Photos graciously taken by the Diocese of Fresno and Kern Catholic.
8th Annual Kern Catholic Prayer Breakfast
We were very blessed to host the 8th Annual Kern Catholic Prayer Breakfast, bringing our community together for a morning of faith, fellowship, and inspiration. We are grateful to everyone who joined us in making this year’s gathering a meaningful and grace-filled celebration.
A special thank you to our speaker Fr. Mike Schmitz, St. Francis Church and Bishop Brennan for celebrating Mass, St. Francis Youth Center and the Garces FFA Program for serving breakfast!
Fr. Mike Schmitz
Missed the 2026 Kern Catholic Prayer Breakfast?
Or want to relive it again?
Watch our keynote speaker,
Fr. Mike Schmitz, now!
We Appreciate Our Sponsors Too!
The Prayer Breakfast would not have been possible
without your generous support
Anonymous - Joe Antongiovanni - Janet and Steven Antongiovanni - Antonio Beccari, Advisory Solutions - Jeanne C. Austin - Beth and Mark Berchtold, Berchtold Equipment - Mary and Tom Berry, Berry Family Dentistry - Traci and Bryan Boylan - Laurie and Javier Bustamante - Cantelmi Engineering - Joe Colombo - Lynn and Noel Del Mundo - Dignity Health - Toni and Ron Fanucchi - Eva Felix - Flood Bakersfield Ministries - Fran and Gregg Gunner - Greg Hirokawa, PhD - Sarah and Dan Hoekstra - Infinity Care Solutions, Inc. - Cindy and Rick Jones - Sharon and Michael Kotz - Lynn and Bernie Le Beau - Cathy and Don Lucas - Deanna and Wayne Lugo - McKee Mechanical Inc. - Michele and Mike Ming - Gloria and Chris Minor - Aida Molina - Motor City GMC Buick Lexus - Old Ironsides Construction Inc. - Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church - Michelle Pisano - Dr. Noel and Dr. Irma Delos Reyes, DMD Inc. - Maria and Rudy Roman - Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church - SBI Asphalt - Jasmin and Henry Scott - Suzan and Scott Sindelar - Marcie and Mike Soper, Soper Homes & Cabinetworx - Karen Townsend - Sandy and Russ Waymire - Katie Whittington - Trini and Warren Woolsey
From the Artist
The piece is so beautiful that we felt compelled to interview him about the rich symbolism
Cultivate A Garden in Your Soul
Starting at the bottom with the hands planting a rose bush is the pictorial metaphor of planting a spiritual garden. The nine-candles Menorah represents resilience and light needed for growth which come from God. The number nine, being the king of numbers which any number multiplied by nine the sum of the product always is nine representing the unchangeable reality, God.
The Font of Grace, Mary, holding the Rosary and beckoning with her right hand to us to start with prayer and supplication. She, as the Seat of Wisdom has the Sacred Heart of Jesus as her Being. Moving up we come to the Holy Spirit from which the Grace of God manifests through Mary inclining the soul to growth. In the arch are the Latin words Unus Dei, One God, the pinnacle of the pictorial work, God.
The vertical ascent is also the descending that reminds me of Jacob's ladder as the prayers go up and grace descends. The pathway leading through the arbor is like the road to our Eternal Union with our Lord. The roses surrounding the arbor which can be seen as the cloud of witnesses.
A painting is worth a thousand words, for me doing this little work. The development came serendipitously as one thing led to another through inspiration. At the end of it all the meaning came to me, but also at times while in the execution of it, and now finally at the end with my description. It is as much a mystery to me as life, how it all came about. Grace no doubt as I prayed for success. As Christians, the symbolism is knowing from our faith. The viewer can seek meaning in the universal symbols which God's Grace has revealed to him or her.
All Glory and Honor go to our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace and Love,
Neal Farncroft