A Catholic parish is the most important basic structural element of our Catholic Church. The parish is where lay people continue the mission of Jesus Christ through evangelization to our members and the community. At Santa Clara parish and chapel, we publicly express our faith, joining together with others to give proof of our communion with God and with one another.
There are many reasons to register. The most important reason is that you desire a sense of belonging in your church community. By registering, you make a commitment to practice your faith and belong. This commitment should be a high priority in your life. You should be willing to give of your time, talent and treasure to your church community.
provides proof letters for Godparents, Sponsors for confirmation, or immigration letters.
provides priority for admittance to Santa Clara Elementary parish school.
allows a lower rate for wedding and quinceanera donations.
entitles you to receive parish mailings, keep informed about events, changes and special announcements.
provides the parish staff basic information to best serve your pastoral needs.
In addition to registering using the form below, please also take a moment and sign up on Flocknote, which is our parish and chapel communication portal. This portal is secure, and we will not share your contact information with outside parties.
Thanks very much and welcome aboard!
With special thanks to Holy Family Parish, Glendale, CA
Tithing is the practice - established in the Old Testament - of returning 10% of your blessings to God. Originally the tithe was given to the temple or the church in the form of produce or livestock (las primicias), since this really was the only income that the people had. As our society shifted from a barter-based system of trade to a monetary exchange system, the tithe began to be paid in currency. Whether one gave monetary income or profit from the fields was really not as important as it was for the believer to understand that the tithe was what was owed to God.
Tithing is such a great sacrifice? Are there any real benefits?
“Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return to measured out to you.” Luke 6:38
How to think about parish tithing...
In prayer, take a hard look at your spending and plan to make God first in your budget. you will quickly begin to realize the difference between what you need and what you want.
Eliminate the endless clutter of material wants from your life and start to more fully appreciate the many blessings that you already have.
Realize that commercialism works to convince us that we never have enough of the right things, even though God has already blessed us with all that we need.
Is there a simple way to know if I am truly tithing, without doing all the math? .
Take your pre-tax income.
Round it to the nearest thousand.
Then take off the last three zeros. For example, a person making $40,000 annually would take off the last three zeros and be left with $40.
This is the amount you should be giving every week, if you are giving 5% back to God through your parish.
“Then he said to the crowd, ‘Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.’” - Luke 12:15