Welcome
This Church is our heavenly Father's house, a place of solace and grace, so feel at home. Enter reverently, pray quietly, sing joyfully, listen attentively, give cheerfully, and come back gladly. We are a welcoming Catholic Community called by God to live out the message of Christ in love and service to all people. If you are new to our Community, WELCOME!
In accordance with the current Los Angeles County Public Health Officer Order for COVID-19, masking is no longer required indoors at St. Denis, but is strongly recommended.
St. Denis Catholic Community
2151 S. Diamond Bar Blvd.,
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
For our schedule for Masses, Confessions, Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Hours, and hours for the church and the chapel, please click here.
For current and past worship aids, please click here.
For the Prayer for our Golden Jubilee Year, please click here.
Pastoral Office is open
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
every day, except Tuesdays and holidays.
Phone: (909) 861-7106
Fax: (909) 861-2697
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Zooming at St. Denis
Gospel Reflection Group
Mondays at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom
Every Monday at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom, one of our deacons or priests leads parishioners to reflect on and pray with the Gospel for the upcoming Sunday.
The next meeting will be on Monday, June 20, when Fr. John will lead parishioners to reflect on and pray with next Sunday’s Gospel (Luke 9: 51-62), which describes Jesus’s journey to Jerusalem with his disciples.
To join this meeting, please click on the following Zoom link shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 20: https://zoom.us/j/96103613303?pwd=aVdsbSt3SUhhM2FHVmtBZW4rUHRsUT09. (The same link is used for every Monday night Zoom meeting.)
In addition, please print out (or open in a separate tab in your web browser or on a separate screen) this handout, which you will need for this meeting.
All are welcome.
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Scripture Reading and Sharing Group
Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom
Every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. via Zoom, Fr. John leads our Scripture Reading and Sharing Group, which is reading through the Book of Psalms in sequence. At each meeting, the participants take turns reading one or two Psalms; they discuss the Psalms and how the Psalms speak to us in the 21st century; and they pray with the Psalms.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 21 at 7:30 p.m. To join them, please click on the following Zoom link shortly before 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday:
https://zoom.us/j/93717806023?pwd=QjkzNDFtRGcyc0E2U3dFQm1LVzl6Zz09.
(The same link is used for every Tuesday night Zoom meeting.)
All are welcome to join the Scripture Reading and Sharing Group, including those who have never studied the Bible.
Vacation Bible School
Monday, June 20 to Friday, June 24
from 3:30-6:15 pm in Potthoff Hall
Vacation Bible School is for children from preschool (age 3) through grade 5 (including those who just completed grade 5). They will meet from Monday, June 20 through Friday, June 24 from 3:30-6:15 p.m. in the Hall. The archeological theme is called “Destination Dig.”
The children will dig up exciting evidence from Israel to prove that the biblical events really happened, and are not just stories. As junior archaeologists, they will explore real-life archaeological finds that have helped to uncover the truth about Jesus. Along the way, they will discover the truth of Jeremiah 29:13, that God reveals Himself to us when we seek and search for Him with all our hearts. For more information about this theme, please watch this video:
Vacation Bible School is a great summer activity for children. The cost for each family is only $50 for one child, $75 for two children, and $15 for each additional child.
To register, please fill out this online registration form.
For more information, please contact Celia Flores, Director of Religious Education, at CFlores@StDenis.org or (909) 861-7106 ext. 242.
Christian Parenting Course
via Zoom
at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays
St. Denis has started a new cycle of our Christian Parenting Course to help parents raise their children in this challenging, secularized world. The Christian Parenting Course is led by our deacon couple, Dennis and Christina Shin, and a team of parent-facilitators. Parents are meeting via Zoom every Wednesday from 7:30-9:00 p.m. through June 29, with a final wrap-up meeting on Wednesday, July 13.
The Course is based on FamilyLife’s “Art of Parenting,” which teaches parents:
(1) how to deal with the real-world challenges of raising children today; and
(2) how to make faith the core of their parenting.
Each participant receives a free workbook; and each meeting includes prayer, an entertaining video (20-30 minutes) on various parenting topics, short workbook exercises, and small-group discussions.
The topics include: the goal of parenting; forming character, applying discipline, building relationships, understanding and nurturing identity, preparing for mission, and the power of family.
For an overview of St. Denis’s Christian Parenting Course, please watch this video:
For those who have already signed up for the Course, we have set up a special Zoom link for the Wednesday meetings; and this Zoom link has been E-mailed to you. If you can’t find the Zoom link, or if you are having difficulties with the link, please contact Deacon Dennis at parenting@stdenis.org or (909) 274-0065.
