Santa’s Secret Service is a secret society dedicated to witnessing Jesus Christ’s call to Service and Charity. Over the past 50 years the organization has solicited and delivered over 1 million Christmas Gifts. The Christmas Gifts are delivered to those in Care Centers, Youth Group Homes, Shelters, Rest Homes, Veterans Homes, Veterans Hospitals, Hospitals, Shut-Ins, Homes for Battered & Abused Women and the Homeless. The Gifts go to people of all denominations, Christians and non Christians.
The Gifts are donated from people of all walks of life. Donors wrap their gift and bring it to a designated location. The Secret Sorting Team then checks the lists twice and begin the mammoth job of sorting and boxing the gifts for future delivery. The Gifts will be delivered by the Arch Santa Claus, Helper Santa Clauses and drivers for the gifts and carolers.
The head of the organization and founder is the called the Arch Santa, meaning High Santa. Only the Arch Santa dresses in the beautiful robes of St. Nicholas. The other helper Santa Clauses dress in the traditional American Santa attire. All of the Santa Clauses remain a secret as to who they are.
The Secretary General of Santa’s Secret Service is known and deals with the day to day operations. Rev. Deacon Dave Rezendes is the Secretary General and is appointed by the Arch Santa.
The person of the Arch Santa is a modern day depiction of St. Nicholas who was a Roman Catholic Bishop born toward the end of the third century. He was the Bishop of Myra in Lycia. He was a protector of the innocent and the wringed. He bestowed gifts in secret to people of the area who were poor and in need. He died in A.D. 324. His relics were transferred in 1807, to Bari, Italy. The Arch Santa strongly believes that we in this day and age are to carry on the mission of giving and helping those in need.
Santa’s Secret Service is based at St. Michael Catholic Church in Livermore, Ca.
The stories of the Christmas Season Visits could fill a book. Children to young at heart age of 104 have benefited from Santa’s Secret Service Visits. The Arch Santa has often said “there would be no Santa’s Secret Service if it were not for the people who give so generously.”
All are invoked to keep the Secret of Santa’s Secret Service
Santa’s Secret Service the Organization:
Santa’s Secret Service is a Secret Organization dedicated to bring Christmas gifts of love to those in Care Centers, Rest Homes, Hospitals, Youth Group Homes, Homes for the Battered and Abused, Homeless, Shut-Ins & the Poor. The recipients of the gifts are people of all faiths.
The Secret Organization was founded at St. Michael Church in Livermore in 1959 by the Arch Santa Claus of Santa’s Secret Service. To this day the identity of the Arch Santa and the Helper Santa’s are to remain a Secret! The Arch Santa is Roman Catholic some say that he is a clergyman. Standing over 6’ tall and dressed in the beautiful and elaborate robes of St. Nicholas, he is an impressive sight to behold. The cost of the robes is in excess of $3000.00 and was hand made by Nuns in San Jose. The Cost of the robes was donated. The Arch Santa in this century represents the presence of St. Nicholas. That is why he dresses like the Bishop of old. The other Santa’s may be of various faiths and they dress in the American Santa clothes. The Arch Santa has ultimate authority of the Secret organization. The term “Arch Santa” means “High Santa”
The day to day operation of the non-profit Catholic organization is administered by the Secretary General who is appointed by the Arch Santa. The Secretary General of Santa’s Secret Service is Rev. Deacon David A. Rezendes.
Since 1959 over one million gifts of love have been distributed throughout the East Bay. Wrapped Christmas gifts are donated from people of all faith and all walks of life. Usually The Arch Santa or one of the other Santa’s of the organization deliver the gifts during the Christmas Season. They are usually accompanied by helpers that sing Christmas Carols and help distribute the gifts. Those receiving the gifts range from youth to age over 100. For many the gift they receive is their only gift of the Season.
The Arch Santa is often seen in the dark of night making his visits. He freely gives God’s blessing to those who request.
A partial list of facilities that are visited by Santa’s Secret Service:
U.S. Veteran’s Home, U.S. Veteran’s Hospital, Twilight Home, Tiffany Gardens, St. Martin’s Dominican Infirmary in Fremont, Silver Oak Home, Quail Garden, Pleasanton Guest Home, Pleasanton Convalescent, Home of Our Own, Holy Family Infirmary in Fremont, Hacienda Care Center, Golden Manor Chaterau Livermore, Buenas Vidas Youth Home, Bethany Home Care, Anne’s Guest Home, New Haven Homes #1, New Haven Homes # 2
Santa’s Secret Service volunteers:
No one in the organization including the Secretary General receives a salary. The volunteers are people of all faiths. Volunteers include: Santa’s, Carolers, Gift Sorters, Delivery persons to drive the gifts to the facilities, Typists, Schedulers and helpers. There usually are over 100 volunteers involved in the program.
