Sunday October 8, 2023
Fr. Robert is getting to know our parish families. Here are some questions he had for the Catania Family:
How long have you been in the parish and what do you value most?
Pablo arrived to the parish from Argentina in 1986. He met Brenda at an ESL class in Costa Mesa. They were married here at St. Joachim in 1995. Brenda enjoyed the community of mothers that came together around the First Communion of their children. They appreciated the passion and dedication of the catechists. They feel such warmth among the people at Saint Joachim.
Tell us about yourselves, work, education, hobbies.
Pablo is a design engineer and Brenda works in the home. Sylvia, the oldest of three daughters, works as a research and development engineer. Sara has degrees from UCI in electrical and computer engineering and works for a technology company. Sophia is a second-year student at UCI, mechanical engineering. The family enjoys tennis, camping and drinking Boba together.
What role or difference does faith make in your life?
Pablo: religion grants him vision and goals. He has a mission through baptism that makes him part of something bigger. He has talents given to him by God, charisms, for this mission. Living this mission gives him a sense of fulfillment and joy.
Brenda: arriving in Costa Mesa as an immigrant from Mexico, she did not know anyone. Faith gave her a big family, brothers and sisters here.
Sylvia: her faith grounds her and helps her stay on track in a generation where there is peer pressure to go away from God and parents.
Sarah: faith centers her and grants her peace. Her faith helps her know and understand herself more and enhances her relationships.
Sophia: faith gives her a sense of what is important and shapes her deepest values. Even though she was maligned over social media in high school for her stand against abortion, she likes sharing her faith with people her age.
In Christ,
Rev. Robert P. Capone