Render Unto God
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October 16, 2026My Dear People of God,
Forty years ago, a dream took root in Chino Hills — a dream carried in the hearts of families who longed for a spiritual home, a place where faith could be nourished, children formed, and the Eucharist celebrated. This year, as we mark our parish's 40th Anniversary, the Word of God invites us to look back with gratitude and look forward with renewed purpose.
In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that everything has its rightful place. But more importantly, He teaches that our deepest allegiance belongs to God, because we bear His image. Our founder, the late Fr. Michael Maher, SS.CC., understood this truth. He, together with the first parishioners, rendered unto God not coins, but their time, sweat, sacrifices, and unwavering faith. They offered what they had — sometimes little, often at great cost — so that future generations could gather and worship here.
Isaiah speaks of God using even foreign rulers to accomplish His plan. It is a reminder that God guides history, often quietly, through ordinary people. Our parish's beginnings were not accidental; they were part of God's unfolding plan — carried out through the courage of Fr. Maher and the other Sacred Heart Fathers, the generosity of families who gave from their limited means, and the determination of parishioners who built ministries from scratch.
St. Paul's words echo our celebration: "We give thanks to God always for all of you" (1 Thessalonians 1:2). Today we echo Paul's gratitude. We remember the pioneers who set up chairs in Townsend Junior High for the first Mass on October 5, 1986; the parishioners who held fundraisers to build the church; who formed the first ministries; and who prayed rosaries asking God to bless their efforts. Their work of faith, labor of love, and endurance in hope became the foundation we stand on.
Forty is a biblical number — symbolizing testing, growth, and transformation. For us, it marks forty years of sacraments celebrated, forty years of families formed in faith, forty years of ministries serving the needy, the grieving, the young, the elderly — and forty years of walking together as one community.
On November 7, 2026, we gather at 5:00 PM for a Thanksgiving Mass, followed by Gala Night at Maher Hall. This anniversary is not only a celebration of the past — it is a call to the present. The founders built for us a parish; now, we must give the parish a future. The mission continues — through our generosity, our involvement, and our willingness to serve. As we celebrate this milestone, may we be a parish that remembers with gratitude, celebrates with joy, and commits with renewed zeal. May the sacrifices of the past inspire the stewardship of the present. And may the God who began this good work forty years ago bring it to fulfillment in the years to come.