My Dear Parishioners,

It gives me great joy to share with you that our parishes now have a subscription to FORMED.  FORMED is a premier online platform filled with over 4,000 Catholic studies, movies, audio dramas, talks, e-books, and even cartoons for our children. FORMED has content from over 60 apostolates, including Augustine Institute, Ignatius Press and the Knights of Columbus, with material that is professionally produced, engaging, and solid in its catechism. Best of all, this material is free to you.

Our parishes will be using the material on FORMED to support our ministries and provide continuing education for staff members and parishioners, as well as outreach for our sick and homebound members. Much of FORMED’s content is available in both English and Spanish. You have easy access to all of the material on FORMED to support your own faith journey and that of your family members. You can enjoy FORMED on your computer or on your television with an inexpensive Roku device or Apple TV.  

My hope and prayer is that the content on FORMED will enrich, deepen, and inspire your faith. Please pray for our benefactor who has made a FORMED subscription a reality for our parishes. Please pray for the people at the Augustine Institute who create this wonderful and much-needed Catholic content for our people.

Our Parishes will use a program in FORMED for guided biweekly group discussions.  We have chosen to use “THE SEARCH” program from many of the programs offered by FORMED. The Search is an innovative video-based journey that tackles the key questions of every human heart. In seven beautifully filmed episodes, Chris Stefanick and experts from the fields of science, medicine, psychology, art and religion examine our place in the larger story of existence. 

We will officially launch this program after the weekend Masses on July 11th. You will be helped to download the FORMED App on your Phones and the route to access this program. The first Episode of “The Search” will also be introduced that day, for you to view and study before the first discussion session.  The discussion sessions will happen both in-person and via Zoom at the same time.  Zoom participants will join the discussions via computer in the meeting room with the other participants.  The discussion sessions will take place at Sacred Heart Church.

Our first Zoom/in-person discussion and sharing of the 1^st Episode will be on July 27th at 7 pm.  The 2^nd Episode will also be introduced on the 27th for our next discussion. The group will meet every second and fourth Tuesday at 7 pm for sharing via Zoom/in-person.

Liz McGee-Houghton has gladly accepted to be the facilitator/coordinator of this program. She can be reached at elizhoughton@gmail.com or (707)599-6138 to register.

May the good Lord bless you and all of your loved ones!

To gain access to all of FORMED’s content, follow these simple steps:

*Go to https://signup.formed.org/ 

*Enter our parish’s zip code: 95501 / St. Bernards Catholic Church

*Enter your name and your email address.

• That’s it! You’re in. Now you can get the free FORMED app for your phone by searching FORMED Catholic in your app store.

A Message From Fr. Sudhakar Mannam

     Hi there, I m Fr. Sudhakar Mannam and I am the new Parochial Vicar at the St. Bernard & Sacred Heart Parishes, Eureka. It’s great to meet you all! It might be a good idea to introduce myself and give you an idea of who I am.

     I was born on July 24, 1981  in Pedavadlapudi, Andhra Pradesh, India, to Augustine and Sarojini. I am the oldest of three siblings (sons). I did my entire  High school education in RCM and ATPM Catholic Schools, where my vocation to priesthood was nourished. In 1996, after High School, I joined St. Paul’s Minor Seminary where I studied for three years. I graduated Bachelor of Theology at St. John’s Regional Seminary, Hyderabad. I was ordained a Deacon on Sep 29, 2007 in the same seminary.

     I was ordained a Priest on February 27^th 2008 for the Diocese of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India. I was assigned as An Assistant Director in Guntur Diocese Social Service and Welfare Society for a year and Parochial Vicar to St. Agnes Parish in Guntur City.  In 2010, I was promoted and appointed as Pastor (Parish Priest) at Epiphany Parish, Chiluvuru and I served this parish for Eight years. During that time, I had an opportunity to attended Acharya Nagarjuna University in Andhra Pradesh and I graduated with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) and Masters in Social Work (MSW).  After 10 years of active priestly ministry in the diocese, I got the golden opportunity to minister in the Diocese of Santa Rosa. 

     I began my ministry in Diocese of Santa Rosa in March 2019. My first assignment was at St. Francis Solano Catholic Church, Sonoma. And now, I am pleased and honored to work at Sacred Heart and St. Bernard as Parochial Vicar with Fr. Bernard D’Sa as my mentor.  In my free time, I enjoy reading, listening to music and walking.

     I look forward to connecting with you more in the near future to grow in Christ and to continue to engage in God’s mission in Eureka.

July 1, 1931 – June 19, 2021 Jim was born July 1, 1931, and grew up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, in a large extended German family. Playing sax and clarinet in High School Band plus a band gig every Saturday night at the Jesse James Supper Club, scouting (Eagle rank), selling Boy Scout clothes for J.C. Penny, and his girlfriend, Betty Jo Hardy, kept him busy. After graduation from Pine Bluff High, he received his B.S. in Chemistry and Music from University of Arkansas at Monticello, attending on a music scholarship. Studying medicine won over choosing a music career and he received his M.D. from Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana. Jim and Betty married the first year of medical school and during Jim’s internship at Sacramento, California, County Hospital found their future home in Eureka. After discharge from the Army, Jim and Roy Wittwer opened Eureka Family Practice in Eureka, California. Jim was President and CFO until retirement after 30 years at which time Eureka Family Practice had grown to eight doctors. He was Chief of Staff at St. Joseph Hospital and General Hospital. He believed that two of his most significant contributions were establishing the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and an Emergency Room with full-time physician coverage.
Later, he received a Master’s in Ministry from Seattle (Washington) University and after retirement from medical practice, Jim, after four years of formation, was ordained a deacon in the Roman Catholic Church. He was assigned to Sacred Heart and St. Bernard parishes in Eureka and Holy Spirit parish in Santa Rosa. The first couple he officiated at a marriage for was a woman he, 30 years previously, delivered as a baby. Jim is survived by Betty, his wife of 68 years. Surviving also are his family: Richard Hercher and his family, David and Sherri Hercher and their family, Tom and Jo Wattle and their family; and loved friends of many years..

His wife Betty wishes to voice her appreciation for all the treasured friendships made at Sacred Heart Church and to say how much Jim loved being a deacon and serving the Church.