The Saint Joseph Parish Renewal Program is a direct response to Pope Francis' Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Excultate (Rejoice and Be Glad) of March 19, 2018 on the "Call to Holiness" in today's world, coupled with the findings from the Listening Sessions held with parishioners in the Spring of 2021.

Our goal is to re-focus our post-pandemic Parish spiritual community via a variety of events. We begin with a three-year program of spiritually-themed retreats sponsored by different Parish ministries. These will be interwoven with socially-based affairs builing community, such as movie nights and picnics in the park, as we walk together developing holiness.

Holiness is not something herioc or extraordinary. It is ordinary. It comes in being cheerful, doing our normal work, carrying out our daily duties, no matter how small, with love for God and concern for others. It is all about witness, about the imitation of Jesus Christ, taking his way, following his path.

As Pope Francis stated: We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend time in prayer, he wrote. But this is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.

Parish Renewal Team: Fr. Mervin Concepcion, Bill Hewitt, Martha Jinbo, Martina Ruiz, and Suzette Sutton