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UPDATE: A MESSAGE TO OUR DIOCESE

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, With gratitude to God and for your prayers, we are happy to report that... 

 

A MESSAGE FOR OUR DIOCESE

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ and friends all, We kindly ask for your prayers for Bishop Kevin Vann, who... 

 

BREAD OF ANGELS

A VITAL CORE PRECEPT OF ST. Angela Merici Parish’s long and storied history has been a consistent commitment to service.... 

by MIKE ZINN 

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS TO THE ARCHDIOCESE OF NEW YORK

My Dear Friends in the Lord, As we begin the Christmas Octave celebrating the Nativity of Our Lord, I would... 

 

CELEBRATING THE FEAST DAY OF OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

FROM MEXICO’S TRADITIONAL huipil tunics and the Vietnamese áo dài to the Catholic school plaid, children of different cultural heritages... 

by BRITNEY ZINT 

Local

AM I FREE?

“FIVE SCORE YEARS ago, a great American … signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon…

JSERRA SENIOR TRANSFORMS EMPTY SPACES INTO HEALING HOMES THROUGH STUDENT-FOUNDED NONPROFIT

JSerra Catholic High School senior Eya Kane, a student in the school’s Law Magnet Program, is giving families in crisis…

AROUND OUR DIOCESE

MISSION SJC’S ARTIFACT OF THE MONTH Mission San Juan Capistrano will mark its 250th anniversary in 2026. To mark this…

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Christ Cathedral

A LIGHT IN THE DARK: 10TH ANNUAL HOMELESS PERSONS’ INTER-RELIGIOUS MEMORIAL SERVICE

THE DIOCESE HOSTED THE 10th annual Homeless Persons’ Inter-religious Memorial Service at the Christ Cathedral campus to honor those who…

ABOUT THE SHROUD OF TURIN

The Shroud of Turin is considered to be the most studied artifact in the world, and for good reason. It…

CHRIST CATHEDRAL MUSIC MINISTRY ANNOUNCES UPCOMING CONCERT SEASON

THE DIOCESE OF ORANGE and Christ Cathedral music ministry are pleased to announce their 2025-2026 concert season, which includes a…

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Sports

SMCHS SETS HIGH BAR FOR COLLEGE SPORTS ADMISSIONS

AFTER RETIRING AS SPORTS editor for the Los Angeles Times, Mike Hiserman joined the staff at Santa Margarita Catholic High…

HEAR THEM ROAR!

THE JSERRA FLAG FOOTBALL team stepped onto the field 28 times this season. And 28 times, the Lions  walked off…

ANNUAL MSGR. JOHN SAMMON MEMORIAL GOLF OUTING

FOR OVER 40 YEARS the Serra Club of Orange County has sponsored a much-loved and anticipated event — the Annual…

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Local Headlines

SNOW THAT HERALDS CHRISTMAS JOY
ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST Catholic School pulled out all the stops and brought in 40 tons of snow to help...

PARISHIONERS’ PASTIMES & PASSIONS
In this regular series, OC Catholic takes a deeper look at some interesting and unexpected pastimes of diocesan parishioners. ST....

SPREADING CHRISTMAS JOY AT REGINA RESIDENCE
DURING THE ADVENT SEASON, students, alumni and members of St. Bonaventure Girl Scout Troop 2256 brought the true spirit of...

Opinion Headlines

FOLLOWING CHRIST TOGETHER: MY JOURNEY WITH THE VIETNAMESE CHURCH
Editor’s Note: Bishop Vann’s column centered on World Mission Sunday (Oct. 19), is featured in the October issue of Mission:...

ANCHORED IN CHRIST’S LOVE: A NEW SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS
AS THE SUMMER FADES and we find ourselves entering into the rhythm of a new school year, it is a...

GRIEF & HOPE: A REFLECTION ON LOSS
GROWING UP IN A CATHOLIC family just outside of Baltimore, I always dreamed of having a big family of my...

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National

OC CATHOLIC AFAR

Fr. Greg Walgenbach (Director of Office of Life, Justice, and Peace & Missions) and Rebecca Freeman (Pastoral Care Ministry Coordinator,…

OC CATHOLIC AFAR

We recently visited Lahaina on the island of Maui and were shocked at the devastation the people are still suffering…

TRAVEL DIARY: THE CHURCH OF THE MADONNA

WHEN THE CHURCH OF the Madonna was built in the Borough of Fort Lee, N.J. during the 1850s, it was…

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National Headlines

FINDING THEIR WAY
CLARA ARBIZO WASN’T EXPECTING much. The parishioner of St. Anne’s in Santa Ana was among 200 young adults who participated...

DIOCESAN BISHOPS AND DELEGATES ATTEND NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS
INDIANAPOLIS — A delegation from the Diocese of Orange recently attended the tenth National Eucharistic Congress in Indiana’s capital city,...

DIOCESE OF ORANGE ANNOUNCES DELEGATION TO NATIONAL EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS IN INDIANAPOLIS
The Diocese of Orange is proud to announce its delegation to the upcoming National Eucharistic Congress (NEC) scheduled for July...

FILM LETS DEVOTEES PROVIDE VISUAL, EMOTIONAL SUBSTANCE OF LOURDES’ STORY
NEW YORK (CNS) — In the documentary “Lourdes” (Distrib Films), filmmakers Alban Teurlai and Thierry Demaiziere present a moving portrait...

World

FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT: A RURAL COMMUNITY IN UGANDA RECEIVES ELECTRICITY

KAKUBANSIRI, A SMALL village in the Gomba district of Uganda, lived without electricity since its inception. Despite some progress, national…

BISHOP VANN MEETS WITH POPE LEO XIV

On Aug. 1, Bishop Kevin Vann reunited with his former classmate and our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, during a…

A WITNESS TO HISTORY

ANNETTE WALKER, presi­dent of City of Hope Orange County and former interim CEO of St. Joseph Health, went with her…

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World Headlines

SPECIAL TERMS USED DURING THE PERIOD BETWEEN POPES
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Here is an explanation of some of the terms and practices related to the time between...

CONCLAVE TO BEGIN MAY 7
THE FUNERAL FOR POPE Francis took place April 26 in St. Peter’s Square with about 250,000 in attendance. He was...

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
Alan and Desiree Wendell brought along the OC Catholic on their cruise vacation to Australia and New Zealand where they...

OC CATHOLIC AFAR
Ashley and her father Dr. Vincent Nguyen visited the Vatican Garden while in Rome this past Christmas for the start...

Education

STRIKES, SPARES AND MOTHER & SON TIME

ANGELA MERCHANT LINED up her green bowling ball and let it fly, knocking all but five pins down. But this…

NEW VIRTUE CURRICULUM FOR PAX CHRISTI STUDENTS

If academic excellence was the only metric of success in school, traditional Catholic education would appear to be no different…

LEADERSHIP IN ORANGE COUNTY CATHOLIC SCHOOLS

EIGHTH-GRADER SYDNEY de Leon has honed her leadership skills during her tenure at St. Cecilia Catholic School. Teacher Gabriele Nguyen…

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Education Headlines

CELEBRATING WHO WE ARE AT OUR LADY OF FATIMA ACADEMY
JACQUE NUNEZ, A MEMBER of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians Acjachemen Nation, went to a Catholic school to teach...

ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC SCHOOL PARTNERS WITH HALLOW TO ENRICH PRAYER LIFE
ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC School in Huntington Beach has partnered with Hallow, the number one Catholic prayer app, to deepen the...

CRISTO REY’S DRAFT DAY
CRISTO REY ORANGE County High School kicked off the 2025-26 school year in its traditional celebratory fashion – holding its...

MATER DEI CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF LEGACY, TRADITION & FAMILY AT ALUMNI MASS
ON AUG. 17, SANTA ANA’S Mater Dei High School opened its 75th school year with a special Mass that welcomed...