In the Spirit

-- Compiled by Michele M. Marr

Address: 1964 Orange Ave., Costa Mesa.

Phone: (949) 574-7400

Denomination: Roman Catholic

Year established: 1947

Service times: Weekend masses in English: Saturday vigil, 5:30 p.m.,

Sunday, 6:30, 9:30 and 11 a.m., 5 p.m.(youth Mass); Sunday masses in

Spanish: 8 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.. Daily masses in English: 8:30

a.m., 5:30 p.m.. Weekday masses in Spanish: Tuesday and Friday at 7 p.m..

Confessions: Saturday, 4 to 5 p.m.; Tuesday and Friday, 6 to 7 p.m.. Holy

Day masses in English: vigil, 6:30 a.m., 8:30 a.m., 5:30 p.m.

Senior pastor: The Rev. Joseph R. Robillard

Pastoral staff: The Rev. Michael Galinada, associate pastor; The Rev.

Ismael Silva, parochial vicar; Sister Sharon Maria, school principal;

Fred La Puzza, youth ministry; Mary Flaherty, catechumenate/adult

baptism; Gricelda Becerra and Margot Santos, vida familiar; Kathy Lewis,

family life.

Size of congregation: 2,500 registered families; 4,000 at Sunday

attendance.

Makeup of congregation: Primarily white and Latino and a smaller group of

Filipinos.

Child care: Provided for Sunday morning masses.

Type of worship: Eucharistic and sacramental liturgy.

Type of sermon: A homily based on sacred Scripture. The word of God

broken open and applied.

Recent sermons: Focused on God’s gifts to us and how we use them.

Upcoming sermons: Will focus on Christmas, the Jubilee Year 2000 and on

preparation for the coming of Jesus Christ at the end of time.

Welcome wagon: Visitors are given a welcome card and are invited to fill

it out with their personal information.

Outreach programs: St. Vincent de Paul provides food and shelter to those

in need. St. Joachim provides the Eucharist to the homebound sick and

elderly and also to the hospitalized at Hoag Hospital and numerous

convalescent homes in the surrounding community.

Dress: Sunday dress is preferred.

Church design: Red-brick exterior, the interior church and sanctuary are

Romanesque.

Mission statement (proclama misional): We at St. Joachim’s are a

Christ-centered people, instructed by the word of God and renewed by the

sacraments. We are building a community of love, justice and peace by

celebrating, serving and proclaiming the Gospel to the world. Nosotros en

San Joaquin somos un pueblo orientado con centro en Cristo, instruidos

por la palabra de Dios y renovados en espiritu por los sacramentos.

Estamos entonces construyendo una comunidad de amor, justicia y paz

mediante la celebracion, el servicio y la proclamacion del Evangelio al

mundo.

Interesting note: The first Mass at St. Joachim Catholic Church was held

on Sunday, March 16, 1947. The church has had only three pastors in the

past 52 years. The Rev. Thomas Nevin was pastor from 1947 through 1982.

The Rev. Kenneth Krause was pastor from 1982 through 1997. The church is

open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. All are welcome at St. Joachim’s. The

weekly parish newsletter is published in English and Spanish, as are many

of the other publications available at the church.