A NEW SEASON OF HOPE is just beginning.
As a new year dawns in the Catholic Church, many parishioners are making resolutions and goals for 2025.
San Francisco Solano Catholic Church pastor Fr. Duy Le hopes the next 12 months will be a time of love and welcoming for all of God’s children.
“Bringing people to the table in 2025 is something I believe we all should hope for. Not just at the parish I pastor, but in the Church as a whole. It is a time for us to look outwards; we will be able to observe the fruits of our outreach.”
While some may vow to attend church more while others aim to practice forgiveness and compassion, Fr. Duy hopes everyone can support one another’s journey.
Fr. Duy focuses on the virtue of hope and giving others the benefit of the doubt.
“We need to have hope in them that they will make our lives better and the world better and they have hope in us that we will do the same,” he shared.
Keep reading to see what resolutions Orange County Catholics are making for a brand-new year.
Martha Villalobos-Lang, Parishioner at Mission Basilica San Juan Capistrano
Whether she’s volunteering at her church’s food pantry or attending Mass every Sunday, Villalobos-Lang wants the people around her to feel welcome.
“I want to try to invite more people to live the traditions in our faith the way we were taught, and we enjoy because it’s still a golden jewel that we have in our hands,” she explained. “If we can rescue that by showing and inviting the youth, that will be something that I would take with me to the end because I will accomplish something in life. I brought more people to my church, to my faith, to see the richness of our traditions.”
She added: “My faith is everything. It’s my family, my friends, the space that we step in, it’s my Church, I think it’s the whole world.”
SOFIA STAFF (LEFT) VOLUNTEERING AT SERRA’S FOOD PANTRY IN SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO. PHOTO BY MIKE VULPO
SOFIA STAFF, SENIOR AT JSERRA CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
In 2025, Staff will say goodbye to high school and hello to college where she hopes to major in hospitality or marketing. Before then, however, the student is focused on enjoying the present.
“My vision for the year 2025 is probably to work on being more responsible and independent, so I can prep for my time at college,” she shared. “In terms of expanding my faith, I would like to attend church every Sunday. It’s something I’m working on. I also want to do more acts of service and help out more in my community while I’m here.”
Staff continued, “I’ve honestly loved my time at JSerra and high school has been a great experience for me. I’m bummed it’s almost ending. I just want to have as much fun as I can.”
BECKY METZNER, SERRA’S PANTRY COORDINATOR SATURDAY LEADERSHIP & DRIVER TEAMS
Through her work with Serra’s Pantry, Metzner is vowing to serve as many neighbors as possible who need help.
“I hope to be proactive in what we anticipate the community will be subjected to,” she explained. “The border situation has hit very hard in this community. Some folks wouldn’t come out for food, but they needed food. … I want to be positive about what needs to be done and be a conduit to that in any way I can. If that’s delivering food to folks that are afraid to come out or displaced, I’m happy to do it.”
Metzner added, “In 2025, I hope the community is more understanding and more helpful to all of our neighbors.”
ROSE MARIE O’SHAUGHNESSY ATTENDS MASS AT SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO CATHOLIC CHURCH IN RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA. PHOTO BY MIKE VULPO
ROSE MARIE O’SHAUGHNESSY, SAN FRANCISCO SOLANO CATHOLIC CHURCH PARISHIONER
In the new year, O’Shaughnessy is hopeful that she can grow closer to God. One way is to be focused even more on daily prayer and intercessions.
“I will ask God to bless our country — one nation under God with liberty and justice for all — the president and all of his cabinet, please God keep them in the palm of your hands,” she said. “And my family. My family for all generations living and deceased and all those in the extended family and for all the friends and associates for all of 2025.”
By the end of 2025, O’Shaughnessy envisions a community where her neighbors are closer to God and closer to each other.
MONICA AVILA ATTENDS MASS AT ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR CATHOLIC CHURCH IN DANA POINT WITH HER FAMILY. PHOTO COURTESY OF MONICA AVILA
MONICA AVILA, ST. EDWARD THE CONFESSOR CATHOLIC CHURCH PARISHIONER
Before saying goodbye to December and 2024, Avila is vowing to attend Mass more often in the new year.
“It feels like home for me when I am at Mass with a great message and great priests such as Fr. Mike Rizzo, Fr. Damien Giap and Fr. Steve Sallot,” she said. “It is a beautiful thing when you have a great connection. I recently lost my son, Kyle, and to hear words during the sermon brings great comfort and it feels like home. I feel being at Mass brings me closer to my son.”
Avila also plans to say the Rosary more often and practice prayerful meditation.