My Dear Catholic daughters,
I never thought that I was going to be considered as California’s Spiritual Advisor for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas. I will be ministering to a much larger community of Catholic women across the entire state of California, where I can impact more lives through my guidance and spiritual support.

This a new role will undoubtedly be a new adventure in faith and service allowing me to bring my personal and spiritual experiences to the broader community of Catholic women in California.

It brings to mind a powerful passage that has guided me, especially since my parents gave me a plaque during my diaconate formation. It reads simply, yet profoundly: “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26).

This verse from Matthew’s Gospel isn’t just a comforting thought; it’s a profound truth about our relationship with God. It came after Jesus spoke about the challenges of the wealthy entering the Kingdom of Heaven. The disciples, astonished, asked, “Who then can be saved?” And Jesus, looking at them, delivered this timeless answer.

“With men this is impossible.” Humanly speaking, many things seem insurmountable. Our limitations, our weaknesses, the obstacles in our lives—they can feel overwhelming. Perhaps there are times in our lives when goals seem too big, challenges too great, or our own capacities too small. We might feel unqualified, uncertain, or simply inadequate for the task at hand.

But then, Jesus offers the liberating truth: “but with God all things are possible.”

This is the promise we cling to. It means that what we cannot achieve on our own, God can accomplish through us. It means that when we feel overwhelmed, His strength is made perfect in our weakness. It means that the growth, the impact, the spiritual fruits we hope for in our lives and in the mission of the Catholic Daughters are not solely dependent on our limited abilities, but on the boundless power of God working through us.

For me, this verse is a constant reminder that my journey isn’t about my own strength, but about God’s plan unfolding. For you, the Catholic Daughters, this promise means that your mission of unity and charity, of serving the Church and your communities, is truly possible, no matter the scale. It means that every act of kindness, every prayer, every gathering you undertake is empowered by God’s infinite possibilities.

As we embark on this new chapter together, let us hold fast to this truth. Let us not be daunted by what seems impossible in the eyes of the world, but let us move forward with faith, knowing that with God, all things are possible. May He bless our shared journey, strengthen our resolve, and use us as instruments of His love and grace throughout California. Amen.

 Deacon Timothy Myers
St. Felicitas Catholic Church
1662 Manor Blvd
San Leandro, CA  94579
timothykentmyers@gmail.com

Congratulations to Father Erick Villa Newly Appointed CDA National Chaplain!
California’s 2023- 2025 CA CDA State Chaplain
I write this message with so much joy in my heart. To serve as National Chaplain for the Catholic Daughters of the Americas never crossed my mind … but then again, the Lord is a Lord of surprises, and He reveals His plans in the manner and timing He sees fit, sometimes, if not always, so different from what we imagine! It was my pleasure and honor to serve the 2023 to 2025 California CDA State Chaplain.

I am Father John Erick Tabago Villa, a priest from the Diocese of Oakland in the Bay Area. Originally from the Philippines, my seminary journey began at the Lorenzo Mission Institute, the missionary seminary of the Archdiocese of Manila in 2003 after earning my Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science at the University of the Philippines. Taking a break in formation for about four years, I then worked as a Business Development Manager for Loyola Group Sales and Marketing in Makati. Four years after, in 2012, the Lord brought me the United States to continue priestly formation at Saint Patrick’s Seminary & University in Menlo Park where I received my bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology and master’s Degree in Divinity in 2016.

Only through the grace of God, I was ordained priest by Bishop Michael C. Barber, SJ on May 13, 2016, and served first as parochial vicar at Immaculate Heart of Mary in Brentwood for four years. My ordination taking place on the Feast of Our Lady of Fatima and my first assignment as priest are truly provident, given my strong devotion to the Blessed Mother. In fact, it was at this Brentwood church where I first met the Catholic Daughters of the Americas – right while a local court was being founded there through the initiative of Tess Chiampas who, before contracting COVID and eventually passing), invited me to consider serving as State Chaplain.

Prior to the pandemic, I was involved in the Cursillo Movement, Magnificat SOTI and Legion of Mary as Spiritual Director. I am concurrently the Executive Director of the Marian Conferences hosted in Brentwood and the Convenor of the Youth Conference which was recently held at Saint Raymond Catholic Church in Dublin where I am currently assigned as Parochial Administrator since April 2020.

I am looking forward for many ways we can all grow together in our Faith, guided by the inspiration and example of the Blessed Mother who leads us always to the heart of Jesus Christ, our Lord and King! I am blessed to be the lone thorn amongst the roses – to be working closely with Mary