Advent: A Season of the Paschal Mystery Honor our Past- Building Our Future, Pt. 5

Dear Parishioners,

Advent is upon us!  O Come!  O Come Emmanuel!  In this season, we are to be preparingfor the celebration of the Nativity of the Lord (his first coming) as well as looking head with hope to when he will come again (his second coming). It is a time to reconcile with God and our neighbor when sin and a cold heart may keep us apart.  It is a time to be people of light amidst the darkness. 

This is very likely our last Advent in our current church.  With that comes a sense of sadness as well as hope. We may be sad, as we cling to the memories that are framed by the walls of this sacred space. It may be joyful as we look to a new beginning with a foundation being prepared for the future. We honor all those experiences and people who have dawned our doors.  As we gaze about our church, we are reminded of how it has changed so many times in the past. This is a perfect season to prepare our heart for something new, something that builds on the memories and guides us towards our future. With the process of a new church building moving forward, we must hold close to our hearts the Paschal Mystery (the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus). 

The thought of change causes pain and suffering for most of us. But, as Catholic Christians, we know that suffering can be redemptive if we join it to the sufferings of our Lord.  We do best not to avoid our suffering, but to go head-long into them.  By doing so, a part of us dies—possibly our selfishness or pride, possibly our neediness or sinfulness.  Whatever dies in us, we know that through death, new life—resurrection—comes forth.  Advent is a time to allow our old sinful ways to die so that we may live anew. 

So, let us walk as people of the light amidst a darkened world.  Stare down your fears and sufferings and let go of whatever is keeping you shackled in your heart.  Let us enjoy this final Advent knowing that something new is coming, something that will also give Glory to God.  May we let the light of Christ shine even more brightly in our hearts so that his first coming will propel us to fearlessly head towards his second coming. O Come!  O Come Emmanuel!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Honoring Our Past, Part 4

Dear Parishioners,

Another way to honor our past, is to simply share your memories of events in the current church as well as those when we were located on 7th Street. I have loved hearing how things were built, rebuilt, renovated, fixed, etc. I love to hear about the various ministries, movements, and events that have taken place here at St. Anne in the past.  I know some basics about how the Charismatic Renewal took root in our parish, how our youth program hosted a national gathering of REACH youth ministers, how the school was created and fostered, the difficulties encountered with unexpected underground springs during the construction of the extra wing for the school, how funds were raised in the “Two-by-Two” capital campaign for the Parish Center and how it was built, and the colorful stories of our former priests and on and on. If you have any photos you would like to share, it would be wonderful to make a collage for people to see.

Conceptual Elevation Rendering of St. Anne, July 31, 1956

A few weeks ago, I went looking through our collection of old drawings and plans that dated just before 1960.  What I found was quite surprising.  Below are two renderings of a potential church building and campus that was dated to July 31, 1956.  It is a mission style structure with a very ambitious master plan including classrooms for a school, a rectory, and convent. Clearly, Fr. Kelly had some big ideas for the future.  I wonder if anyone today was ever shown these drawings and if so, I wonder if they are still alive today.  Let me know if you ever saw this plan before, as I would be curious to hear why it was scrapped. 

Master Plan renderings of conceptual new church, July 31, 1956

While this plan never moved beyond conceptual drawings, it reminds me of the myriad of conceptual drawings our current Core Building Committee reviewed from S & B James Construction.  In the end, as with our current plan, dreams had to come down to reality and something more modest was chosen, something that was affordable and functional.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Honoring Our Past, Pt. 3

Dear Parishioners,

Continuing with the theme of honoring our past ~ building for our future, I would like to turn our attention to one of the main reasons for our church project: the overall arrangement of things in our church, most specifically the sanctuary and pews. How did the current arrangement come about?  Who were the main players?  What were their reasons? What issue(s) were they trying to solve? And finally, are those solutions still relevant today? How does our new church project honor the original intent of our current building while bringing up to date the norms of the Church?

When talking to parishioners who were here when it was constructed as well as four of our former pastors, they all told me stories about how, the pastor at the time, Fr. Kelly, demanded that the church be fireproof, thus cinder block and steel were the main materials used.  The church was intended to seat 700 people facing the West where the Sanctuary and main altar was going to be placed. In my research, I was surprised to find other versions of the church that were drawn up prior to the final one we have now, some of which placed the altar on the East side of the building and others having very ambitious ideas for the entire campus.

St. Anne Catholic Church ca. 1

After construction of our current church began in 1959, Fr. Edmund Murnane, pastor of St. Mary parish in Eugene and friend of Father Kelly persuaded Fr. Kelly to place the altar in the middle of the church so that people could see both the altar and the priest. Some pastors shared with me that there was talk coming from Rome that liturgical changes were potentially coming, thus another reason for Fr. Murnane’s encouragement to Fr. Kelly. Keep in mind that the Second Vatican Council had not yet taken place, so the Mass was in Latin with the priest faced ad orientum or liturgical “towards the east” along with the entire congregation. In that form of the Mass, much of the action at the altar was obscured by the priest’s body. So, when the rubrics called for the priest to raise the host or chalice after consecration, he had to raise it well above his head. This moment is the most commonly captured image when referring to that form of Mass, now called the Extraordinary Form. If you want to experience that form, we host specially trained prIests to come roughly every other month to our mission, Our Lady of the River, and offer that Mass. So, in the context of the time, putting pews to the side of the sanctuary would have been very avant guard yet practical in view of the goal of being able to see more of the action happening at the altar. That being said, the arrangement of the church interior was very controversial amongst parishioner then and has continued to be so until today.

When the Second Vatican Council concluded, the liturgy was to be reformed in light of ancient documents describing the earliest liturgies as well as a sense of “full, active, and conscious participation.” The post-conciliar document, Inter Oecumenici §91, spoke directly about the preference for altars to be centrally located and free standing in order to permit walking around it, i.e.. for incensing. The 1970 Missal and subsequent editions have encouraged the priest to face towards the people, ad populum, when possible.

In the time since the Second Vatican Council, many ideas have been offered for church construction and layout.  Some have held the test of time while others have been corrected and/or removed.  According to “Built of Living Stones,” the document from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, tabernacles can be placed in many locations. When they are placed in the sanctuary but not directly behind the altar, confusion has happened as to the proper liturgical gestures and behaviors are appropriate.  Archbishop Sample, when I asked him what he wanted in a new church, gave me clear direction. He stated that he wanted a church to look like a church, to be beautiful, and the Tabernacle to be located directly behind the Altar, for “it would solve many issues.”

With these changes in the liturgy, the original reason spelled out by Fr. Murnane to Fr. Kelly for placing the sanctuary half-way down on the North side of the church with the pews on the side no longer offered the advantage for which they were intended. In my humble opinion, the only advantage to our current arrangement is the close proximity of the people in the pews to the sanctuary and the action at the altar. This an important feature when pondering on the placement of pews, but in our situation the disadvantages, over time and experience, outweigh this singular advantage. When our Core Building Committee began meeting three years ago, it was clear that they wanted the church to have all the pews facing the same direction. They felt the orientation of the pews to be more distracting than helpful when it came to paying attention. They voiced their concerns that the acoustics inherent in our current arrangement, regardless of the sound system, made much of the Mass unintelligible. They voiced concern about the issues created by not having a main aisle and how we had missed many opportunities to host weddings for our parishioners in lieu of other parishes that “looked and felt more like a church.”  These issues and more were likely unforeseen in the process of discernment when our current pew layout was being planned.  

So, with the needs of the preconciliar Church being met by Fr. Kelly, the reforms of the Second Vatican Council offering reforms, the norms of our Roman Missal giving us new clarity, the guidelines by our bishops giving us guidance, and the reflection from our Core building Committee giving ideas on how to meet today’s needs, I think that it it is safe to say that if our new church plan was built back 1959, it would have been received well.  That is another way to honor our past.

I will be offering more about our history in forthcoming bulletin articles.  So, keep your eyes peeled to this column in the weeks ahead.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Honoring Our Past, Part 2

Dear Parishioners,

I previously wrote in this column about some of our past with regards to standing on the shoulders of giants such as Fr. Kelly and Madeline Grimes.  I also shared history about some of the remodeling that had been done in our current church.  Without our past, we would have no orientation about our present or future.  Yet, at the same time, if we stay in the past, we run the risk of being paralyzed into doing nothing about the needs of the present or future.  This time around, I would like to focus on one individual whom I had the privilege to speak to at length regarding the history of our parish, Bob Busch.

