With Fr. Paschal's Leaving Comes Questions

Dear Parishioners,

Last week while on vacation I received news that our expected new parochial Vicar, Fr. Dominic, has yet to go his embassy to complete whatever is needed to travel to the U. S. At this point the Archdiocese feels that he won’t be here anytime soon. The Archbishop was willing to allow Fr. Paschal to stay with us for an extended period of time, but not more than two months. That time will run out at the end of this month. So, Fr. Paschal will move and go to Redland at the end of August. No priest will be coming to take his place. That means we will have me (full time) and Fr. Fister (half time) for our three parishes.

How does this effect our churches? Luckily, our new liturgy schedule will allow us two to cover all the Masses on the week- end. However, we will need to be prepared to have a communion service once in a while if no priest is available. Our weekday schedule, however will be having regular communion services, likely on Monday and Tuesday. Pastoral ministry such as communion visits or anointing will not be as readily available since I will be the only priest at the parish on a daily basis. We may have to seek out the Vicariate priests if the funeral schedule gets too busy to accommodate. Simply put, less priests means less availability compared to what the community has been accustomed.

It is unknown when Fr. Dominic will arrive. But, until he does, we must all work together to fill in gaps or help others know that there is a priest shortage and we can’t be everywhere all the time. We will simply have to think smarter not harder.

Fr. Paschal has been a wonderful blessing to us all. We have been very blessed to have had so many priests serve our community. It is truly a blessing that it has taken this long for us to also feel the impact.

What can you do? I believer that praying for more vocations is a real constructive thing to do. We need to promote the priesthood in our families. Being patient with me, Father, and the other priests you know who regularly cope with the demands that can’t always be met. And finally, be open to the Holy Spirit who may be calling you to help out in a ministry to which you’ve been reticent to involve yourself. We need to work together now more than ever... and that is a blessing for the life of any community.

God is good and his plans are for greatness. I look forward to this next chapter of our faith adventure. No fear. Just great expectations.

Thank you all for your stewardship and thank you for all your prayerful support for our priests.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Immigration: What Does The Church Teach

Dear Parishioners,

At this time, immigration is in the forefront of the media due to recent actions in Arizona. Many of us are concerned for the well being of all involved and people of good will differ on how to deal with the issue. The Church has not been silent about the need for a just solution to the issues surrounding immigration. However, most people have no idea what the Church has been saying. For details of the Church’s teaching on social justice in this regard, I point you to the U.S. Bishop’s web site.

In 2003, the U.S. Bishops issued a pastoral letter entitled, Strangers No Longer: Together on the Journey of Hope (http://www.nccbuscc.org/mrs/stranger.shtml), whereby they articulated five principles that govern how the Church responds to public policy proposals relating to immigration. The principles are philosophical and theological responses taken from the Gospel teachings and the teachings of Popes. All five principles need to be held in balance, not one over the other, not one at the expense of another.

1. Persons have the right to find opportunities in their homeland
2. Persons have the right to migrate to support themselves and their families
3. Sovereign nations have a right to control their borders
4. Refugees and asylum seekers should be afforded protection
5. The human rights and the human dignity of undocumented migrants should be respected

For more information, the bishops have created an additional web site: justiceforimmigrants.org/ I also highly recommend an informative article by Bishop John C. Webster which can be found online: http://www.justiceforimmigrants.org/documents/wester-interview.pdf

As a country, this issue will not be going away anytime soon. As long as there is such contrast in poverty and wealth between borders as there is between the U.S. and Mexico, as long as there is a market for drugs here and supply south of our borders, and as long as our immigration process remains broken and our borders insecure, people will be arguing about how to solve this issue. And these are only a few of the issues amongst many in this complex situation.

Finally, please keep all those involved in your prayers. Remember to keep charity in your heart and try to see all the sides of the issues. Remember that people of good will may disagree, but we are called to put on the mind of Christ and reflect the Gospel at all times.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Liturgy Schedule Change

Dear Parishioners,

As you all know, I’ve been trying to discern how we can free our Children’s Faith Formation (formerly called children’s religious ed.) from taking place at the same time as Mass as well as trying to accommodate a Sunday Mass in Cave Junction. After a rather difficult discernment which included input from the Archbishop, discussions with Esperanza, our Hispanic Minister, reflections from all the councils, advice from many parts of the parish, and His- panic ministers outside of the parish, I’ve come to a difficult conclusion. It is clear that there is no perfect solution, but in order to attempt to meet these two main concerns as well as a myriad of others that were brought forward during my discernment with all these groups, it became clear that several things would have to shift.

So below is the new liturgy schedule which takes effect on Labor day Weekend (Sept. 4/5). It frees Children’s Faith Formation from competing with Mass, allows St. Patrick of the Forest to have a Sunday Mass, creates time for adult faith formation classes between the two Masses on Sun- day as well as after the last Mass on Saturday, relieves traffic flow between the Masses on Sunday at St. Anne, and offers the greatest flexibility for scheduling priests and priest substitutes. Yes, there are issues that are intro- duced, but I believe that the benefits outweigh the costs.

I beg your patience as any change is a difficult thing. In- deed, I ask you pray for the Hispanic community, as their Mass time is potentially most disruptive to many of their well established routines. Many have communicated this very thing. However, when talking to many Hispanic Minis- ters, they had a consensus that an evening Mass was a very doable time, indeed potentially better than an early morning Mass. Clearly, some of our Spanish speakers will be unable to come to a Saturday evening Mass due to work, but I hope that many who haven’t come in the past will find the new, later time to be more accommodating. I am aware that this will be difficult, but instead of looking at the glass half empty, I encourage everyone to look at it half full. Imagine now the new possibilities that are before us. God bless you all!!

