News of the Diocese of Baker

May 21, 2017 Volume 8 • Number 9

DIOCESAN CHRONICLE T HE

9th Northwest Catholic Men’s Conference 2017 St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Pendleton, Oregon, held its 9th Northwest Catholic Men's Conference in February 2017. God has blessed us over the years with knowledgeable speakers that provide information and understanding of what it means to be a man of God. Bishop Liam Cary and Bishop Thomas Daly of Spokane, WA, each celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the two-day conference. Bishop Daly was also the keynote speaker. Priests from our Diocese: Fr. Maxwell, pastor of Our Lady of Angels in Hermiston and Fr. Kumar Udagandla, pastor of St. Mary’s in Pendleton, and David O’Neill, director of Catholic Center in the University of Idaho, were the expositors. The theme this year was “Now therefore, fear the Lord … As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:14-15). The Knights of Columbus, under the spiritual leadership of Father Kumar, provided the men with practical and spiritual advice on how to be fathers in their own families. Guidance on how to form our sons and daughters as Catholics in this world of confusions, along with practical knowledge of how to love our wives as Jesus taught. As one man that attended expressed: “Every year I look forward to attending the Catholic men’s conference in Pendleton. I need that spiritual refreshing within my heart. The talks presented speak directly to the needs of men and their struggles to live a good and holy life, and it is an opportunity to get to know other Catholic men within the region. This year’s conference was of particular importance. We all know traditional family life is under severe attack by the secular world. The focus and theme of the conference was to love our wives and to strengthen the faith of our children as fathers. One of my favorite parts of the conference is the time spent together in adoration with all the other men attending. We come together as a “band of brothers,” giving our hearts directly to our Lord Jesus Christ, fully and substantially present in the Holy Eucharist.” Mike Townsend

Men had the opportunity to participate in the “Living Stations of the Cross,” presented by the Hermiston Youth Group. Many men testified of the impact this had in their spiritual life, seeing in a vivid form how our Lord Jesus

Christ endured his Passion and Crucifixion for love of all mankind. This reflection encouraged men to love in the same way. In previous years, our conference had been open to men in neighboring diocese. Through our example, many have been inspired to hold conferences in their own locations. Bishop Cary has made this a diocesan-wide Men’s Conference. We hope you will set time aside to attend the conference next year scheduled for February 2324, 2018. Please pray for us and all the men who thirst for the truth. Written by Deacon Omar Torres, Pendleton

Thoughts Along the Way Bishop Liam Cary

Walking in Faith Recorded homily given at all Masses on April 29/30

“Were not our hearts burning within us while he spoke to us on the way…?” As they hurried back to Jerusalem, the two disciples kept talking about the Stanger they came to recognize in the Breaking of the Bread. Their friend Jesus had risen from the dead! They saw Him and ate with Him! He had truly risen! Their eyes brimming with new-found faith, they hastily walked their good news back to the Apostles. To this day Christians around the world share the joy of their report. Walking in Faith is the theme of the 2017 Bishop’s Annual Appeal. In the image on this year’s poster two men walk with Jesus into dazzling light. They invite us to walk in faith as they did, to leave behind us the dark shadows of the past, to be in step with the disciples of the Risen One in His Church through the ages. It’s called the Bishop’s Annual Appeal because I ask you as members of parishes in the Baker Diocese to help your bishop provide funding, training, and technical resources to promote the Breaking of the Bread in Eastern Oregon. Let me say a word about a few of those efforts. Funds from the Bishop’s Appeal put Deacon Victor Mena through Mount Angel Seminary, and once he’s ordained this June, Father Victor will spend the rest of his days breaking the Bread of Life for the people who made his priestly ministry possible. And God has blessed us with five other seminarians who need our support to follow where Victor has gone. Like them, your children and grandchildren depend on the Bishop’s Appeal as well. Diocesan catechetical workshops equip dedicated religious education teachers in your parish who prepare them to receive the sacraments. Diocesan-wide youth retreats strengthen their faith as they grow and let them form Catholic friendships across parish boundaries. Adult faith formation gets a shot in the arm from the Bishop’s Appeal too. Diocesan-subsidized on-line resources like FORMED bring superb Catholic media content right into your home and into every household in your parish free of charge. So you see, when you make a donation to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal, you’re really donating to your parish in the bargain. Your contribution to the Appeal comes back to you as a roundabout contribution to yourself and your fellow parishioners. I measure the success of the Bishop’s Annual Appeal

not just by total contributions but also by total contributors, and their number has been steadily increasing each year. This bodes well for the future, because an increasingly generous response to the Appeal makes the Diocese of Baker less dependent on the invaluable assistance of Catholic Extension and Catholic Home Missions. The more we can pay our own way, the freer we are to chart our own course—to offer small grants to our parishes and missions in times of special need, for example. That’s why we set the goal for the Bishop’s Annual Appeal a bit higher each year: to build up our financial self-sufficiency within Central and Eastern Oregon and gradually reduce our dependence on the charity of donors from outside our borders. To walk forward faithfully we must look backwards gratefully. Those who walked in faith before us came a long way on a hard road to sow the seeds of the Gospel and plant the Church in Eastern Oregon. Their sacrifices made it possible for you and me to follow in Jesus’ footsteps too. Will we do the same for those who come after us? The Bishop’s Annual Appeal attempts to keep the path of faith open for them to walk as we have. Please give careful thought to making a gift to the Appeal this year so that others may discover the joy of walking in faith with you. May the Risen Jesus walk with you along your way and lead you farther than you think you can go. May He stay with you at the close of the day and open your eyes in recognition at the Breaking of the Bread. May He show you the path to life and fullness of joy in His presence forever.

Pensamientos Del Camino Obispo Liam Cary

Caminar por La Fe Homilía grabada dada en todas las Misas del 29 y 30 de Abril

“¿No ardían nuestros corazones en nosotros mientras nos hablaba en el camino...?” Mientras volvían apresuradamente a Jerusalén, los dos discípulos seguían hablando del extraño al que reconocieron al partir del pan. ¡Su amigo Jesús había resucitado de entre los muertos! ¡Ellos lo vieron y con él comieron! ¡Realmente había resucitado! Sus ojos rebosaban de una fe renovada, recorrieron apresuradamente para llevar su buena nueva a los Apóstoles. Hasta el día de hoy, los cristianos de todo el mundo comparten la alegría de su informe. Caminando en Fe es el tema de la Apelación Anual del Obispo del 2017. En la imagen del póster de este año

dos hombres caminan con Jesús hacía una luz deslumbrante. Somos invitados a caminar en la fe como ellos lo hicieron, a dejar atrás las oscuras sombras del pasado, a estar a la par con los discípulos del Resucitado en Su Iglesia a través de los siglos. Se llama la Apelación Anual del Obispo porque les pido a ustedes como miembros de las parroquias de la Diócesis de Baker que ayuden a su obispo a proveer fondos, entrenamiento, y recursos técnicos para promover el partir del Pan en el Este de Oregon. Déjenme decir algo de unos cuantos de estos esfuerzos. Los gastos de los estudios del Diácono Víctor Mena en el Seminario de Monte Ángel fueron pagados por fondos de la Apelación del Obispo. Una vez ordenado sacerdote en el junio que entra, el Padre Víctor pasará el resto de sus días partiendo el Pan de Vida para las personas que hicieron posible su ministerio sacerdotal. Y Dios nos ha bendecido con otros cinco seminaristas (tres de ellos Mexicanos) que tambien necesitan nuestro apoyo para seguir hasta donde Víctor ha llegado. Como ellos, los hijos y nietos de ustedes también dependen de la Apelación del Obispo. Los talleres de catequesis diocesanos equipan a maestros dedicados a la educación religiosa en su parroquia, quienes los preparan para recibir los sacramentos. Los retiros juveniles a nivel diocesano fortalecen su fe a medida que crecen y les permiten formar amistades católicas a través de las fronteras parroquiales. La formación de fe para adultos también recibe ayuda de la Apelación del Obispo. Los recursos en línea subsidiados por la diócesis, como FORMED, con mas programas en español, aportan un contenido magnífico de los medios de comunicación católicos en su hogar y en todos los hogares de su parroquia sin cargo alguno. Así que ves tú, que cuando haces una donación a la Apelación Anual del Obispo, realmente estás donando a tu parroquia. Tu contribución a la Apelación regresa indirectamente a ti y tus compañeros feligreses. Mido el éxito de la Apelación Anual del Obispo no sólo por la cantidad contribuida, sino también por la cantidad de contribuyentes, y su número ha ido aumentando constantemente cada año. Esto es un buen pronóstico para el futuro, porque una respuesta cada vez más generosa a la Apelación hace que la Diócesis de Baker dependa menos de la invalorable asistencia de la Extensión Católica y Misiones Católicas. En cuanto más podamos pagar nuestro propio camino, más libres seremos para trazarlo a nuestro propio gusto, asistiendo con pequeños subsidios a nuestras parroquias en tiempos de necesidad especial, Es por eso que fijamos el objetivo de la Apelación Anual del Obispo un poco más alto cada año. Así construimos nuestra autosuficiencia financiera en el centro y este de Oregón y reduciimos gradualmente nuestra dependencia de la caridad de los donantes fuera de nuestras fronteras.

Para avanzar fielmente necesitamos mirar hacia atrás agradecidamente. Aquellos que caminaron en fe antes de nosotros caminaron un largo y duro camino para sembrar las semillas del Evangelio y plantar la Iglesia en el este de Oregon. Sus sacrificios hicieron posible que tú y yo siguiéramos los pasos de Jesús también. ¿Vamos a hacer lo mismo para aquellos que vienen después de nosotros? La Apelación Anual del Obispo intenta mantener abierto el camino de la fe para que caminen como nosotros. Por favor, considera cuidadosamente hacer un donativo a la Apelación este año para que otros puedan descubrir la alegría de caminar en fe contigo. Que Jesús resucitado camine con todos ustedes a lo largo de su camino y los lleve más lejos de lo que piensan que pueden ir. Que Él les muestre el camino a la vida y la plenitud de gozo en Su presencia por siempre.

Priestly Ordination Anniversaries Congratulations to the following as they celebrate their ordination anniversaries during the month of June: Rev. Gerald Condon, Retired Rev. Austin Cribbin, Retired Rev. Noel Hickie, Retired Rev. Cornelius Kiely, Ecuador Very Rev. Stan Strzyz, Burns Very Rev. Rick Fischer, Madras Rev. Joseph Reeves, Retired Very Rev. Todd Unger, Redmond Rev. Robert Greiner, Baker City Rev. John Jasper, San Jose, CA Rev. Ildefonce Mapara, OSB Rev. Charles Nnabuife, Milton-Freewater Rev. Luis Flores-Alva, Hermiston Rev. Arsenius Anachoreta, Annunciation Hermitage, La Pine

June 12, 1955 June 03, 1956 June 11, 1967 June 11, 1967 June 09, 1968 June 15, 1976 June 16, 1976 June 29, 1982 June 24, 1993 June 23, 2000 June 29, 2000 June 03, 2005 June 17, 2006 June 17, 2006

We are most grateful for the years of service of all our clergy and bishop. Please keep them in your daily prayers.

Bishop Cary’s Schedule: May 21

9:00 AM Confirmation Mass, St. Pius X, Klamath Falls

May 21

3:00 PM Confirmation Mass, Sacred Heart, Klamath Falls

May 28

9:00 AM Confession, St. Bernard, Jordan Valley

May 28

10:00 AM Mass, Re-dedication of St. Bernard Church

June 3

5:30 PM Confirmation Mass, St. Thomas, Redmond

PARISH NEWS: Our Lady of the Valley, La Grande As Catholics we recognize the importance of the role of faith in our individual lives as well as being part of a collective community of the Body of Christ. Communities can grow by working toward common visions. On Easter Sunday the OLV community was able to see the realization of two goals coming together. A Children’s Choir for Christmas Eve has been a parish tradition. Last December our pastor, Father Saji Kumbungal Thomas, noted that it would be wonderful to have a monthly children’s choir. Volunteers came forward to direct the choir, accompany the choir, have copies ready for the youth and to communicate with families. By February, the choir was ready for its first monthly participation in Mass. The second initiative was a vision to have new carpet by Easter. A range of parish councils and ministries, as well as individuals joined together to make this goal a reality. The fundraising effort was accomplished quickly and the energy shifted to weeks of physical labor to prepare the church, facilitate the ease of the contracted

work, and set the church back up afterward. The Knights of Columbus led the process and communicated how others in the parish could help. Finally, the Women of Our Lady of the Valley organized a deep cleaning in the church prior to Palm Sunday and continued to prepare the church for each of the Holy Week services. At the Chrism Mass, Bishop Cary reflected on the role of the senses as a part of our Catholic faith. On Easter Sunday, the new flooring, overall appearance of the church and the children’s voices added additional layers to the sensory experience. when communities come together, centered on a common vision united by their love of God and gratitude for the gift of faith, great things can happen.

S AV E T H E D AT E SACRED MUSIC WORKSHOP

Alleluia

June 10, 2017 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM St. Thomas Catholic Church 1720 NW 19th Street, Redmond, OR A Music Workshop for All who love to sing Sacred Music English & Gregorian Chant sessions will be offered. Mass with Bishop Cary will be celebrated at 12:00 p.m.

Join us for a day of new ideas, singing and discussions to enhance our sung worship of God. Registration is $25 per person. Includes materials, breakfast and lunch. To Register please contact Terri Isom at 541-388-4004 email: [email protected]

Written by Amanda Villagomez, Director Religious Education and Youth Ministry