SAN BERNARDINO—Individuals from throughout the Diocese were recognized for their service to the Church and community at the Annual Diocesan Awards Ceremony held on May 20, the Feast of St. Bernardine, patron of the Diocese. Honorees were awarded the Pro Ecclesia Et Pontice Cross, St. Bernardine Award, Our Lady of Guadalupe Award and the St. John Paul II Youth Award. A reception was held at the Diocesan Pastoral Center followed by Mass and presentation of the awards at Our Lady of the Rosary Cathedral in San Bernardino.

SACRAMENTO—With a special emphasis on state legislation that impacts families, Catholic Advocacy Day on Apr. 30 saw 12 of our diocesan faithful travel to Sacramento to meet with legislators and their staff members.

SAN BERNARDINO—The pressures and effects of modern society can challenge our ability to carry hope and maintain good mental health.

PALM DESERT—Catholics from all over the Diocese made their yearly trek to the Desert Spring Marriott in Palm Desert on April 27 for the 19th Annual Bishop’s Dinner.

Cardinal Ribat leads the Archdiocese of Port Moresby, the largest of 19 dioceses that serve Papua New Guinea. Every day he says he encounters families who are losing their livelihood or even their home to the effects of rising sea levels in their island community. Climate change is not a concept or a debatable point in Cardinal Ribat’s part of the world.

By María G. Covarrubias

 Every year during the Easter season, children, youth and adults gather to receive the Sacraments of initiation within the Christian community. Sacraments are instruments of grace; Sacraments are very important for the life of the Church and are prophetic symbols of the Kingdom of God, celebrated by the Church.