Entries by Fr. Bill Donahue

2024 Lenten Regulations for the Diocese of Santa Rosa

ā€œThe Lenten Season has a double character, namely to prepare both catechumens and faithful to celebrate the paschal mystery. The catechumens, both with the Rite of Election and Scrutinies, and by catechesis, are prepared for the celebration of the sacraments of Christian initiation; the faithful, ever more attentive to the Word of God and prayer, […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ February 4, 2024

Dear Fellow Parishioners, Iā€™d like to touch upon a few things happening in our parish community this past week, and the time leading up to Ash Wednesday. This past week ā€“ January 28 to February 3 ā€“ has been Catholic Schools Week, now celebrating its 50th year. Every year, our schools host what could be […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ January 21, 2024

Dear Fellow Parishioners, Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā  The best way to begin a New Year is with good news. As I mentioned at my Masses last weekend, Deacon Christopher Girolo from our parish has received his priestly ordination date: June 1, 2024. After his original vocational stirrings, followed by long years of study and formation, he is now […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ January 7, 2024

Dear Fellow Parishioners, Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā Ā  Just as Advent came and went so quickly, so the Christmas season will end in a couple of days, with the Feast of Baptism of the Lord on Monday, January 8th. But before we return to Ordinary Time after Monday, we celebrate the Solemnity of the Epiphany, which is the revelation […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ December 31, 2023

Dear Fellow Parishioners, While the liturgical season of Christmas continues for more than another week, commercial Christmas is already winding down. In fact, more of the Christmas season falls in January than in December, and concludes with the feast of the Baptism of the Lord which falls this year on Monday, January 8th. This current […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ December 24, 2023

Dear Fellow Parishioners, Except for God, everything is caused by something else, in life as in liturgy. Until the reforms of Vatican II, the earliest permissible Christmas Mass was Midnight Mass, which began at midnight. St. Vincentā€™s was the last parish Iā€™m aware of that maintained the authentic Midnight Mass, decades longer than it was […]

Pastor’s Desk

ST. VINCENT de PAUL PARISH – CHRISTMAS SCHEDULE – 2023 Ā Saturday, Dec. 23rd – 4th Sunday of Advent – 5 pm and 7 pmĀ  (Spanish) Sunday, Dec. 24th – 7:30 am, 9 am, 10:30 am, and 12 noon (Spanish) Christmas Carols – 9:30 pm Monday, Dec. 25 – Christmas Day – 7:30 am, 9 am, […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ December 3, 2023

Dear Fellow Parishioners, Itā€™s proverbial that time moves quickly. This Advent, which begins on Sunday, it will be even more apparent than usual, as Christmas will fall on a Monday. That means that the Fourth Sunday of Advent will fall on Christmas Eve, and the 4th Week of Advent will be one day only. (Advent […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ November 26, 2023

Dear Fellow Parishioners, Many of you know that I have been a bit ā€œunder the weatherā€ over the past week. Fr. Stuart and Msgr. Whelton have generously covered the parish Masses until I am more fully recovered from the nasty super-cold that has been going around. Like most of us, I can usually power through […]

Pastor’s Desk ~ November 19, 2023

Dear Fellow Parishioners, Once again we approach the Thanksgiving holidays with much to be thankful for, and still more to pray for and seek. This week, the Pastorā€™s Desk will be a bit of an ā€œomnium gatherum,ā€ which is fake Latin for a ā€œgrab-bag,ā€ much like the little junk drawer in every kitchen that has […]