PASTOR’S MESSAGE
April 2008

Welcome to the web site for Saint Joachim Parish.

Our physical address is 13392 Lockeford Ranch Drive , Lockeford.

Our mailing address is P.O. Box 232 , Lockeford , California 95237 . Our phone number is 209-727-3912.

     It is getting closer and closer to the 4th anniversary of my being appointed Pastor of this wonderful parish. A great many things have happened in those four years and I am grateful to God and to the many people of the parish and the many friends of the parish who have done so much in terms of prayers, sacrifice and faithfulness to make our parish the outstanding place it is.

     The physical happenings in these four years are obvious: we have doubled the size of our parking lot; put in a new fence on the front and new walls around much of the rest of the property; put in a new sound system in the church that includes speakers in all the back part of the building including the "cry room"; added two beautiful stained-glass windows to our church and a whole lot of new pews and carpet to the back of the church; added a piano to our music ministry; built a 13,300 sq. ft. building, which includes a hall that can seat over 400 for dinner, eight classrooms for our young people, which can be adjusted to accomodate our high school youth group and adult study groups, a brand-new kitchen and much-needed storage facilities. Around our whole property, and especially around our new building, we have added beautiful landscaping, thanks to the labor of a lot of people.

     As I said these are all physical things. Even more important has been the continued growth of the spirituality of the people of the parish. We have had more people in our religious education programs for our young people, for our high school-aged young people, for our adults, than ever before. Each year we are honored by a goodly number of adults choosing to join the Catholic faith. Many people participate in bible studies, prayer groups and in our liturgical parts of the Mass. The success of our newly-formed Knights of Columbus and Daughters of Isabella are only one indication of how our parish is thriving. It has been such a joy to see this parish flourish under God's blessings.

     On a personal note, I want to thank you for your support, your love and your prayers. You will never know how much it has meant, and means, to me. May God continue to bless you, and yours, always. Let us always strive to do everything, as the wonderful old saying goes: "For the greater glory of God".

Father Michael Kelly, Pastor

Father Kelly and Bishop Blaire