Urban schools in the Diocese of Oakland have formed a consortium to strengthen their economic viability and help principals increase focus on curriculum and the schools' Catholic mission. Superintendent of Schools, Rick Kruska, offers the following comments on the new arrangement

At the World Day of Peace Mass, on New Year's day, 1968, Pope Paul VI said, "It is our desire that Peace, with its just and beneficent equilibrium, may dominate the development of events to come." Sadly, his vision has yet to be fulfilled, as we hear of countless incidents of violence on a daily basis,both from around the world and in our own communities.

Meet Aldo and Mario Hernandez of Saint Anthony School. Saint Anthony School is located in what is known as the “flatlands” of Oakland. For years, the flatlands have been an area plagued with violent crime. It is not uncommon for children to arrive at school with stories of shootings in their neighborhoods. Still, the school takes great pride in knowing that their children are not defined by the neighborhood in which they live. There is a sense of community and, despite the surrounding violence; the children strive to rise above the reputation and challenges of their neighborhood.

Saint Anthony in Oakland is one of four charter members of the Diocese’s
new urban school consortium

Aldo (11 years) and Mario (13 years) are brothers. Ask Aldo about his brother and you get a quick answer. “He tellsme what to do and what not to do.” Ask Mario about Aldo, and he says, “I try to be a role model. I look out for him.” The brothers share a bond of love and respect. They also share a bond of music. Both are members of the Golden Gate Boys Choir. Introduced to the choir at school, Aldo and Mario have participated for two years as singers and bell-ringers. With the choir, the boys have been able to travel and have been able to reach far beyond the boundaries of their neighborhood.

In addition to the education they receive at Saint Anthony School, the boys will tell you that music has provided its own unique influence. Mario and Aldo both speak English as a second language and when asked how the choir helped with their education, Mario responded, "I have learned how to read and play music, but this has also helped me to learn better vocabulary, how to pronounce my words correctly, and how to read better. It has also helped me in math." Mario's observation validates recent findings. According to the article "Learning Improved by Arts Training," by researchers Martin Gardiner, Alan Fox, Faith Knowles, and Donna Jeffrey, "Studies have indicated that sequential, skill-building instruction in art and music integrated with the rest of the curriculum can greatly improve children's performance in reading and math." Mario, who will go on to high school next year, was asked what he will miss about Saint Anthony School. He was quick to say “his teachers.” Both boys describe their school as a “safe place, a fun place, and somewhere they like to be.”

The Hernandez boys are fine examples of what a Catholic education can do—two brothers, amidst varying challenges, reaching far beyond the limitations of their neighborhood. In the words of Pope Paul the VI, Aldo and Mario, and others from our urban Catholic schools, will go in peace to “dominate the development of events to come.” In the inner city neighborhoods, our Catholic schools not only continue to provide a quality education, they also provide a much-needed sanctuary, a positive environment, as well as quality academics and formation in faith for the children.

In an effort to provide much needed support to our inner city schools as well as other schools in the diocese, the Department of Catholic schools recently formed the Catholic Schools Consortium. The mission is to provide leadership, organization, means, and methodologies to facilitate educational equity and excellence for all students in learning communities regardless of socio-economic status, race, or creed.

Immediately the Consortium is working directly with four Bay Area inner city schools. Saint Anthony, Saint Bernard and Saint Jarlath of Oakland and Saint Cornelius School of Richmond have joined the Consortium. Urban schools do receive some support from their parish and surrounding community, but in poor areas adequate means simply do not exist. Most students receive some form of tuition assistance and the schools themselves struggle financially with everything from day-to-day operational expenses, to funding for programs and education. Through grant funding and support from individuals, the Consortium will provide funding for such things as teachers, enhanced and strengthened curriculum, support materials in the areas of math, science, reading etc., after school programs, physical education, and the arts. Funding will also be provided to ensure each school maintains a quality and safe educational facility. This effort will immediately impact thousands of school children and their families in the years to come.

By Rick Kruska
Superintendent of Schools

SPRED Ministers to Catholics with Special Needs

Catholic clergy and religious have been called the Church’s “living endowment.”

With a huge workforce working for little or no salary, Catholic parishes, schools, hospitals, and other ministries once had a great economic advantage. But, in recent decades, American religious vocations have declined, while the Catholic population that they serve has continued to grow. In fact, in the United States, the number of Catholics per priest has doubled since 1965. Paid laity and volunteers now perform much of the Church’s work, while our clergy remain busier than ever. The priesthood represents the foundation in the Diocese of Oakland’s mission to Build God’s Kingdom. Without an ample number of these dedicated men, all works of the Church become more difficult.

