Hello! My name is JJ, and I am thrilled to be part of this wonderful parish community. I was born and raised in the Diocese of San Jose, so being back here feels a bit like coming home. I attended Oregon State University, where I competed in track and field and cross country. During my time there, I found my place at the Newman Center and made lifelong friends. After college, I served as a missionary for the Newman Center, and it was one of the best years of my life.

We have begun the second half of the fiscal year (July 25-June 26). Thank you for your support of our parish's mission and ministries. In February, our average weekly collection was $21,859. You also generously donated to various important causes through our February special collections, totaling $13,120 or ($3,280) per week). This brings our weekly February total to $25,139. We budgeted our Sunday Offertory income (less special collections) for JUL-FEB (34 weeks x $25,000) at $850,000, and we received $819,000 (-$31,000).

Sowing Seeds of Faith is a campaign for spiritual renewal and is a bold step forward in our diocesan journey of renewal. Rooted in prayer, consultation, and our shared mission, this campaign will strengthen our parishes, schools, ministries, and future generations of Catholics in Santa Clara County. Together, we are planting seeds that will bear fruit for years to come.

Peace and mental health are inseparable. Effective disarmament is a commitment to protecting the dignity and mental health for those of us living today and those who will follow.

Catherine Campbell, Mental Health Coordinator at St. Nicholas St. William Parish in Los Altos, piloted Sanctuary for Teens, a free mental health series from Sanctuary Mental Health Ministries.

As we prepare for our parish’s participation in the Campaign for Spiritual Renewal – Sowing the Seed of Faith, beginning in July of this year, I want to explain why we have not been conducting this year’s Annual Diocesan Appeal.

A Holy Hour is not about "doing" something perfectly; it is about "being" with Someone who loves you. It is an hour consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist. Whether you spend it reading, praying, or simply sitting in silence, the goal is the same: to be with Him.

We have begun the second half of the fiscal year (July 25-June 26). Thank you for your support of our parish's mission and ministries. In January, our average weekly collection was $21,307. You also generously donated to various important causes through our January special collections, totaling $9,323 or ($2,331) per week). This brings our weekly January total to $23,638. We budgeted our Sunday Offertory income (less special collections) for JUL-JAN (29 weeks x $25,000) at $750,000, and we received $732,163 (-$18,000).

In communion with the universal Church, the Diocese of San José joyfully announces that Saint Francis of Assisi Parish in San Jose has been designated as the official Pilgrim Church of the Diocese for the Franciscan Jubilee Year, to be observed from January 10, 2026, through January 10, 2027.

Franciscan School of Theology at the University of San Diego is now offering a Doctor of Education in Catholic Thought in Practice. The program includes a track for Mental Health Ministry.

We join with Pope Leo XIV in praying that children, and all people facing mental health challenges, “always find a community that welcomes them, listens to them, and accompanies them.”

In communion with the universal Church, the Diocese of San José joyfully announces that Saint Francis of Assisi Parish has been designated as the official Pilgrim Church of the Diocese for the Franciscan Jubilee Year, to be observed from January 10, 2026, through January 10, 2027.

We have ended the first half of the fiscal year (July 25-June 26). Thank you for your support of our parish's mission and ministries. In December, our average weekly collection was $34,510. You also generously donated to various important causes through our December special collections, totaling $11,844 ($2,961 per week). This brings our weekly December total to $37,471. We budgeted our Sunday Offertory income (less special collections) for JUL-DEC (25 weeks x $25,000) at $650,000, and we received $647,600 (-$2,400). Our 2025 Christmas collection stands at $120,000.

From the very beginning of my ministry here at St. Nicholas and St. William Parish, I have purposely placed the liturgical life of our parish at the very top of my agenda. Not in any way to diminish or devalue the other ministries, but because of my firm belief in these words: “… the liturgy is the summit toward which the activity of the Church is directed [and] the font from which all her power flows.” SC n. 10

We have begun the second quarter of the fiscal year (July 25-June 26). Thank you for your support of our parish's mission and ministries. In November, our average weekly collection was $26,206. You also generously donated to various important causes through our November special collections, totaling $14,613 ($3,653 per week). This brings our weekly November total $29,859.

We welcome Fr. Randy Valenton to our parish. He will be taking up residence at St. William Rectory as he begins his new assignment as chaplain at Children’s Hospital at Stanford. Fr. Randy is a priest of the Diocese of San Jose, and Fr. Matt’s former Parochial Vicar when he served as Pastor at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Palo Alto. Fr. Randy will be available to celebrate Sunday Mass with us.

It was a great pleasure to welcome you all on Friday evening for our shared gathering. While it was cold outside, the atmosphere inside was warm and joyful as our parish communities came together to share fellowship over wine, bread, and cheese.

Thank you for the abundance of Christmas blessings, prayers, good wishes, cards, gifts, and words of affirmation. This was the first Christmas Mass I missed with my parishioners in 35 years as a priest. However, by the grace of God, I have fully recovered through the compassionate, healing work of many nurses and doctors. I will return to public ministry on January 1, 2026, by praying the Holy Rosary on the World Day of Peace at 7:30 am, followed by the Holy Mass for Mary, Mother of God, at St. Nicholas Church. I offer to God an abundance of thanksgiving for all of you as we begin this New Year.

The Garden Ministry keeps the St. Nicholas grounds beautiful and welcoming. Their work includes mowing, blowing, raking, and sweeping in addition to fine gardening work. We are grateful to the many hours the volunteers have dedicated to making the grounds at St Nicholas so beautiful. They meet weekly on a Friday morning. Do you have a couple of hours to join them? If so, contact Lidia at lidia.fiandeiro@dsj.org to connect you with the team.