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LIFE: Welcome the stranger

The corporal works of mercy are how Jesus teaches us to put faith into action; they give us a model for how we must treat everyone, as if they were Christ in disguise. When we welcome the stranger, we are giving welcome to Christ just as Abraham extended welcome, water and food to three men standing near his tent.
The funeral of a Holy Names Sister

MARYLHURST — On a table next to the cremated remains of Holy Names Sister Ellie Kratz sat the following objects: a vase of cheery sunflowers, the 8-inch-tall crucifix she had received at profession of vows 63 years before, a copy of those vows, a Bible, a quilt her mother had made from scraps of her father’s shirts, and a multi-colored cloth butterfly symbolizing Sister Ellie’s belief in new beginnings.
Church prays for its dead on All Souls’ Day

HAPPY VALLEY — Hundreds gathered at the Portland area’s Catholic cemeteries on All Souls’ Day to remember their dead.

It was more than a pious exercise.
Portland seminarian ordained deacon at Vatican

VATICAN CITY — More than 30 men from dioceses across the United States were ordained deacons Oct. 3 in St. Peter’s Basilica. Among them was Randy Hoang, an Archdiocese of Portland seminarian from Our Lady of La Vang Parish in Northeast Portland.
A monk for life

ST. BENEDICT — His day starts at 3:30 a.m. with an hour of prayer, the Bible in one hand, a stout cup of coffee in the other. En route to the coffee pot, he meets kindred souls who also praise God before dawn; they do not speak but nod in warm greeting.
Eulogies

So often when a funeral is portrayed in the media, the eulogy is the focus of the entire ceremony. That’s not the case with Catholics.
Relationships, relevancy and caring the best antidotes to abusive spiritual groups

In its 1986 report “Sects or New Religious Movements: Pastoral Challenge,” the Vatican criticized Western culture for the spread of abusive religious movements.
Many aspects of the Mother of God are held up at Rosary Bowl

SALEM — What began as a cold foggy morning transitioned into a glorious sun-filled day as the Rosary Bowl convened at the Oregon State Fairgrounds Pavilion here. The name of the city, Salem, is rooted in shalom, the Hebrew word for peace and harmony.
WATCH: Padre Pio venerated for closeness to Christ

Asked what the message of St. Padre Pio is for believers today, Ed Andolino of Christ the King Parish in Milwaukie did not pause. “That we should believe in Christ, that he is for real.”
Meet the three men recently ordained permanent deacons

Three local Catholics were ordained permanent deacons Saturday, Oct. 26, at St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.
Early November is when Catholics remember those who have gone before

It’s one of the church’s oldest traditions: Catholics take their obligation to pray for the dead seriously.
Prayer for Servants of the Church is a ministry of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. A day each month is set aside to pray for a priest — along with a deacon, woman religious, seminarian or brother — serving in the Archdiocese of Portland. Please remember them, and all who serve the church, in your daily prayers.
WATCH: Serra Club’s annual luncheon convenes women religious for camaraderie, gratitude

Dick Safranski of the Portland Serra Club and Holy Names Sister Jane Hibbard acted like old pals during the vocations support club’s Sept. 29 luncheon for women religious. They’ve know each other since 1981, and Safranski even got Sister Jane to take a turn on the dance floor with him once at a Holy Redeemer School benefit.
Marian center closes in on 20 years

MILWAUKIE — The Marian Prayer Center opened almost 20 years ago on the feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in March 2000.
Going in depth on Eucharist

BRIDAL VEIL — The Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist are inviting the public to a deeper understanding of and love for the Eucharist. The sisters, who live in a large house in the scenic Columbia River Gorge, have devised a course based on Brant Pitre’s book, “Eucharist: Discovering the Mass in the Bible.”
Rome program deepens spirituality of seminarians

Two seminarians from Mount Angel were chosen to participate in The Rome Experience last summer and found it to be a life-changing journey.
Abusive churches seek best and brightest

When recruiting new members, manipulative religious movements seek the best and brightest, said Marcia Rudin, former director of the New York-based International Cult Education Program. Rudin, one of the founders of the anti-cult movement, researches fringe churches and mind abuse and seeks to spread the word.
Conference on spiritual motherhood

