catholicsentinel.org

Cultivating stewards of God’s creation at Queen of Peace School

SALEM — Queen of Peace students are far from deficient in time spent outdoors. They are encouraged to bring appropriate gear — from rain jackets to snow boots — that corresponds with the current weather, so they are able to play carefree and are comfortable — not damp — when they return to their desks.
Remembering matching grants makes coaches’ lives easier

It’s free money, one CYO coach says.
Nativity students pray, advocate for justice

St. Andrew Nativity School students traveled across the country to attend the Ignatian Family Teach-In For Justice in Washington, D.C., in November.
New program offers support to senior priests

Father Ken Hume, 86, answers the door of his modest Oregon City house with a broad smile. “Well, good morning!” calls out the slim priest, a former long distance runner, scuba diver and military chaplain.
Altar society talking local politics

The altar society from The Madeleine Parish is working on more than cloths and candles. The Northeast Portland group is hosting a series on local politics.
Life insurance 101

“Life insurance is the No. 1 way to protect your family financially,” said Brian Dooney, an agent with Leonard Adams Insurance and a member of St. Mary Cathedral in Northwest Portland. (Clipart)
Prayers for peace in Gresham

A prayer service for peace is scheduled at St. Henry Catholic Church in Gresham on Monday, January 20, at 7 p.m. Honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s day by joining together in prayer as we pray for peace in our world, our country, our community, and our hearts.
Oregon Catholic high schools vigilant about safety

More people died or were injured in mass school shootings in the United States between 2000 and 2018 than in the entire 20th century, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Child and Family Studies. Thus far, Catholic schools have been spared from such a horrific event, but school leaders know they are not immune. When a gunman killed two people at a Christian church in Texas at the end of 2019, safety again surfaced as a top concern for faith communities and schools across the country.
Veterans honored by Archbishop Vlazny, Beaverton mayor

BEAVERTON — This past fall, veterans at Maryville were honored at a special event featuring Beaverton Mayor Denny Doyle, retired Portland Archbishop John Vlazny and the Oregon Air National Guard.
Immigration legal group receives Catholic grant

The national Catholic Legal Immigration Network has given a $180,000 grant spread over four years to Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon’s SOAR Immigration Legal Services.
STORIES OF THE DECADE

For the Catholic Church of western Oregon, it’s been a decade in which faith and secular culture alternately clashed and engaged. The church addressed new urgencies like immigration and climate change while offering society the truth and beauty of ancient teaching and liturgy. Here are what the Catholic Sentinel judged as the most important local stories and trends of the last decade.
Faith group to lead rally against possible war

BEAVERTON — Peace activists, including a Catholic team, have organized a peace rally set for 6 p.m. on Jan. 8 in Beaverton.
Providence names philanthropy officer

Kelly Buechler has accepted the post of chief philanthropy officer for Providence Foundations of Oregon. Buechler served as executive director for Providence Portland Medical Foundation for 16 years. He also oversaw philanthropic efforts for the Providence foundations in Hood River, Milwaukie, Medford and Oregon City.
Mount Angel lecture

ST. BENEDICT — Mount Angel Abbey’s 2020 Winter/Spring lecture series offers the first of four presentations on “Dante’s World and Ours” Saturday, Jan. 11 at 9 a.m. in the abbey library.
Seminarians serve the community ‘with great love’

Ben Condon uses tender, nearly homiletic metaphors regarding his experience working at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in Woodburn. Condon emphasized how modest his contribution is. He cleaned and made sure the donated items were appropriately stocked in the correct locations.
Demonstrators call welcoming children a life issue

A dozen lay Catholics have vowed to continue monthly processions at St. Mary Cathedral in downtown Portland to pray the rosary in solidarity with detained children at the United States’ border with Mexico. The group was part of a national Catholic campaign calling for the end to such detentions, which are “contrary to Gospel values as written in Matthew chapter 25, where we are called to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry and care for the sick,” say the organizers.
Faith in an age of time famine

Patricia Mackie, a member of Resurrection Parish in Tualatin and a family counselor, knows from personal experience how hard it is to juggle work, kids, marriage and faith. “My husband and I are constantly talking about this,” she says.
Catholic traditions in selling and buying your house

If you’re selling your house, there’s a set process. You hire a realtor and buy a St. Joseph statue. You bury the statue upside down, facing the house — or no, wait.
A new golden rule for seniors

No doubt it takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village — or even better a parish — to cheer on a senior. At St. Peter Parish in Southeast Portland, it’s the seniors themselves who shoulder some of that responsibility with their own Wednesday senior lunch (open to all ages) and bingo gatherings.
Marriage preparation offered

The Northwest Catholic Counseling Center in Northeast Portland hosts a marriage preparation workshop Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 8383 NE Sandy Blvd., Suite 205, Portland, OR 97220.
Franz Finley honored at Providence Portland

In recognition of Elsie Franz Finley’s decades of support (totaling more than $62 million) Providence Portland Medical Center has named the radiation oncology department in her honor: The Elsie Franz Finley Radiation Oncology Center.
Priest removed from diocese

REDMOND — After substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor, the Diocese of Baker has removed a priest who had been serving in eastern Oregon since 2014.
Knights provide coats for kids

Partnering with a Knights of Columbus Supreme Council match program, the Oregon Knights gave more than 1,200 coats for Oregon children this winter.
Guadalupe celebrations show vibrant faith

The rain halted for several hours and a silver moon emerged from behind clouds the night of Dec. 12 as hundreds of worshippers walked into St. Alexander Church in Cornelius. After 24 hours of celebrating their beloved Virgin of Guadalupe, they were not done yet.
Naughty and nice: The rest of the story

Here’s one truth about Santa Claus, according to Mark Larson. “Santa wants everyone on the nice list,” he says. “That’s his whole goal.”
Border priest to speak Jan. 19

Jesuit Father Sean Carroll, executive director of the Kino Border Initiative, will speak in Portland on the agency’s work assisting and accompanying migrants at the U.S./Mexico border.
Former University of Portland employee allegedly assaults current administrator

Patrick Ell, a former University of Portland employee, was arrested Dec. 13 after allegedly assaulting an administrator of the North Portland school. Police say Ell, 52, was angered over how the school handled his daughter’s sexual assault complaint in 2016.
Ambitious initiative launched to reduce chronic homelessness in Portland

In an unprecedented partnership, three Oregon Catholic entities will apply creativity, smarts and ample roll-up-your-sleeves hard work to address a painful reality Portlanders observe daily: chronic homelessness.
Ugandan clinic wing to be named after Portland priest

A priest veteran of AIDS ministry in Portland inspired another Catholic clergyman to improve HIV outreach at a clinic in remote northwest Uganda. Dec. 1 was World AIDS Day.
You’d never know he had a grim prognosis in utero

It’s a rich, vigorous life for 12-year-old Andrew Wellnitz. He gets top marks in sixth grade at All Saints School in Northeast Portland — not easy. He plays football, basketball and baseball with zeal. He hangs out with friends and excels at video games. He manages a sometimes tricky existence with three younger sisters.
Lessons from the border

An Oregon delegation led by Catholic Charities served in Laredo, Texas, this summer, assisting migrant families and asylum-seekers at the ever-tightening border.
Providence, CareOregon to strengthen Medicaid and Medicare programs

Providence Plan Partners (PPP) and CareOregon announced that they intend to enter into a formal partnership to strategically align operations and services to better serve the health and wellness of Oregon’s poor and vulnerable populations.
Vatican laicizes former Diocese of Boise priest

BOISE — The Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has informed Diocese of Boise Bishop Peter Christensen that Thomas Faucher, a former priest in the diocese, has been dismissed from the clerical state. Bishop Christensen has informed Faucher of the decision, which the Vatican calls “serious and unappealable.”
Religious education for children with special needs has grown more inclusive, but there’s room for improvement

Kaeli Hundley has a rare genetic disorder that affects her physical and intellectual development, leaving the 15-year-old at 4 feet, 9 inches tall and a mere 50 pounds. But her faith is mighty.
Christmas festivals raise $2.4 million for children’s health

The 37th annual Providence Festival of Trees concluded after 15,000 visitors attended the annual event at the Oregon Convention Center.
Still living at home

Have a 20- or 30-something still living at home? Are quarters getting tight and tempers short?

You’re not alone.
WATCH: Archbishop tells Vincentians: ‘Be the face of Christ’

TIGARD — Earlier in the day, Cyndi Kelly of St. Henry Parish in Gresham had paid a hotel bill for a woman just out of surgery. That evening, Kelly was one of about 300 members of the St. Vincent de Paul Society who gathered for Mass and dinner at St. Anthony Parish here to mark the society’s 150 years in Portland.

That’s life in St. Vincent de Paul — mercy, prayer and community.
Six fall championships for Catholic schools

Oregon Catholic high schools earned a half dozen state titles in fall sports, from the gridiron to the volleyball court to muddy cross country trails.
Northwest Catholic Counseling Center founders called to lead religious community

With the Nov. 24 departure of Servite Sisters Barbara Kennedy and Sarah Deeby, an era in Oregon church mental health services has ended. But the ministry they founded, the Northwest Catholic Counseling Center, is growing.
St. Vincent de Paul Portland benefit tourney sets record

The 2019 benefit golf tournament for the ministry of the St. Vincent de Paul Portland Council netted more than $53,000 for the emergency services program, a record.
WATCH: Oregon woman shares her journey from spiritual crisis to consecrated virginity

On a seemingly unremarkable winter day, a 21-year-old Miriam Marston was reading a book as music played in the background.

Then, in a mere moment, she fell — hard — in love. It was the sort of love that upends life, that changes everything.
PeaceHealth at RiverBend earns an ‘A’

SPRINGFIELD – PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend was awarded an ‘A’ by a national hospital rating group.
Rosary for immigrants set for Dec. 14

A Catholic group is holding monthly rosaries outside Portland’s St. Mary Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in solidarity with immigrants.

The next gathering of “Justice for Immigrants: We are one family under God” is set for Saturday, Dec. 14, 11 a.m. on the cathedral front steps, 1716 NW Davis.
Planned giving: Touching the world after death

To families struggling to make ends meet, it may seem counterintuitive. But experts say planning a charitable donation to be given after death can be a source of great joy. Estate gifts are a way to touch the future in just the way one wishes. And planned giving might even allow heirs to have a lifetime income and tax savings to boot.
Masses held in many prisons and jails

In the past year, Archbishop Alexander Sample has visited six of the eight Oregon Department of Corrections facilities in Western Oregon, reports the Archdiocese of Portland Office of Prison Ministry.
Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest has new leader

The Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest board of directors has chosen Greg Carpinello as the organization’s new executive director. He assumes the post Dec. 4.
Appeal helps religious communities care for aging members

The annual Retirement Fund for Religious collection will be held Dec. 7–8 in the parishes of western Oregon. The parish-based appeal is coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office, and proceeds help hundreds of U.S. religious communities to care for aging members. Some 30,000 senior Catholic sisters, brothers and religious order priests benefit.
Time to evangelize: Course of archdiocese being set on attracting and inviting others to Christ

SALEM — Clint Bentz, chairman of the Archdiocese of Portland Pastoral Council, shared a quote from his father, the late Deacon Ron Bentz: “Evangelization is one beggar showing another beggar where to find the bread.”
Grant expands transport options

The Portland Bureau of Transportation this summer provided a grant for up to 70 residents of Catholic Charities low income housing to increase their options for getting around.
New bishop welcomed to region

HELENA, Montana — “Good things come to those who wait.” That was the sentiment delivered Nov. 20 by Archbishop Christophe Pierre, the Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, to the packed house in St. Helen Cathedral here as they anxiously awaited the ordination and installation of their new bishop.
Archbishop Sample shares time, hospitality

Alongside students from St. Thomas More School, Archbishop Alexander Sample served lunch at Blanchet House in Portland Oct. 29.
Health workers urged to remain strong, confident in beliefs

Oregon’s Catholic health care workers heard Oct. 18 they should hew to their faith and do so proudly because the Catholic model of care is superior to the secular model.
Priest from Philippines becomes a US citizen

ASHLAND — Father Maro Escano, pastor of Our Lady of the Mountain Parish here, became a U.S. citizen Oct. 16.
A small-town firefighter for 60 years

BROWNSVILLE — It’s a good thing Neal Karo took his mother’s advice one autumn day in 1959.

“There was a fire in town and she told me to ‘Go up town and help those firefighters,’” Karo recalls.
1,800 attend funeral for University of Portland freshman

The University of Portland used its sports dome for the funeral of a freshman whose body was found in the Willamette River Oct. 20, two weeks after he went missing.
Everyone belongs at the table

It was family experiences that brought Lori Irish Bauman to her position, leading the effort to bring the Germaine’s Café to life in the abandoned dining hall at the Southeast Portland Catholic Charities building.

The cafe, expected to open in 2020, will provide job training for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
WATCH: A regular guy in Vietnam

Fifty years ago this month, a 19-year-old draftee from St. Louis boarded a plane to Vietnam. During his 11 months in the Army, Jeff Eirvin shot no one, nor was he shot. Instead, he operated radios and switchboards at an aircraft repair base near the border with North Vietnam. But like any soldier, his life changed both for good and for bad.
A timeline of the Portland Council of the St. Vincent de Paul Society

1833

Responding to critics of church opulence, University of Paris student Frederic Ozanam begins a society to befriend and serve the poor. Ozanam places the society under the protection of the Virgin Mary and St. Vincent de Paul, a 17th-century French priest revered for goodness and generosity.
Advocates for life hold vigil outside Planned Parenthood

For the 11th year in a row, Portland took part in the annual Life Chain, a national movement of pro-life advocates in the United States and Canada. During the event, people all over North America line the streets, pray and speak out for 60 million babies already lost through abortion.
Hospice: Holistic care for the end of life’s journey

Approaching the end of life is the greatest transition a person makes. It’s a time for making important decisions regarding which treatments to accept or forego. It’s also a time for facing loss and redemption, finding caregivers, and seeking emotional and spiritual support. Hospice exists to accompany those who are dying and their loved ones on this journey at the end of life.
Central Catholic junior works to support Congolese victims of sexual violence and children in under-resourced schools

One of 16-year-old Asukulu Songolo’s favorite passages from the Bible is in the First Letter of St. John: “But if one has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God abide in him? Children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.”