When our parish family comes together at Mass on Mother's Day, it is one of the most special days of the year. The Mass on Mother's Day has a number of unique elements which are described below. If you have never attended Mass on Mother's Day at our parish, be sure to read this page so you can be prepared to have the most rewarding experience possible.
THE MOTHER'S DAY DIGITAL PHOTO GALLERY
A couple of weeks before Mother's Day (which is always on the second Sunday of May in the United States), parishioners are invited to send in photographs of their mothers, both living and departed. The photo can either be a portrait, a group photo showing their mother with the family, or a photo showing their mother involved in a family activity. These photos are shown in a PowerPoint presentation at the end of Mass on Mother's Day.
Photos should be e-mailed to fotos@olrchurch.org by Tuesday, May 10. Please send your photo only to this special e-mail address so that it will not get buried in the e-mail accounts we use for parish business. Photos should be in .jpg format. If a parishioner submitted a photo the previous year, he or she must submit a photo for the current year even if it is the same photo.
If the photo you want to submit is in your phone, you can e-mail it to us from your phone to the fotos@olrchurch.org e-mail address. Please do not text message your photo. When sending your photo, if you are asked to select its size, choose the largest size (e.g. "Full size" or "Actual size") to ensure the highest picture quality possible.
If your photograph does not exist in electronic form or if you do not have a scanner, you may do one of the following:
- Take a snapshot of your photo using your phone. Here are some tips:
- If your photo is in a frame that covers it with glass, remove it from the frame and the glass -- the glass will cause glare.
- Try taking several snapshots of your photo using a variety of different lighting conditions (flash, no flash, overhead lighting, no lighting) positions (taken from above with the photo on a table or from in front with the photo hanging on the wall), and distances, and then send us the best one. Sometimes moving to one side or the other, or closer, or farther, can eliminate glare and result in a clearer image. If the photo is not centered or straight, don't worry -- we will adjust and crop it for you.
- Call the Parish Office at (510) 471-2609 and see if someone is there who can scan it for you. If so, grab your photo and stop by.
REMEMBERING OUR MOTHERS AT OUR MASSES IN MAY
We have special Mother's Day Envelopes where our parishioners can write the names of their mothers, so that they will be remembered in a special way during all of our Masses in the month of May. The envelopes will be present in the sanctuary during Mass, so the names of our mothers will be with us as Mass is celebrated. These envelopes are available at the doors of the church. You may also submit the name of your mother using the form below.
RECOGNIZING OUR MOTHERS AT MASS
At each of our Masses on Mother's Day we determine the Mother who is the oldest and present her with a corsage. All other Mothers receive a carnation. The priest also gives our Mothers a special blessing.
AND THEN, NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS
We hold no events, meetings, fundraisers or classes at the parish on Mother's Day so that our families can leave right after Mass, spend more time together, and treat mom to a day of good food and relaxation.