St-John’s
Catholic Church

Animal Shelter Visit

St John's Catechism Students and Youth Visit the Animal Shelter
Our visit with the animals has been changed to Sunday, February 15, at 1:30 pm, at the Santa Cruz County Shelter on 1001 Rodriguez in Santa Cruz.

Bring old towels for the animals. These can be left in a bin in the front of the church or brought with you.
Looking forward to seeing some of our furry and feathered friends.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

I'm writing to you today with a heart full of gratitude and a hopeful vision for our shared future. Over the past decade, your steadfast financial contributions have been a rock for our church, allowing us to maintain our essential spiritual and charitable services. Your unwavering support has made a tangible difference in the lives of many within our community, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

As you know, our world is experiencing a time of rising costs. This has unfortunately led to a significant 30% increase in our annual expenditures for church maintenance and various projects. These projects are vital to ensuring our church remains a safe, welcoming, and vibrant hub for all of us. In light of this, we are calling on you to get involved in a new way. Our upcoming social events aren't just for fun; they serve a dual purpose. First, they are an opportunity to deepen the bonds that hold our community together. By sharing meals, laughter, and conversation, we strengthen the fabric of our church family. Second, these events will be crucial in helping us meet our new financial obligations. Your active participation will directly support the church in covering these increased costs.

Your continued regular giving is, and always will be, the foundation of our church's operations. We ask that you please continue this vital support. However, by actively participating in our social events, you can provide an additional layer of support that will help us address the current financial challenges without compromising the services we provide.

Let's come together to build a stronger community and a more secure future for our church. We look forward to seeing you at our next event.

Fraternally yours In Christ, Our Lord,

Fr. Roy Margallo

Pastor

Dear Parishioner,

We’re excited to announce a Parish Raffle coming this March to help fund important parish improvements and community needs. It’s a wonderful way for everyone to come together, support our parish, and maybe even win something great!

Right now, we’re asking for your help reaching out to local businesses who might be willing to donate items or gift certificates for our raffle. Many merchants prefer to donate in January, so this is the perfect time to ask.

Please take a look at the list of suggested businesses below. Choose one or two you already frequent or have a connection with, and let Judie Kolbmann (831-566-9860) know who you’ll be contacting. We want to avoid multiple people approaching the same business.

Even a small item helps! Think: gift cards, car services, dining certificates, gardening tools, or housecleaning services. Bigger prizes — like electronics or home goods — would be wonderful too!

Together, we can make this raffle a fun and successful way to strengthen our parish and give back to the community.

Thank you for your generosity and enthusiasm — and let’s make this our best raffle yet!

With gratitude,
Stephanie Hohmann
St. John Catholic Church

Altar Society Membership

Thank you to all the members who have renewed
and those new members who have joinned.

The dues will be used to purchase new altar linens and flowers for the church holidays.

You are alll remember in our prayers and the Mass on First Friday of each month.

New Study Class on the Holy Spirit

An Invitation to Come and Experience a deeper relationship with The Holy Spirit.

A new study class will begin on Sunday Oct. 5th at 10am in the Fran Ragan Room.

“Were not our hearts burning when he spoke to us on the way?” ( Luke 24:32 )

Peace and Justice Committee Update

We are so grateful to Live Earth Farms, one of the larger booths at the Felton Farmers’ Market. They are kindly allowing us to take as much fresh organic produce as we can use for our Thursday lunches.

We are also grateful that Housing Matters advocates are staffing a desk on most Thursdays. They assist our unhoused guests with t heir needs, including helping to navigate resources to secure housing.
Thanks, Sulee, Chris, and Maya!