This week 45 parishioners from Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in San Bernardino began an English as a Second Language (ESL) course. For the past several weeks, the parish’s pastor Father Francisco J. Varela Delgadillo, C.O.R.C. announced the opportunity at Mass and motivated his parishioners to sign up. Fr. Delgadillo has graciously opened the doors of the parish for this course and is also covering the cost. The ESL course is being taught by San Bernardino Valley College teachers and material. To accommodate for a variety of parishioner schedules, there is a morning session and an evening session. The morning session is on Monday and Wednesdays from 9-11 am. The evening class is held on Thursdays from 6-8:30 pm.

If you and your parish are interested in bringing ESL classes to your parish, please contact Wilfredo Aguirre at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Over the weekend of Jan 13-15, the Guatemalan community in the Diocese enjoyed the annual celebration of Our Lord Jesus under the title of “Santo Cristo Señor de Esquipulas.” On Jan. 13 the community celebrated two Masses, one at 5 pm at St. Anthony Parish in Riverside and one at 7 pm at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in Indio. On Jan. 14, the Guatemalan community of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish in Rancho Cucamonga celebrated Mass at 4 pm. The community concluded their celebration on Jan. 15 with a Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine in Riverside. Esquipulas, a town in southeastern Guatemala, is known for a figure of the “Black Christ,” carved out of dark wood in 1594, that has become a significant devotion of the Guatemalan people.