On any given Sunday, nearly 90% of practicing Catholics encounter the faith not through a program or committee —but through the spoken word at Mass. The homily is often the most direct and personal moment of connection between presider and congregation. Recognizing its profound impact, the Diocese of San José has made revitalizing homiletics a priority within its Pastoral Plan, specifically under the Worship objective.

That commitment came vividly to life during a recent two‑day homiletics workshop that gathered priests and deacons from across the Diocese. With an extraordinary 85–90% participation rate, the workshop marked the first time in decades that many priests and deacons had engaged in formal, shared professional development focused solely on preaching.

“This is about equipping our clergy for today’s Church,” said Andrew Brown, Associate Director of Pastoral Planning & Implementation for the Diocese of San José, reflecting on the significance of the gathering. “How we say things, what we say, and knowing the cultural context all make a difference in how the Gospel is received. Preaching needs ongoing formation to remain relevant, effective, and life‑giving.”

How San Jose Chinese Catholic Mission Is Growing Faith—One Family, One Meal, One “Yes” at a Time

On a typical Sunday at San Jose Chinese Catholic Mission (SJCCM), you can feel the rhythm of a community that has learned to live in more than one language—and to belong across generations. The parish is home to three distinct worshipping communities—English, Mandarin, and Cantonese—gathered within St. Clare Church and connected by a 33-year history of families who immigrated from Taiwan and China and grew up together in the pews.

Fr. Carlos Alberto Olivera, the pastor, describes a place where yesterday’s teens are today’s parents—and where today’s children are being formed in faith with intentionality. It’s a pattern the parish has seen before: relationships deepen, young people remain connected, and new seasons of parish life emerge.

“What’s beautiful here is that we’re one Mission with three language communities sharing a spiritual home and growing together,” remarks Fr. Olivera. “There’s a real sense that this is family.”

How the Diocese of San José is Transforming Faith Formation and the Foundation Grant That is Making it Possible

As part of its commitment to the Formation priority of its Pastoral Plan, Renewed in Christ, Together in Mission, the Diocese of San José is building a centralized Learning Management System (LMS) to expand access to faith formation by making it easier to find, register for, and track across parishes. To help make this vision a reality, the Catholic Community Foundation awarded a grant to seed this project from the Catholic Impact Fund. The project advances the Diocese’s goals for leader formation and cross‑parish collaboration, while dramatically improving the experience for parishioners, parish leaders, and diocesan staff alike.

This article presents an edited conversation between Marie Galetto‑Dugoni (Director of Engagement and Communications at the Catholic Community Foundation) and Veronica Duluk (Senior Director for Evangelization at the Diocese of San José). This article paraphrases and shortens portions of the original interview transcript for clarity and brevity.