Merry Christmas

Dear Parishioners,

At this time of the year, it is good to recognize the Good News in our community. It is a time to look back with gratitude for all that God has done in our midst. It is a time for thankfulness and hope for the future.

For me, I look back on 2013 and see how the Year of Faith has helped us shore up our faith in the moral issues of our time. I give thanks for all who spent extra time to offer a daily Rosary, Fast on Friday’s, and attend our monthly Solemn Vespers with Adoration. I am also thankful for the concrete steps we’ve taken to begin the process of renovating our Church. We have a long way to go in the process, but we have a solid core committee who continue to discuss and explore ideas. I am also thankful for the work of Alan Crews who will be officially retiring as of this month. His joyful presence and work ethic has been inspirational for me, the staff, and parishioners who have worked with him. I am thankful for the arrival of John Becerra, our seminarian intern, who has added a view of hope for vocations to the priesthood. These are just some of the local happenings within our parish. But, there were some much broader events that also has effected the larger Church.

This past year we witnessed two major leadership changes in the Church, one locally and the other globally. First was the significant appointment of Archbishop Alexander Sample as our new Archbishop coupled with the retirement of Archbishop Vlazny. Then shortly after that, Pope Benedict XVI stunned the world by his humble resignation, thereby setting into motion a conclave which elected Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope and the first pope to take a name in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. Instead of the common news cycle of criticism of the Church, it was refreshing to hear and watch reports of these events set in a positive light. Since then, Pope Francis has continued to surprise and shock the world by his humble living and colloquial way of speaking. His actions of kindness and compassion have inspired many. I highly recommend reading the encyclical that he and Pope Benedict wrote, Lumen Fidei, as well as Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium. While some in the secular press have been negatively critical about the latter document, I recommend that you read it for yourself and do not depend on the secular media to digest it for you. It is an amazing exhortation to be more evangelical in living out and sharing our faith. It would make a wonderful new year’s resolution to get a copy and prayerfully read just a few pages each day. We will be reading it as part of our weekly staff meetings in the new year.

We live in amazing times. 2013 was full of wonderful outpourings of the Holy Spirit locally and globally. Please continue to ask God to pour out His Holy Spirit upon us. Pray that we will be, as a community, a beacon of faith, hope, and love to our civic community as well as to the larger global community.

Finally, I want to express my thanks to all of the parishioners of St. Anne’s, St. Patrick of the Forest, and Our Lady of the River for their faith-filled example to me. Serving you as your pastor has fed me deeply. Thank you, especially, for being patient with my mistakes and helping me get up when I have fallen. I give thanks for being here with you as we, together, journey on this path of faith.

Merry Christmas!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Year of Faith Opportunities

Dear Parishioners,

The school year is coming to a close and many of our young people are graduating from  high school, college, and even kindergarten!  But, most of our young people will be simply moving to the next level in their educational journey.  As a parent, the first priority for you is the faith-life and education of your child or children with whom God has entrusted to you. You might remember that you made this promise when you participated in the baptism of each of your children.  So, in that context, I want to encourage you to give serious consideration to your child’s participation in and education in the Faith.  We have many ways that you can consider to further that mission with which you’ve been entrusted.

The first is our grade school which brags of a full-day Pre-K and Kindergarden.  St. Anne Catholic School has been accredited from our earliest grades all the way up to 8th grade.  Our school has awesome teachers who know that the mission of faith comes first and foremost.  Our school offers more hours of faith formation and education per week than any of our ministries.  Our teachers are great at lifting up their students to excel in reading, mathematics, science, and the arts.  The classrooms are welcoming and the student to teacher ratio allows for maximum potential for contact with each other.  Our graduates have a wonderful track record of becoming leaders in the faith and the community.  They are well prepared and often are well ahead of their fellow students when they reach high school.  If you have children who are of age to attend our school, I want you to give serious prayer and thought to bringing your child or children to St. Anne Catholic School.  Enrollment is now open, so don’t hesitate.  Contact the school office and learn more about how the school may be a wonderful opportunity for your family.

Another way to fulfill that commitment of raising your children in the faith is enrolling them in our Faith Formation Program which also begins with the school year.  We have dedicated catechists who spend hours preparing for lessons to reach the hearts of our young ones.  The classes are placed between our Sunday Masses which allow you as their parents to also grow in your faith.  As such, we will continue to offer an assortment of adult faith formation opportunities.  This past year, we watched Robert Barron’s Catholicism DVD series.  This coming year, we will continue to offer monthly opportunities for adult catechesis and Faith Formation.  So, please don’t just drop your children off and pick them up later.  Come and stay while they are going to Faith Formation classes.  Learn about the faith yourself.  Become a resource for your children when they ask those hard questions.  This Summer, we will host our annual Vacation Bible School which will help our children learn about our Lord through compelling stories, music, and activities.  Sign up now before it’s too late!

Lastly, if your child is in Middle School or High School, then be aware that we have a fantastic ministry to our teens.  Our youth ministry program is based on Life Teen which is an internationally recognized program of resources, training, and methods all geared toward creating opportunities for the teens to encounter Christ, most specifically in the Eucharist which is our source and summit.  We commit ourselves to tackling the hard topics that besiege our teens in our culture today.  This past year, we spent five weeks learning about Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, arguably the most compelling teaching on sex and marriage ever articulated.  This summer, our teens will participate in Joe’s Camp which will help them learn about the dignity of work and the needs of the less fortunate.  The High School teens will have the opportunity to attend Steubenville NW Youth Conference with thousands of other teens and nationally recognized speakers who will challenge them to live their lives as committed disciples of the Lord.

Pope Benedict XVI called for a year of faith.  That challenge is for all of us.  What are you doing to increase your love and knowledge of the Catholic Faith in your life and the lives of all your family members?  As your pastor, I want to encourage you to take the challenge seriously and consider all these options which I’ve describe here.  If you do not have children or they are already grown, consider how you can support these endeavors while at the same time growing in your own faith walk.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Much Ado About Popes & Bishops

Dear Parishioners,

We live in amazing times.  We live amidst a time when the Church undergoes many changes which show the power of the Holy Spirit.  With change comes stress.  But, with change comes a refreshing wind of renewal and power.  

Pope Benedict XVI
Last Monday, the world awoke to the surprising news of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation, his age and health being the reason for his stepping down.  Of course, this sets in motion an ancient ritual that is rarely seen, the election of a new Pope.  Even more rare is the election of a pope after the resignation of a pope.  This has happened only a handful number of times. The last time that happened was with Pope Celestine V in 1294 (719 years ago) who left after only five months in office, and then later amidst more controversy, Pope Gregory XII in 1415 (598 years ago) who resigned in order to end the Western Schism also known as the Avignon Papacy.  The secular world will churn over Benedict's reasons for leaving, but the Pope has spoken about resignation previously, so in another sense, we shouldn't be all too surprised. 

I appreciate Pope Benedict XVI's history of candor.  He has been a good communicator and open to new forms of technology in order to spread the New Evangelization.  He has been a fantastic Pope, especially under such difficult times in the Church and the world.  He has been the leader we needed.  His humility and wisdom in his decision to resign has further made me appreciate him as our wonderful "German shepherd."  His legacy will echo for years to come. Let us pray for his health.  Let us also pray for the coming conclave who will elect the next Roman Pontiff(Pontiff = "bridge-builder") who will help us bridge our lives with Jesus himself.  

Archbishop Vlazny
This past Saturday, Feb. 16th, Archbishop Vlazny came to preside over our Vicariate Rite of Election where our catechumens were officially recognized as “Elect” for baptism at the Easter Vigil.  In addition, our “Candidates” for full communion were recognized and encouraged in their journey towards the Catholic Church.  This celebration marks his last official visit to our parish as our Archbishop.  He will return for our Mass of Confirmation on May 11th at 1 PM, but he will then be officially retired and no longer our Ordinary whom we mention in the Eucharistic Prayers at Mass.  

With each visit of Archbishop Vlazny throughout his tenure, our community has been graced by a chief shepherd who has lifted up our spirits and encouraged our faith.  He has certainly lead us through some difficult times in our Archdiocese.  May God bless him in this next chapter of his life!

Archbishop-Designate Sample
As we prepare for Archbishop Vlazny’s leaving, we will need to begin preparing for welcoming Archbishop Designate Alexander Sample from the Diocese of Marquette.  I am sure his youth (52 yrs. old) and vitality will be a gift he will bring to our Archdiocese.  I am hope-filled that he will be a loving and strong leader for us all.  He certainly has credentials that make him a great bishop.  He’s also a geek too, of which I am proud!  

The Archdiocese is planning a series of Masses of Welcome for our new Archbishop, which will include one in our Vicariate.  All will be invited and we hope to have a public reception following.  The date or location has not yet been determined.  But, we will make sure to let everyone knows when we receive more information.  In the meantime, consider attending his official Installation Mass on April 2nd at the University of Portland’s Chiles Center located in Northwest Portland.  This Mass will be open to the public and all are invited to attend.  Seating will be first come-first served. There will be a public reception at the Chiles Center, immediately following the Mass.

Spring is coming and we are beginning a time of change, and while change may be hard, it is good for us all.  Please pray for our Holy Father Benedict XVI, all our bishops, the College of Cardinals who will elect the next Pontiff, and especially our local bishops' continuing leadership of our faithful here in our Archdiocese.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Mass in the Extraordinary Form

Dear Parishioners,


Several months ago I was asked if we could offer a special Mass in what is called the "Extraordinary Form," previously called, the Tridentine Mass or Latin Mass. After supportive consultation with various people and groups including our Archbishop, Chancellor, and the vicariate area priests, I decided to support and accommodate a quarterly Mass in the Extraordinary Form at Our Lady of the River. The first of these Masses will be on February 10th at 6 PM. Questions you might have likely deal with what, how, and why.

First, the Extraordinary Form is the Mass using the Roman Missal promulgated in 1962 by Pope John XXIII just prior to the Second Vatican Council and used during the council. The most notable aspects of this kind of Mass are the extensive use of Latin, the direction the priest faces when offering the Mass, the fewer amount of responses during the Mass, and the many rubrics which call for a complexity of ritual on the part of the priest and his altar servers(which requires special training). No priests in our Vicariate are sufficiently skilled to offer this form, so we have asked Fr. Adam Kotas, the pastor at St. Joseph's in Crescent City, to come to offer the Mass. While this Mass is officially within the parish boundaries of St. Anne's, I am very aware that this will draw people from around the Vicariate and beyond. This form of Mass looks and sounds different than the current Mass of the Second Vatican Council, which was promulgated by Pope Paul VI, called the "Novus Ordo" or New Order. The Novus Ordo is also called the "Ordinary Form" of Mass, which the Catholic Church offers most commonly in the vernacular language throughout the world. Both are of value to the Church, and both are valid Masses of the Roman Rite. Neither are superior or inferior to each other. Rather, the Novus Ordo is a continuation of development from previous expressions of the Mass, as is the Missal of 1962. Pope Benedict XVI, in his letter, Summorum Pontificum, dated July 2007, allowed the use of the Extraordinary Form in greater freedom in order to more broadly and generously offer the rituals which have nourished the faithful for centuries. He also did so in a reconciliatory way to bring back those who have felt disaffected by the Ordinary Form. My accommodation to allow this form of Mass is not intended to, nor in actuality should, detract from the authority of the Second Vatican Council.

Secondly, the question of how this will take place is important to its success. A small group of Catholics from our parish and the Vicariate have formed an organizational committee in order to make sure that each Mass in the Extraordinary Form is celebrated and organized well. Fr. Adam Kotas has agreed to offer these Masses, for which I am very grateful. The Masses are open to all interested. The scheduled dates are Feb. 10, April 28, Aug. 4, and Oct. 6, although they could change or be canceled based on Fr. Adam's availability. Any changes will be posted as soon as such knowledge becomes available. All of these Masses will be offered at 6 PM. Since these are Sunday celebrations, a collection will be taken up as usual. The funds will be the property of Our Lady of the River and used to pay for the expenses of having Fr. Adam offer the Mass as well as the operating budget of Our Lady of the River. Any normal Archdiocesan second collections will be offered as they normally would at any weekend Mass. After this first set of Masses, I will meet with the organizing committee to discuss how things went. These Masses validly fulfill the Sunday obligation for those attending. You can bring your own 1962 Missal if you like, though bilingual booklets will be offered for use at the Masses. These booklets are Fr. Adam's personal property, and therefore must be returned after the Mass.