The new schedule should be announced at all the Masses this weekend. Again, this schedule does not take effect until Labor Day weekend. So, we have two months to pre- pare and adjust our own personal calendars to suit. The new schedule can be found below.

Blessings,
Fr. Bill
Pastor

St. Anne, Grants Pass
Saturday
4:00 PM Confessions
5:30 PM Mass
7:00 PM Mass(Spanish)

Sunday:
8:00 AM
11:00 AM

St. Patrick of the Forest, Cave Junction
Sunday:
10:30 AM Confessions
11:00 AM Mass

Our Lady of the River, Rogue River
Sunday:
8:30 AM Mass

Summertime and Stewardship

Dear Parishioners,

The sunshine has finally arrived, school is out, and vacation time is upon us! Yea! As stewards, it is important to remind us all about our faith-filled response to our time, talent, treasure, and tradition.

Time
Summer is a time for nurturing our wellbeing. Spend time in prayer. Go camping. Read that book you’ve been wanting to get to. Go for a day trip. Whatever it is that energizes you which you haven’t been able to do, take out time to make it happen. In addition, ponder on how you can give of your time to a ministry that you’ve wanted to be part of. Volunteer somewhere that could use the extra help while people are on vacations. Even our adoration chapel needs extra people to fill in the gaps that always occur due to summer trips.

Talent
Where is your talent? Do you sing? Do you like teens or young children? Do you find joy in visiting the sick? Is gardening or landscaping your thing? Seek out people who are involved in a ministry you like. For example, our choirs are always in need of extra voices. Why not try volunteering your time with a particular group? During summer, some choirs practice just prior to Mass. As you may already know, we are in need to help fill in the gap while John Robles in on sick leave. Maybe you could help with your fix-it skills?

Treasure
As you go camping or traveling, please remember that St. Anne’s still has responsibilities to pay our bills. Consider how you can maintain your financial commitment to your community of faith. One such method is our automatic giving program via what the banks call ACH. See Alan Crews, our business manager, for more information. Now you can leave for vacation and not worry about you financial commitment to the Church.

In the coming year, we will be starting our part of the Archdiocesan Capital Campaign. This is in addition to our ongoing Parish Offertory Program, Archbishop’s Catholic Appeal, and other required special collections. More information about the capital campaign will be forthcoming, but it is important to begin thinking about your own financial commitments and the variety of opportunities to give. Nobody likes surprises. So, please know that between September and January, our parish will be joining the other parishes of the Archdiocese in a process to replenish needed funds at the Archdiocesan level.

Tradition
Recreation is important to our mind, body, and spirit. Please take time to plan some time to do something fun that will help you be created anew. Remember the trips you once found so moving and foundational to your own youth? Don’t forget the traditions you’ve been given, and share them with your family. Maybe create new ones. Consider a special evening out with the family or family meal in the backyard. Begin a movie night or invite neighbors over for an evening barbecue. Plan an early morning or late evening walk together. Get out the bicycles and go for a ride. Visit friends from the past. Share or create new traditions for your family.

Summertime is a wonderful time to be recreated, to share your gifts, and to thank God for all that he has given us. May this summer be safe and full of joy and adventure as you live out your faith as a steward of the gifts God has given you!

Blessings,


Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Goodbye & Best Wishes!

Dear Parishioners,

Next weekend, we say goodbye to several people on staff. Fr. Paschal will be officially assigned to St. Philip Benizi Church in Redland near Oregon City. Hans will be finishing his tenure and moving to Mount Angel Seminary to begin studies for the priesthood. Jeanette and Mark will be officially leaving as payed staff due to budget constraints. All four of these people are wonderful and faithful servants who have completed their tenures with a spirit of service and grace.

Next weekend, June 27th, after the 11 AM Mass, I invite you to join the me and the rest of the community in saying goodbye and best wishes on the next chapter of these amazing people’s lives. They will be greatly missed. I am very thankful for their service to St. Anne’s and pray for each of them in the respective new steps. Again, I invite you to come and share in thanking them for their faithful work to St. Anne’s. Well done, good and faithful servants!

Blessings,


Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Vocations & Liturgy Schedule

Dear Parishioners,

Vocations

This weekend Archbishop Vlazny ordained six men to the priesthood. This is wonderful news. They are Ysrael Bien, Henry Guillen-Vega, Raul Marquez, Robert Wolf, Mark Kissner, and Joseph Nguyen. Please keep them in your prayers.
Here is Southern Oregon, we have a history of receiving newly ordained priests. As of this writing, Fr. Paschal’s replacement is still in Uganda. I have no idea if and when he will arrive. Needless to say, while this is a large ordination class, we still are behind in our ability to staff parishes with enough priests. I have spoken to the Archbishop about our concern about replacing Fr. Paschal to which he sympathized and promised to work with Fr. Brennan, the vicar of clergy, who is in charge of priest placements to continue to problem solve this issue. I trust it will all fall together as it needs to be. Please note that Parochial Vicars (think assistant priests) don’t remain so for very long before they become pastors. In years past, these men would be Parochial Vicars for many years, learning the skills necessary to shepherd a parish. On your part, please keep vocations to the priesthood high on your list of intentions. Parents, you need to encourage your sons to consider this vocation. Without priests, we have no Eucharist. But, I am no alarmist. I believe that God is raising up more and more men to this noble and heroic vocation. May our parish be fertile ground to encourage vocations.

Liturgy Schedule Issues

Since my arrival, it has become obviously clear that there are many issues which need to be solved. One of these is the competition that our Children’s Faith Formation has with our 9:30 AM Mass. Children in our Hispanic community are having to decide whether to send their children to classes or go to Mass. This is unjust. Mass is the source and summit of our faith. Yet, if our children don’t have the opportunity to learn about their faith, then we are complicit in furthering the ignorance of our youngsters making them fodder for other religions or secularism.
Second is the desire for St. Patrick to return to a Sunday Mass. Many of their elderly are not able to make it to Mass when it is dark in the winter. Also, due to sports on Saturday’s, many families do not come to Mass when there is a conflict.
Third, is the best use of our priests. While we have three priests which allow us to cover all six Masses in three locations, we need to be prepared for two priest. In addition, we need to create a flexible schedule that allows us to more easily get a substitute when one of us is sick or out of town.

Opportunities

In addition to these issues, I think we have several opportunities if we craft a schedule that has more time between the Masses. It will allow us to host adult faith formation opportunities between the Masses, relieve our traffic flow between Masses, and afford people with better chances for better parking. For families with children, while their kids are in class, there will be an opportunity to grow deeper in their own faith. Our priests will also have more chance to share in fellowship at coffee and donuts instead of rushing off to the next Mass. I hope to introduce a monthly series I have previously called “Catholicism 101” which explores the basics of our faith as well as current topics.

Liturgy Schedule Change

To these ends I have been pondering on many different scenarios that will allow for all of these to happen. I’ve been speaking with all the councils of all three Churches, discussing the ramifications of one schedule idea over another with staff members. I have been discussing at length various options with our priests as well as those of the vicariate. There is no schedule that is a total win-win. But, there are a few ideas that would solve many of these ideas. I have not yet come to a decision as to what will happen, but I hope to announce a decision by the beginning of July. One thing that is very seriously being looked at is moving the Spanish Mass to another day or time. It is the smallest of our Masses and sits during “prime time” when our children are attending Faith Formation. If this happens, that segment of our community will need our prayers and encouragement. Again, nothing is set in stone, but I ask for your support and not your criticism. The hope is to make the liturgy schedule change effective come the beginning of September. That will allow us to figure out the kinks and how to solve them.

Change Is Hard, But Love Conquers Fear

With any change comes fear. It wasn’t that long ago when Fr. Karl was alone here and he had no parochial vicar. I don’t believe that will happen in the immediate future, but we must be prepared for the day when we have only two priests, for which we will all need to step up and help out even more. We are privileged to have the priests we do with such a shortage ongoing around us. I am very grateful for the Archbishop’s understanding for the need to have at least two priests here.
In my ten years of priestly service, I have noticed that often people are okay with change as long as it effects others and not themselves. In our current situation, I ask you to pray for wisdom and guidance for me and flexibility and openness for all those who may be dissatisfied with whatever comes their way. Instead of a glass half empty, I believe that these changes will fill our cup to overflowing. It reminds me of something I once heard and have repeated many times in my homilies. When you are in love, your zip code doesn’t matter. Neither does the time of day. I believe that we have many wonderful opportunities to grow in our faith. God bless you all.

Yours in Christ,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

New Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry Found

Dear Parishioners,

I am glad to announce that our search for someone to carry on the min

istry that Hans Mueller has been doing for the past three years has come to a happy end. After five

months of prayer, preparation, advertising, reviewing resumes, and many, many interviews, we end our journey with Julie Mercier.

Julie will begin in early July as the Coordinator of Youth & Young Adult Ministry. She just recently graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville, OH. She earned a degree in theology and catechetics with a concentration in youth ministry. She has experienced leading retreats and chaperoning at youth conferences. Julie was with us several weekends ago when Archbishop Vlazny was here for our confirmations. She traveled from New York for an in-depth interview (her third interview with us), and introduction to the parish and surrounding area, and concluded by leading our Sunday youth night. Needless to say, she knocked our socks off. Her love for Christ, her passion for youth, and her humility were qualities that one cannot teach. After her whirl wind trip West, she returned home with an offer for our job. After several

days of prayer and discernment, she agreed to take the position. Our

search committee and myself, as well as those who met her when she visited all praised God for her acceptance.

When she arrives, please introduce yourself to her. More importantly, she will need your help in continuing the work begun by Hans. Please pray for her and especially for courage, as it will most certainly be difficult to move so far away from her home. Let her know how friendly we are here at St. Anne. Offer your time and labor to help her build upon the foundation already here in our youth program. It takes a Church to raise our children. Let us help Julie lead our teens and young adults to grow in their Catholic faith.

Congratulations, Julie! I am so proud and honored to have you on board our pastoral staff. I pray that St. Anne will be a place where your gifts can shine and our young people will catch on fire for our Lord.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Live Life!

Dear Parishioners,

The days are getting longer and temperatures warmer. The grass is growing longer and the gardens are starting to come alive. Spring has sprung, and with it, the reminder that God’s love is renewed each day (cf. Lam. 3:21-23).

In the days ahead, let us shake off our lethargy and get outside and enjoy the beauty around us. Turn off the TV and get out if you can. Take your dog for a walk. Do some gardening. Go jogging. Play frisbee golf or ride your bike. Go for a scenic drive around the area. We have such beautiful mountains and rivers. Go fishing or just dangle your feet in the water and you sun yourself. Go treat yourself out for a yogurt or ice cream. Pack a picnic and head out to the local park. Watch a baseball game. Get out the BBQ and enjoy a relaxing dinner with family and friends. There’s so much to see and do. Many people are beginning to make plans for vacation for the summer. I’m going to make sure to go camping as well as go on my annual trek to Eastern Oregon to do some star gazing at the Oregon Star Party.

What are you going to do? What gives you life? What have you been wanting to do, but have been putting it off? These ideas do not all require a large financial expenditure. Being creative is key. Some people have even done stay-cations (think stay-home-vacation).

Life is to be lived and enjoyed. Give thanks and praise to God for his amazing creation. Do not let the bad news around you dominate your energy. Taking out “sabbath time” is a critical way to be holy and healthy. It is important that we not only work, but that we rest, recreate, and enjoy the gifts that God has given us. Share your stories and joys with others. Some times too busy is too busy. I always struggle with this myself. But, year after year, God renews his beauty around us and our spirits are lifted. I am looking forward to the warm weather and blue skies. This is a gift of living in Southern Oregon. Let us enjoy rejoice and be glad in it!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Abuse Is Painful Indeed

Dear Parishioners,

Thank you for your outpouring of support for me and all
priests. Thank you for your prayers for Pope Benedict. Let us also pray for the victims of abuse whose scabbed-over wounds are being torn open will all the events of late and the media frenzy swarming around it all. May we all be Christ’s healing presence.
Recently I was contacted via e-mail from someone who has since left the Catholic church in dismay over a bad experience and the scandal that continues to plague us. After responding to this hurt soul, I thought I might offer you my response as my own personal reflection for you to ponder upon. I’ve edited my letter for length as well to preserve the identity of this person from our area.

Dear (writer of the e-mail),

Thank you for your e-mail. I assume that since you’ve taken the time to speak your heart to me, I feel obliged because of love, truth, and a sincere desire for reconciliation to respond. Please indulge me as I offer you a rather lengthy e-mail.
First of all, I am saddened that no one contacted you when you first arrived at your old church. We here at St. Anne need to also review how we are receiving our new members as well as caring for those who need pastoral care. As the new pastor here, these are aspects of administration and guidance which I am working on with our community of faith. As you can imagine, we cannot please everyone all the time, and we frequently make mistakes. I like to think our church is not a museum of saints, but a hospital of sinners. Even at that, it is run by sin- ners. All Churches struggle in this regard.
Secondly, I am deeply saddened by the abuse of our young ones by priests so long ago. It is unconscionable. I agree. The reassignment of known abusers was also a horrible thing. As a priest, I am rather angry at my brother priests who have perpetrated such evil. The latest revelations about the abuse cases in Ireland continue to remind us that there is much work to be done. I feel horrible as this simply reopens the wounds of those here in the U.S. who have been abused. Prayer, penance, counseling, reconciliation, and more is needed. Our children need to be safe.
In service to the truth, I need to offer a reflection about the press. I caution you to reserve your judgments about the recent reports regarding the pope until all information has come forward. I welcome transparency and hope that all the details will be made known about the on goings of the events in question. I would caution you, however, not to believe everything you read in the papers or see on TV news. While the Church as a human institution has failed to keep our children safe in the past, and we are working to correct that, the major media groups have also failed to offer us, the public, the full story as to what has happened and how the Church has responded. The reasons as to why are debatable, but certainly the press has been anything but objective in its reporting. I’ve even been personally interviewed and taken way out of context. As such, I do not trust the newspaper or TV since they constantly fail to check their facts. This is by no means an excuse or rationalization of the evils that have been perpetrated in the name of the Church. But, we all like to pride ourselves in being well informed and able to talk intelligently about the truth. The issues are very complex and sound bites or one minute reporting just don’t honor the truth. The media has not given all the facts and has nuanced the data to fit their assumptions.They would have us believe that Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict) has done nothing to seek out the safety of our young people and has been a central figure in the cover-ups. I would encourage you to read the Wall Street Journal article posted on our web site as well as other links there that might offer you some other insights into the “rest of the story.” Go to www.stannechurch.com and I hope that will give you more information from which to discern.
Here is an example of some things that have not been mentioned in the media. Our Archdiocese, as well as virtually all the dioceses in the U.S., require all volunteers to be background checked and annually attend a safety class to help ensure the safety of our young people. When I was in seminary (circa 1993-2000), we spent copious amounts of time learning and reflecting about the scandal of child abuse by clergy. Our seminaries work hard to screen applicants like never before. Our programs with children and youth follow strict guidelines to make sure that we all follow the highest standards of care for the safety of our young people. But, if all we watch and read is the mass media, these facts are never mentioned. I believe that the Catholic Church in the U.S. has become a model of safety for children, a lesson, unfortunately, learned through tears, humiliation , and pain. There is still a long ways to go in other countries such as Ireland. The culture and attitudes that helped to create unsafe situations for our children are still being realized. I have confidence that they will do the right thing and remove the victimizers and seek reconciliation and healing with the victims.
I welcome the full disclosure of the skeletons in our closets and pray for the full truth to be known. This will only help the victims heal and help the Church to change. This is good. Let us pray for healing of both victims of abuse as well as a reformation of the Church. Let us also acknowledge that while one instance of abuse is too many, the Church is not alone in this societal scourge. I pray the Catholic Church will be renewed and lead the way for the safety of our children who are at risk in our public schools, foster care situations, and any other groups where abuse occurs.
I am glad you have found a Church that you can call home. Please pray for the Catholic Church. Let us pray even more fervently for the healing of those victimized by abusers whether from within the Church or from other situations. If you would like to sit and talk personally, I would be very open to listening to your concerns. May God bless you in the Easter Season.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Easter Reconciles Us Anew

Dear Parishioners and Visitors,

Happy Easter! Christ is risen! At this time of the year, our Church celebrates the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This miracle of our faith has broken the bonds of death and our slavery to sin. It is also a time of renewal and forgiveness.

At Easter, we celebrate and welcome home those who have recently joined the Church through the Easter Vigil. They remind us all of the need to seek out Christ through his Church. Easter is also a time when we welcome visitors and friends we haven’t seen in a while whether just visiting family or just coming because it is Easter. Please know of my gratitude for your presence among us.

For many reasons people come and go in the Church. Sometimes that is due to past hurts or anger as a result of actions on the part of the Church. If you have been injured or hurt in any way by any member of our Church, I sincerely apologize and ask your forgiveness. Please let us try again. Having a new pastor and parochial vicar may afford you to start anew without your history haunting you. If anyone in our staff has spoken uncharitably or acted unkind, again, please accept my apology on their behalf. I believe we need to uphold the standard set by Jesus, that is to love God and our neighbor. I believe in the highest standard of care, and desire to heal hurts that I or anyone in our Church has cause due to failure of this standard.

If you have been away for many years, I would like to invite you to come and join our “Welcome Home Catholics” group. In this program, Catholics who have been away for many years have an opportunity to ask questions and learn about things that have changed. It is a way to help ease their transition. Contact Fr. Paschal Ezurike for more information about this wonderful process.

If you are not Catholic and are interested in becoming Catholic or would simply like to inquire about what we believe, we have a group of people that meet to learn about the faith. This is called the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. We have analogous gathering for teens and children as well. Contact Terry Knouff for more information if you are an adult or have pre-teen children who are interested in joining. Contact Hans Mueller if you are a teen and want to learn about joining.

Easter is a time to recall that Christ rose from the dead. We, too, are people who desire to be transformed and forgiven as Jesus called us to be. May this Easter season be an opportunity to renew your faith and restore your walk with the Church. If I or any of our staff can be of assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

May God bless you and give you joy in your heart.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

More Details Regarding Holy Week

Dear Parishioners,

Holy Week is almost upon us. Next Sunday, Parishioners will be invited to begin our Passion/Palm Sunday celebration with the blessing of palms outside the Church at the 9:30 AM Spanish Mass and in the Parish Center at the 11 AM Mass. All the other Masses will begin in the Church proper. This year, there will be two notable changes in our Triduum: The veneration of the cross and the baptisms.

Good Friday: After talking with our Liturgy Committee, I have come to understand that St. Anne’s has historically offered multiple crucifixes for venation on Good Friday service. However, the Church calls for only one cross to be used. It is an option to use a cross or crucifix. Since the theology of the veneration is directed towards the cross (recall the priests intones: “Behold the wood of the cross on which hung the savior of the world...”) and the rite is called the “veneration of the cross,” we will be using one very large cross and not a crucifix. Since it will be almost life-sized, it will allow several people to approach the cross at once and offer their veneration at the foot of the cross as well as the right and left arm of the cross. The size of the cross should aid in the timeliness of this part of the service. Examples of veneration include a bow, a kiss, a genuflection, or a simple touch of the hand according to the preference of the person. Families are encouraged to approach at one time instead of individually waiting for each person to venerate.

Easter Vigil: As mentioned in last week’s column, I described that we will be offering baptisms by immersion or submersion, that is either having water poured all over the person or actually dipping the person all the way under the water. If you have never seen this approach, you will be in for a special treat. I have done immersion/submersion baptisms ever since I was ordained almost ten years ago. For the truly inquisitive, I have posted a video describing how to make a temporary immersion pool and showing actual immersions on Easter Vigil. Go to http://www.frbill.org/frgeek.html to see it on your computer. The baptismal fount will be located between the front pews where there is plenty of space and will remain there for the entire Easter season. When you arrive to Church during the Easter season, you are encouraged to enter the Church, bless yourself from the large fount, and then go to your pew. Of course, the traditional holy water founts at the entrances of the Church will be available.

With the arrival of a new pastor comes some new approaches. It is a new day, and I hope that this Easter will be one of renewal and refreshment to all who come through our doors.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

A Week of Holiness

Dear Parishioners,

Now that we are well into Lent, internally for St. Anne’s, planning for Holy Week has already begun. Personally, I believe that Holy Week is that series of celebrations that every Catholic should experience each year. If you’ve never attended them, please consider making an effort this time around. Here’s a run down of all the activities.

Palm Sunday: Depending on the Mass, we will be start- ing in the Hall or outside and then process in with our palms to continue our celebration.

Chrism Mass (7 PM, March 29, Portland): This Mass is celebrated at the Cathedral with the Archbishop and almost all the priests serving in the Archdiocese. This is a wonderful time to experience the Church in a larger sense. The Holy Oils are blessed at the Mass and the priests renew their promises from their ordinations. The procession alone is something to behold.

THE TRIDUUM

Holy Thursday (7 PM): This commemorates the
Last Supper Christ had with his disciples. At this Mass we wash the feet of representative members of our parish and focus on the institution of the Eucharist. As such, I’ve ordered special hosts that have images embossed on them and I will be singing most of the Eucharistic Prayer. The oils from the Chrism Mass are pre- sented at the presentation of the gifts and placed in a suitable location. At the end of Mass, the community follows the priest in procession with the Eucharist to the Parish Center where a temporary Altar of Repose has been set up so that the faithful can pray before the Blessed Sacrament. People are welcome to leave when they want until adoration concludes at midnight.

Good Friday (7 PM): This celebration is very simple. It is not a Mass. It begins very solemnly. In addition,
the reading of the Passion narrative is proclaimed. Afterwards, the community comes forward to venerate the cross. Finally communion is distributed, and the service ends.

Holy Saturday (Easter Vigil—8:30 PM): This is the pinnacle of all our celebrations of the entire year. We begin outside with a blessing of a fire (we have a special fire for this year) and the blessing of the Paschal Candle. From there, the community processes in the dark- ened church with their own candles, lighting the church with their very presence. A solemn proclamation is sung called the Exultet. An extended series of readings are proclaimed describing salvation history. Then after a very short homily (and I mean short!), those who are to be baptized come forward. This year we will be offering the most dramatic form of baptism that we can: immersion. The Catechism of the Catholic Church(#1239) considers this to be the “most expressive way” to offer this Sacrament. If you’ve never seen this done, you don’t want to miss it! Next, those who have already been baptized in another faith tradition, pledge their faith in the Church. These people along with all those who have just been baptized receive the sacrament of Con- firmation. The Liturgy of the Eucharist follows with those who were just received into the Church going first. The whole night is full of wonder and joy.

I hope to see you at these celebrations. I am greatly looking forward to them. As with all our most important holy days, I will be doing my best to celebrate them bilingually as a sign and invitation to the major languages present in our community. I pray that your Lenten journey has been full of growth and conversion as well as peace and hope.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

A Renewed Mission

Dear Parishioners,

We Catholics are people of Mission. It is what drives us, directs us, and gives us a sense of meaning. According to the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church’s mission is to proclaim the Gospel and establish among all people the kingdom of Christ and of God (Lumen Gentium 5). Essentially, the mission of he Church is that of Christ’s. So, you see, the mission begins with our Lord and is extended through each of us. When we were baptized, we were called to live out this mission.

In each parish, the mission is expressed in different ways given their particular gifts, ethnicity, geography, size, and history. Such a mission statement is critical to pastoral planning of any organization. So in order to understand and review who we are as St. Anne’s, we need to regularly review and evaluate how we are living out our mission through our Pastoral Plan. So, it was decided that we needed to spend time reflecting, first, on our mission statement. Last Saturday, the Pastoral Council gathered to begin the first step and found our previous mission statement to be unknown to most and too long to quickly grasp. So, after reflecting in prayer, reading of Scripture, brainstorming our goals and hopes, the result was a new and concise mission statement:

“We are St. Anne Catholic Church. A welcoming community, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we seek to proclaim Christ’s loving mission.”

Our mission statement is intended to be very short and broad. It is something we can all remember and even quote. It states what we claim to be and strive to live out in the future. We do not live it out perfectly, but it is a wonderful goal for which to strive. It succinctly brings together an awareness of our previous mission statement as well as new ideas and goals which we hope will move us into the future. From this mission, we will continue to discern goals and objectives which are more specific. We will review the good work of the previous Pastoral Plan and renew and adjust it in light of our new situation.

Please read this mission carefully. Not only commit it to memory, but let it be a prayer on your lips when you come to Mass, walk on the campus, spend time in adoration, or are simply about your daily tasks during the week. I am very proud and excited about this new mission. How does it speak to your heart? Does it create questions? Does it challenge you? How might you strive to live it out? Let us all set this on our hearts so that we may all more actively live as Christians who proudly call themselves St. Anne Catholic Church.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

The Joy of Lent

Dear Parishioners,

Blessings to you in this Lenten season. Every year we reach this time when we pay extra attention to our everyday behavior in hopes to change something for the good. On Friday’s we freely choose to refrain from eating meat. Some may also make a special effort to attend daily Mass. You may choose to go to our simple the Stations of the Cross each Friday evening. Others may be part of a faith sharing group

In a way, some find the Lenten season to be dreary. However, I would like to suggest that Lent can be a time for joy. How? This can be done in many ways. One such way is to simplify. Another? Consider slowing down. Here’s more... Choose not to clutter your day with so much activity. Increase your time in prayer. Commit to a time for prayer or reading of the Scriptures. Take time to sit and observe the beauty right outside your house. Make a list of things for which you are thankful, making sure you write one thing on the list each day. Make an extra effort to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. How about being mindful of the size of portions of food you eat and consider reducing some portion in solidarity with the poor? These ideas can confront those things that get in our way of true deep joy. You see, we live in a world of abundance, but are often blind to it. If we could only see how God blesses us, we would become even more thankful. Thankfulness is a result of joy.

These are just some ideas for you. If you’d like to ponder on more ideas, I’ve written a list of 101 spiritual acts that has grown well beyond 101. Unfortunately, there is not enough room to list them here, so I've placed them on a separate page for you to peruse. Click here to read them. Not all the ideas therein will connect with every person. In fact, some may seem rather odd. But, let us remember that not everyone is the same.

May this Lent bring you a deep joy like nothing you have ever experienced. May this joy which comes from our Lord enliven your faith and strengthen your hope. May this joy beget a greater sense of thankfulness for all the things God has given us. May we all remember how abundant God’s love is for each one of us!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Confessions of a Macoholic

As many of you know, I am a Macoholic and I struggle to work the Twelve Steps. I'm not sure there is a problem and I haven't found a higher-powered computer platform for commercial use. So, each year feed my addiction/sickness by going on vacation. But, this is not any ordinary vacation. My vacation surrounds the annual Mac World Expo. Each year I pack up my car and take along my 80-ish yr. old mom and we travel down to the Bay Area to stay with one of my sisters. This year, my mom's new husband will be joining us. He has a Macintosh, but hasn't experienced this side of his new family!

This year, Apple will not be present. Therefore, the expo itself is smaller and geared more towards conferences and classes. But, we just love to walk around the expo floor gawking at all the vendors' new wares. During our travel, we listened to the previously recorded keynote address by Steve Jobs announcing the new iPad. This was followed by a heavy dose of commentary and podcasts of other people's commentaries. Oh, yes. We are a sick bunch.

This year we had it all planned out. We were geared for going to the expo on Tuesday only to find out that we failed to read our Macworld Expo registrations which explained that the expo doors don't open until Thursday. After we both laughed off our silly mistake, we have re-adjusted our schedule to make sure our pilgrimage would not be in vain. So in the extra day we had, I, Mom, and my step-dad (this is his first experience of our crazed behavior) took a trip to the Jerusalem of the computer world: 1 Infinite Loop, also known as Apple Inc. in Cupertino. Ah! The joy of visiting the mother ship. They don't offer tours and while there is a visitors entrance, it is intended for work-only visitors, not us Mac-fans. It makes sense. Being that Apple is so secretive about everything they do, I can only imagine the security issues that weirdoes like us could cause.

What goodies will we see? What amazing technology are being released and shown to the public for the first time? Who knows? In fact, because this year's expo will be smaller, fewer vendors will be present. Some have predicted that this would be the end of the expo. Without Apple and its famous announcements that have always hovered around Mac World Expo, this year could turn out to be a total dud. Will it be the last one? Again, who knows? Something in me says it won't be, as Apple-fans are not like your typical computer users. Dare I say that it is not a computer, but a cult. Only time will tell.

But as for me and my house, I will go to Macworld Expo 2010, Mom and step-dad in tow. I hope it isn't a totally disappointing expo. One thing is for sure, I am enjoying my time with family. If nothing else, they are great with whom to spend time.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Flu Emergency Over Liturgically

Dear Parishioners,


After consultation with the Pastoral Council, recognizing that Three Rivers Hospital has ended their flu alert, and that Josephine County has ended their state of emergency regarding the flu, I am ending our own alert for St. Anne's, St. Patrick of the Forest, and Our Lady of the River.


Starting this weekend, Jan. 23/24, 2010, we will return to our normal liturgical actions which includes the return of offering the Precious Blood at Mass, shaking hands at the Sign of Peace, and relaxing the request about the form of receiving communion.


If, as common sense would dictate, a person feels sick or exhibits symptoms of illness which could be deemed as contagious, they should consider not coming to Mass. If someone is no longer contagious, but has the remnant symptoms of illness, say a cough or serious runny nose, I ask that they consider the sensibility of the community and refrain from receiving the cup or shaking hands with others. Again, common sense is the norm.


Thank you all for your patience with these Emergency Flu regulations that have effected our Liturgy these past several months.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Mission: Life

Dear Parishioners,

In last week’s homily I offered an invitation and challenge for each one of us. I asked each one of us to claim our baptism and live as a Disciple with a mission. For many, I imagine, this may seem foreign. What mission? Each one of us have been created for a purpose, and at our baptism and confirmation our Father gave us his Holy Spirit so we may have the grace to live that life for which we were called. I don’t know what you mission may be, but I can say that it is not simply to come to Mass for an hour, fulfill your obligation, and forget about your faith for the rest of the week. At the same time, most of us won’t be the next Sts. Therese or John of the Cross.

Seeking out one’s mission in life requires prayerful listening. Listening in order to hear God’s small still voice speak in our hearts and prayer that we may ask for the courage to do whatever we have been called to do. The discernment process then involves personally getting involved in things that strike an interest in us. In the course of time, we will be able to whittle down where our gift reside. Don’t let fear prevent you from trying out something new. You might be surprised that what you fear most is the place where you will find your mission and subsequent joy.

This Sunday, we have one of those opportunities to discern our mission. At 1:00 PM many will be gathering at the county courthouse for the annual March for Life. This event, whose cause is to end abortion through raising public awareness, is an excellent way to participate in one’s faith, make a difference in our culture, and reveal the evil that is perpetrated upon our most vulnerable, our unborn children. As Catholics, being pro-life is not an option. However, the way in which we participate in changing our Culture of Death into a Culture of Life is varied. Among all the various pro-life issues abortion is the most lethal of them all.

Another way to be active as Disciples in mission is by acting on the U.S. Bishop’s call to write our political leaders regarding the ongoing health care reform. The concern is again one of life. The bishops are guiding us to reject any legislation that would promote federally funded abortions while promoting affordable healthcare for all. I recently wrote to Sen. Jeff Merkley regarding this issue. He consequently sent me a form letter back disagreeing with me. So, I sent a response back which was recently published in our local paper. You can go to http://www.usccb.org/healthcare/ and learn more about ways you can help. Check out the flyer insert in this week’s bulletin as well. We will also put a link on our web site to help you easily send an e-mail to Congress.

Many of us are afraid to stand up for our faith. We are afraid of being called radicals or divisive. I agree that we can gather more bees with honey than with vinegar. But do not worry. Standing up for moral health care reform and the peaceful March for Life are loving ways to reveal the truth about our culture of death. These are ways to stir in your heart the Spirit who came upon you at baptism and called you to mission. Your participation in these events is also a way to do the same for others. Take a stand for the thousands of children who are killed every day through abortion. Help increase the opportunity for health care for all. Let God stir your heart. Consider the mission of the lives of the sick and innocent and act in solidarity with your fellow brothers and sisters for causes worthy of a few hours.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Earthquake in Haiti (Updated 1-18-10)

Dear Parishioners,

The world is still coming to realize the inexpressible loss of life and devastation that has resulted by Tuesday's 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. The quake may have comple

tely collapsed the entire infrastructure of the country. Many countries have mobilized aid and are trying to analyze the extent of the damage. Time will tell how bad it is.

Offering Help

How can you help? First pray. Pray for the dead and the survivors. God is at work through each of us and our prayers. We need to pray for calm and an increase of faith.

Another good way is by offering temporal help. Some people may be tempted to send things that they think may help the Haitian people such as shoes or food. But, what is needed right now is monetary assistance. Personally, I recommend Catholic Relief Services as an excellent organization that will use your donation well. You can donate by going to their donation site. Here's an excerpt from the CRS Blog:

CRS is moving in supplies as fast as possible. 1500 metric tons of vegetable oil and grains from USAID Food for Peace will arrive today at the northern Haiti Port of Cap Haitiene. Five trucks full of food, hygiene kits, and tarps are also on their way today from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince.

Access is very difficu

lt. Debris blocks many roads. But we have begun distributing food, hygiene kits, water, and medical supplies to households in informal camps around Port-au-Prince. We’re now working with our local and international Caritas partners to identify primary sites for next distributions.

We’re hearing reports of extensive damage in other towns west of Port-au-Prince. CRS and Caritas will assess some of these areas in the coming days. CRS is mobilizing aid and planning a $25 million response. To date, donors have contributed more than $11.9 million in cash and commitments; $7.3 million of this amount has been received via web donations.

Another way you can donate to CRS by texting on your cell phone RELIEF to 30644 and follow the instructions. According to the CRS Blog site, "After texting, you’ll get a text message reply asking you to call a number where you’ll will hear a brief message from Ken Hackett. Then you will be automatically connected to our call center where you can make a credit card donation."

In the weekend of January 23/24, all the parishes of the Archdiocese of Portland will be conducting a second collection at Mass. These funds will all go to CRS.

Avoid Scams

In a time like this, it is hard to believe, but some people will use this crisis as an opportunity to scam unwitting people who wish to do good. To learn more, click here to read cnet's article on this issue.

Sincerely,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Listening Sessions Overview

Dear Parishioners,

In the first several months of my arrival, you may remember that I hosted a series of what I called “Listening Sessions.” After nine sessions, three churches, and with over one hundred in participation, I presented a summary of these sessions to the Pastoral Council. My intent was to try to meet as many parishioners as possible, to get a sense of the community, and finally to understand the parishioner’s hopes and dreams. I heard many ideas. Some were repeatedly mentioned while others were only brought forward once or twice. In order to keep my summary succinct, I offer you an abridged summary of the most commonly mentioned topics.

General

St. Anne’s has gentrified over the years
Great desire to bring in more young people especially families into the parish.
Desire to have greater overall involvement in the parish.
Want more opportunities for Adult Education
Want to know more about those who are sick or have died in the community
Increase visibility through the newspaper

Ministries

Continue inviting back those who have left the church, ie. Welcome Back Catholics program
Desire to have more “small church communities” like Disciples in Mission program Renew
Parish Nursing ministry
Desire for youth to be more involve and visible
Renew, recruit, and reorganize communion ministry to the homebound
Renew Human Concerns Committee Reorganize R.C.I.A

Church Building

Renew efforts to complete deferred maintenance
Improve lighting in the church
Improve intelligibility of sound system
Renew/Revisit church renovation plan

Liturgy

More involvement desired, esp. young people involved
Want a youth/teen/family-oriented Mass
Renew music - desire for new/more lively music - include more instruments
Desire to be more welcoming at Mass
Increase reverence in church (concern about talking & dress code)
Desire to move announcements to the end of Mass
Consider moving location the choir due to distraction
Want more prayers for veterans and service personnel

School

Want more unity between parish and school
Desire better communication between school and parish
Desire that financial issues be reviewed and solved

Misc.

Increase participation in Perpetual Adoration, esp. youth
Increased coordination between ushers and nurses at Mass when emergencies arise
Desire for a regular 12:05 Mass at St. Anne
Desire for additional priest & Sunday Mass at Cave Junction
More Youth involvement at Cave Junction and Rogue River
Desire for Saturday Eve. Mass in Rogue River
Like to have bells at Mass
Desire to be thanked more
Would like to know which priest will be doing which Mass

Again, this list is not intended to reflect everything mentioned, but rather a highlight of the most commonly mentioned topics. All this information is important for our pastoral planning, a prayerful process which turns parish vision into reality. In the months and years ahead we will take measured steps, refine our mission, identify pastoral priorities, set goals and objectives, and revise our Pastoral Plan. Both Pastoral and Administrative councils are truly needed for this process, and I will continually look to them for this process. If you have any questions regarding this information, please don’t hesitate to talk with me or any member of the Pastoral Council.

Sincerely,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

A New Year Resolution

Dear Parishioners,

The new year, 2010, is a time of resolutions and new beginnings. Many consider starting a new diet. Others resolve to stop smoking. All of these are wonderful ideas. May I offer one that may not always be on our radar?

This year consider a new routine of prayer. Maybe you have a routine of morning and evening prayer. Maybe the rosary. Maybe adoration before the Blessed Sacrament. Again, those are wonderful things. But, maybe you have no routine at all. How about trying on for size spending ten to fifteen minutes a day of listening prayer. What is that? Listening prayer is a prayer which involves no memorized words or any words at all. It is a form of prayer that is likely the most difficult because it requires slowing down one’s mind, opening one’s spiritual ears, and just listening. So often our prayers are filled with our requests and words of angst. Once again, these are good. God wants to know what is on our hearts. However if we are always filling our prayer time with our words, how can God get in his?

The sign of any good relationship is a two-way communication. So, let your prayer also include some time for listening to what God has to say. If you really want to go for it, find an entire hour each day for this kind of prayer. Personally, I have found it to be the most important personal prayer I do. Try it. I guarantee that after a year of serious listening, you will not be the same. Now that would be a great resolution for 2010.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor