The welcome, thoughtfulness and hospitality of people at Sacred Heart Church, Covina, is exemplified by its Bereavement Committee.

When a family member passes away, committee members provide assistance with planning the funeral service, helping to select appropriate readings and music. On every other First Friday of the year, they plan a Mass, potluck and time for prayer for the families who have lost someone important in their lives. And they are ready as needed to simply "be available" to people struggling with the loss of loved ones.

At the parish office, the hungry and homeless of the community can pick up a sandwich and bottled water, Monday through Friday. Every Wednesday afternoon St. Vincent de Paul Society members and director Ron Curtis sit down with those who have temporary needs for food and shelter, or who are out of work, to provide help. And on the first Sunday of every month members of the Health Committee do free blood pressure readings in the parish library.

Sacred Heart is a quiet, modest parish - "a very fine parish, really, with a lot of very talented people," says Father Brian Cavanagh, who has pastored Sacred Heart for the last 14 years and who will be retiring this year as he celebrates 50 years of priesthood.

Director of Music Pat Flahive calls Father Brian the "ultimate pastor" --- quiet, modest and reflecting a "beautiful presence of Christ with humility and generosity - and always with a twinkle of the eye." The pastor has been known to quote James Joyce by saying, "Catholic is Latin for 'Here comes everybody.'"

At Sacred Heart, says Flahive, "It is our mission to make a welcoming, inclusive presence of Christ for everybody following his lead."

That welcoming, inclusive presence of Christ may also be found in the parish school, its religious education program and its service ministries. Much like their pastor, those responsible for these ministries are modest in how they serve both parishioners and those outside parish boundaries.

"This is the best place ever," says school principal April Luchonok. Citing the school's zero turnover in faculty and staff in the last eight years, Luchonok says she is "blessed" in many ways - more than anything because she "can work with families and children that are an extension of what I believe, and blessed to work for a pastor that has allowed me to do what I love."

Pat Joyce and Kevin McArdle, directors of a building project for the new parish hall and renovated convent as a parish center, say that parishioners "from eight to 80" have gotten behind the parish's focus on building for the future. "The parish has really come alive and has supported this project, especially the new parish center," says Kevin.

"People follow his leadership," adds Pat about their pastor, for whom the new parish hall will be named. With characteristic modesty, Father Brian notes that during his 14 years of ministry at Sacred Heart, "People seemed to be quite happy with what was happening, so that was enough for me. It's been a nice area, nice parish, nice people, nice church. The time goes by quickly."