Jun 26, 2026
On Wednesday, June 24th, 2026, the Diocese of San José, in partnership with Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County and Catholic IMMpact (a joint initiative of the Hope Border Institute and the Center for Migration Studies) convened nearly 70 regional faith leaders for a daylong summit on migration at Our Lady of Peace Church & Shrine in Santa Clara.
‘In these critical moments for our immigrant brothers and sisters, the Church raises a voice of conscience, a voice of concern for families and individuals who feel vulnerable in this present environment,’ said the Most Reverend Oscar Cantú, Bishop of San José. ‘We promise our advocacy and accompaniment for immigrants and refugees in our own country and globally.’
The gathering drew participants from dioceses across the region, bringing together clergy, pastoral staff, service providers, Catholic organizations and lay leaders for focused formation, mutual support and practical planning.
‘This symposium directly addresses the rising fear many parishioners are experiencing,’ said Father Michael Carson, Interim Director of Life, Justice and Peace for the Diocese of San Jose. “The information and expert dialogue we shared will strengthen our ability to implement the Bishop’s pastoral guidance on immigration.”
‘After three decades of frontline legal work with immigrants, I’ve witnessed extraordinary resilience,’ said Robert Yabes, Program Director of Catholic Charities Immigration Legal Services in San Jose. ‘The challenges before us demand bold, collective action. This gathering was a sacred refusal to look away — an occasion to plan a courageous response to families in crisis. Our faith calls us not to passive charity but to practical solidarity.’
The summit continues a series of regional convenings organized by the Catholic Immigration Prophetic Action Project (Catholic IMMpact), designed to deepen the Church’s pastoral and public witness on behalf of migrants and refugees. Recent Catholic IMMpact events have been held in Detroit, Providence and Phoenix.
“As a Church, we are called both to tend to immediate needs and to confront the systemic forces that produce injustice. The first step toward action is education. To hear from those directly impacted by these horrific policies and work with those same people to change the policies that ignore due process, separate families, and detain our neighbors and family members for months at a time,’ said Father Jon Pedigo, Executive Director of PACT.
“The San José symposium exemplified honest conversation and practical collaboration across the Church and its ministries,” said Sofia Lozano Pallares, Assistant Director of Community Engagement at the Hope Border Institute. “We are grateful to have supported this effort and look forward to accompanying the Diocese of San José in its ongoing pastoral leadership and public witness.”
Jun 25, 2026
Our hearts are saddened by the catastrophic earthquakes that have caused horrific loss of life, injuries, devastation, and property damage in Venezuela last night. Our hearts go out to the people of Venezuela at this time.
Not long ago, I was with Archbishop Raúl Biord Castillo of Caracas at a conference — a bright, warm, and faithful shepherd. I wrote to him this morning to tell him that the Church of San José stands with him and his people, and to assure him of our prayers and charitable contributions.
Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has already sent emergency aid and is in close contact with the local Church. Let us follow his lead. There are two trusted ways we can help:
Please pray for the dead, for the injured, and for the rescuers who have not slept. And please give what you can.
Our Lady of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela — comfort and embrace your people suffering in Venezuela.
Most Reverend Oscar Cantú
Bishop of San José
Jun 22, 2026
The Valley Catholic, the magazine of the Diocese of San José, received eight awards from the Catholic Media Association at the 2026 Catholic Media Conference, held June 16–19 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The honors included two first-place awards, two third-place awards, and four honorable mentions, recognizing excellence in essay writing, feature reporting, interviews, and social justice coverage throughout the publication.
The Catholic Media Association (CMA) represents hundreds of Catholic publications and communications professionals across the United States and Canada, and its annual awards are among the most respected recognitions in Catholic media.
The Valley Catholic relaunched as a bimonthly magazine in 2022 and introduced its companion podcast, Invited, in 2024. Published in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese, the magazine reflects the diverse communities of the diocese, telling local stories of faith that draw hearts closer to Christ.
Today, the magazine reaches nearly 70,000 registered households across Santa Clara County.
“These awards belong to our whole team, from our writers and editors to our designers, photographers, and videographers. Every recognition reflects people who pour their faith and their craft into each issue,” said Cynthia Shaw, executive editor of The Valley Catholic. “To see the stories of our own community honored on a national stage is humbling, and it tells us the vision is taking root.”
“The Valley Catholic is a gift to our local Church. Through its pages, and now its podcast, the Good News of Christ’s truth and love is shared in the languages and lived experiences of our people. I am proud of the team whose dedication has earned these national recognitions, and grateful for the way their work nurtures faith and builds communion across our diocese,” shared Most Reverend Oscar Cantú, Bishop of San José.
The 2026 CMA Honors
First Place
Third Place
Honorable Mention
The Valley Catholic is delivered free to every registered household in the diocese as a stewardship gift made possible by the Annual Diocesan Appeal.
Read the award-winning articles at thevalleycatholic.org and listen to the Invited podcast on your favorite streaming service.