The Grotto in Northeast Portland will host a women’s conference Saturday, Nov. 9, focusing on spiritual motherhood.
Making family time

With four kids spreading the educational spectrum and two working parents, carving out time for each other can be difficult for the Burgher family.
Parishes have a way to appreciate priests

CORVALLIS — Jack and Jo Rich wish everyone could see the looks on the faces of priests who receive a basket brimming with appreciation cards on annual World Priest Day. The couple, members of St. Mary Parish in Corvallis, try to marshal Oregon Catholics to take part in the day, set this year for Oct. 27.
Portland seminarians describe high points along their vocation journeys

ST. BENEDICT — There currently are 13 seminarians for the Archdiocese of Portland studying and seeking God’s will at Mount Angel Seminary. They range in age from their late teens to early 60s and hail from across Oregon and as far away as Vietnam.
Real or symbol? For Catholics, it’s both

ST. BENEDICT — Theological and pastoral minds at Mount Angel Seminary say an August Pew poll on what Catholics believe about the Eucharist conjured up a false dichotomy.
Ripple effect conversions

Little did Father Francisco Flores know the ripple effect of a suggestion to a young man — a non-Catholic — that he consider the priesthood.
Don’t be timid in learning our faith

Last August, the Pew Research Center released the results of a survey that sought to determine whether or not Catholics believe the church’s teaching of transubstantiation. How many believe the bread and wine used for Communion become, at the words of consecration, the body and blood of Christ?
Saints' writings, places they lived offer pilgrimage opportunities

The ancient, battered landscapes of the Holy Land and the magnificent basilicas of Rome are the places that first come to mind for Catholics considering a pilgrimage.
Vigil for the unborn

Archbishop Alexander Sample speaks to a crowd gathered at the Lovejoy Surgicenter to kick off 40 Days for Life recently.
First blind seminarian at Mount Angel sees beyond external trappings

ST. BENEDICT — Tony Del Castillo cannot see. Yet he says a friend’s question years ago helped him perceive people with clarity, to look beyond an individual’s quirks, foibles and facades.
St. Vincent de Paul is about more than doing good; it’s a spiritual quest

John Moore, a longtime goods transport manager in Oregon, once thought homeless and low-income people just needed to go get jobs. After retiring in 2006 and joining the St. Vincent de Paul conference at St. Anthony Parish in Forest Grove, he reversed course.
Celebrating Conchita

ST. BENEDICT — The church celebrated the spiritual power of a faithful Catholic lay woman Sept. 14 at Mount Angel Abbey.
The life of St. Vincent de Paul

It was a poor peasant family in Pouy, France that brought St. Vincent de Paul into the world in 1581. The saint’s first formal education was given by Franciscans in Dax.
Retreat day to focus on Spirit

LAKE OSWEGO — Our Lady of the Lake Parish, 650 A Ave. here, offers a fall day of renewal led by Auxiliary Bishop Peter Smith Saturday, Oct. 19, 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Theme of the day is “Build Unity in the Power of the Holy Spirit.”
Relics of mystic will be in Portland Archdiocese

Relics of Saint Pio of Pietrelcina — better known as Padre Pio — will be at St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and The Grotto in Portland later this month.
Monk-deacons have a special calling

ST. BENEDICT — Benedictine Brothers Ephrem Martinez and Timothy Kalange were ordained as transitional deacons Aug. 17 at Mount Angel Abbey.
Blessed Frederic Ozanam, apostle of charity

At age 15, Frederic Ozanam seriously doubted his faith and considered leaving the Catholic Church. But when the founder of the St. Vincent de Paul Society died a quarter-century later, he would be remembered as an apostle of charity who devoted his life to those in need.
Why I'm Catholic: ‘I believe what happens at the altar’

ASHLAND — Like all Catholics, Alma Rosa Alvarez is dejected by clergy sex abuse and the cover-ups that followed. But this longtime English professor has remained staunchly Catholic for three main reasons: family tradition, the church’s openness to questions and, most of all, the Eucharist.
LIFE: Give drink to the thirsty

Jesus understood the importance of water: He asked for a drink because he was thirsty; he chose to be baptized in water. He also pointed out the need to quench one’s spiritual thirst through him, the living water. Much of the world thirsts for living water.
Marian devotion diverse in Latin America

