For more than a decade, the Saint Joseph School First Graders have sponsored an Easter Basket Drive for the Tri-City? Volunteers who serve the less fortunate families of Fremont, Newark, and Union City. More families than ever will be coming to the Abode for support, and our goal is to provide each family with an Easter Basket along with the goods provided by Abode. You can help by doing one of the following: Make an Easter Basket wrapped in cellophane, Purchase a ready-made Easter Basket, Make a donation (cash or check made out to St. Joseph School) and clearly mark it “First Grade Easter Basket Donation.” Please drop off donations to the School office. Last day for drop-off is Tuesday, March 30th. We appreciate your participation, support, and generosity! - SJS First Graders

March 9, 2010 This Tuesday, March 9, 2010, 5pm to 6pm - On Tuesday, March 9, 2010, Dr. Ruben Mendoza will be present to assist the public in observing an illumination of the tabernacle in the 1985 reconstructed Mission San Jose Church. Dr. Mendoza's research on the California Missions has found that on solstice days, and their mirror dates which, at Mission San Jose, are March 8th-12th for the Spring, and September 29th-October 3rd for the Fall, the sun shines directly on the tabernacle of the main altar. The movement of the light from the setting sun shines through the main window of the facade of the Old Mission. This illumination on March 9th extends from 5:10pm through about 5:40pm, with the main illumination or meridian aligned with the tabernacle at about 5:30pm. Old Mission San Jose will be open to the public until 6:30pm. For information, contact Andrew Galvan at chochenyo@aol.com. The event is free and open to the public.

St. Joseph CYO Track & Field is still accepting athletes from all grade levels Kinder to 8th grade. If you have an Olympic dreamer, this ultimate sport will certainly keep their dreams alive. It's not yet too late to register. For questions, call Carlos Mangrobang at 510.770.0760 or visit our website at http://www.saintjosephmsj.org/cyo/track/index.html.

Did you know that tuition at our inner-city Catholic schools is now the same as tuition at an average U.S. University ten years ago? And this is still not enough to cover the expenses of operating the school. Every inner-city Catholic school and every one of their students needs help to achieve the life changing benefits of Catholic education. Your support of the Bishop’s Appeal will help close the gap and give the gift of a good education rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children in our poorest neighborhoods.

Our goal for this year is $33,058. Received so far: $4835. 15% to goal. Please help us achieve our goal! Thank you!

May 2010 ~ Flores de Mayo - The TFCSJ will host the "Flores de Mayo", the Marian flower festival celebrated in honor of our Blessed Virgin Mary in the month of May. We will offer flowers every 12:30 Sunday mass beginning May 2, 2010 and invite everyone to offer their prayer intentions to Our Lady. We are looking for children aged 5 - 12 to participate as angels to offer flowers to the Blessed Virgin Mary during these Masses.

Santa Cruzan – Eucharistic Celebration, Procession and Lunch - On Saturday, May 22, 2010, the TFCSJ (The Filipino Community of St. Joseph/Old Mission San Jose) will hold it's annual Santa Cruzan event.

For more information, please contact Madie Ramos at (510) 650 796-1078 / madie428@gmail.com or Greta Lazaro at gretalaz@gmail.com .

Come celebrate St. Patrick on Saturday, March 13th, at the Parish’s Corned Beef Dinner starting at 6:30 pm. This annual event features fine Irish food, beverages, music, and camaraderie. Tickets ($15) can be purchased from St. Joseph Men’s Club members or after masses. Take-out meals for those who can not stay for the party are also available for $10.

High Seas Expedition is awash with fun. Each day, kids participate in small groups, called Crews, and dive into the Bible! Not only will they experience amazing Bible adventures but they’ll also watch for God in everyday life through something called God Sightings™. You and your kids will discover that God is active in our lives and that his fingerprints are everywhere!

Be sure to register early. High Seas Expedition Bible Camp starts June 21-25, 2010 from 9-11:50am Please click here for further information: http://www.saintjosephmsj.org/BibleCamp

Accepting Kids in K-5 (school year ‘09-‘10) (80 spots) & Preschool offered (age 4 by Nov 1st) –(30 spots). Fee (return before fee deadline). $60 per child (before 5/15) Siblings $110 for 2 $160 for 3+. $65 per child (before 5/31) Siblings $120 for 2 $180 for 3+. Contact JoAnna Diaz Yoshioka jdiazyoshioka@comcast.net or 925-699-6005

Take advantage of the talented musicians who will be performing at Old Mission San Jose. Mark your calendar now.

• Saturday, March 13 - "MUSIC IN THE TIME OF TURMOIL - From Conflict to Redemption" ~ Presented by Music at the Mission ~ 7:15/8PM @ Old Mission San Jose ~ Click here for more information & tickets
• Saturday, April 10 - California State University East Bay, Hayward, will perform in the Old Mission.
• Sunday, April 18 - The San Francisco Bay Area Chamber Chorus will perform here.
• Sunday, May 22 - MUSIC & THE SPOKEN WORD ~ Presented by Music at the Mission ~ 7:15/8PM @ Old Mission San Jose ~ Click here for more information & tickets

October 10, 2010 The school is planning a 3-day weekend of festivities for Students, Teachers, Parents and Alumni of St. Joseph School. We would like you to help us decide on a slogan for this celebration. The entire theme for the event will come from a slogan that is chosen by Mrs. Cooper. The deadline to submit your slogan to the office is Thursday, March 18. If you have any questions, contact Lauri Kaefer lkaefer@sjsmsj.org or 510-656-6525

St .Joseph’s Men’s Club, three day, two night, Reno Fun Trip is scheduled for April 26th, 27th, & 28th. We will leave Monday morning; 7am sharp from the church parking lot and return Wednesday evening, approximately 8:30pm. We will spend both nights at the beautiful Silver Legacy Hotel in downtown Reno. We will also stop at Boomtown on our return home. This annual trip is most always a sellout and is open to all members of St. Joseph’s Parish and their friends and family. Yes, the ladies are cordially invited to attend. If you want to go on this fun trip or have any questions, please call Ed Shannon at 510-651-6786 or e-mail at shannon54@sbcglobal.net. Click here for additional information