If you would like to sign up for the current cycle or a future cycle (likely starting in September or October) of the Course, please contact Deacon Dennis at parenting@stdenis.org or (909) 274-0065.
Lunches for the Homeless
During the summer, our Christian Services Ministry will make lunches in the Hall and will give them to 150-200 homeless people in Pomona on the following Saturdays (the third Saturday of each month):
Saturday, June 18 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon in the Hall;
Saturday, July 16 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon in the Hall; and
Saturday, August 20 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon in the Hall.
To enable us to plan for each Saturday session, please sign up in advance using this online form. If possible, please sign up by 5:00 p.m. on the preceding Thursday (i.e., by Thursday, June 16; Thursday, July 14; or Thursday, August 18).
If you would like to donate food, please drop it off at the Pastoral Office by 5:00 p.m. on the preceding Thursday (i.e., by Thursday, June 16; Thursday, July 14; or Thursday, August 18).
The following food is needed:
Bread (whole-wheat preferred)
Peanut butter
Jelly
Chips (individually wrapped)
Cookies (individually wrapped)
Granola bars (individually wrapped)
Apples
Bottles of water
Ziploc sandwich bags
Brown lunch bags
Monetary donations also are welcomed and appreciated. These donations will help to cover the cost of items that we need to purchase or that have not been donated. Please make the check payable to St. Denis Church; and write “Christian Service Homeless Lunch” in the notation section of your check or on the envelope. Then drop the envelope in a collection box or basket; or mail your donation to St. Denis at 2151 S. Diamond Bar Blvd., Diamond Bar, CA 91765. You also may donate via Online Giving (click on “Christian Service Offering” and mention “Homeless Lunch”) or via PayPal (click the "Donate" button below and mention “Christian Service Homeless Lunch”).
For more information, please E-mail Liz Fan at ChristianService@StDenis.org.
Sunday Mass at 1:00 p.m.
for Families with Children
Sunday, June 26
At 1:00 p.m. every other Sunday (except in July and early August), St. Denis has a regular Sunday Mass specifically for families with children in grade 8 and younger. These Masses also are livestreamed.
At these “Sunday Masses for Families with Children,” children actively participate in all parts of the Mass, including:
● singing in the Children’s Choir;
● serving as altar servers;
● proclaiming the Word of God;
● sitting down with the priest or deacon to discuss the readings;
● helping the ushers take up the collection;
● bringing up the bread, wine, and other gifts to the altar; and
● gathering around the altar for the Eucharistic Prayer.
The next Family Mass will be at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. After a vacation break in July and early August, regular Family Masses will resume at 1:00 p.m. every other Sunday as follows: August 14 and 28, September 11 and 28, October 9 and 23, November 6 and 20, December 4 and 18.
All are welcome—and bring your children and grandchildren who are in grade 8 or younger!
GriefShare
Help for those who are mourning
the death of a loved one
If you’ve lost a spouse, a child, a family member, or a friend, you probably have found that there are not many people who understand the deep hurt that you feel. This can be a confusing time, when you feel isolated and have many questions about things that you have never faced before.
St. Denis’s GriefShare support group meets weekly to help participants face these challenges and move toward rebuilding their lives. The group meets every Sunday (except for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day) from 1:00-3:00 p.m. in Room A in the Hall for 13 weeks with a different topic for each session, as set forth below.
Dates:
| June 26, 2022 | Session Eight: “Complicating Factors” |
| July 3, 2022 | Session Nine: “Stuck” |
| July 10, 2022 | Session Ten: “Lessons of Grief (Part One)” |
| July 17, 2022 | Session Eleven: “Lessons of Grief (Part Two)” |
| July 24, 2022 | Session Twelve: “Heaven” |
| July 31, 2022 | Session Thirteen: “What Do I Live For Now?” |
Each GriefShare session has three distinct parts:
(1) watching a video seminar featuring top experts on grief and recovery;
(2) discussing with the group what was presented in the video and what is going on in their lives; and
(3) discussing questions and comments from a workbook, which participants will use during the week for further study of the grieving process and for journaling about their emotions.
You don’t have to register or sign up in advance. Just show up for the sessions.
For more information, please contact Mike Shay at (714) 563-6510, or watch the following video:
Together in Mission
In 2021, Together in Mission raised $13.8 million, which was distributed to 64 poor parishes and 75 poor Catholic schools throughout the Los Angeles Archdiocese. The poor parishes and schools used the money for educational programs, emergency projects, operational support, service to the poor, and outreach programs.
Last year, St. Denis parishioners contributed $129,494 to Together in Mission; and, thus, we exceeded our parish goal of $114,875. Thank you so much for your generosity and for helping us to reach and exceed our goal.
This month, Archbishop José Gomez invites every Catholic to make a new commitment to Together in Mission for 2022. This year’s cumulative Together in Mission goal for the archdiocese is $14.4 million; and our parish goal is $104,288, which is lower than last year’s goal because of the impact of COVID-19 on the parish.
This year’s theme is “As One We Believe.” As L.A. Catholics, we believe as one holy, Catholic family in hope. We pray together, sing together, volunteer together, and believe together. Your support of Together in Mission gives our struggling parishes and schools much-needed hope.
Please note that you do not have to donate any money now. Instead, we are asking every household and family to make a new pledge this year to Together in Mission. You can then take the rest of the year to fulfill your pledge.
You may make a pledge in any of the following ways:
(1) with the information that was mailed to your home;
(2) with the pledge envelopes that will be available in the pews and in the vestibule of the church;
(3) visiting TogetherInMission.org/give;
(4) calling 213-637-7672 (Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.);
(5) texting Believe to 213-397-0682.
However you make your pledge, please be sure to identify St. Denis Parish as your parish so that St. Denis will be credited with your pledge and donation.
Thank you for supporting Together in Mission.
Young Adult Ministry (YAM)
First and Third Sundays of the Month
Sunday Mass at 5:30 p.m.
On the first and third Sundays of the month, YAM members will:
● attend the 5:30 p.m. Mass, which has contemporary music that is led by the Young Adult Choir;
● sit together in pew section G (i.e., the pew section that is the second-closest section to the chapel and is the same pew section where the lectors sit);
● meet after the Mass to decide whether to go out after the Mass and where to go.
The first and third Sundays for the next few months are as follows:
July 3 and 17,
August 7 and 21,
September 4 and 18,
October 2 and 16,
November 6 and 20,
December 4 and 18.
Third Friday of the Month
Holy Hour at 7:45 p.m.
On the third Friday of every month, YAM meets in the church at 7:45 p.m. and participates in the Holy Hour, which usually is led by Deacon Dennis. Afterward, YAM members hang out and sometimes go out for food and refreshments.
For the next few months, the third Friday of the month is as follows:
July 15,
August 19,
September 16,
October 21,
November 18,
December 16.
For more information, follow YAM’s Instagram account; E-mail YAM at StDenisYAM2151@gmail.com; or contact the Pastoral Office at (909) 861-7106.
Masses:
Monday through Thursday: 8:00 a.m. (also livestreamed)
6:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:00 a.m. (also livestreamed)
7:00 p.m. followed by a Holy Hour (also livestreamed)
Saturday: 8:00 a.m. (also livestreamed)
5:30 p.m. (Sunday vigil with cantor, organ/piano)
Sunday: 7:00 a.m. (no music)
9:00 a.m. (cantor, organ/piano)
11:00 a.m. (adult choir, cantor, organ/piano; also livestreamed)
1:00 p.m. (cantor, piano)
5:30 p.m. (contemporary music with youth & young adult choir, cantors, piano; also livestreamed)
Sunday Mass Worship Aid with Readings (6/19/22)
Our livestreamed Masses and Holy Hours are livestreamed simultaneously to our YouTube channel and our Facebook page.
"Permission to podcast/stream the music in these services is obtained from ONE LICENSE with license #A730717. All rights reserved.”
For all Masses, Holy Hours, and other liturgies, seating is available in our courtyard, with the sound being projected outside via outdoor speakers.
Obligation to attend Masses on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation
With the reopening of California in the wake of the pandemic, Archbishop José Gomez has reinstituted the obligation for Catholics to attend Mass in person on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation.
However, those who have serious and legitimate reasons (e.g., illness; underlying health conditions that render them susceptible to illness; significant fears of becoming ill; etc.) are dispensed from this obligation (and, thus, are not obliged to attend Mass in person).
Please note that watching a livestreamed Mass does not fulfill the obligation to attend Mass in person. However, if you are unable to attend Mass in person, we encourage you to participate in our livestreamed Masses. We livestream one or two Masses every day simultaneously to our YouTube channel and Facebook page.
COVID-19 Reminders
Confessions
Monday through Saturday: After the 8:00 a.m. Mass in the courtyard
Friday: 5:00-6:00 p.m. in the church*
Saturday: 3:00-4:30 p.m. in the church*
*Fr. Dennis will be in the back pew of the church; Fr. John will be in his confessional booth.
You also may schedule Confession with a priest at another time by calling the Pastoral Office (909-861-7106).
