A very blessed Epiphany to you and yours!

One of the pious traditions reserved for this time of the year is the annual celebration of Epiphany-tide priestly house blessings with blessed chalk. In honor of the Three Kings--traditionally named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar--we remember the visit of these Three Wise Men from the ancient Orient to the newborn Christ Child, and we bless the lintels over the doorways of our homes by inscribing the names of these Three Wise Men in white chalk on our homes with the traditional formula: 20 C+M+B 24. This formula enshrines our residences with the names of these ancient holy visitors, Caspar + Melchior + and Balthasar, who brought their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to honor the Incarnate Son of God, and it is also a play on words. Yes, the letters C+M+B form the initials of the Magi, but they also form an acronym for the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedicat” (“Christ, bless this home”). Thus, by praying with the Magi, the first of the Gentiles to recognize the birth of the King of Kings, we, the Gentiles who live by faith, beg the blessing of God on our homes as we begin the New Year in hope.

I am happy to announce that this year, our priests will be visiting the homes of any parishioners who desire this special house blessing. Please contact our parochial vicars, Fr. Jake Mackowicz or Fr. Leonel Vargas, who will be heading up this house blessing ministry in English and Spanish, anytime between now and Sunday, February 11, 2024. That is to say, these blessings will continue until the Sunday before Lent begins on Wednesday, February 14, 2024.

This week also saw the successful launch of our first series of “Vespers and Vespers: A Mystagogical and Mixological Journey”. On Wednesday, January 3, 2024, and Friday, January 5, 2024, we were blessed by the theological and cocktail expertise of the Very Rev Dr Cameron Forbes, Rector of Corpus Christi College in Melbourne, Australia, who guided us in prayer, mixology, and fascinating conversation. On 1/3 our parishioners learned how to make the “Vesper Martini”, and on 1/5 Fr. Cameron taught us all how to make a cocktail of his own invention, the “Mentoni”, which he created when he was the pastor of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone. This coming Wednesday, 1/10, we will be joined by a brilliant and humorous Dominican Friar, Fr. Henry Stephan, OP, who will guide us in a curated wine tasting and in learning about how to live the good life, and then on Friday, 1/12, Fr. Cameron and I will be hosting a Musical Soirée with cocktail accompaniments. Seats are still available, but they are going fast, so don’t miss out! Make your booking today! Here are some pictures from this past week’s events.

It also gives me great joy to announce that, due to a very generous donation from an anonymous benefactor who asked that we update our parish’s crest/seal, with the support of the Diocese of Orange to update our logo and begin a process of rebranding, we have been able to commission the noted ecclesiastical heraldry artist, Matthew Alderman (https://matthewalderman.com) who has produced original hand-designed crests/seals for our parish, in accord with the norms of ecclesiastical heraldry. We received the final digital versions of our parish crests/seals this past week, and thus, for the first time in these pages, I am thrilled to share the release of our new parish logos. Mr. Alderman is also producing a handpainted watercolor of the large crest/seal with the Tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which we will frame and display in the Narthex of our church upon its completion. We are  truly delighted by the results of Mr. Alderman’s work, and excited to begin our process of rebranding (including the eventual transformation of our parish’s website). With immediate effect, then, we will no longer be using the previous geometric logo in our official communications, and we will begin switching to our new logos.

In this crest/seal, we see Mr. Alderman’s original interpretation of the image of Our Lady which miraculously appeared on St. Juan Diego’s Tilma (cactus poncho). This image is surrounded by letters that spell out the names of our parish and of our city. In the base of the image, we see our parish’s new shield (described below), which is held by the angel that also appears on the base of the Tilma. This larger crest/seal with the Tilma is the image that will be produced as a watercolor painting, which we will display in our church’s Narthex.

(2) Small Crest/Seal with thematic elements relating to Our Lady of Guadalupe, the Diocese of Orange, and the City of La Habra:

In this smaller crest/seal we see an artistic interpretation with elements that relate to our Diocese, parish, and city. In the top of the image we have seven oranges (two slighly hidden), with an artistic belt running through them. These oranges represent the Diocese of Orange in which our parish is located, and reflect our Diocesan crest which also contains an orange tree. The green leaves of the orange tree are deliberately prominent to recall to our minds the color green as a representation of Ireland, and to pay homage to our parish’s influential and beloved Irish pastors emeritus, such as our founding pastor Msgr. John Stapleton, and the other Irish pastors who served this parish over many years, such as Msgr. David Coleman, Msgr. Francis  Roughan, and Msgr. Justin MacCarthy. The bell in the bottom center of the seal is a reference to the bells that mark the old paths between the Spanish Missions along the El Camino Real, which we still see on La Habra’s “Boulevard of the Bells”. Surrounding the right and left sides of the crest/seal we find the names of our parish and of the city of La Habra. In the center of the crest/seal we find our parish’s new small shield (described below). 

Our final shield exists both on its own and is present as an element in the other two crests/seals described above. This shield comprises a blue border with gold stars, which are thematic references to Our Lady’s mantle and robe on the Tilma, surrounding an interior shield that pays homage to Tepeyac Hill, where Our Lady appeared to St. Juan Diego. The red roses refer to the Castilian roses that Our Lady told St. Juan Diego to pick and place in his Tilma as a sign for Bishop Zumárraga, the Bishop of Mexico, who had initially refused to believe St. Juan Diego about Our Lady’s appearance to the saint and the request She made of him. The white background surrounding the roses is a reference to the snow on Tepeyac Hill (St. Juan Diego encountered Our Lady in winter, and the blossoming of these roses even in the snow was significant in itself as a sign of divine intervention). The crescent moon is a reference to the moon on which Our Lady is standing in Her image on the Tilma, which is itself a manifestation of the Biblical image from Revelation 12:1 (“A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars”).

My sincerest thanks to the anonymous benefactor who made this artwork possible for us, and allowed us to begin the much needed updating of our parish crest/seal! Our parish staff is excited to begin the rebranding process! Stay tuned for more info to come. 

Oremus pro invicem—let us pray for each other—that as we celebrate the Epiphany, or manifestation, of Our Lord, our minds might be made ever more aware of just Who the Infant Jesus lying in the manger truly is, the sovereign Lord of the Universe made human for the sake of our salvation. 

Yours sincerely in the Lord,

Fr. Will

Newsong Church, 1010 W. 17th Street, Santa Ana, CA 92706

 

Join others throughout Orange County for a heartfelt morning of prayer and celebration at the Orange County MLK Prayer Breakfast! This in-person event will be held at the Newsong Church. Come together with our community to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his message of love, unity, and equality. Start your day with inspiring prayers, uplifting music, and meaningful conversations. Let's remember Dr. King's dream and continue working towards a brighter future for all. Don't miss this opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and be part of a powerful movement. Together, we can make a difference!

 

The Diocese of Orange is a sponsor on this event and we welcome you to attend as individuals or parish group.

 

Register and learn more here.

When was the last time you intentionally made this simple prayer, “Call me and I’ll follow.” The reality is it’s nearly impossible to discern God’s voice unless we invite Him in through our prayer. Discernment isn’t just for pious folks or seminarians, but every second is an opportunity to hear God’s call on our lives. Young adult men and women (18-35) are invited to come and spend time with the Lord, the Diocese of Orange Vocation Team, and one another for a weekend of prayer, fellowship, guidance, and spiritual direction. This experience is not only for those discerning their vocation, but for any young adult who desires to learn how to listen to the voice of God in their lives.

Early Bird Cost is $150 until Dec. 28th. Scholarships are available, contact Benito at bmedrano@rcbo.org.

Registration information can be found at linktr.ee/ocvocations

Questions? Contact the Office of Vocations: ocvocations@rcbo.org or 714-282-3033

Retrouvaille of Orange Coast is holding their next weekend experience on January 19-21, 2024, in Santa Ana. Retrouvaille is a lifeline for couples who are or have experienced stress or conflict in their marriage and who are looking for a way back to a loving relationship. It is a Catholic-based program, but is open to married couples of all faiths. Space is limited, so we encourage registering for the weekend as early as possible. For more information and to register on-line, go to www.HelpOurMarriage.org. See flyer below for more information.

Join us for a one-day retreat of hope and healing for women whose lives have been touched by abortion. To register, click here or scan the QR Code in the post. 

To donate towards this free retreat via Paypal, visit: Ministry-Office-for-Family-Life-payment  and indicate “Restored” for registration type.

 

For more information about our Hope & Healing Post Abortion Healing Ministry visit: Ministry-Office-for-Family-Life-healing-after-abortion or contact our confidential line: (800) 722-4356.