Month: December 2022

Bishop Rojas´ letter on the passing of +Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Please join me in praying for the eternal rest of Pope Emeritus Benedict
XVI, who was called home to God on this final day of 2022. There is a great
sadness in our hearts at the thought that this great man of knowledge and
courage, who shepherded our Church for eight years, has passed from this
life. At the same time, we are grateful to God for the many ways that he
gifted our Church, as a priest, theologian, as the Holy Father and, finally, in
retirement. As a teacher and a defender of Church doctrine, Benedict XVI
was a guiding light to faithful Catholics who sought to understand and fully
live out their faith in the modern world. Thankfully, we have the many
books, encyclicals, letters and homilies authored by Benedict XVI to remind
us and enrich us in his legacy. View PDF: Bilingual

I am particularly grateful to Pope Benedict XVI because he named me a
Bishop 11 years ago.

Our Church now enters a period of mourning, so let us receive this moment
as time to unite ourselves in prayer and reflection on a great leader of our
Universal Church. Further information will be provided in the coming days
about our local diocesan observance of the passing of Benedict XVI.

Peace and blessings to you and to your families.

In Christ’s Love,
Most Reverend Alberto Rojas

 

Queridos Hermanos y Hermanas en Cristo,

Les pido que se unan a mí en rezar por el descanso eterno del Papa
Emérito Benedicto XVI, quien ha vuelto a la casa del Padre en este día
final del 2022. Sentimos una gran tristeza que este gran hombre de
conocimiento y valentía, que pastoreó a nuestra Iglesia por ocho años, ha
fallecido. Al mismo tiempo, estamos agradecidos con Dios por las varias
maneras que ha bendecido a nuestra Iglesia, como sacerdote, teólogo,
como el Santo Padre y, finalmente, en su jubilación. Como maestro
y defensor de la doctrina de la Iglesia, Benedicto XVI fue una luz que
guio a los fieles Católicos que buscaban comprender y vivir de manera
plena su fe en el mundo moderno. Gracias a Dios, tenemos
muchos libros, encíclicas, cartas y homilías escritas por
Benedicto XVI que nos recordarán de su legado y nos continuarán
enriqueciendo.

Estoy agradecido de manera especial al Papa Benedicto XVI porque
me nombró Obispo hace 11 años.
Nuestra Iglesia ahora entra en una temporada de luto, los invito a
que reciban este momento como un tiempo para unirnos en oración y
reflexión sobre un gran líder de nuestra Iglesia Universal.
Compartiremos más información en los días venideros sobre la
observancia local de nuestra diócesis por el fallecimiento de Benedicto
XVI.

Paz y bienestar para todos ustedes y sus familias.

En el Amor de Cristo,

Muy Reverendo Alberto Rojas

Catholic Bishop and County Superintendents announce partnership (12.14.22)

Catholic Bishop and County Superintendents announce partnership

SAN BERNARDINO / RIVERSIDE – Bishop Alberto Rojas, San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Ted Alejandre and Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez discovered this year that they have several key areas of mutual concern, most notably the importance of early literacy to educational success.

The three leaders have committed to work together in providing a program to Catholic families to boost early literacy.

Bishop Rojas, who took leadership of the Diocese of San Bernardino in late 2020, met separately with Alejandre and Gomez this year to make acquaintances and discuss mutual priorities. What emerged was a shared desire to give families the tools they need to help their children get off to a good start in their educational journey. Both County Offices of Education offer the “Footsteps to Brilliance” early literacy program and the Diocese has agreed to help promote it across all its youth and educational ministries.

“We frequently hear from our Catholic families about their desire for resources at home to help their kids succeed in school,” Bishop Rojas said. “By collaborating with Dr. Gomez and Mr. Alejandre we can offer a great program that helps our little ones learn to read on time. What a blessing and a great new partnership in our communities.”

“We’re excited to partner with Bishop Alberto Rojas and Superintendent Ted Alejandre to promote reading across the Inland Empire and support literacy for our students and families,” commented Dr. Gomez. “As part of Riverside County Office of Education’s Literacy by Grade 5 Initiative, any child in Riverside County – including our private schools – has free access to Footsteps2Brilliance. We’re excited to work with the Diocese to ensure students in Riverside County Catholic schools can also take advantage of this powerful learning tool.”

Alejandre said the partnership with the Diocese and Riverside County Superintendent will strengthen an effort that his office began five years ago.

“Increasing early literacy opportunities for students across the Inland Empire is a primary goal of the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools,” he said. “To achieve this objective, we have provided Footsteps2Brilliance to the students of San Bernardino County for free since 2017, and an incredible 6 million books have been read to date. Together, with Bishop Alberto Rojas and Dr Gomez, we are thrilled to expand access to this reading platform to even more families through our collaboration with the Diocese.”

To formalize their shared commitment each Superintendent has co-signed a Letter of Agreement with Bishop Rojas pledging to work together on issues of mutual concern. Other issues mentioned in the letters include mental health, college enrollment and high school graduation rates.

“We…share the ongoing belief that parents are critical co-partners in the education and formation of children,” the Letters of Agreement read. “So, we commit ourselves to serving families and providing resources for their success in education and beyond. “

The new partnerships got off to a great start this Fall when San Bernardino County Office of Education representatives gave a presentation on “Footsteps to Brilliance” to the Catholic Pre-School Directors of the Diocese. As a result, more than half a dozen Catholic schools have already begun to use the program either at school or provided it to parents as an at-home resource.

St. Hyacinth Pre-School in San Jacinto is utilizing Footsteps to Brilliance in the classroom setting. Students are invited to approach a smart board with images and touch the one that matches a word or letter that is being taught.

“It’s an early visual,” says Karla Cortez, Pre-School Director. “A lot of the students are really starting to see those words. And it’s a fun game for them. They really seem to enjoy it.”

The Diocese has partnered with the San Bernardino County Office of Education in the past, offering for several years a parenting class, “The 12 Powers of Family Business,” at parishes and the Diocesan Pastoral Center. This collaboration was done under the Diocesan Education Initiative (DEI), which included collaborative efforts with other educational and civic institutions in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, including Cal State, San Bernardino, the San Bernardino Community College District, the Consulate of Mexico and the Alliance for Education.

Bishop Rojas expressed his joy that the Riverside County Office of Education is now also part of the collaborative efforts and the renewal of the Diocesan Education Initiative. He said he would welcome participation from other Riverside County institutions, including the University of California, Riverside and Riverside City College.