The website of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops sets forth seven different ways for us to examine our conscience based on our circumstances, including examining our conscience based on the Ten Commandments, and six other ways. Please click here for the links.
If you cannot go to a priest for Confession during this pandemic, Pope Francis encourages you to confess your sins directly to God and make an “Act of Perfect Contrition”:
“If you don’t find a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth. ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your heart, with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘Afterward I will go to confession.’ You will return to God's grace immediately.” (This quotation is by Pope Francis and is from this article.)
Here is another article with more information about how to make an “act of perfect contrition.”
Church and chapel hours
(except holidays)
Sunday: 6:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday: 7:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Saturday: 7:30 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Holy Hour and Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration in the church
(with seating inside the church and in the courtyard)
Friday: 8:30-9:30 a.m. Eucharistic Exposition and Adoration
7:45-8:45 p.m. Holy Hour (Holy Hour Worship Aid (6/24/22))
Links for Livestreamed Liturgies
The livestreamed videos below are from our St. Denis YouTube Channel. If you would like to watch more videos on our YouTube Channel, please click here.
If you would like to watch our videos on Facebook, please click here.
Upcoming Mass(es):
Mass and Holy Hour, Friday at 6:30 PM (6/24/22)
Mass, Saturday at 8:00 AM (6/25/22)
Recent Daily Mass:
Mass, Friday at 8:00 AM (6/24/22)
Mass, Thursday at 8:00 AM (6/23/22)
Recent Sunday Masses:
Mass, Sunday at 11:00 AM (6/19/22)
Worship Aid
Mass, Sunday at 5:30 PM (6/19/22)
Worship Aid
Videos of all of our liturgies that were livestreamed or recorded are available on St. Denis’s YouTube channel.
Golden Jubilee Year
Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the
Founding of St. Denis Parish in Diamond Bar, California
Our Golden Jubilee Year will begin on Saturday, October 9, 2021 (the Feast of St. Denis) with a livestreamed Opening Mass (celebrated by Bishop David O’Connell) at 5:30 p.m. Then, we will celebrate in our courtyard from 6:30-9:30 p.m. with food and drinks, music and entertainment, dancing, fellowship, a 50-50 drawing, and more. The Jubilee Year will continue through Sunday, October 9, 2022, when we will celebrate a Closing Mass.
The theme of the Jubilee Year is “Together with Christ,” because, as Jesus said in John 15:4-5, without him we can do nothing.
The Committee for our 50th Anniversary Jubilee Year is planning many different events and ways (both large and small) to celebrate this Jubilee Year. Please go to our website (StDenis.org) and read the bulletin regularly for further details. And if you have good ideas about how we can celebrate the Jubilee Year, please contact Committee Chair Tom Bertnsen at Thomasboy1@yahoo.com.
Prayer for the Golden Jubilee Year
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of St. Denis Parish—
for all of the priests, deacons, lay ministers, leaders, and staff who have served the parish,
and for the thousands of parishioners who have generously supported St. Denis
with their time, talent, and treasure over the past 50 years.
Graciously bless them all.
Help us to build on their legacy,
and to be good and faithful stewards of what You have entrusted to us.
Because we can do nothing without Your Son,
help us to know and love Him more each day,
and to be united with Him—and with each other—in all things,
so that:
● Strengthened by Christ, we will persevere through the COVID-19 pandemic and every hardship.
● Guided by Christ, we will proclaim the Gospel by our words and actions to every creature, including family, friends, and strangers.
● Together with Christ, we will serve the poor and needy, and those on the margins of society.
Through the intercession of St. Denis, our patron saint,
and the Blessed Virgin Mary,
our mother and the mother of the Church,
please bless and renew us; and
bless and renew our beautiful parish.
We ask all of this through Jesus Christ, our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Jubilee Year for the 250th Anniversary
of the founding of Mission San Gabriel Arcángel
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was founded in 1771 by the great Franciscan missionary Fr. Junípero Serra. This mission is the first church in what is now the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. And as Pope Francis has noted, St. Junípero Serra “was one of the founding fathers of the United States.” Thus, this Jubilee Year recognizes not only the Church’s beginnings in Los Angeles, but also the Christian beginnings of America and the influence of Christian values in the formation of our national identity.
The Jubilee Year began on September 11, 2021 with an Opening Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in downtown Los Angeles; and it will continue through September 10, 2022, when a Closing Mass will be celebrated at Mission San Gabriel Arcángel.
The theme of the Jubilee Year is “Forward in Mission.” For more information about the Jubilee Year and upcoming events, please go to this website: ForwardInMission.com.
A New Approach to Faith Formation at St. Denis
Teaching children, teens, and adults how to have
a close, personal relationship with Jesus
(Please click here for Fr. John's open letter to the parish.)
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Pope Francis: COVID-19 vaccination is an "act of love"
This video by Pope Francis (and various cardinals and bishops) is in Spanish with English subtitles.
No Religious Exemption for the COVID-19 Vaccine
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, in accordance with the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), recommends that all members of the Catholic community who can receive a COVID-19 vaccine should do so. The Archdiocese is not providing individuals with religious exemption letters to avoid vaccination against COVID-19. Please see the information and links below to understand why the Archdiocese does not consider the COVID-19 vaccine to be morally objectionable and why it encourages all the faithful to get vaccinated.
“Receiving one of the COVID-19 vaccines ought to be understood as an act of charity toward the other members of our community. In this way, being vaccinated safely against COVID-19 should be considered an act of love of our neighbor and part of our moral responsibility for the common good.”—USCCB, Moral Considerations Regarding the New COVID-19 Vaccines.
The following links might be helpful in understanding the morality of receiving the vaccine:
https://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cfaith/documents/rc_con_cfaith_doc_20201221_nota-vaccini-anticovid_en.html
https://www.usccb.org/news/2021/us-bishop-chairmen-doctrine-and-pro-life-address-use-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine
https://www.cacatholic.org/CCC-vaccine-moral-acceptability
Vatican: COVID-19 vaccines are “morally acceptable”
Archdiocese of Los Angeles: “Strongly encourages” Catholics
to receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine
The Vatican’s doctrinal office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), has determined that it is “morally acceptable” for Catholics to receive the vaccines against the COVID-19 virus. This judgment is deeply rooted in the Catholic moral tradition.
On December 21, 2020, the CDF stated:
All vaccinations recognized as clinically safe and effective can be used in good conscience with the certain knowledge that the use of such vaccines does not constitute formal cooperation with the abortion from which the cells used in production of the vaccines derive . . . the morality of vaccination depends not only on the duty to protect one's own health, but also on the duty to pursue the common good.
In the absence of other means to stop or even prevent the epidemic, the common good may recommend vaccination, especially to protect the weakest and most exposed.
Therefore, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles strongly encourages Catholics to receive a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for the sake of ourselves, our loved ones, and the common good.
If some of the faithful do not receive the vaccine, the Vatican says that those persons “must do their utmost to avoid . . . becoming vehicles for the transmission of the infectious agent.”
For more information, please see the following documents from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):
USCCB – U.S. Bishop Chairmen for Pro-Life and Doctrine
https://www.usccb.org/news/2020/us-bishop-chairmen-pro-life-and-doctrine-address-ethical-concerns-new-covid-19-vaccines
USCCB – Moral Considerations Regarding the New COVID 19 Vaccines
https://www.usccb.org/moral-considerations-covid-vaccines
USCCB – Answers to Key Ethical Questions About COVID 19 Vaccines
https://www.usccb.org/resources/Answers%20to%20Key%20Ethical%20Questions%20About%20COVID-19%20Vaccines.pdf
USCCB – Moral Guidance on Vaccine
https://www.usccb.org/prolife/biomedical-research
USCCB – Statement on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
https://www.usccb.org/news/2021/us-bishop-chairmen-doctrine-and-pro-life-address-use-johnson-johnson-covid-19-vaccine
Please also watch the following webinar:
Webinar - “Love Your Neighbor and Get Vaccinated: Science, Ethics and the COVID-19 Vaccines”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5AhnQSkOp0&t=6s
The one-hour-long webinar discusses the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines, as well as the impact the pandemic has had on parishes around the state. If features Dr. Charles Binkley, MD, Director of Bioethics, Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University; Fr. Luke Dysinger, OSB, MD, DPhil., Professor of Church History and Moral Theology, St. John's Seminary; and Mr. Isaac Cuevas, Director of Immigration and Public Affairs, Archdiocese of Los Angeles.
COVID-19 Funeral Assistance from FEMA
FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency) is providing financial assistance for funeral expenses related to COVID-19.
To be eligible for funeral assistance, you must meet these conditions:
- The death must have occurred in the United States, including the U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
- The death certificate must indicate that the death was attributed to COVID-19.
- The applicant must be a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien who incurred funeral expenses after January 20, 2020.
- There is no requirement for the deceased person to have been a U.S. citizen, non-citizen national, or qualified alien.
To apply, please call the dedicated FEMA toll-free hotline at 844-684-6333 (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time).
For more information, please go to the relevant FEMA webpage.
Click here for past St. Denis events
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