Bishop Jaime Soto presided Feb. 8 at the celebration of evening prayer for the World Day for Consecrated Life and for women and men religious who are celebrating significant jubilees during 2019. The evening event and dinner was held at St. Mel Parish in Fair Oaks. World Day for Consecrated Life was celebrated in parishes of the diocese on Feb. 2.

Congratulations to the following men and women religious who are marking jubilees this year, on their longtime service to the people of God.

60-plus years:

Sister Anne Locke, SNDdeN

Sister Nancy McInerney, RSM

50 years:

Sister Clare Marie Dalton, RSM

Sister Mary Glenda Shaw, RSM

40 years:

Father David Fontaine, O.Carm

Father James V. Schaukowitch, SJ

Seventh grader Amber Kelley of St. Joseph School in Redding wants to be more than “just nice” to her fellow students, family and friends. “I’m striving to become a better person and closer to God, and to understand how someone who follows God lives out goodness each day,” she says.

For Amber and several thousand other students in the 36 elementary schools in the Diocese of Sacramento, “Disciple of Christ -- Education in Virtue,” an interactive program and curriculum structured on the teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas regarding the virtues and gifts of the Holy Spirit, might just be the ticket. The much-used and highly successful program from the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, is being implemented in all schools over the next two years.