Clearly, the Church and her faithful must redouble efforts to cultivate new vocations. Through hard work and prayers, we are seeing promising results in the Diocese of Oakland. Presently we have 17 seminarians preparing for the priesthood in our Diocese, the most since Diocesan Vocations Director, Fr. Larry D’Anjou, arrived on the scene four years ago. The diversity of our seminarians is also encouraging. In many parts of the world, priestly vocations are flourishing and in our internationally diverse region, this is has been an answer to prayers. We have four seminarians from Vietnam, two from Thailand, four from the Philippines, two from Mexico and one from Chile.

The work of dedicated staff in the Vocations Office is showing results on the local scene as well. Four of our current seminarians are from our own Diocese. For some the journey toward priesthood might seem as long as it has been for those from abroad. Derrick Oliveira of Castro Valley is one example. After high school he spent five years in the Navy. During his naval stint he was able to complete 60 semester hours in medical lab technology at George Washington University. He is now in his
fourth year of philosophy studies at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon where he will earn his bachelor degree this May.

Fr. Larry now has much needed help in fostering local vocations in the person of Brother Sebastian Sandoval, a Franciscan friar, the new Associate Director of Vocations. Brother helps young people find their calling in many ways, including field trips to schools, seminaries and mother houses, and Project Andrew—a program in which seven local men are now discerning their vocations. He also coordinates the Parish Vocations Advocates program, amplifying the important role the laity plays in fostering vocations.

Priesthood doesn’t end with retirement. Following many pastorships
in the Diocese of Oakland, Father William Marshall is Chaplain
of the Oakland Serra Club that promotes vocations to the
Priesthood. He is pictured here with Club President, Leland Maes

“While my job as Associate Director of Vocations includes much planning and coordination, I also want to extend my personal assistance to the seminarians,” says Brother Sebastian.

Organizations of faithful Catholics such as the Knights of Columbus and Serra International offer their time, talent, treasure, and especially their prayers to bring more workers into Christ’s vineyard. If you’ve had children in college, you have a good idea of what it takes financially and otherwise to meet the challenges of higher education. You can help too, by donating financial support to Diocesan vocation, seminary, and priest retirement efforts through the Bishop’s Appeal.

Dear Friends in Christ,
In the last Diocesan Digest, I announced the theme of the 2008 Bishop’s Appeal: “Building God’s Kingdom, the Campaign for Catholic
Parishes and Schools.”

A great tradition of early America, and an apt metaphor for our campaign, was the barn raising, when people from all over the far-flung
community would come together to help a neighbor build a barn—an undertaking seen as too daunting for any individual or even an entire
family to take on alone. Everyone played a part with the men doing the heavy lifting, the women feeding the workers, and even the children
delivering tools and materials to the builders. Extending the metaphor, a barn was a secure place to “Gather Good Together,” a phrase we have
used to describe the purpose of our new Cathedral project.

Catholics have generously supported a great many earthly building projects over recent years, including not only the Cathedral, but also
hundreds of millions of dollars worth of capital projects at Catholic parishes, schools, care facilities, and institutions of higher learning. The
Catholic Church continues to be the largest non-governmental provider of social services in the nation, building an economic foundation to help
those in need, both at home and abroad. The secular press recently cited the visible presence of the Church in Oakland as an important economic
generator for our often-struggling inner city.

Catholic building in our corner of the world will continue, with the help of many hands, as we complete the multi-faceted Cathedral center,
build a new high school, and launch still more projects in every segment of our Catholic community. But the annual Bishop’s Appeal is not
about bricks and mortar. In fact, without zealous pursuit of our mission to help build the Kingdom of God on earth, and to enter God’s heavenly
kingdom, all of our buildings are rendered purposeless.

Just as in the old-fashioned barn raisings, our work requires the help of a number of master builders who have the wisdom to guide and
inspire the work of others. This is the role of the priesthood, so again the Bishop’s Appeal will support vocations, seminary education, and
retirement for our priests. In the spirit of a sharing community, it will also support those parishes and schools in neighborhoods that lack the
financial resources to secure all of their temporal needs on their own. Specifically, the new consortium of urban schools will be a principal
beneficiary of the Bishop’s Appeal. Finally, the Appeal will support our many family programs, including CYO, Respect Life Ministry, and Youth
and Family Ministries.

On February 10th Catholics all over the Diocese will hear the Gospel of Saint Matthew describe the temptation of Jesus in the desert, as
we prepare for the sacrificial season of Lent. They will also be asked to share some of God’s gifts with other parishes and schools in the Diocese,
by supporting the Bishop’s Appeal. I urge you to join thousands of your fellow Catholics in taking up a share of work in building God’s Kingdom
here in the East Bay, by contributing generously to the 2008 Bishop’s Appeal.

I pray that God’s blessings be upon you and your families in abundance throughout the coming year. I also ask for your prayers that the
Holy Spirit continue to guide our work.

Sincerely yours,
The Most Reverend Allen H. Vigneron
Bishop of Oakland