The strong devotion to the Mother of God in Latin America is not limited to veneration of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Though Mexicans have a strong devotion to the Blessed Mother, many Latin American people have their own devotions.
Bishop Smith's views were shaped by his parents’ longtime work with St. Vincent de Paul Society

Years ago growing up in South Africa, a young Peter Smith went with his dad on a St. Vincent de Paul home visit to assist a family dwelling in a shack.
Vocations directors from around world gather in Northwest

The Archdiocese of Portland helped host 260 vocations directors from around the globe last month.
Prayer for Servants of the Church is a ministry of the Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women. A day each month is set aside to pray for a priest — along with a deacon, woman religious, seminarian or brother — serving in the Archdiocese of Portland. Please remember them, and all who serve the church, in your daily prayers.
Retreat for troubled marriages Oct. 11-13

Retrouvaille, a Catholic retreat program, provides a welcoming and loving space for couples who have been living with the misery of a failing marriage. The French word means “homecoming.”
Reparation Sisters' anniversary noted

The Sisters of Reparation and nearly 100 of their local Donnes of Reparation joined members of St. Anthony Parish and many friends to celebrate 60 years of God’s blessings upon the community.
Young adults hear from faith-filled entrepreneur

More than 60 young adults gathered Aug. 6 at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in downtown Portland for the latest event hosted by the Portland chapter of Young Catholic Professionals. Speaker for the evening was Greg Sherwood, who helped found Quest Investment Management as well as a real estate company.
Religious abuse: It’s easy to get taken in

First in a series of four

There is nothing weird, weak or sinister about Donna. To meet her is to know that anyone can be snared by religious abuse.
Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women sponsor a day of recollection

The Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women will sponsor a day of recollection Tuesday, Oct. 8, at Our Lady of Peace Retreat in Beaverton. The session is titled “Take Five and Pray.” Father Andrew Thomas will build the conferences around the advice.
Holy Cross brother who worked at chapel professes vows

NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Congregation of Holy Cross celebrated the perpetual profession of vows of five men Aug. 31, including Brother Joe DeAgostino, who served for two years at St. André Bessette Parish in downtown Portland before leaving this summer. He is now at André House of Hospitality in Phoenix.
Healing Mass, discussion set

A Mass for Healing is scheduled at Rose Hall Reparation and Prayer Center in Southeast Portland Sunday, Sept. 22, at 3 p.m.
LIFE: Clothe the naked

The Corporal Works of Mercy are found in the teachings of Jesus and give us a model for how we should treat others: as if they were Christ in disguise. When we “clothe the naked,” we are clothing Christ. Or as St. Vincent de Paul wrote, “Service we owe our neighbor, who is the image of God.”
Science and religion at Mount Angel

Mount Angel Abbey’s 2019 fall lecture series, “Interfacing Science and Religion,” set for Saturday, Sept. 14, in the Mount Angel Abbey Library, is the first of four presentations on the topic. Benedictine Brother Louis de Montfort Nguyen will speak on the exploration of the relationship between religion and science.
Day devoted to Guadalupe

The Knights of Columbus will sponsor the Guadalupe Encounter, Saturday, Sept. 14, at The Grotto in Northeast Portland.
Found a dollar?

Have you ever stumbled upon a quarter lying on the ground? What about a dollar? What about $500? One can’t help but feel a sense of good fortune when discovering this money, but the reality is that the money didn’t just appear. It came from another person. So the question is: is it right to pick it up and take it?
St. Benedict celebrated with hospitality

ST. BENEDICT — Feast. Pray. Meet the monks. That was the guiding theme for the fifth annual St. Benedict Festival at Mount Angel Abbey July 13.
Watching that movie, reading that book: Is it bad for your salvation?

John Mulderig spends a lot of time watching movies. As film reviewer for Catholic News Service, he provides valuable insight to Catholics deciding which movies they want to see or show to their children. His reviews can be witty but also informative. He is responsible for keeping an eye out for offenses against Catholic teaching.
Celebration marks 40 years since Adorers of the Holy Cross sisters arrived

A special Mass and huge reception July 20 helped celebrate 40 years for the Adorers of the Holy Cross Sisters in Portland. The religious community has become an important part of life in local Catholicism.