Pastor's letter for this week
June 27, 2025
Dear Parishioners of St. Andrew,
I hope you are all doing well and staying strong! Today is the beautiful Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. This wonderful feast day has the two-fold character of thanksgiving for God's great love for each of us and reparation for our own coldness and indifference towards Him.
Last Sunday I shared during my homily about the beautiful Eucharistic procession held at Sacred Heart Church in Altadena on the previous Friday. The Archdiocese hosted a dinner for families who lost their homes in the Eaton fire. We then had a Mass with Archbishop Gomez as the main celebrant. He was joined by Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the Papal Nuncio, as well as the Auxiliary Bishops and a couple dozen priests.
After the Mass we had a Eucharistic procession right through the burned-out neighborhoods with the very people whose homes were gone. It was a very moving and inspiring procession which I shall not soon forget. We continue to pray for all the fire victims.
Here at the rectory there is some temporary disorder as Fr. Rodriguez is moving out and we’re preparing his former room for the occupancy of Fr. Villasano. We go through this every few years with the transfer of priests, so we’re used to it. Fortunately, we have a great staff which works hard to make everything presentable.
We did have a regrettable incident last Tuesday after the Holy Hour. While the priests were still hearing Confessions, a mentally disturbed man came into the church and tried to enter the sanctuary. He was acting very inappropriately. Because the priests were in the confessionals, they did not see him. However, there were several parishioners in the church. Because our church is located in the city and is always open, these incidents can occasionally occur though they are rare. If you ever see a situation like this, please do not hesitate to immediately call 911 and report it. Then knock on the confessional doors if necessary to alert the parish priests. But, take action!
Here is the rest of the news from the parish:
SOLEMNITY OF SS. PETER & PAUL – This Sunday we celebrate the beautiful solemnity of Saints Peter & Paul. It is traditionally a day on which we pray for the Pope who is the successor of St. Peter as well as the Bishops who are the successors to the Apostles such as St. Paul.
It is rather rare that it falls on a Sunday (the last time was in 2014) but, when it does, it takes precedence over the Sunday in Ordinary Time. It’s actually a nice liturgical “break” as it allows us to celebrate this Solemnity with the usual Sunday crowds.
On this day let us redouble our daily efforts to pray for the Church. Let us pray especially for the hierarchy: the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV and all Bishops in union with him.
It is also a day on which the special collection entitled “Peter’s Pence” is taken. This collection is very important because it supports the multiple charities of the Holy Father throughout the world. It does not go to the Pope personally but rather to all dioceses throughout the world who may experience various kinds of emergencies and needs. Thank you for your generosity to this collection.
THANK YOU AND FAREWELL FATHER RODRIGUEZ- This weekend is Fr. Martin Rodriguez’ last Sunday at St. Andrew’s. We will have farewell receptions for him in the parish hall (school auditorium) after each of the Spanish Masses. We are tremendously grateful to him for his service to our parish these past 5 years. Father was first assigned here during the height of the 2020 Covid lockdowns. In his first few months we were still celebrating Mass and hearing Confessions outdoors. But he persevered through all that and has truly been a blessing to all of us. On July 1st he begins his new assignment as Associate Pastor at St. Alphonsus Church in East Los Angeles. We wish him well. Thank you, Father!
THANK YOU AND FAREWELL DEACON JUAN! – This is also the last weekend in which we have Deacon Juan Gomez and his wife, Angie, with us at St. Andrew’s. As I informed you weeks ago, Deacon Juan has requested to serve at his home parish in Norwalk rather than regularly making the long drive here to Pasadena. It is something I certainly understand but it is still difficult to say goodbye after so many years. I’ve worked with Deacon Juan and Angie for, not only these past few years, but long ago when I was Associate Pastor here and they both worked in our Hispanic community. They have been a great blessing to St. Andrew’s for decades and we are very much in their debt. Thank you to both of them for their service and know that you are always welcome here! We can say to him after any of the Spanish Masses at a reception in the parish hall (school auditorium) today.
WELCOME FR. CARLOS VILLASANO- This coming week we welcome our new Associate Pastor: Fr. Carlos Villasano. Fr. Villasano was born in Ocotlan, Jalisco, Mexico, and has worked in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles for almost 10 years now. His last assignment was at Santa Clara Church in Oxnard. Being in the city will be big change for him. Father speaks some English but is predominant in Spanish. During his time here he will be attending ESL classes at Pasadena City College to improve his English. Father was originally a member of the Scalabrini Fathers but is now in the process of incardination to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. We are delighted to have him join us here at St. Andrew’s. Please make him feel welcome!
INDEPENDENCE DAY – Next Friday, July 4th, we will celebrate our nation's Independence Day with a special Mass at 9:30 a.m. Please join us for Mass to pray for our nation, its people, and leaders, and in gratitude for the gift of freedom in this great country. There will be only one Mass that day and the parish offices will be closed in observance of the civic holiday.
Since it is First Friday, we will still have our Eucharistic Holy Hour after Mass and this will include Confessions as well. However, the usual all-night Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament will be moved to the following Friday night, July 11th.
INFORMATION ON OUR NEW PIPE ORGAN- As you know from my previous announcements, last year we made a huge purchase of a new pipe organ from a Presbyterian church in Pennsylvania. Since then, our Music Director, Mr. Steven Ottomanyi, has done a great deal of research on this instrument. Attached to this email is an information sheet with a lot of informative material which I think you will find very interesting. I was very impressed by how Divine Providence is guiding this entire project. This organ was possibly always destined to be at St. Andrew’s. Read all about it! We are still in the process of raising money for its restoration and installation, so please consider making a donation toward this project. Just put “organ” on the subject line of your check. Thank you!
In Christ and St. Andrew,
Father Gonzalez
CENTENNIAL ORGAN AT SAINT ANDREW CHURCH
HOW TO RECITE THE HOLY ROSARY
PROCEDURE FOR THE RECEPTION OF HOLY COMMUNION