St. Anne Floor Plan ca. 1960

As I asked Bob some questions about the history and changes that have happened and the remodeling that has taken place in our church, he jokingly shared, “We’ve remodeled that church a hundred times.”  As you might remember, I have shared that in the process of analyzing the current church building, the first thing that was noted was that the stress on the roof was great due to the sheer weight of the ceramic tiles. What I didn’t know, but Bob shared, was that he personally delivered all those red tiles from Portland to Grants Pass and assisted in installing them. He shared that they were incredibly heavy, and the work to put them on the roof was difficult. He reminisced about how the original building had no wood anywhere, just cinder block and steel.  After Fr. Kelly moved on, his successor, Fr. Singleton, hired an architect to bring some beauty into the church, thus the steel ribs in the ceiling were covered in redwood paneling and the back of the sanctuary was ribbed with oak paneling.  One can still see the remnants of the wood from the sanctuary just above the walkway entrance behind the sanctuary.  Also, (this one is mostly for us men), did you know that the door to the men’s bathroom had to be custom made, for the doorway was smaller than a standard doorway? Bob also shared with me that the parish had two altars installed at the present church, one out front, which is the one we see today, and another one behind (located behind our current work sacristy behind the previously mentioned walkway. It was raised up to make a high altar which could be seen through sliding glass doors.  Daily Mass was originally offered in there with the congregation located in what is now the Reconciliation Chapel.  In those days, he reported, few attended daily Mass.

Stay tuned for some more tidbits and treasures of our past in a coming bulletin.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Honoring Our Past Pt. 1

Dear Parishioners,

This past week, I received a great question via Facebook about our “Honoring Our Past ~ Building Our Future” capital campaign.  The question was framed by recognizing how we have been putting a lot of energy in describing the future building, but what about honoring the past?  This parishioner offered this question with the spirit that continues to show our faith, hope, and love for our Lord and the due respect that our forbears deserve.  Thank you for the important question.

First of all, it is reasonable that we spend so much focus on the future at this juncture, lest we fail due to paralysis about the past.  With everything, there is a season and time.  That being said, I’d like to honor our past and encourage us all to do the same in our own particular ways.

Honoring our past begins with recognizing that we are standing on the shoulders of those who went before us and some who are still here today. In my time, I think of Madeline Grimes who was our liturgy coordinator for so many years and who passed on 2013.  She shared with me many stories about the parish’s previous church on C street and Fr. Kelly and the priests who came after. She brought up several times the events of our past as well as the desire to “fix” the church. She told me about the gatherings about remodeling our current church, the plans that were drawn up in 1994 which moved the pews into a sweeping fan around the altar (a viable option), and the unfortunate yelling, arguing, and lack of charity that the project brought out.  Hey!  With the good comes some bad at times. The result was a retrofit of the sanctuary which we gratefully have today. Did you know that the Ambo where the Scriptures are proclaimed was constructed by cutting the main alter shorter and using that piece for the vertical support of the Ambo?  Notice, today, the top of the altar (aka mesa) is the same green marble as the vertical part of the Ambo?  Give yourself a pat on the back if you already knew that. I’m just so grateful that the three years our Core Building Committee met to pray, think, and plan for a new church were so life-giving, diverse with ideas and discussion, and thankfully without any divisive fireworks. Our Core building Committee revisited the plans of 1994 and discerned that the community would prefer a more traditional than modern approach to the new church.

In the coming weeks, I will offer more thoughts and history of our parish and how we can be honor our past while also building our future.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Continuing In The Faith

Dear Parishioners,

When was the last time you can truly say that you were actively learning and growing in your faith?  For some, it was during classes for confirmation in high school. For others, they haven’t attended a class or read anything since 6th grade. Still others have not picked up their Bible and read it since they bought it or got it as a gift. This is the state of many of us Catholics, and it is not good. Think about it.  We spend thousands of dollars and years of our lives going to school for our professions, yet many of us stopped enriching and learning about our faith when we were a child or teen. Near the end of my life, I ask myself, what will be more important? What will have the most impact on my eternal destiny? I wonder if this is one of the pieces of the puzzle as to why some Catholics stop practicing their faith and no longer attend Mass. Such persons cannot withstand the faith challenges that come their way in our ever-increasing secular society. Simply “attending” Mass is not enough to be able to stay strong in the faith while secularism is bent on removing all forms of religion, specifically Catholicism.  

Towards offering opportunities to grow in our faith, St. Anne’s has several bible studies and faith-sharing groups.  We also have addiction support groups for those who desire a safe place to break the chains that bind them.  We also have many prayer groups that meet throughout the week as well as our Adoration Chapel for silent prayer and contemplation.  There is an art-therapy group, several rosary groups, periodical theology classes sponsored by the Archdiocese, and the list goes on. Some of these are in the day time and others are in the evening. Some are offered in English while others are in Spanish

Personally, this month and next, I will be involved in two events to which I would like to invite you.  The first is next week’s (Oct. 16) Catholicism 101 which will be a Q & A session about anything that is on your mind regarding Church teaching and practice.  This is often fun and a great way to share our faith.  This will be next Sunday between the Masses from 9:30 AM to 10:45 AM. Next month (Nov. 20), I will be offering a “Theology of the Body” workshop where I will be teaching St. Pope John Paul II’s reflection on what has become the most compelling theology of marriage. That workshop will be in Room 1 of the Parish Center from 1 PM to 5 PM.  There will several breaks throughout the workshop and refreshments will be available.  Everyone is welcome, especially parents of teens, for I will be offering this same teaching in a 6-week period at our High School youth ministry nights beginning in February 2017.  All persons seeking to get married are required to come to this workshop as part of their preparation.

So, let us all do a gut check and ask what we are or are not doing to cultivate our faith. Let us be mindful that we are responsible for this gift of faith which God has given us.  And finally, let us be mindful of the myriad of opportunities there are to learn and grow here at St. Anne.  If you are timid to come to one of these gatherings, ask a friend to join you.  It may make all the difference in your life.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Three Ways To Help With Our New Church Building Project

Dear Parishioners,

For many months, people have asked how the new church project was coming along.  I have shared with them that we had hired a capital campaign company, Walsh & Associates, who sent us Mark Warren as the lead coordinator who has been conducting our efforts to prepare and will walk us through the process to the end.  From there we hired Carole Kay as the Administrative Assistant to help manage the day-to-day operations in preparation for our capital campaign.  I have also formed a new cabinet specifically directed to lead our efforts to maximize our potential for success.  These include Dave & Doneta Thomason, Kirk & Jamee Chapman and Bill & Maureen Bailey who have graciously agreed to serve as our Campaign Chairpersons with Dave & Terri Currie, Glenn & Sandy Walker, Phil & Barb Busch, Mike & Kathy Bird and Stu & Sharon Watson respectively agreeing to head our important support committees for Prayer, Hospitality, Youth & Children’s Gifts, Communications, and Creative Giving.

So, this weekend marks what is called, “Announcement Weekend” where I spell out the issues that have brought us to this point of discernment to build a new church as well as our plan to meet and sole those issues.  Ultimately, I have three requests:

1) Please pray regularly for our campaign's success and that God’s will be done.

2) Please prayerfully consider helping by becoming a campaign volunteer, too.  Remember that many hands make light work.  With a strong volunteer group, we can have confidence that the effort is efficiently run and that the job of volunteering will be easy and enjoyable for everyone. 

3)  And finally, you will all eventually be asked to support the campaign effort financially, as well.  We also need and ask that whatever gift you ultimately decide to make be over and above whatever you do regularly for our church since we simply can’t afford to jeopardize our regular giving or in any way erode our ability to provide ongoing support for our programs, services and ministries.

Please see our special insert in this week’s bulletin for more details.  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask me or Stephen Voehl, our Business Manager.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Prepare the Way for a New School Year!

Dear Parishioners,

School has begun!  Fall is all most here (Sept. 22nd is the first day of Autumn), and changes are in the air! This 2016-17 school year will be one for the books, so-to-speak, and I am excited. Faith Formation and Youth Ministry are starting up.  Our capital campaign is also underway. There are countless dreams and hopes in our hearts.  There are also many hurts that still reside deep inside.  All of these things are opportunities… and I am not just being an optimist.  Why? Because, God is faithful!  He has plans for each one of us which will help us come to know him and experience him.  If we just let him in even more, if we subject our wills to his, we can be changed by the love and mercy of our Lord.

What plans do you have afoot for this coming school year?  How will you make a difference?  How will you give of yourself this year to help one other person?  How will you participate in the life of your faith community? What goals do you want to achieve? Who do you need to thank for what is going on in your life? Where do you need to seek out forgiveness for the hurts you’ve caused? What areas of weakness do you need to seek out God for strength?  Will you let go of that thing that is keeping you from Jesus?  We are St. Anne Catholic Church.  We are made up of broken people who seek to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim Christ’s loving mission.  So, pray!!  Let this new season be a time of refreshment and growth. And let us pray for each other, for there is much to be done, and it won’t happen as it needs to unless we keep ourselves focused on God! 

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Happy Labor Day

Dear Parishioners,

This weekend, we celebrate as a nation, Labor Day.  For many, it is the last moments of summer break before school starts. For others, this is a day to focus on dignity of labor as a gift from God. It is also a time to reflect on the issues of labor. It is a time to pray for those who are without jobs and continue to seek employment. It is a time to pray for those who are underemployed or worse, mistreated by those who employ them.  It is a time to reflect on the difficulties employers have in trying to find good employees who will steward the gift of labor that has been entrusted to them.  As Catholics, we are called to be just in all our dealings and to put persons above profits. No matter where we are in life, we can all do an examination of conscience in terms of labor.  

For an employer, one might ask, “Do I treat my employees with the dignity given them by God?” “Do I imbue my Christian faith into my role as a business leader?”   “Do my business decisions promote a culture of life and the dignity of persons?” “Do I pray for the welfare of my employees?”  “Does my business ruin or contribute to a healthy environment?” 

As an employee, “Do I do my best at work?  Am I productive and do not waste time?” or “Am I honest with my coworkers and those whom I serve?” or “Do I promote a life-giving sensibility and appreciation for the job I have?” or “Do I pray for the welfare of my boss and fellow employees?”

For the retired person, one could ask “Was I fair and honest during my career?” “Did I challenge unfair or immoral labor practices?” “Did I help others to achieve their carrier goals?” “Was I an influence for good and the rights and responsibilities that come with labor?” “Do I share my years of experience and expertise with others so that they may become better persons, employers, and employees?” 

Spend a moment on Labor Day and give thanks for the gift of labor.  Pray for justice where there is injustice in the workplace. Pray for employers and companies to strive for excellence and for employees to give their best.

Have a blessed Labor Day!

Sincerely,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Truth In Charity

Dear Parishioners,

This week’s readings (July 30.31), we heard from Ecclesiastes: “Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth,vanity of vanities! All things are vanity!” From Colossians: “seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” And finally from the Gospel Luke, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.”

The message is one for all the ages, one that we all need to ponder upon deeply. For something to be vain, it is essentially empty, worthless, of no lasting value. This is very much related to greed which focuses our attention on things that are empty, things that will never satisfy. Due to our sinfulness, we have all entertained and acted on our desires for things that cannot satisfy. We have all entertained thoughts and words that are misdirected and will bear no spiritual or corporeal fruit. In fact, such words and actions may very well cause scandal to others to the point of leaving the faith.

We must be all the more careful in our world today as Christians not to cause others to stumble while also sharing the truth in charity. So, today, listen and hear the voice of the Lord! Choose to be people whose love is full and not vain. Allow the parts of your life, your desires that will do you no ultimate good, those things that are arrogant, prideful, harsh, unloving, addictive, illusionary, selfish, divisive, lying, impure, immoral, and callous—allow these parts to die in Christ. Yes! It will involve suffering, for we want to hold on to them so much. Now is the time to do this. Now is the time when the political, economic, and violent parts of our world are so prevalent.

The Church exists for the salvation of souls. We are all given the mission to further this goal. To know salvation is to know the Truth, Jesus. Indeed, the world needs to know the Truth, but it is not sufficient to say, “I’m just tellin’ it like it is,” all the while steamrolling the person in arrogance and pride. We must pray to rid ourselves of any vestiges of vanity that can become a roadblock to the Truth. This is not about just being nice, but being charitable, being sensitive to the situation of the other, listening and building a relationship with the other, journeying with them, and sharing our hearts and what God has done for us.

Our world needs to know Jesus. We need to know Jesus more deeply as well. Let us not be embarrassed nor fearful for admitting our sinfulness, for by repenting we allow Christ to shine through us. It is through our woundedness that we can help heal. It is by our true love of God and our neighbor that we become the people we have always been meant to be. It is by being beacons of light that we will attract others to the knowledge of the Truth.

My friends in Christ, much is at stake... our souls and the souls of others. Let us strive for the narrow way through our own suffering and dying to our vanities. May Christ in the Eucharist be our strength, so that we be conformed into the likeness of Him who loves us so much.

Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor