering the activities of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in the Diocese, like Emergency Appeals and Rice Bowl (Holy Thursday). The Mission Office also promotes the Good Friday Collection for the Holy Land.
“The mission of Jesus Christ is our mission today,” says Fr. Nguyen, who belongs to the Society of the Divine Word Missionaries religious order. “We hope that this mission is burning passionately in our hearts, so that all faithful Catholics in the Diocese of San Bernardino can share the Word of God with the world.”
Prior to this new ministry, Fr. Nguyen served as the Pastor/Rector of Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino. In addition to his role as Director of the Mission Office, Fr. Nguyen is also now serving as a parochial vicar at Our Lady of Hope parish in San Bernardino.
In other news related to clergy ministry leadership in the Diocese, Father David Fitzgerald, sP, has left his position as Coordinator of the Ministry of Continuing Formation of Priests, where he has served for the past year. Fr. Fitzgerald was called back to a ministry assignment at the Dittmer, Missouri headquarters of his religious community, the Servants of the Paraclete.