Stained Glass Windows

Dear Parishioners,

Stained Glass Windows

By the time you read this, I hope, our new “Trinity Windows” will have been installed. A big thank you needs to be offered to the family who generously donated to these windows. Also, I want to thank all the donors who gave to make the rest of the stained glass possible which we hope will be coning in March 2020. Here’s some things that are worth noting on the overall designs and then some particulars of the Trinity Windows.

The Windows In General

Almost all the windows will have a frame that looks like a set of pillars. The radius or round topped windows are intended to connect with the doors, niches for our statutes, the top of the pews, the vaulted ceiling, and even the arches on the front and side of the altar. This Romanesque style is intended to tie us into the ancient form that many churches from antiquity have used.  

All the windows will carry the same color scheme with hues of blue with red and gold as highlights and some grey inside the columns. Some of the larger windows will all carry a set of golden rays coming from above, spreading out below, imaging the light, grace, or power of God coming down upon that which is imaged in the window and finally upon the viewer. The background is a random tile-work of rectangular shapes with, again, hues of blue. We thought about having some green in the tiles, but renderings were not pleasing to the eye as the simple blue hues. With this basic framing and background tying all the windows together, each window could then be set off by the images in the center of each window. Generally, we avoided faces, with some obvious exceptions for Jesus, Sts. Joachim and Anne, angels, and children. The use of symbolism, we believed would also allow for more variations in interpretation when gazing upon the windows in prayer. When words are placed in the window, the letters are blue set in a rectangular black background. This makes the words easier to read.

The Trinity Windows

The general theme of the so-called, Trinity Windows, were easily discerned considering that there were three windows which match in space and size. In each window there are images communicating the theme while words coming from the Apostles Creed and Nicene Creed, the Father and Son windows coming from the former while the Holy Spirit window draws from the latter. On the top of each Trinity window is a red and green symbol interlacing a trefoil and triangle. There are many ways to symbolize the Trinity, and this was discerned to be the most pleasing treatment for these windows.

The window, “The Father,” is imaged with a hand coming down from heaven. Clouds are a common theological tool to express the divine or heaven. The hand does not point, as in some renditions of this approach, but is mostly extended in a gesture of power and peace upon the world, imaged by the planet earth. We made sure that one could even see Grants Pass if the viewer were discerning enough (grin!). Behind the and are the rays of God which emirate from a red symbol for the Trinity found at the top of all three of these Trinity windows. Behind the rays are the cosmos images in the sun, the moon, and a curving purple wisp of a galaxy with start in and around it as it flows down the window.

“The Son” window carries images that allude to Christ’s Suffering, Death, and Resurrection. The tools of suffering and death are easily seen in the center with three nails (one for each hand and one for the feet) and the crown of thorns. The lily found just beneath harkens to Christ’s resurrection. The curve of the lily curves in order to match a similar movement in all three windows. The text in the window was taken by the third stanza of the Apostles Creed where we recognize and proclaim that Jesus is the Christ, the Father’s only Son, and our Lord.

“The Holy Spirit” window was the most difficult to plan and design, but the ned result, we hope you agree, is full of power and meaning. The text from the Nicene Creed was too short to render in the window, creating an artistic imbalance with the other two windows and simply did not say enough. So, we chose the text from the Apostles Creed which solved both concerns. Significant images are first the dove. The dove harkens to Matthew 3:16 and Luke 3:22 where the Holy Spirit, imaged as a dove, descends upon Jesus after his baptism.  Behind the head ofd the dove is the traditional symbol for the trinity. The olive branch shaped as a ring, symbolizes peace. This image is used throughout antiquity and can be found as the evidence that the storm of the flood had subsided when Noah sent out a dove which returned with an olive branch in its mouth (cf. Gen. 8:10-11). It was also Mt. Olive that Jesus where Jesus last moments with his disciples took place. Olives, once crushed exude oil which is used for food and healing. Jesus was also crushed and became our food in the Eucharist and healing through his Holy Spirit. The image of fire is multivalent. The Holy Spirit is spoken and seen as fire in several places in the Scriptures (Exodus 3:2, Matthew 3:11, Luke 3:16-17, Acts 2:3-4, 2:41). The seven flames harken to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:1-2) that we believe are given to those who are baptized and confirmed. 

Art, Theology, and Spirituality

Stained glass as a form of art has a long tradition in the Catholic Church. It is not an expression of merely art, but also of theology and spirituality. Stained glass windows were intended to help teach the stories and truths of our faith.  When large numbers of people could not read, the stained glass windows helped the faithful know and share the faith. The action of stained glass upon the soul only happens when illuminated by a source. In the case of these Trinity windows, they will be lit by the most powerful light, the sun, which images the Son who is the light of the world (John 1:4). It is our hope that as you gaze upon these windows and the other windows to come, your heart, mind, and soul will be enlightened by the One who give us life and sustains you through times of darkness.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Congratulations, Fr. Stephen Kenyon

Dear Parishioners,

This Sunday, we welcome Fr. Stephen Kenyon who is substituting for Fr. Arjie. You might remember that last Summer, we welcomed the same person, but he was called “Deacon Stephen” at that time. I look back at last summer with gratitude for Deacon Stephen’s presence in our parish. We were in the midst of the final throws of building our new church and I was overwhelmed with the responsibilities therein. Consequently, I found myself struggling to put together any homilies. Honestly, my capacity was so diminished in this regard that I questioned my capacity to offer anything in the way of a reflection at Mass. As providence would have it, Deacon Stephen, the only transitional deacon I have received for a Summer assignment, was able to preach homilies. So, not only did I encourage it, I asked him to take over almost all of my preaching duties for the month of July, and we were all the beneficiaries of his presence and spiritual insights. I was fed and renewed by his preaching, and many of you shared the same with me. So, let us thank Fr. Kenyon for coming, once again, to help us this weekend, though not just in preaching, but in offering us the sacrifice of the Holy Mass. It is a time to be grateful for his openness to God’s calling as well as his pastoral care for us all last summer. 

Thank you Fr. Stephen for saying yes to God’s call, and welcome back to St. Anne, even if for just a weekend.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Do Dogs Go to Heaven?

Dear Parishioners,

I am not in the habit of writing about myself, but please indulge me, as I offer you all my thanks. On Monday, Aug. 12th, I had to put down my beloved dog, Benny, who had advanced renal failure. Since I live alone, having a pet around has offered me company at home as well as medicine against selfishness. What I mean by that is that Benny helped me avoid what I called the “bachelor syndrome” where home life is all about myself whereby selfishness can creep in. For you who have a pet, specifically a dog, you know that they require attention and care. You likely know how difficult it is to euthanize your pet when that time comes. I see the death of a beloved pet as a small glimpse, a slight touchstone if you will, to the grief that a person feels when their spouse dies. Again, the loss of a spouse, parent, brother or sister, or best friend is immensely greater. The pain of loss is deep for those who lose a family member, and all of us have or will experience it. It is part of life, a part of what reminds us that there is something more than this life. The mystery of human death is wrapped in the knowledge of Christ’s desire to raise us from that death into new life in heaven. 

In the passing of Benny, I felt sadness coupled with gratitude. What a comfort that gratitude brought me. I was grateful for God giving me a four-legged partner in ministry. I was grateful that Benny had ministered to countless people, even sometimes inspiring near-miracles in our friends in the nursing homes. I was grateful for Benny’s unconditional love and ability to live in the moment, a trait that most dogs have, minus our terriers… or as I like to joke, our terrierists.”  Grin!  My previous dog, Gracie, was a Fox Terrier and she was quite independent… and sneaky!  Grin again! Many of you also expressed your care and concern, for which I am very grateful. So, thank you to all of you for your prayers and support. Will I get another dog? The answer is, yes. The dog will need to fulfill some requirements: small breed, hypoallergenic and does not shed, low energy and rarely barks, and is good with children and other dogs. This may seem like a tall set of requirements, but there are many dogs out there that fit the bill. Benny was one such dog, and he was not the only one on this planet.

A question rises at the loss of a pet, “Will our pets go to heaven?” The Scriptures and tradition have been unclear. St. Thomas Aquinas spoke about how animals have “animal souls” while humans have “human souls.” Christ came to save humans souls and to draw all creation to himself (Col 1:20). So, it is clear that Christ’s Paschal Mystery is for humanity. The question is, where do our pets fit in? In one sense, we must be vary cautious about canonizing our cats and dogs while condemning other creatures such as spiders and mosquitos. The cafeteria salvation selection process is not part of our job description. Let’s leave that to God. The genius of Catholicism is that we are okay sitting in mystery and need to be cautious about declaring dogmas where we are unqualified to do so. We know that heaven will be the fulfillment of all our joys here in this life. They prefigure or foreshadow in moments something of what heaven will be like.  Many of our lives have been brightened by the companionship of a pet. So, there is something to that companionship that speaks about heaven. But, again, it is shrouded in mystery. So, we await the answer to all our questions when we finally reach heaven and can know for sure. Do dogs go to heaven? I don’t know. But, the Saints in heaven do. Let’s all strive to join them in heaven by being reminded how our pets live out examples of how we should be.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

What is the Church & Why Does She Exist?

Dear Parishioners,

Many of you have heard about the recent decisions by Archbishop Thompson of Indianapolis regarding the employment of two teachers in two separate Catholic schools. If not, basically the archbishop directed the two schools to let go of the two teachers in question due to their entering into a civil-same-sex marriage with each other two years prior. If they chose not to, the archbishop would withdraw the recognition of each school’s Catholic status. These actions have created much controversy of recent. Archbishop Thompson, in his subsequent press conference with his superintendent of schools, explained how the decision was made as the chief shepherd. The decision did not happen quickly, but after two years of dialogue and accompaniment with the teachers and their respective schools, the archbishop felt there was no other option to reconcile the situation. I was impressed by both the archbishop and his superintendent and the care respect they demonstrated for all the parties involved.

Some have asked, what right does a bishop have over the employment of a teacher in a Catholic school managed by a religious order? That will become more clear as time goes on, as one school is appealing the decision of the archbishop. Of note is the Church’s Canon Law, #803 which states, “a Catholic school be grounded upon the principles of Catholic doctrine; teachers are to be outstanding for their correct doctrine and integrity of life” and that “no school is to bear the name Catholic school without the consent of competent ecclesiastical authority.” That competent authority is, in this case, is Archbishop Thompson. The question may be about his authority to call for the removal of a teacher not teaching religion. In that regard, again, we will see what comes about in the appeal process for one of the schools.

While many are reacting with indignation, I recommend caution and faithful discernment. My question for us is simply this: Why does the Catholic Church exist? Why does a Catholic School exist? Why do any ministries of the Church exist? If it is not to minister (service) to people and to evangelization (spread the Good News) of Catholic Faith, then that particular ministry should reassess and realign itself with the mission of the Church or give serious consideration about stopping their activities altogether.

In regards to s a civil-same-sex marriage, it is clear from Scripture, Tradition, Natural Law, and the Magisterium of the Church that it is manifestly invalid and a sinful union. Some have questioned whether the archbishop has turned a blind eye to those who are married, divorced, and remarried without an annulment, or those who are using birth control, or those who are cohabiting, etc., attempting to reveal a “witch hunt.” The archbishop clearly makes the case that such is not true. He shared that such situations happen and will sometimes come to his attention. He cannot ignore those situations, so he has engaged with persons with these and other issues in oder to accompany them to a place of reconciliation with the Church. In some situations, the employee has reconciled their lifestyle and in others they haven’t. Regrettably, that has meant the termination of employment.

As for St. Anne Catholic school, our staff and teachers are ethically and ministerially connected as agents of the Catholic Church. To be clear, someone having same-sex attraction is not a sin. I know many parishioners who are gay or lesbian, and they live very holy lives. The press has been claiming that the Church is targeting gay people. This is not the case. Weekly, we as St. Anne, are discerning many things: Who can or cannot be a godparent at a baptism? Is an engaged couple free to marry? Should we call forth a certain person to lead a ministry or take a job? Who qualifies to be a Reader or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Mass? Who can receive or should refrain from receiving communion? The list goes on. In some cases, their choices of life have not allowed us to include them in a ministry or we have discussed with them why they couldn’t continue if they were already in a ministry. In other situations, the person lacks the competency to do the work. In other situations, the person has not shown the ethical standards of proper agency. So, I or one of my staff will step in to help guide them. If there appears no way to reconcile the issue at hand, depending on the issue, we may have them step aside temporarily or permanently. Thankfully, in the process of discussing their issue, it frequently happens that a parishioner in a ministry will come to the correct decision and begin the process to correct their situation. The Church can also make mistakes along the way, and so these conversations have also offered us an opportunity to apologize and ask for forgiveness. It’s hard for all of us to ask for forgiveness, yet we as the Church are called by Christ himself to do so when appropriate.

When I was studying to be a teacher in college, I was taught time and time again that we that teachers are influencers. What we say and do influences our students. Ethically, teachers are “in loco parentis” or in the place of the parents. In turn, the parents place their precious ones in our school knowing full well that we are a Catholic parochial (“parish”) school. Families bring their children to us knowing that we excel in “faith formation, scholarship, leadership and service, according to our Catholic values” (St. Anne Catholic School Mission Statement). The same is true for all our staff at St. Anne. We are called to proclaim the Gospel with our lives. The bar is hight, but we desire to reach for it with God’s grace.

Let us remember that the Church is not a social service agency. Yes, many of her ministries such as the St. Vincent de Paul are focused on social outreach. But, they do so out of a deep respect of the human person enlightened by the Gospel of Christ. We also have social groups in our church such as our Bunko group. In these cases, their very coming together in a Christian environment builds community and fellowship, both biblical principles. The Church’s activities are varied and broad. Yet, all continue to exist in as much as they are in harmony with our mission.

So, what is the Church? There are many ways to look at her. I would like to set before us all that she is the Bride of Christ striving to be faithful to her Bridegroom, Jesus, and his teachings, and as such, we commit ourselves to our Lord. This means that sometimes people will disagree with our mission and we might get “blow-back.” Other times, we will sin or make mistakes. We are not perfect. Yet, we stand as bearers of the light, though we also struggle with our own failures and sins.

I am very proud of our school which does a great job in loving everyone who comes through our doors! We have great staff, teachers and an excellent principal in Colleen. The climate of our current culture creates many challenges. As such, please know that our administration meets weekly to discuss how to keep our Gospel standards high, ethics clear, and our compassion real. In our weekly meetings, we discuss frequently the new challenges that come forward in our culture. By being clear and compassionate, I believe St. Anne will continue to be a beacon of love and compassion all the while call us all to the highest standards of the Gospel. We exist to minister (serve) and evangelize. These are not just side-topics of our activities. Rather, the Church exists to evangelize. It’s not just what we do. It is who we are. So, all staff are called to proclaim Christ loving mission, a responsibility, I believe, we do well and with enthusiastic joy!

Please know that our administration is always open to discussing these and any other issues on your hearts. We are called to accompany each other on our walk with Christ.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Independence

Dear Parishioners,

Just this past week we celebrated our country’s independence. It is part of the ancient fabric of our country to be independent. In many ways, this is good. But, it is not the case in everything. We have so many wonderful freedoms in our country that other countries do not enjoy. We have a history of many wonderful and heroic people who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy. Yet, with that freedom, sometimes, we have claimed a freedom that a actually enslaves us. What am I writing about? Simply, sin. We have freedom to choose, but what we choose can shackle us to an addiction, a bad habit, an arrogance, a rejection of God’s providence, and can even kill. 

Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have all spoken about a “radical individualism” which is a disordered expression of our freedom without any consideration of others. “I can do what ever I want” might summarize this extreme. Another is the freedom to define reality and truth. This is found in what is called “relativism.” Yes, we can do many things and invent new ideas. But, we are not the ultimate creators of reality. In fact, more than not, we are discoverers of reality. In that sense, existence is revealing itself to us. Similarly, God is revealing himself to us. The very existence of the Holy Scriptures is essentially evidence of God’s revelation to us. So, we recognize that we are not the creators, for God is the author of it all. 

Christians know that morality and truth is found in God. We do not cause ourselves into being, so we are not qualified to decide whatever we want and call it truth. We look to God for the law of truth “written” in nature and that revealed in the Scriptures. The truth is not just an abstract idea. It has been revealed in Jesus who is the Truth incarnate (cf. John 14:6).

So, let us celebrate our country’s independence with thanksgiving. Let us also celebrate that we are in holy dependence on God who is the Author and Lord of all existence, including our very lives. From this appropriate orientation of life, we will find truth and real freedom which does not shackle us in sin. With holy obedience, we strive to do, not our own will, but the will of God. When we have that clear, we are well on our way to being saints. 

I pray that this Independence Day weekend has been full of celebration for all the freedoms we enjoy. I also pray that we will be mindful of our dependence on God for our very being and the creation around us.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Marriage and the Eucharist: Covenants of Love

Dear Parishioners,

Last week we celebrated the Most Holy Trinity, a mystery revealed to us by Christ himself. I reflected on an aspect of this mystery as a communion of love. Another way of putting it is a “covenant of love.” A covenant is different than a contract, though there are similarities. One similarity is that both are an agreement to enter into a relationship. But, it is the difference between a contract and a covenant that makes a covenant rise above. 

A contract enters into a relationship with parties whereby the minimal requirements are agreed upon. For example, the price for a car or a house. We all will seek out an agreement with the seller for a price we are willing to pay, a price that is the lowest we can get. This illustrates how a contract is about the minimal or least the parties will do for each other.

A covenant is an agreement between parties that does not spell out the minimal requirements, the LEAST that we can do. No! A covenant spells out the MOST the parties will do! An example is marriage. This weekend and next, we will celebrate our first two full weddings! Yea! At each wedding, the couple will vow their unconditional love to each other. They will not set boundaries as to what is the least they will do for the other. Nope! They will vow to all of themselves to each other, “in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health... all the days of [their lives]” There are no conditions! They will vow to share and give of their whole selves in love for the other. This includes their mind, soul, and bodies. The two will become “one flesh.” Their vows are sacrificial in essence, not secondarily or coincidentally. They will become a sign of Christ’s love for all of us to see and remember, Jesus being the bridegroom, us being the bride.

This sacred covenant is connected deeply to today’s solemnity, Corpus Christi, where we celebrate the great covenant given to us by the bridegroom, Jesus. He also pledged to be with us through our good times and bad... to love us all the days of our lives. Christ, in the image of a bridegroom, has sacrificed himself for us, his bride. He suffered greatly due to our infidelity, yet never left us. He was rendered naked, yet unashamed, for he freely took on all our shame. Despite our infidelities, he continued to be always faithful. He was innocent and still chose us despite our guilt. 

When we receive the Eucharist, we consummate our covenant with our Lord. He becomes “one flesh” with us, rather, us with Him! He pulls us and woos us to himself. By his dying, he proved his perfect love for us. Yet, he never left us. His sacramental presence assures us of his continual presence. In this way, he accompanies us on our journey of life. The Eucharist becomes for us our spousal renewal of love. He has prepared a place for us and awaits so that he can lift us up through the threshold of heaven. Every time we come to Mass, we renew our vows of faith in our Savior. And we know he never disappoints. He is always perfectly patient with us. He speaks loving words of guidance through the Scriptures. And since Jesus isn’t just a man, but also God, we worship him, adore him, and dedicate our lives to him. May this Corpus Christi bring us a profound understanding of this Sacrament as well as the Sacrament of Marriage.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

The Joy of Easter

Dear Parishioners,

Blessed Resurrection Day! Today, we come together today at Holy Mass to celebrate the most important moment in history. On this day, we celebrate the reality that Jesus rose from the dead after being mercilessly crucified and rising three days later. His Resurrection give us hope for eternal life in heaven where there will be no more pain, no more suffering. All our brokenness will be healed and our deepest yearnings will be fulfilled. We were made by God and for God.  Heaven is our ultimate home is with the Blessed Trinity. In heaven we will be able to commune with the Angels who have guarded our souls and defended us from evil as well as the Saints who have helped us with their petitions to God for our good.

I pray that you will be able to sense that at your gathering with family and friends this day, heaven is being foreshadowed. In every moment of joy and love, God is trying to show you a glimpse of eternity. With every bite of delicious food, the Eternal Banquet is peeking through. So, give praise for all the blessings this day and season brings.

If, however, Easter this year brings sad memories rather than joy, I want to encourage you to know, through your suffering, joy can be found. You see, suffering itself is not the end and that only by moving through our suffering with Christ by our side, we can find a new joy. God wants us to be with us in our suffering. His love is the answer to all our suffering. His love can transform you from sadness to joy. I know this in my own life.

So, on this day, I will pray for you all at Holy Mass. May this day and season bring you new hope and joy amidst the challenges of your life. Christ is risen from the dead! Alleluia!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Holy Week & Triduum

Dear Parishioners,

We have now entered Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday. On Monday, the priests serving in the Archdiocese of Portland will gather for the annual Chrism Mass at 7 PM at St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. There we will renew our promises that we made on the day of ordination. Also, the Archbishop will bless the Holy Oils (Oil of the Sick, Oil of Catechumens, and the Sacred Chrism) which will be brought back to the parishes. 

Triduum

We then get ready for the Triduum (pronounced, “trid-oo-oom” which encompasses Holy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday. Both Holy Thursday and Good Friday services begin at 7 PM. The Easter Vigil will begin at 8:30 PM.

Holy Thursday

On Holy Thursday, we commemorate the Lord’s Supper. At this Mass, the Gloria is sung for the first time in since just before Ash Wednesday. During that Gloria, an Altar Server will wring the hand bells all throughout. In past years, the bells actually came loose and fell off, leaving the server a bit confused. We’ve since then glue them in place with Loctite! After the homily,  the symbolic “washing of the feet” takes place. Pre-selected representative members of the church will come forward to have their feet washed by the priest. Then Mass continues. A collection is taken up and then brought forward, along with the Holy Oils that were blessed at the Chrism Mass.  The Mass ends with a procession of the Eucharist to an altar of repose where the faithful are encouraged to remain in a vigil of adoration.  

Good Friday

On Good Friday, we will host an Ecumenical Stations of the Cross including members of several churches in the Grants Pass area.  This will take place at Noon.  

Later in the evening (7 PM) of Good Friday, the liturgy of the Triduum continues with the priest, deacon, and servers entering the church silently. The priest then prostrates himself upon reaching the front of the sanctuary. All are encouraged to kneel. After the prostration is concluded, the Liturgy of the Word commences, climaxing with a dramatic reading of the Gospel’s Passion Narrative. Following is the Solemn Intercessions which are explicit prescribed so that all Catholic Churches are praying the same thing that day. A collection for the Holy Land is taken up. Then the Rite of the Adoration of the Holy Cross takes place. A single cross is brought into the church so that the faithful may come forward to venerate the cross. Families and groups are encouraged to come forward together to offer their veneration. This is not a Mass, but Holy Communion that was consecrated on Holy Thursday is given to the faithful. Afterwards, the Altar is cleared and the priest, deacon, and servers depart in silence.

Holy Saturday

On Holy Saturday, the community will gather around a fire in the courtyard of the church.  From this fire, the Paschal Candle will be blessed and lit. A procession will form into the church, lead by the deacon carrying the Paschal Candle. The Exultet will be chanted followed by an extensive series of Scriptures proclaimed. After the last Old Testament reading, hand bells are run all during the singing of the Gloria. Let’s pray that the bells can hold on through it all! After the Liturgy of the Word, those who are to be baptized will process to the baptismal font. There, the baptismal font will be blessed and our Elect will be baptized. After the newly baptized have changed into dry clothes, they will join the Candidates to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation.  The Liturgy of the Eucharist will take place where our new Catholics will receive their First Holy Communion.  

I hope that you will make an effort to participate in these amazing celebrations of Christ Paschal Mystery. They carry the power to deepen our faith and fill us with joy as we walk along the path with Jesus from his passion to his resurrection. 

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Holy Week Approaches

Dear Parishioners,

We are near the end of Lent and about to enter Holy Week. Beginning with Palm Sunday, the Church gears up, liturgically speaking, to help guide us, spiritually, to celebrate the most important mysteries of Christianity—Christ’s Paschal Mystery: His suffering, death, and resurrection. While we are still just a week out, might I suggest you consider marking your calendar for the following events:

April 14 - Palm Sunday (ST. Anne, St. Patrick, Our Lady of the River)

April 15 - Chrism Mass w/ Priests’ Renewal of Promises & Blessing of Holy Oils @ 7 PM
(St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland)

April 18 - Holy Thursday Mass @ 7 PM (st. Anne & St. Patrick)

April 19 - Good Friday Ecumenical Stations of the Cross @ Noon (St. Anne)

    Good Friday Service w/ Veneration of the Cross @ 7 PM (st. Anne & St. Patrick)

April 20 - Easter Vigil Mass w/ Blessing of Fire and Paschal Candle, Exultet,
Extended Scripture Readings, Baptisms, Confirmations, and
Eucharist for RCIA @ 8:30 PM (St. Anne)

April 21 - Easter Sunday Masses

St. Anne: 8 AM, 9:30 AM, & 11 AM (bilingual)
St. Patrick of the Forest: 11 AM
Our Lady of the River: 9 AM

Please consider inviting family, friends, and neighbors to join you in these most important mysteries of Christianity. Again, mark your calendars!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Lenten Reconciliation Services

Dear Parishioners,

Lent is the season to refocus our attention on prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Last time I wrote, I described how we might consider the idea of fasting and feasting… fasting from those problematic issues we have in our lives while feasting on areas where we can to do more. Today, I would like to offer a more explicit fast from sin and a feast of forgiveness. We all have sinned. We all have areas where we are tempted and have given in to evil. Jesus came to heal us from this reality. One way to battle our sin is through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Let us feast on God’s forgiveness through this Sacrament. In my homily of last weekend, I reflected on the uncertainty we all have about our last day on earth and how we all encounter tragedies. None of us know when it will be or what tragedy will befall us. Yet, we should all be ready for these events with hope. Hope comes from an encounter and knowledge of God’s amazing grace and mercy. Again, the Sacrament of Reconciliation offers us those gifts so that we can boldly live our lives bearing the Good News of Jesus’ mercy.

This coming Thursday at St. Anne, we will offer our lenten Communal Reconciliation Service with the help of nine priests from around our Vicariate. It will be held at 7 PM and lead by our very own, Fr. Arjie. Please mark your calendar and don’t let anything get in the way of this important Sacrament. For those of you in the area of Cave Junction we will be hosting our lenten Reconciliation Service on Monday at 7 PM. If evenings are an issue for you and you cannot drive to church in the dark or your schedule simply won’t allow that evening, we have a daytime opportunity where Fr. Arjie and myself will be available in the confessionals of the church at St. Anne on Tuesday from 3 PM to 5 PM. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a most powerful way to feast on God’s mercy and be given hope amidst the tragedies in our lives.

May God bless you all!

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor