Pastor's letter for this week
July 10, 2026,
Dear Parishioners of St. Andrew,
I hope you are all doing well and staying strong! This has been a relatively quiet week at the parish. Today is the last day of summer school so for the next few weeks until school starts in mid-August it will be even quieter. Independence Day last Saturday was a wonderful day. I was very pleased with the attendance at our special Mass, and the church was almost entirely full. The choir did a marvelous job with the patriotic music, and a lot of people had complimentary comments on it. In the evening I went with another priest and several seminarians to the Hollywood Bowl to listen to wonderful music and watch the fireworks. Always an enjoyable evening.
This week I’ll be taking a few days off to rest and am very much looking forward to it especially sleeping in and doing some neglected reading.
Here is the rest of the news from the parish:
SPECIAL COLLECTION FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN VENEZUELA THIS WEEKEND – I’m sure we’ve all seen that the recent pair of major earthquakes in Venezuela (followed by thousands of smaller ones) were absolutely catastrophic. Thousands of people have died and thousands injured. As a result of this the Archdiocese of Los Angeles has requested that a special collection be taken for the victims of these earthquakes. These funds will be sent to Catholic Relief Services which is already on the ground and assistance with emergency needs. That collection will be taken today.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER SHARING THE FAITH? – Our Lord gave us the Great Commission to preach to all nations. We do this in a variety of ways but one of the most beautiful is by teaching the faith to our children and teenagers. This time of year is when we recruit new catechists for our parish. Right now we are in need especially of parishioners who can teach our 1st and 2nd grade Religious Education classes on Monday evenings. It is a wonderful opportunity to share your faith, support our young learners and help nurture the spiritual growth of the children in our parish community. To learn more please contact our Director of Religious Education, Mrs. Maria Capodieci at: mcapodieci.standrew@gmail.com or by calling the Pastoral Center at (626) 792-4183. Thank you for considering this wonderful apostolate!
BEST EDUCATION IN PASADENA – St. Andrew Catholic School provides the best possible education for children grades Pre-K to 8th grade in our community. Our graduates go on to the very best high schools in the region and consistently test above their grade levels.
Open Enrollment for the new academic year for St. Andrew School which begins on August 19 is now taking place. For families which need financial assistance, scholarships are available. If you are interested in enrolling your child, please stop by the school office as soon as possible. Visit the school website at: www.saspasadena.com
A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR WOMEN REBUILDING SHATTERED LIVES: I recently met with a representative from the Hoving Home here in Pasadena. I had not been aware of it before and was impressed by the services they provide. The Hoving Home is a nonprofit, residential faith-based Adult & Teen Challenge program with an 82% success rate. They serve women ages 18 and over who have been involved in drug addition, alcoholism, prostitution, crime and other life-controlling problems. The twelve-month and six-month program is geared to rebuilding broke lives in an atmosphere of warmth, trust, support and love. They are here locally in Pasadena and our parish can make referrals. www.hovinghome.org
IS HE REALLY A CATHOLIC PRIEST?- Every once in a while, I'll have a couple or a family come to me to tell me that they had gotten married by a "Catholic priest" but not in a church. Usually it was at the beach, in the mountains, at a hotel, etc. The wedding coordinator with whom they worked "was able to get a priest for us." Or they wanted a Catholic funeral, and the cemetery provided its "own Catholic priest."
In each of these occasions there was not valid Catholic priest involved at all. The fact is there is a very logical place where to find a Catholic priest: at a Catholic church! In the case of the marriage, these "marriages" are not valid at all, and we must then proceed with an actual ceremony of Holy Matrimony. Just a word to the wise: there are a lot of "Fr. Guido Sarduccis" out there. Beware! When in doubt, simply call the Pastoral Center and we can assist.
In Christ and St. Andrew,
Fr. Gonzalez
EUCHARISTIC CONCOMITANCE
ETIQUETTE AND MANNERS IN CHURCH
HOW TO RECITE THE HOLY ROSARY
PROCEDURE FOR THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION