Feb 10, 2026
Please find linked below the Decree designating the Parish Church of Saint Francis of Assisi as the Pilgrim Church of the Diocese of San José for the Franciscan Jubilee Year, to be observed from January 10, 2026 until January 10, 2027, as graciously promulgated by His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.
Jubilee Years are privileged moments of grace in the life of the Church. They invite us to a deeper conversion of heart, renewed commitment to the Gospel, reconciliation with God and one another, and concrete expressions of charity and mercy. In a particular way, this Franciscan Jubilee calls us to contemplate anew the witness of Saint Francis of Assisi, whose life of evangelical poverty, fraternal charity, peace, and care for creation remains profoundly relevant for our time.
By designating Saint Francis of Assisi Parish as a Pilgrim Church, the Diocese offers the faithful a sacred place where these Jubilee graces may be sought through pilgrimage, prayer, the celebration of the Sacred Liturgy, and the Sacrament of Penance. I warmly encourage pastors to promote this Jubilee observance within their parish communities and to invite the faithful to participate fruitfully in this special year of grace.
Entrusting this Jubilee Year to the intercession of Saint Francis of Assisi, and invoking upon you the blessing of Almighty God, I remain,
Devotedly yours in Christ,
✠ Most Reverend Oscar Cantú, S.T.D.
Bishop of San José in California\
Official Decree on Pilgrim Church Designated for Franciscan Jubilee Year
Jan 29, 2026
January 28, 2026
The Catholic bishops of California are deeply saddened and alarmed by the recent loss of life connected to federal immigration enforcement activity. We mourn those who have died, pray for their families, and stand with communities now living in fear and uncertainty. At a moment when people are exercising their First Amendment rights to protest and seek accountability, violence only deepens wounds and erodes the foundations of peace and public trust.
We echo our brother bishops’ call for restraint, transparency, and respect for the dignity of every human life. In a constitutional republic grounded in checks and balances, accountability, due process, and truth are not optional.
Deportation alone is not an immigration strategy. Enforcement without proportionality and power without accountability cannot produce safety or stability. Instead, they exacerbate fear, separate families, and place already-vulnerable lives at greater risk. Immigration policy must first recognize that migrants are human beings imbued with inherent dignity and then offer solutions grounded in justice rather than fear or force.
Pope Paul VI taught, “If you want peace, work for justice.” Pope Francis reiterated this truth, reminding the world that “there can be no peace without justice, and no justice without truth.” And Pope Leo XIV stressed, “I believe we must seek ways of treating people with humanity, with the dignity that is theirs.”
In this moment, it is right to question whether our leaders truly seek peace, intend justice, or are concerned with treating all people humanely. The actions of many who give orders and follow orders no longer reflect the values upon which our society is based, and certainly not the Christian command to love one’s neighbor as oneself.
In this light, we renew our call for meaningful immigration reform—one that addresses the root causes of migration, provides lawful pathways, preserves family unity, and upholds the rule of law without resorting to excessive or indiscriminate force.
In this painful moment, we pray that our nation may embrace the demanding work of accountability and truth, without which peace cannot endure.
In this moment of sorrow and civic unease:
- We urge prayer for the victims, their families, and for peace in our communities.
- We stand in solidarity with migrants and refugees, demanding just treatment and prioritizing family unity and community stability.
- We call upon public officials, law enforcement, and immigration authorities to adopt de-escalation practices, conduct transparent investigations, and ensure accountability, mindful that peace and justice are inseparable.
- We assert that a society’s moral health depends on the restoration of trust through truth, dialogue, and mutual respect—principles rooted in our Catholic understanding of human dignity.
May the Prince of Peace call our nation to account, turn us away from violence and fear, and lead us toward justice, reconciliation, and lasting peace.
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Dec 23, 2025
Spanish | Vietnamese
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I must admit that as I sit to write these Christmas greetings, I am more than a bit unsettled. I am unsettled because as I reflect on the profound meaning of Christmas, that as God entered creation and took on humanity, he entered a broken world. What prompts my unease is the fear and anxiety so many of our brothers and sisters carry today, especially those who are immigrants to this great country, those who are refugees, and those who seek asylum.
Jesus entered a broken world. He was born into a poor family. At Jesus’ presentation in the Temple, all Joseph and Mary could offer for sacrifice was a pair of turtle doves as allowed by Mosaic law for those who could not afford a lamb (cf. Lev 12:8). The Gospels tell us that Joseph and Mary found no place at the inn when they traveled to Bethlehem, where Jesus would be born. Thus, Jesus would be born in humility amid the service animals (Lk 2:7). While likely unintentional Jesus’s birth was marked by rejection from the outset.
We know well the story of King Herod hearing of Jesus’ birth and seeking to kill him. Thus, Joseph would receive a message from an angel to flee to a foreign land, to Egypt, to keep the child safe (Mt 2:13-23). As a matter of fact, a parish that I have visited multiple times in Gaza City, in the Holy Land, is named Holy Family Parish precisely because tradition holds that Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, spent the night in Gaza on their way to Egypt. I here pause to pray for all the children who grow up, especially in the Holy Land, amid violence and war. How heavy that burden must be. The climate of Jesus’ birth and infancy, as recounted in the Gospels, was one touched by fear and uncertainty.
And I also think of the Magi who come from the East to worship the newborn Christ-child. They were foreigners who brought gifts. As a pastor for some 31 years, that resonates deeply with my experience in the Church: people who come from other lands so often strengthen not only our parishes, but our wider community.
Here in Santa Clara County, I think of the Korean and Chinese communities whose deep faith, commitment, and ingenuity enrich our community life. I think of our Vietnamese and Filipino communities, the Vietnamese who originally arrived as refugees from a war-torn country, and the Filipinos who have contributed greatly to the local workforce in many of our economic sectors. Both have brought appreciated joy and devotion in our local church. I think of Hispanics/Latinos communities, some of whose families have lived in these lands when it still was part of Mexico and others who have immigrated for economic opportunity (like my own parents) or safety reasons (like many I have encountered in pastoral life). They work hard in the service sectors of society to provide peace and stability for their families. Jesus Himself worked with Joseph as a craftsman until about his thirtieth year before beginning His public ministry.
Jesus would later identify Himself with those on the margins: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Mt. 25: 35-36).
While we do not expect the laws of our country to be based primarily or exclusively on teachings from the Bible, we do expect them to be shaped by reason, by lived experience and by a concern for the common good and for the dignity of every human person.
This Christmas, as we welcome the Christ-child into our homes, hearts, and lives, let us also open our hearts to the stranger with whom Jesus identifies.
Merry Christmas!
Most Rev. Oscar Cantú
Bishop of San José
