November 26, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration with family and friends. I have been praying even more for our parish this week, that we all would be open to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as we spend time in prayer asking him what the appropriate amount for each of us is to give back to God in gratitude for all He has given us.

This weekend as we celebrate Christ the King, I would like to share with you a little bit about Blessed Miguel Pro, one of the Mexican martyrs of the last century. As a child Miguel was known for his deep spirituality as well as his sense of humor. While he was studying for the priesthood, a wave of governmental anti-Catholicism gripped Mexico and so he was sent to Spain then to Belgium to be ordained a priest in 1925.

Due to severe stomach problems, he returned to Mexico the following year. His ministry had to be undercover due to the government’s crackdown on the Faith. For example, Father Miguel would dress up as a gardener and then sneak into a home to baptize the children and celebrate the sacraments. Fr. Miguel was also known for his great charity and care of the poor.

Eventually, the government was frustrated by his successful ministry and falsely claimed that he was involved in a car bombing against the Mexican president. Fr. Miguel escaped arrest for some time (there is a picture of him in disguise standing outside of a police station—a sign that he did not lose his sense of humor during the persecution). Eventually, he was caught and brought before a firing squad. As he faced death with arms outstretched, he exclaimed, “Long live Christ the King!” and was martyred.

May we also be bold in sharing our faith to our coworkers, friends, and strangers.

Bishop Tim Freyer

November 19, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Over these past weeks many visitors have commented on how beautiful the church, pastoral center and the ocean view are.  You have created a campus that is beautiful and inspiring, and I am grateful to be the beneficiary of all you have been doing.

For some, who generously gave to the various capital campaigns, there is probably a sense of relief.  However, as I received the financial report from last fiscal years, I am sad to report that we experienced a large operational deficit. As I look at the numbers, it seems that the amount given in the Sunday collection has been decreasing and the expenses have been increasing (and our utility bill is significantly higher than before we had our beautiful pastoral center).

At my first finance council meeting, the members recommended that we reduce expenses by more than $200,000.  This reduction affects a number of our staff members, so I ask you to pray for them during this difficult time. We are also cutting non-staff expenses.  However, some of the reduction, such as the parish not paying my salary or insurance, is only a temporary fix as we will need to pay for the new pastor next year.

During this stewardship month, we are all called to reflect upon all that God has done for us—every good thing we have, is a gift from Him.  And after reflecting on His goodness to prayerfully ask ourselves (or as a family) if we are returning to Him an appropriate amount.  The bible tells us that we should be giving the first 10% of our income back to Him in gratitude.  Some may be giving this or even more.  Others may not be able to jump to that threshold right away, but I ask you to prayerfully consider taking a step toward tithing.  My experience of tithing is that it helps me to be free of the slavery of materialism.  St. Edward’s is known to be a community of generous givers, and I am sure that after spending time in prayer we will each be more generous this coming year.

Please know of my prayers for you this week that as we celebrate Thanksgiving, that each of us will be filled with gratitude for all the Lord has done for us.

Bishop Tim Freyer

November 12, 2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

At the Diocesan Eucharistic Congress, I had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Pham, one of our new seminarians. It turns out that he is from our parish so I asked Stephen to write a little about himself so that we can get to know him.

Stephen wrote: “I was born and baptized in Vietnam and immigrated to the United States with my parents and older brother at the age of three. Since then, we have called Orange County home away from home. Growing up, I lived in the cities of Anaheim and Santa Ana, and attended St. Columban Catholic parish in Garden Grove where I enjoyed participating in children’s faith formation and youth ministry. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of California, Los Angeles and worked in sales and marketing in the pharmaceuticals industry before entering the seminary. During the pandemic, I moved to Dana Point and have been blessed to call St. Edward’s a spiritual home, filled with good friends such as those at weekday afternoon Mass, the parish staff and youth ministry volunteers. In my

free time, I enjoy practicing the violin and playing tennis. I am in my first year of seminary formation and hope to entrust myself to your prayers. Please know that I am praying for you and our community. “

Please keep Stephen in your prayers as well as the men and women from our parish that are discerning a call to the priesthood or consecrated/religious life.

Bishop Tim Freyer