Jun 12, 2026
June 12, 2026
ORLANDO, Fla. – The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) gathered June 10-12 for their Spring Plenary Assembly in Orlando, Florida. The assembly began with the bishops sending prayers and a message to the Holy Father. Archbishop Paul S. Coakley addressed the body of bishops for the first time as Conference president. He was followed by Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio to the United States, who delivered his first plenary address to the U.S. bishops since Pope Leo XIV appointed him nuncio earlier this year.
During the plenary, the bishops held a canonical consultation on the causes of beatification and canonization for the Servant of God John Rick Miller, and for Monsignor Joseph Francis Buh. By a voice vote, the bishops affirmed the advancement of both causes of beatification and canonization on the diocesan level.
Two of the action items the bishops voted on during the plenary were put forth by the USCCB’s Committee on Divine Worship:
- The bishops voted 184 in favor, 1 against, and 0 abstentions to approve elements of a new edition of the Lectionary for Mass. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote of the members of the USCCB, with subsequent confirmatio and recognitio by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
- They also voted 187 in favor, 0 against, and 0 abstentions to approve the 2025 Roman Missal-Liturgy of the Hours Supplement. The approval of this requires a two-thirds vote of the members of the USCCB, with subsequent confirmatio by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
Revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People:
The bishops voted 179* in favor, 22 against, and 6 abstentions to approve revisions to the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a comprehensive set of procedures originally established by the USCCB in 2002 to address allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Catholic clergy. This revisions address elements of the Charter that the bishops determined to be in need of improvement or further development and align with the Charter’s original intention of safeguarding minors, underscoring the bishops’ continued commitment to addressing the prevention of abuse and ensuring the structures continue to be in place to respond to allegations. In putting forth these revisions, the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People emphasized their attempts to balance its care of and sensitivity to victim-survivors, with an awareness of due-process, the rights of the accused, pertinent aspects of the revised Book VI of the Code of Canon Law, Vos estis lux mundi, and the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s Vademecum. Read Bishop Barry C. Knestout’s introduction of the action item, the final revised text of the Charter, and a Q&A on the revisions.
The plenary agenda also included:
- a reflection on Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution that guides Catholic colleges and universities on theological and pastoral principles, on the 25th anniversary of its implementation in the United States;
- an update on World Youth Day 2027, to be held in Seoul, South Korea from Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Seoul and General Coordinator for World Youth Day Seoul;
- an update from Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt, SEMV, the chairman of the USCCB’s Synod Implementation and Evaluation Task Force;
- a presentation by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre on the feedback received during the bishops’ fraternal dialogues at the November 2025 plenary on Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, the U.S. bishops’ teaching document on the political responsibility of Catholics;
- remarks by Bishop William A. Wack on Catholic prison ministry and an invitation to his brother bishops to deepen their engagement with the ministry serving those affected by incarceration and detention;
- an update by Bishop Oscar Cantú on an international pastoral initiative to prepare for the 500th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Guadalupe in 2031.
While not on the public agenda for the plenary, the bishops also held a discussion in executive session on Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, addressing artificial intelligence.
Semi-quincentennial of the United States:
As the United States celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence this year, the U.S. bishops marked the American semi-quincentennial with a special Mass consecrating the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus at the Basilica of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando. To prepare for the moment, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda, Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, and Archbishop Alexander K. Sample each gave prayerful reflections and insights on the Sacred Heart during the morning public session before the bishops traveled to the basilica for the celebration of Mass. Archbishop William E. Lori delivered the homily. The bishops’ event was intended to be a catalyst for commemorations of the 250th anniversary at the diocesan and local levels. View re-cap video.
News updates, texts of addresses and presentations, and other materials from the plenary are posted to: www.usccb.org/meetings, including an infographic summarizing the public portions of the plenary and a re-cap of the consecration.
*following the final vote count.
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Jun 1, 2026
To serve the people of God and following extensive consultation with the Clergy Personnel Board over the last few months, Bishop Oscar Cantú is pleased to announce the following clergy assignments effective July 1, 2026, unless otherwise indicated.
Leadership Positions
- Rev. Edgar Elamparo has been named Vicar for Filipino ministry, effective May 1, 2026
- Rev. Francisco Miramontes has been named Vicar for Hispanic ministry, effective February 1, 2026
- Rev. Mark Gazzingan is dean of Deanery 3.
Deacons
- Deacon Thien Bui (transitional deacon) is assigned to St. Martin of Tours Parish in San Jose.
- Deacon Salvador Heredia (newly ordained permanent deacon) is assigned to St. John Vianney Parish in San Jose with outreach to residents of long-term care facilities and those who minister to them, effective May 17, 2026.
- Deacon Raul Mendoza, permanent deacon previously ministering at St. John Vianney Parish, is assigned to St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica, effective September 8, 2026.
- Deacon Roberto Tapia (newly ordained permanent deacon) is assigned to St. Joseph Cathedral Basilica in San Jose, with outreach to persons experiencing food insecurity, effective May 17, 2026.