Thirdly, why is this Mass being offered? Simply because a charitable request was made, and I believe that many of our faithful could benefit from it. It is my sincere hope that this quarterly Mass will help sow seeds of reconciliation while also broadening our sense of the variations of the Mass in our own Roman Rite of Catholicism. Any sentiments of antagonism about the Second Vatican Council or triumphalism about returning to the "true Mass" are unjustified and are counterproductive. I hope nobody will entertain such critiques. I share Pope Benedict's desire that the celebration of the Extraordinary Form be another way to express the broadness of liturgical expressions of our Church Universal. I believe that this quarterly Mass will complement and further help our faithful to more deeply appreciate the one Mass in both forms.

Finally, I trust that charity and humility will abound for all, for I know that we all appreciate different spiritualities which feed us. It is good to know that the Catholic Church is broad in her expressions of faith and liturgy. May this new-and-old encounter of our liturgical expression be the beginning of renewal and reconciliation from within our members and beyond the confines of St. Anne’s. May it lift up those who desire this form of Mass so as to vivify their faith and strengthen their resolve for harmony within our communities of the Southern Oregon Vicariate.


Blessings,

Fr.  William Holtzinger
Pastor

Year of Faith

Dear Parishioners,

In light of this Year of Faith I would like to recommend that we all make some conscious effort to do something new in order to more deeply grow in our faith.  Three such opportunities of which I would like you make you aware are upcoming retreats, Catholicism 101, and our series of movie showings.

Regarding a retreat,  our community has the opportunity to participate in Cursillo and ACTS retreats.  Both of them are similar in structure and have the intent of building up and deepening one’s faith.  Please watch the bulletin for the dates for these two retreats. I believe it to be the case that going on a retreat is a profound way to deepen one’s faith.  I know that is the case for me, for my annual retreat is an essential part of my spiritual growth.  Again, see the bulletin for details about these retreats.

Some of you may already know that I have been offering a monthly series called “Catholicism 101.”  Coincidentally, many parishes have encouraged to show Robert Barron’s “Catholicism” DVD series which we have been already doing.  I have been offering this once a month in the Parish Center between the 8 AM Mass and 11 AM Mass.  The actual dates vary due to my rotation in the liturgy schedule.  But we do our best to make sure that is advertised appropriately in the bulletin and in our online calendar.  I find these videos to be excellent.  In fact, I cannot think of a better video series, yet published, that presents the Catholic Faith in such a holistic way.

The third area that I would like to recommend is our showing of movies of faith.  The first movie will be “For Greater Glory.”  This feature film illustrates the historical struggle of religious freedom in Mexico via the Cristero War.  Mostly downplayed in history textbooks, the events of the movie reflect the sacrifice of some 90,000 people against the anticlerical Mexican government of the time.  Pope John Paul II canonized over two dozen saints and martyrs of the cause.  More recently, Pope Benedict XVI beatified  José Luis Sanchez de Rio who is characterized in the movie.  Make sure to see the bulletin for details on dates and showings.  Make sure, also, that you recognize the language in which the movie will be shown, for there will be English and Spanish showings of the movie.  Also keep in mind that this movie is geared for adults.  Any children or teenagers who wish to be present must be accompanied by their parent/guardian or express permission must be given by such guardian for the minor to be present.  Other future movies may not have such a caution attached to them, and will be more oriented towards younger people.  Ultimately, our hope is that families will be able to attend as a group.  As it turns out, many of our teenagers have already seen the movie, and the story of Blessed Luis Sanchez de Rio has also been discussed at youth nights.  As such, our teens desire to help promote this movie.  So, do not be surprised to see some of our teens wearing black T-shirts with an image of child Blessed José and the acclamation, “¡Viva Cristo Rey!” which means “Long live Christ the King!”  They will be selling them as a fundraiser for youth activities.  If you have any suggestions regarding possible movies to show, please talk to Jessica Bubien, our Pastoral Associate.

May this Year of Faith encourage you to seek out opportunities to grow in your faith.  May it help you to proclaim the Gospel with your life.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor