News of the Diocese of Baker
March 10, 2019 Volume 10 • Number 5
DIOCESAN CHRONICLE T HE
SCOUT SUNDAY AT HOLY FAMILY
SUPPORT LIFE MEMORIAL
On February 10, Catholic members of BSA Pack 440, Troop 440 and Troop 440 Girls (All chartered by the Burns Lions Club), celebrated Scout Sunday by attending Mass in uniform. The Scouts served as altar servers, ushers, brought forth the gifts, and read the Prayers of the Faithful. The Scout Sunday tradition was started to make people in houses of worship aware of Scouting, and to allow Scouts to live out their Duty to God pledged each week. The Scout Law says that a Scout is Reverent and the Scouts of all ages promise to do their Duty to God. These values strengthen youth character in their family, community and faith and ties in with the BSA mission...to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Scout Oath - On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight. Scout Law - A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
A Support Life Memorial was held January 22, 2019, in front of the government center in Klamath Falls. We asked the 82 in attendance to join us in prayer for the 60 million babies lost to abortion since 1973 and that this atrocity would finally stop in the very near future. Pastor John Geiter, from the first Presbyterian Church, opened with a prayer and words of encouragement focusing on being “beacons of light and letting your hope guide your voice.” Dave Taylor, St. Pius X parishioner and Knights of Columbus, spoke of positive stories and gains made by informing women of their rights and options. Other speakers represented Klamath County Right to Life, Pregnancy Hope Center, 40 days for Life and our Catholic Respect Life Group, a sponsor of the memorial, along with Klamath County Right to Life. The Knights of Columbus provided a free hot lunch at their hall after the event. All were invited.
Submitted by David Riess, Grand Knight
BISHOP CARY’S SCHEDULE Mar 10-13
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Washington DC
Mar 13-15
Crisis Management in the Digital Age Seminar, Washington, DC
Mar 16
11:00 AM Rite of Election, Bend
Pictured L-R Front: William Riess, Benjamin Riess, Trina Riess
Mar 17
9:00 AM and 12:00 PM Mass, Prineville
Middle: Asst. Scoutmaster Bekka Riess, Zachary Riess, Tyzon Schultz, Emilie Riess, Timothy Riess
Mar 23
5:00 PM Mass, St. Mary’s Chapel Vocations Retreat, Diocesan Retreat Center
Rear: Scoutmaster Sir Knight David Riess, Daniel Riess, Fr. Stan Strzyz
Thoughts Along The Way Bishop Liam Cary
No Middle Way This column is a revised version of a homily given at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Bend on 17 February 2019.
Every day we make our way to God or we turn away from Him by choices that shape our lives toward salvation or misshape them to perdition. In today's responsorial psalm “the way of the wicked” and “the way of the just” radically diverge: the first leads to the “woes” Jesus laments in the Gospel; the second, to the blessedness He promises there. No middle way lies in between. The “way of the wicked” the psalmist describes descends by stages into soul-devouring evil. First come bad companions who entice the unwary to follow “the counsel of the wicked” and fill his mind with bad thinking. Bad choices predictably follow, and he reaches a fork in the descending path. Cutting his ties to good advice and good friends, he now “walks in the way of sinners,” lowering himself further and further down, out of reach from ideas and people that would lift him up. At the end of his downward journey he “sits in the company of the insolent,” taking his place in the false fellowship of those “whose heart turns away from the Lord,” as the prophet Jeremiah calls them. In sharp contrast, when the psalmist sketches the just man, very different possibilities emerge. His heart “delights in the Law of the Lord,” and he “meditates” on it “day and night.” He does not entrust his thoughts and feelings to the merciless judgement of public opinion but aligns them with the design his Creator discloses in the Law of Love. In the end “he prospers,” growing in goodness “like a tree planted near running water.” His life follows an upward path “and yields its fruit in due season.” Jesus Christ is the just man par excellence; so He speaks from personal experience about these matters, but in provocative words that must have discomforted his audience on first hearing as much as they do us today. “Woe to you who are rich,” he says, to those of us whose lives are “filled now,” not with money only, but with position and possessions, with resources and opportunities, with power and influence. Counting on these worldly goods, we can “laugh now” because we're too far removed from the poor and the powerless to have any part in their abundant sorrows. But we’ll come closer to them if we seek the blessings Jesus promises in the Gospel today. He opens the gate to the way of justice with a startling benediction: “Blessed are you who are poor.” When He fleshes out His meaning, we see that He models it Himself. You are “hungry now,” because you consciously rely, as He always did, on the hand of your
Father to provide the food you must have to sustain your life. You weep, as Jesus did over Jerusalem, at the sight of those who do not recognize the time of their Savior's visitation and so know not how to live in peace with themselves, with others, and with God. In the new age of social media shaming one beatitude in particular may strike us to be Our Lord’s most provocative promise: “Blessed are you when . . . they exclude and insult you . . . on account of the Son of Man.” In saying this, Jesus does no more than re-phrase His invitation to take up our cross daily and follow Him. For if we do, we cannot avoid the insult and invective that rained down on the Cross Bearer to Calvary. St. Francis de Sales understood this well. “An excessive fear of losing our good name betrays a great distrust of its foundation, which is a really good life.” Therefore, we should focus on how we live our life and not on what others think of how we live it. “By resigning our reputation into the hands of God, we secure it in the best way possible,” St. Francis concluded. “In the end we are only what we are in the sight of God.”
Pensamientos A Lo Largo Del Camino Obispo Liam Cary
No Hay Mitad del Camino Esta columna es una versión revisada de una homilía en la Iglesia de San Francisco de Asís en Bend el 17 de Febrero 2019.
Cada día nos dirigimos hacia Dios o nos alejamos de Él por medio de decisiones que dan forma a nuestras vidas hacia la salvación o las deformamos para la perdición. En el salmo responsorial de hoy “el camino de los impíos” y “el camino de los justos” divergen radicalmente: el primero lleva a los “males” que Jesús se lamenta en el Evangelio; el segundo, a la bienaventuranza que Él allí promete. No hay mitad del camino entre ellos. El “camino de los impíos” que describe el salmista desciende por etapas hacia el mal devorador de almas. Primero llegan los malos compañeros que incitan a los incautos a seguir “el consejo de los impíos” y llenan sus mentes con malos pensamientos. Las malas decisiones predeciblemente siguen, y llega a una división en el camino descendente. Cortando sus lazos a los buenos consejos y a los buenos amigos, él ahora “entra por la senda de los pecadores”, bajándose más y más hacia abajo, fuera del alcance de las ideas y las personas que lo levantarían. Al final de su viaje descendente él “se sienta en la reunión de los cínicos”, tomando su lugar en la falsa compañía de aquellos “que apartan del Señor su corazón”, como les llama el profeta Jeremías. El agudo contraste, cuando el salmista dibuja al hombre justo, surgen posibilidades muy diferentes. “Su gozo es la ley del Señor”, y “medita” en ella “día y noche”.
El no confía sus pensamientos y sentimientos en el juicio despiadado de la opinión pública, sino que los alinea con el diseño que su Creador revela en la Ley del Amor. Al final “prospera”, creciendo en bondad “como un árbol plantado al borde de la acequia”. Su vida sigue un camino ascendente “y da fruto en su sazón”. Jesucristo es el hombre justo por excelencia, por lo que habla por experiencia personal sobre estos asuntos, pero en palabras provocativas que deben haber incomodado a su audiencia tanto como lo hacen hoy con nosotros. “¡Ay de ustedes, los ricos”, dice, a todos nosotros quienes estamos “satisfechos”, no con dinero solamente, sino con posición y posesiones, con recursos y oportunidades, con poder e influencia. Al contar con esos bienes mundanos, podemos “reír ahora” porque estamos muy alejados de los pobres y los impotentes para participar en sus abundantes tristezas. Pero nos acercaremos a ellos si buscamos las bendiciones que Jesús promete en el Evangelio de hoy. Él abre la puerta al camino de la justicia con una sorprendente bendición: “Dichosos ustedes los pobres”. Cuando Él revela su significado, vemos que Él mismo lo modela. Ustedes “ahora tienen hambre”, porque confían conscientemente, como Él siempre lo hizo, en la mano de su Padre para proporcionarles el alimento que deben tener para sostener su vida. Ustedes lloran, como lo hizo Jesús en Jerusalén, al ver aquellos que no reconocieron el tiempo de la visita de su Salvador y por lo tanto, no saben cómo vivir en paz con ellos mismos, con los demás y con Dios. En la nueva era de las redes sociales, una bienaventuranza en particular nos puede parecer como la promesa más provocativa de Nuestro Señor: “Dichosos ustedes cuando . . . los expulsen de entre ellos y los insulten . . . por causa del Hijo del hombre”. Al decir esto, Jesús no hace más que repetir con otras palabras Su invitación a tomar nuestra cruz diariamente y seguirlo. Porque si lo hacemos, no podemos evitar el insulto e invectiva que llovió sobre el Portador de la Cruz al Calvario. San Francisco de Sales entendió muy bien esto: “Un miedo excesivo de perder nuestro buen nombre, traiciona una gran desconfianza en su fundamento, que es realmente una buena vida”. Por lo tanto, debemos enfocarnos en cómo vivimos nuestra vida y no en lo que piensen los demás de cómo la vivimos. “Al renunciar a nuestra reputación en las manos de Dios, la aseguramos en la mejor manera posible”, concluyó San Francisco. “Al final, solo somos lo que somos en los ojos de Dios”.
THE TRADITIONAL LATIN MASS IN BEND The Extraordinary Form (Latin) Mass is offered every Sunday at 1:00 PM at St. Francis of Assisi Historic Church. In March, a High Mass (Sung Mass) will be offered on the 3rd and 5th Sundays.
46TH OBSERVANCE OF ROE VS. WADE AT ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI, BEND January 22, 1973, the 46th anniversary of the controversial and unholy Supreme Court decision, Roe vs. Wade was remembered by St. Francis of Assisi parish on Saturday, January 26, with a special Pro-Life Mass celebrated by Bishop Liam Cary and Father Jose Mudakodiyil, pastor at the St. Francis Historic Church in downtown Bend. Bishop Cary’s homily was both moving and enlightening, offering numerous and staggering statistics regarding the recent history of abortion in the state of New York, home of the most aggressive proabortion, anti-life legislation to date in the United States, the Reproductive Health Act. Here are just a few of the sad statistics: Most recently, on the 46th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade in the NY legislature, both houses voted 2-to-1 to make abortion legal up to and including 24 weeks of gestation. This is well into the period that an infant can, and has, survived. Going back to New York state’s 2015 abortion figures, there were 544 abortions and 1000 births, which makes the abortion rate more than one-half the birth rate! In New York State in 2016, there were a total of 82,000 abortions, with 2,000 after 20 weeks by the method of “evacuation”. (This abortion method can easily be googled.) Bishop Cary’s Homily included scriptures reminding us of what God has told us about the unborn child in the womb and our obligation to Him and mankind. Regarding our responsibility to proclaim the truth of the serious error in obtaining an abortion, Bishop quoted Ezekiel 3:17-21, “When you hear a word from My mouth, you shall warn them for Me,” and “Warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his wicked conduct so that he may live,” and “He shall surely live because of the warning.” After Mass, a Rosary was recited on the steps outside the church. Individuals from the assembly introduced each Joyful Mystery and Fr. Jose ended every Hail Mary with a pro-life intention. The outdoor rosary was a moving experience for all who attended and a wonderful witness to the community of St. Francis and the Catholic Church’s commitment to life, both pre-born and in the final days of life. The writer of this article would like to direct the reader to “The Forgotten Realities of Abortion,” a oneminute message recorded by Dr. Richard Thorne, a parishioner of St. Thomas, Redmond who has a long and active history in the pro-life arena. Dr. Thorne’s message runs on our Catholic radio station, KFDS 93.5 FM throughout the day. It is a moving narrative and should be heard by every Catholic in Oregon regarding our tax situation and the funding of abortion. —Submitted by Chris Simone, Co-Chair, St. Francis Respect For Life Ministry
Saint Francis de Sales CATHEDRAL CONSERVATION COLLECTION
Saint Pius X Lenten Mission
Living Without Shame, Dying Without Fear: Saint Ambrose of Milan on Being a Christian in the World Presented by Dr. Shawn Keough
March 13-15, 2019 Progress to date: $48,403.07 Impending Major Repairs Boiler replacement
Thank you!
Ceiling remodel Exterior stone repairs Plumbing upgrades
There is still time to support the first annual CATHEDRAL CONSERVATION COLLECTION.
The fund is held in trust by the Diocese for the conservation of the cathedral building only.
Call your parish office for assistance.
“It’s the mother church of the diocese. . . it belongs to you!”
Saturday Night Live – Catholic Style April 13, 2019 “Mingle and Music” Wine and Hors d’oeuvres Social and Concert with special guest Sarah Hart! Sarah Hart is one of the leading figures in contemporary Catholic music today, and she’s coming to St. Thomas in Redmond on Saturday, April 13th! Her songs of faith and worship have touched the lives of thousands of people all over the world including Pope Francis and a crowd of 150,000 in St. Peter's Square. Her signature blend of folk, pop, and rock music delights listeners of all ages. Sarah’s songs have been covered by Amy Grant, Celtic Woman, Matt Maher, and many other big name performers. Grant's recording of “Better Than a Hallelujah” earned Sarah a Best Gospel Song Grammy nomination. You’ll find many of her songs in our hymnals and sung during regular Catholic worship services like “Go in Peace”, “You Alone”, and “Sweet Redeemer”. Sarah’s love for music and ministry intersect in amazing ways. Her dynamic energy, sense of humor and deep faith make her events unforgettable experiences. So, how do you purchase tickets for “Mingle and
Klamath Falls
In this series of Lenten conferences we will examine the life and teachings of Saint Ambrose to discover how to live out our lives as Christians in the world without shame and to face death without fear. In each conference a specific theme drawn from the writings of Saint Ambrose will guide our discussion. Faith: ‘For we have a good Lord’, Zeal: The Fire of Faith, Virtue: The Discipline of Delight Shawn Keough earned his PhD in Theology at the University of St. Michael’s College in the University of Toronto (Canada), where he studied the history and theology of early and eastern Christianity. Shawn came to Oregon in 2011 to teach at Mount Angel Seminary after four years of postdoctoral research at the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium). Shawn’s teaching at Mount Angel Seminary has included courses in ancient languages, early and medieval church history, and the Church Fathers, as well theological topics such as Christology and Trinity.
All sessions will be in the main parish hall each day at 9:30 AM and 6:30 PM 4880 Bristol Ave (541) 884-4242 More information can be found on our website www.piusxkf.com
Music”? If you’d like to attend both the social and the concert, you will need to purchase a COMBO at $20 per person (21 years of age required). COMBO tickets must to be purchased in advance and will not be sold at the door since we need a head count for the food and wine. “Mingle” and enjoy wine and hors d’oeuvres at 6:45 p.m. immediately following the 5:30 p.m. Vigil Mass and prior to the concert. If you’d like to attend the concert only, you can purchase a CONCERT ONLY ticket for $10 per person (open to all ages). The concert will begin at 8:00 p.m. in the Church. Ticket purchase options: Parish Office during normal business hours After Mass at St. Thomas on March 16/17, 23/24, and 30/31 Out of town guests may call the Parish Office for WILL CALL tickets (541-923-3390) At the door on the night of the event for CONCERT ONLY tickets. COMBO tickets will not be available on the night of the concert. You won’t want to miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity to experience the incredible talent of Sarah Hart! It’s the perfect way to begin a spirit-filled Holy Week on Palm Sunday weekend after the Saturday Vigil Mass! Please join us.
