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“LA GUADALUPANA”

LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS, many families’ schedules are filled with parties, shopping, wrapping presents and more. But Spanish teacher Elba... 

by BRITNEY ZINT 

IT’S A WRAP

FR. MARTIN VU, PAROCHIAL administrator of St. Joseph’s in Placentia, delivered a Christmas homily a couple of years ago that... 

by GREG HARDESTY 

EVERYTHING IS COMING UP ROSES

SHE WAS FILTHY, A STRAY black Labrador who had lived outside and wanted nothing to do with people — just... 

by GREG HARDESTY 

GOBBLE, GOBBLE, GO!

FOURTEEN LITTLE “TURKEYS” giggled and stretched as they prepared to waddle as fast as they could. In orange tutus, or... 

by BRITNEY ZINT 

ORDER OF MALTA AND CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF OC TEAM UP TO BRING THANKSGIVING JOY

FOR HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES in need, Thanksgiving isn’t just a holiday—it’s a reminder of community, compassion and hope. On Nov.... 

by MARIAJOSE GARORTI, CATHOLIC CHARITIES OF ORANGE COUNTY 

Local

A SPECIAL FEAST DAY

THE FEAST DAY OF Our Lady of Guadalupe takes place Thursday, Dec. 12. The feast is celebrated across the Diocese…

THE SPIRIT OF THE SEASON

THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS came alive on Dec. 13 when Catholics and non-Catholics alike came together to celebrate the season…

ST. JOSEPH’S TREE LIGHTING

IN A COURTYARD FESTIVELY hung with garland and lights, St. Nicholas Day was celebrated with songs, stories and a surprise…

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Christ Cathedral

JUBILEE YEAR PREVIEW

THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE is celebrating the Catholic Church’s worldwide 2025 Jubilee Year beginning on Dec. 29 with a special…

CHRIST CATHEDRAL MUSIC MINISTRY RELEASES ALBUM RECORDED IN CATHEDRAL SANCTUARY

THE MUSIC MINISTRY OF Christ Cathedral has released a new album, “Spem in Alium: A Choral Adoration,” a first-ever choral…

THE LOVE OF GOD IS BIGGER THAN DEATH

AFTER OFFICIATING THE Holy Mass, Fr. Juan Navarro solemnly sprinkled holy water on each of the altars, in memory of…

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Sports

TAKING IT TO THE MAT

EVERYONE HAS A hurdle in life — something so difficult it can seem impossible to overcome. Samantha Arce, a senior…

THREE’S A CHARM

It’s been a season of “threepeats” for the JSerra girls cross country team. At the CIF State Cross Country Championships…

MONARCHS TAKE STATE

More than a year before the start of the 2023 volleyball season, Mater Dei volleyball coach Dan O’Dell felt that…

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Local Headlines

PEACE ON EARTH & MERCY MILD
EACH DECEMBER VISITORS flock to Mission San Juan Capistrano for the festive Capistrano Lights: Mission in Lights. THE GOODE TIME...

ST. JOSEPH PARISH TO OFFER WINTER PROGRAMS
ST. JOSEPH’S PARISH in Placentia will host two insightful programs this winter. The first is called, “Journey of Hope: Healing...

ANNUAL HOMELESS PERSONS’ INTER-RELIGIOUS MEMORIAL SERVICE
THE NINTH ANNUAL Homeless Persons’ Inter-Religious Memorial Service will take place on Dec. 21, bringing together various interfaith representatives to...

Opinion Headlines

THE EUCHARIST THROUGH A CARDIOLOGIST’S EYES: FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH (PART 4)
PREVIOUSLY IN THIS SERIES, we explored the fascinating intersection of faith and science through Eucharistic miracles involving cardiac tissue. As...

THE EUCHARIST THROUGH A CARDIOLOGIST’S EYES: FOUNDATIONS OF FAITH (PART 3)
IN THE PREVIOUS ARTICLE, I discussed how my journey into medicine, particularly cardiology, was shaped by a profound sense of...

BACK TO SCHOOL: “GO FORTH AND BEAR FRUIT”
AS THE SUMMER DAYS begin to wane and the excitement of a new school year fills the air, we gather...

National

OC CATHOLIC AFAR

We recently visited Lahaina on the island of Maui and were shocked at the devastation the people are still suffering…

TRAVEL DIARY: THE CHURCH OF THE MADONNA

WHEN THE CHURCH OF the Madonna was built in the Borough of Fort Lee, N.J. during the 1850s, it was…

FINDING THEIR WAY

CLARA ARBIZO WASN’T EXPECTING much. The parishioner of St. Anne’s in Santa Ana was among 200 young adults who participated…

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National Headlines

DIOCESAN BISHOPS AND DELEGATES ATTEND NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — A delegation from the Diocese of Orange recently attended the tenth National Eucharistic Congress in Indiana’s capital city,...

DIOCESE OF ORANGE ANNOUNCES DELEGATION TO NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS IN INDIANAPOLIS
The Diocese of Orange is proud to announce its delegation to the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) scheduled for July...

FILM LETS DEVOTEES PROVIDE VISUAL, EMOTIONAL SUBSTANCE OF LOURDES’ STORY
NEW YORK (CNS) — In the documentary “Lourdes” (Distrib Films), filmmakers Alban Teurlai and Thierry Demaiziere present a moving portrait...

MIAMI CATHOLIC PARISH SAYS 10 OF ITS FAMILIES STILL MISSING AFTER COLLAPSE
MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — It is an understatement to say the people and staff of St. Joseph Parish will...

World

OC AFAR

Mary and Arthur Stabile (parishioners of St. Cecilia Catholic Church, Tustin) prayed for everyone and lit multiple candles while visiting…

OC CATHOLIC AFAR

Ralph Webb and Fr. William Reynolds on Royal Caribbean’s Quantum of the Seas somewhere on the Pacific Ocean in Japan….

OC CATHOLIC AFAR

We just returned from a fabulous trip to Salzburg, Austria with lots of our fellow OC Catholics! Pictured are Ralph…

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World Headlines

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
Greetings from Hiroshima, Japan! Oscar and Patty Pablos carry a copy of Orange County Catholic as they visit the Assumption...

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
Fr. Christopher Heath and Willie Centeno on a pilgrimage to Italy. Taken at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the...

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
Mark and Mary Doyle brought along an issue of OC Catholic when they visited Assisi, Italy. They are pictured in...

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
A family of parishioners from St. Joseph Catholic Church in Placentia and La Purísima Catholic Church in Orange visited Slovakia...

Education

SNOW DAY AS AN EMMANUEL MOMENT

TUESDAY, DEC. 17 marked the 6th Annual Snow Day at St. John the Baptist Catholic School. A STUDENT ENJOYS THE…

LEADERSHIP IN ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

HUMILITY, FAITH, WORK ETHIC and leadership are the significant qualities St. Joseph School (Placentia) principal Amanda Hawley used to describe…

ST. BONAVENTURE CELEBRATES FAMILY MASS WITH BISHOP NGUYEN

ST. BONAVENTURE PARISH in Huntington Beach recently welcomed a special guest to the church’s monthly family Mass. The church was…

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Education Headlines

ST. BONAVENTURE SCHOOL HONORS VETERANS
EIGHTH-GRADER CLAIRE Kurkjian may have started a tradition at St. Bonaventure School in Huntington Beach. Her father, Captain Bob Kurkjian,...

A FESTIVAL OF SAINTS
FAITH LEADERS AT ST. Philip Benizi Catholic Church in Fullerton who are tasked with preparing the church’s teenagers for the...

LEADERSHIP IN ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
AT ST. HEDWIG SCHOOL IN Los Alamitos, Principal Chris McGuiness takes leadership very seriously. When asked to elaborate on the...

HONORING GRANDPARENTS AT JSERRA
EACH YEAR, JSERRA Catholic High School honors the grandparents of its students with a special Mass, followed by lunch and...