Project signifies permanence

ALOHA — There’s a new sense of progress and durability at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish here. Workers have begun demolishing the rickety double wide mobile home that has served as a parish office for decades.
Meet members of this year’s Rose Festival Court

The Portland Rose Festival has announced the 2019 Rose Festival Court. The Queen of Rosaria will be named June 8 at 9:15 a.m. before the Grand Floral Walk and the Grand Floral Parade.
Used book sale at Our Lady of Sorrows

The late Father Ron Millican was known in his parish community at Our Lady of Sorrows in Southeast Portland as a bibliophile. He would give away books to parishioners twice each year.
One-time O’Hara employee sentenced to prison

EUGENE — Earlier this year, Sean Jones, the former advancement director for O’Hara School here, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for the theft of more than $53,000.
High school honors pro-life county commissioner

SALEM — St. John Bosco High School here presented Marion County Commissioner Colm Willis with its “Charter Counts” award during a celebratory dinner in March. Willis is a lawyer and the former political director of Oregon Right to Life.
Jesuits to continue backing Nativity School

The superior of Jesuits in the western United States visited St. Andrew Nativity School in Northeast Portland recently to confirm that the order would continue sponsorship.
Witnessing along 82nd Avenue

Members of St. Anthony and Ascension Parishes joined the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade Saturday, April 27. In classic Portland fashion, rain fell the entire hour that the parade participants stood in the staging area. But as soon as the parade began, the sun came out and the rain stopped.
New Catholics at St. Joseph, Salem

Here are those who became Catholic during the Easter Vigil at St. Joseph Parish in Salem.
Divine Mercy Sunday

Portland area Catholics gathered at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Southeast Portland April 28 in honor of Divine Mercy Sunday. Attendees took part in a reflection by Fr. Rodel de Mesa, pastor at Holy Family Parish in Southeast Portland, as well as confession, adoration, veneration, praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet and Mass.
Windows a blessing for small-town church

COQUILLE — In a small mission church just inland from the Oregon coast sits a treasure of stained glass.

The collection of 26 stained-glass windows includes not just the exterior windows around the nave but also smaller stained-glass windows in interior elements of the church.
Signs and Symbols of the Liturgy

A workshop focusing on the meaning behind the signs and symbols of the liturgy will be held at St. Andrew Parish in Northeast Portland Saturday, May 11 from 9:30 a.m. – noon.
Clean water

Members of St. Ignatius Parish in Southeast Portland participated in the Carry 5 Walk for Water April 28 in Portland’s Laurelhurst Park. The walk was an effort to raise money for communities in Ethiopia, Bangladesh, Honduras and Mozambique to have clean water.
U.P. ranked for Peace Corps participation

The University of Portland is ranked ninth nationally among small colleges as a top producer of Peace Corps volunteers, according to a study released by the agency recently.
Fundraiser to support inclusive Catholic schools

Oregon Inclusive Catholic Education, which promotes the inclusion of students with learning disabilities in their parish schools, will hold a fundraising luncheon Wednesday, May 8, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Multnomah Athletic Club in Southwest Portland.
Parish awarded as outstanding organization

SWEET HOME — St. Helen Parish received the Outstanding Organization Award during the annual Sweet Home Chamber of Commerce Community Awards banquet held recently at the Jim Riggs Community Center.
Snow Mass

Youths from Holy Rosary Parish in Portland joined Dominican Father Corwin Low for a day of snow shoeing near Mount Hood recently. The trip included a Mass on the mountain, complete with an altar made of snow.
Calendar displays historic stained-glass windows

Bill Langenes was sitting in Mass at St. Andrew Parish in Northeast Portland, counting the stained-glass windows in the old church. He came to 13 and thought, “That’s a calendar.”
A dance and so much more

How many of you have been to a CYO dance; either as a participant, a chaperone or a parent?
Work underway in Veneta

VENETA — St. Catherine of Siena Parish is building. Remodels of the sanctuary and rectory are underway, resolving problems with rot, mold and other structure problems common in rainy Oregon.
Trinity hosts lecture on friendship, classical education

Trinity Academy in North Portland, a private classical Christian middle school founded by Catholics and Protestants, hosted a lecture entitled “Friendship and the Virtues of Classical Education,” given by Jonathan Sanford, provost of the University of Dallas. The lecture was held at Hinson Baptist Church in Southeast Portland Monday, April 29, at 7:30 p.m.
Coastal parishes join together to mark Good Friday

NORTH BEND — Joyful honks came from cars — their drivers eagerly waving — as dozens of Catholics walked along the roads of Coos Bay and North Bend carrying rosaries, a banner and most notably a large wooden cross.
Field of dreams for St. Cecilia School in Beaverton

BEAVERTON — Madeline Foutch loved everything about her school — the students, the teachers, the family-like community. But there was one thing missing.
Former refugee is Oregon poetry champion

Belise Nishimwe remembers what it’s like to feel voiceless. Born in a refugee camp in Tanzania, she came to Portland at age 5 unable to speak or understand English. She couldn’t pass her first year of kindergarten.
Visio divina at university

The University of Portland invites the public to take part in an ancient meditation form Wednesday, April 17, 12:35 p.m. at the Chapel of Christ the Teacher.
Dishin’ and swishin’ the CYO way

The Catholic Youth Organization basketball season concluded recently with the long-anticipated “City” tournament. More than 275 teams participated in the tourney, which took place over three weeks and included many suspenseful games and many others that were just plain fun.
Pilgrims make Lenten journey

SALEM — The walk began in fog, winding along 25 miles of roadway leading from St. Joseph Parish here to the Brigittine monastery in Amity. By the afternoon, the fog and clouds gave way to clear skies.
Man pleads guilty after threatening Eugene parish

EUGENE — The man who was arrested in connection with a series of attacks on St. Mary Parish here pleaded guilty recently to a number of charges.
Parish gives from the top

LAKE OSWEGO — The people of Our Lady of the Lake Parish here dig deep to fill the collection plate. That keeps ministry moving. But parish leaders in turn use 3 percent of the Sunday offerings to aid people who are poor.
St. Mary’s Academy DNA fair offers taste of science

There were laughs, questions and a few nibbles as aspiring scientists skewered marshmallows to model chemical bases and folded paper to create origami double helixes. With a range of art-based and tasty hands-on activities, the St. Mary’s Academy DNA fair last month drew dozens of Catholic elementary and middle school students.
Nobel Prize winner inspires St. Mary's Academy community

Homeless as a 4-year-old, Mario Capecchi fended for himself on the streets of Italy during World War II. In 2007, he earned a Nobel Prize.

In a recent lecture at St. Mary’s Academy in Southwest Portland, the molecular geneticist shared parts of his dramatic life story and stressed the need for wisdom and cooperation in scientific inquiry.
Archdiocese works to ensure long-term success, accessibility of Catholic schools

Every year the National Catholic Educational Association facilitates Catholic Schools Week, beginning on the last Sunday in January, which in 2019 is Jan. 27.
Three titles for Catholic teams

Oregon’s high school version of March Madness produced three state basketball titles for Catholic high schools.
College is not for them

Leo Silverman stands beside a car at the auto shop at Portland Community College’s Sylvania campus. He turns the torque wrench in his hand, tightening a lug nut on the wheel in front of him. This tattooed young man in a red and black auto mechanic’s shirt was once a student at La Salle Prep in Milwaukie.
Nose in a book

Second-grader Noah Saalfeld peruses pages during the annual Sacred Heart book fair in Gervais. The benefit event, coordinated by volunteer librarian Marion Zellner, is “a really outstanding event that the kids look forward to every year,” said Judy Adams, the school’s technology instructor.
Making way for the new

It’s how life is. For something new and beautiful to arise, something old often gives way.
Central Catholic community helps resettle refugee family

A group of 10 students and five adults from Central Catholic High School stream in and out of an apartment in Southeast Portland. The group is unloading a truck full of donated household items and moving them into an apartment for a family of six who is arriving that night from Eritrea, a country in East Africa.
Expansion comes for Queen of Peace

SALEM — A little more than 20 years after the completion of Queen of Peace Church here, the parish community came together to raise funds for phase two of the construction project. Parishioners gathered after Mass March 3 to break ground.
De La Salle North Catholic High School to relocate to St. Charles Parish

De La Salle North Catholic High School in Portland announced last month that it has signed an agreement with St. Charles Borromeo to relocate to the parish’s property, situated on the corner of Northeast 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street.
Mass celebrated for city government

SCAPPOOSE — Just an hour before city government officials gathered March 2 to hear from citizens and plan the city’s future at the Scappoose Annual Town Meeting, parishioners at St. Wenceslaus Parish here gathered to celebrate a Mass for the city.
Heart of St. John Vianney venerated

Men, women and children crowded into the Grotto church in hopes of spending a few short moments before the incorrupt heart of St. John Vianney. The relic was visiting the Grotto as part of a tour sponsored by the Knights of Columbus.
Priest presents ‘Introduction to the Faith’

As the sun shines through the church windows, Father Joshua Clifton stands at the ambo at St. Birgitta Parish in Northwest Portland. Using a strong cadence, his voice carries through the room. Today marks the end of his four part series on the Catholic faith.
Parish bids farewell to friar

The angelic sounds of Cantores in Ecclesia and a solemn high Dominican-rite Mass marked the end of Dominican Father Vincent Kelber’s time at Holy Rosary Parish.
Baskets of fun

The Catholic Youth Organization high school basketball program finished with the City Championships Feb. 17.
Southern Oregon town celebrates former chief

MEDFORD — Jan. 29 was a special day here, as friends, family and law enforcement officials gathered to honor the life of Glen Johnston, who served as Medford’s chief of police 1984 – 1988.
Judaism and Israel talks

SANDY — As parishioners from St. Michael Parish, St. Aloysius Mission and St. John Mission prepare to embark on an Israel pilgrimage with their pastor, Father Gregg Bronsema, St. Michael will host two speakers on Judaism and Israel in the coming weeks.
Speaker to address challenges of nonviolence

BEAVERTON — Anne Santiago will explore the challenges of living a personal life of nonviolence Thursday, March 14 at Holy Trinity Parish here when she presents an interactive session “What Catholicism Teaches and How the World Challenges Us: Non-violence for the Individual and Society.”
Activist to students: ‘Do something beautiful’

A Christian social justice activist urged the student body at Central Catholic High School to become “extremists for love.”
WATCH: Implementation of schools plan taking shape

A wide-ranging set of evaluations from Catholic school leaders marked the latest phase of a strategic plan being implemented by the Archdiocese of Portland.
Centering prayer in Albany

ALBANY — St. Mary Parish here will host a centering prayer workshop Feb. 16.

Centering Prayer is a method of prayer revived from ancient teachings in the Catholic Christian contemplative heritage that emphasizes prayer as listening to God in silence.
Valley liturgical trainings

Two liturgical trainings will be offered in the Willamette Valley this spring. Attendees should register in advance for both.
Jesuit grad sues UO over damaging workouts

A former Jesuit High School football star who went on to play at the University of Oregon is suing the college, the NCAA and two coaches. The $11.5 million suit claims that workouts were so punishing that they left irreversible damage, including a shortened life expectancy.
Saintly Skippers promote strong, happy hearts

TIGARD — Think jumping rope skipped the current generation? Not at St. Anthony School here where countless kids are kept in the loop.

For nearly three decades, members of the Saintly Skippers have laced up sneakers, grabbed ropes and spent time airborne, enjoying the schoolyard activity while raising awareness about heart health.
Instant athlete — just add water

GRESHAM — The 2018-19 CYO swim championships were held during January in the 25-yard pool at Mount Hood Community College. The venue was cozy but offered spectators superb viewing.
Reunited

Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Southeast Portland held an all-school reunion for its alumni last fall. The Sept. 15 event drew 130 people to the parish.
Religious education grows

After a visit from the bishop of Micronesia to Portland’s St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Southeast Portland this summer, the parish made an effort to reach out to its Micronesian families. Most of the religious education classes at the parish are now filled with Micronesian youth.
Sun powering St. Charles

It’s a cloudy January day in Oregon, but rain is nowhere to be seen. Rays of sunshine are creeping through the clouds onto St. Charles School roof in Northeast Portland. Newly installed arrays are expected to offset the parish’s power bill by two-thirds, potentially saving the parish between $800 and $1,000 a month.
Court fight in Keizer

KEIZER — After St. Edward Parish here refused an offer of $1.75 million for a 6.18-acre lot of land wanted by Salem-Keizer Public Schools, the school district has proceeded with a lawsuit to acquire it through use of eminent domain.