The Secretary General:
The Secretary General is appointed by the Arch Santa. Since the Rev. Deacon Dave Rezendes is a member of the Roman Catholic Clergy this becomes one of the Rev. Deacon’s Official Ministries in the Parish and Diocese.
Financial Donations:
Contributions are appreciated and used throughout the year as well as in the Christmas Season. Through your financial support we are able to help the poor on special occasions. Donations may be made out to: Santa’s Secret Service and mailed to: St. Michael Church, Deacon David A. Rezendes, 458 Maple Street, Livermore, Ca. 94550.
The Arch Santa and his secret staff thank those who have help with support and prayers.
Pre-Christmas St. Nicholas Blessing Prayer (December 6th.)
St. Nicholas, holy patron of children, Bishop of the East, we invite you to come among us and to grant us your holy blessing.
Help us in this busy, busy season not to miss the miracle of the coming of Emmanuel in the days of preparation as well as on the feast itself. Help us not to be blind to the gifts of getting ready.
Protect us from insincerity. May every greeting we send be signed with love, friendship and prayer. May our greetings, so written, be fun to open and treasures to keep.
Kind St. Nicholas, protect us from shopper’s fatigue. Show us how to take delight in the marketplace, now transformed in beauty, lights and music. Save us all from anxiety over what to give so that we may concentrate on how to give.
Stand by the stepladder as we decorate our homes and trees and lives. May our decorations not be mute but rather singing symbols, sacred signs of the evergreen coming of the Lord of Life.
Help us to remember that mistletoe, holly and all other ornaments of the season, were sacred signs to ancient believers.
But, most of all, jolly Saint of children, toys and sweets, help us stay youthful, humorous, playful and dream-filled as we prepare together for the coming of Christ with Advent longing.
St. Nicholas, pray for us. Amen+
BLESSING PRAYER FOR THE CHRISTMAS TREE
(Prayer begins with family gathered around the tree)
Lord of the Forest, Maker of Trees,
We honor You as we dedicate this tree,*
That it be a sign of Christmas in our home.
Green as life are its needled leaves;
Open and inviting are its outstretched branches;
Strong as love is its trunk.
May the blessing of this tree
Call forth from within us
The memory of our ancient parents
Who worshipped trees as godly.
May we show reverence and care
Toward all the brother and sister trees
Of this our Christmas tree.
May we speak to them and sing them songs,
Enjoy their shade and eat their fruit.
May we learn wisdom from their stories
And faithfulness from their ever-greenness.
May all trees be for us Christmas trees
And trees of Live
As they become incarnations of God
In our own Garden of Eden.
As Christ died upon the tree of the Cross
That we might be gifted with Live,
May we then remember
That the gifts soon to be placed about this tree
Are but reflections of the gifts that came
At the foot of the tree of the Cross.
As sons and daughters of Adam and Eve,
Let us rejoice in this tree of Life;
May the spirits of kindness and love
Rest upon it.
May the spirit of Christmas ride in its branches,
This season and for all seasons.
Amen+
(*Use “symbol of a tree” if tree is artificial)
St. Nicholas of Myra
(Credit to Catholic Encyclopedia)
St. Nicholas Bishop of Myra in Lycia (also called Nicholas of Bari) died 6 December, 345 or 352. Though he is one of the most popular saints in the Greek as well as the Latin Church, there is scarcely anything historically certain about him except that he was Bishop of Myra in the fourth century.
Some of the main points in his legend are as follows: He was born at Parara, a city of Lycia in Asia Minor; in his youth he made a pilgrimage to Egypt and Palestine; shortly after his return he became Bishop of Myra; cast into prison during the persecution of Diocletian, he was released after the accession of Constantine, as was present at the Council of Nicaea. In 1087 Italian merchants stole his body at Myra, bringing it to Bari in Italy.
Numerous miracles both before and after his death are outgrowths of long tradition. He is the patron Saint of Greece, Russia, and many, many cities throughout Europe. He is also the patron of mariners, merchants, bakers, travelers and children.
St. Nicholas has become identified with Santa Claus who distributes gifts to children on Christmas Eve. His relics are still preserved in the church of San Nicola in Bari.
Nicholas was born into wealth and gave away his money over a period of time to the poor. Usually he would drop a small pouch of coins anonymously in the dark of the night for a poor person.