Dear Parishioners ,
As of this writing, we begin a trilogy of celebrating our faith beginning with All Hallow's Eve (Halloween),
All Saints Day, and All Souls Day (a.k.a. Day of the Dead). What is this all about? Simply put, it is our way of connecting with the reality and the persons who have gone before us marked with the signs of faith. I love it also because of the fun had by our children dressing up in costumes. Today, for example, I was at St. Francis Catholic School in Roy, OR to meet with the kids and talk about these special days. I must say that the kindergardeners were the cutest of all!
Halloween has become popularized in our culture to the point of being only second to Christmas when it comes to retail sales. It has become a point of discussion for many whether or not Christians should be celebrating this day as it is also the high "unholy" day of the satanic church. My response to this is quick: since when did we give over to Satan any of our holy feast days? Satan always tries to take what is good and turn it bad as well as tell us what is bad is really good. So which came first? Halloween has a history which finds its roots in the Irish feast of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). For information on that, check out the History Channel's web site and Wikipedia.com. Additionally, St. Anthony Messenger Press offers a wonderful article entitled, How Halloween Can be Redeemed.
All Saints Day is so important to Catholics that we consider it an obligation for all parishioners to celebrate those saints who, while not famous like St. Francis or St. Anthony, we believe share in the beatific vision of God in heaven. We share a communion with them as we are also striving to be saints here on earth and ask for their prayers. This day connects closely with All Souls Day where we also gather in prayer at Mass for those who have died yet have not come to the grandeur of the vision of heaven. These "poor souls" as we call them are on the journey to heaven and are being purified by the mercy of God. This event is also called Purgatory. Yes, we still believe in purgatory. Some folks find this an antiquated idea, yet, when I ask other non-Catholic Christians what happens to those who die with sin on their souls, the response is that they are cleansed by the blood of the lamb (Rev. 7:14). Well, that is in harmony with the Catholic teaching of purgatory. In purgatory people are cleansed by the saving act of Christ's passion, death, and resurrection. The text in the book of Revelation speaks of a time of distress while Rev. 12:11 also tells us that it was in the synergy of Jesus' action and the testimony of those who have already been purified (ref. Rev. 6:9) that the souls who have died can be aided on their way to heaven. In our Hispanic community, All Souls Day takes on further dimensions. For them the day is called Dia de los Muertos or The Day of the Dead. During these days, culminating on All Souls Day, the community remembers and prays for their loved ones who have died. They remember them using potent symbols which also mock death. In the Christian view, death is a door as well as a great equalizer. Christ has opened the door for the faithful, and in death we are all seen by God as his own beloved children, nobody more lovable than the other. It has been my observation that this fascination with death carries over into their day to day lives. In the Mexican culture, death is not so feared as it is in the Anglo culture. It is simply a fact of life to be
Happy Trilogy of Holy Days! God bless you!
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
A Pastor's Musings
Dear Parishioners ,
My Favorite Saint
On the day of this writing, the Church celebrates one of my favorite saints, St. Ignatius of Antioch. Born just a few years after Jesus' death and as a follower of St. John the Apostle, then Bishop Ignatius was given a choice by the tempore to deny the faith or be sent to Rome to be killed. Ignatius chose martyrdom. But, he didn't simply get hauled off to the eternal city, but instead, stopped en route to many bf the cities and towns along the way. How do we know? Well, Ignatius spent time and wrote seven, now famous, letters to the various communities. He encourages the faithful to hold fast to the Church's witness and obey her teachings. His popularity was such that he had to tell the people not to stop his journey to Rome where he would face the lions in the Circus Maximus. He is the first to coin the word, "The Catholic Church" and "Where the bishop is, let the people be, as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church" and he spoke forcibly about the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He is a saint who is now receiving the rewards of his faith. This courageous man died ca. 107 A.D.
Job Openings
In the past month, both our Coordinator of Faith formation and Youth Ministry notified me of their decisions to resign. Both Tania DeSantis and Mary Kiefer have done fantastic jobs in their respective positions. I am sure we will all hate to seem the leave. Yet, they both would testify that their decisions are the fruit of much discernment. Given that fact, I wish them the best for the future and have confidence that they are listening to God's prompting's. They have always inspired me and have been a true delight to work along side with in the vineyard of the Lord. I have since began publishing these openings at 20 hrs/wk with benefits and will pray that God will open the hearts of those who need to come forward and continue where Tania and Mary left off. I must admit that I have panicked many times about all kinds of happenings in our parish, but strangely enough I am not worried. These events are pretty big in our small community and that just reminds me that I am not in control. Rather, it is all in God's hands. If God opened doors for Tania and Mary, then he's clearly got a plan for us too. If you know of someone who has a heart for children, teens, and ministry, then please encourage them to send me a cover letter and resume. Our parish continues to grow. The families here at St. Anthony's are amazing. I am privileged to be part of the life of this parish. Let us all join in prayer to stir the hearts of those whom God is calling to join us in our journey toward Christ. In the meantine, I encourage you to offer your thanks and well-wishes to Tania and Mary on the next chapters in their lives. Well done, good and faithful servants!
Thank You
Since my last posting where I asked for financial assistance for my podcasting ministry, I received monies that will subsidize the St. Anthony's Podcast for almost a year. Thank you to the donors who have so generously given to this noble cause. I pledge to continue and hopefully expand the podcast as listeners offer ideas.
Thank you for all your prayers! God bless you!
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
My Favorite Saint
On the day of this writing, the Church celebrates one of my favorite saints, St. Ignatius of Antioch. Born just a few years after Jesus' death and as a follower of St. John the Apostle, then Bishop Ignatius was given a choice by the tempore to deny the faith or be sent to Rome to be killed. Ignatius chose martyrdom. But, he didn't simply get hauled off to the eternal city, but instead, stopped en route to many bf the cities and towns along the way. How do we know? Well, Ignatius spent time and wrote seven, now famous, letters to the various communities. He encourages the faithful to hold fast to the Church's witness and obey her teachings. His popularity was such that he had to tell the people not to stop his journey to Rome where he would face the lions in the Circus Maximus. He is the first to coin the word, "The Catholic Church" and "Where the bishop is, let the people be, as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church" and he spoke forcibly about the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He is a saint who is now receiving the rewards of his faith. This courageous man died ca. 107 A.D.
Job Openings
In the past month, both our Coordinator of Faith formation and Youth Ministry notified me of their decisions to resign. Both Tania DeSantis and Mary Kiefer have done fantastic jobs in their respective positions. I am sure we will all hate to seem the leave. Yet, they both would testify that their decisions are the fruit of much discernment. Given that fact, I wish them the best for the future and have confidence that they are listening to God's prompting's. They have always inspired me and have been a true delight to work along side with in the vineyard of the Lord. I have since began publishing these openings at 20 hrs/wk with benefits and will pray that God will open the hearts of those who need to come forward and continue where Tania and Mary left off. I must admit that I have panicked many times about all kinds of happenings in our parish, but strangely enough I am not worried. These events are pretty big in our small community and that just reminds me that I am not in control. Rather, it is all in God's hands. If God opened doors for Tania and Mary, then he's clearly got a plan for us too. If you know of someone who has a heart for children, teens, and ministry, then please encourage them to send me a cover letter and resume. Our parish continues to grow. The families here at St. Anthony's are amazing. I am privileged to be part of the life of this parish. Let us all join in prayer to stir the hearts of those whom God is calling to join us in our journey toward Christ. In the meantine, I encourage you to offer your thanks and well-wishes to Tania and Mary on the next chapters in their lives. Well done, good and faithful servants!
Thank You
Since my last posting where I asked for financial assistance for my podcasting ministry, I received monies that will subsidize the St. Anthony's Podcast for almost a year. Thank you to the donors who have so generously given to this noble cause. I pledge to continue and hopefully expand the podcast as listeners offer ideas.
Thank you for all your prayers! God bless you!
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Happy Anniversary!
Hello All,
One-Year Anniversary for St. Anthony's Podcast
On the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Sept. 24th), I will have completed an entire liturgical year of podcasting! My first podcast was actually on Sept. 21st, 2005, but I am looking at it through the Church's calendar. It has been a lot of fun. I've had to learn a lot about the technical side of things as well as the artistic side of thing in order to make it all come out well. I recall listening to the award winning productions of Fr. Roderick Vonhögen's Catholic Insider and Leo Laporte's TWiT (This Week in Tech) podcasts from which came my inspiration to begin this venture. From that original podcast sprang three other ones: The Da Vinci Cast (Picked up by the SQPN), The Children's GIFT Blog & Podcast, and a family-only podcast about our camping experiences called Camp On Dude Podcast. In cooperation with Fr. Roderick, I was part of an initiative to begin a podcast which would chronicle events in the Church and offer a variety of commentary. It is called TWiCC (This Week in the Catholic Church). It struggles, however to really get off the ground. But, who knows what the future has in store. I even encouraged a couple priest friends to offer podcasts of their own: Fr. Mike's Podcast and Fr. Gary Zerr's Homilies.
An Evolution
It went from borrowing someone's microphone and making a simple recording to purchasing my own condenser microphone and bringing in professional music and doing some live podcasts with staff and parishioners. I began with a simple account with Apple, soon outgrew it, then changed to another company, Libsyn.com, who now hosts all of my podcasts. I began an online blog, learned some basic JAVA script and began to create my own liturgical calendar that automatically displays the saint of the day. Listenership first began with people in the parish and eventually grew to reach all over the world. I've had hits on my podcast page from every continent in the world. It's truly amazing how podcasting can reach so far beyond one's own little humble abode. There were times that I wondered if I would have the time or stamina to complete an entire year of podcasting. The sheer busyness of being a pastor made it sometimes pretty difficult. But, I also learned that producing an episode or developing my web site was a refreshing break from the stresses of pastoral work and administration. In the course of this past year, I even launched a new site dedicated to Catholic Geek news which can be found at www.geekisgood.org.
Idea for the Future
For some time I've toyed with the idea of encouraging listener feedback via e-mail or recorded voice comments. I've hesitated to do it as it adds another layer of work to produce the podcast. Yet, I have decided to encourage it as I come to my second year. I figure that it will give a new dimension to the program and could allow folks to hear another voice besides mine. So please consider sending me some audio feedback that I could put on the program.
Financial Assistance
As I begin year two, I thought I would invite people to consider helping me defray the costs of producing this podcast by making donations via PayPal. The music I use cost me $200 last year. The fee for use of the server which hosts my audio files is $10/month. My broadband connection runs about $45/month. There have been other costs like the purchase of a microphone, headphones, software and an SD card for my Palm Treo in order to do interviews in the field, and other items that I won't get into. Basically, I am looking for assistance for the regular costs that I know occur either annually or monthly. If you have found the St. Anthony's Podcast to be a worthwhile ministry for you, would you consider making a donation to help me lower my costs? If so, you can simply click the link below. If not, I certainly would appreciate your prayers not only for the podcast, but for me as a pastor and St. Anthony's as a Church.
Podcast Expo
On Sept. 29-30, the Podcast Expo will be held and celebrate three awards to programs from the SQPN: The Catholic Insider, The Daily Breakfast, and the Rosary Army. I am very happy for Fr. Roderick of the Catholic Insider and Daily Breakfast as wekk as Greg & Jennifer for the Rosary Army. Furthermore, I am even more excited to be able to go to this wonderful even if only for the first day. I will be able to meet these new friends whom I've only had conversations with via the Internet. I am excited to cheer on these three as standouts in the sea of podcasts.
I will be flying to Ontario, CA and back the same day just to attend the conference. It may seem crazy (and it very well may be), but I am very excited about the opportunity to meet these new friends as well as feed my geeky hobby of podcasting. Yipee! I hope even to do a podcast while I'm there, but we'll see. This is going to be my first time at this Expo. Heck, it's only the second run for the organizers of this Expo.
If you are reading this and are wondering, "What the heck is a podcast I why should I care?" Well, I'm so glad you asked! A podcast is basically an audio file on the internet that people canlisten to directly or through special software which allows them to automatically receive the latest episode. People from all over the world can listen to and create podcasts right from their homes. It's like radio without boundaries. Most podcasts are actually quite bad, but there are many that are outstanding. The shows from the SQPN are a perfect example. Podcsting exploded as a phenomena when Apple introduced iTunes with podcast subscription capability. So, today, people can go to many places and simply subscribe to a podcast of their choice. I am so glad that awards are now being given in recognition of the outstanding work by podcasters. I think it will encourage others to increase the quality of their show, but also inspire others to begin their own podcast.
That's probably enough for one blog for now. Thank you for all your prayers!
God bless you all,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
One-Year Anniversary for St. Anthony's Podcast
On the 25th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Sept. 24th), I will have completed an entire liturgical year of podcasting! My first podcast was actually on Sept. 21st, 2005, but I am looking at it through the Church's calendar. It has been a lot of fun. I've had to learn a lot about the technical side of things as well as the artistic side of thing in order to make it all come out well. I recall listening to the award winning productions of Fr. Roderick Vonhögen's Catholic Insider and Leo Laporte's TWiT (This Week in Tech) podcasts from which came my inspiration to begin this venture. From that original podcast sprang three other ones: The Da Vinci Cast (Picked up by the SQPN), The Children's GIFT Blog & Podcast, and a family-only podcast about our camping experiences called Camp On Dude Podcast. In cooperation with Fr. Roderick, I was part of an initiative to begin a podcast which would chronicle events in the Church and offer a variety of commentary. It is called TWiCC (This Week in the Catholic Church). It struggles, however to really get off the ground. But, who knows what the future has in store. I even encouraged a couple priest friends to offer podcasts of their own: Fr. Mike's Podcast and Fr. Gary Zerr's Homilies.
An Evolution
It went from borrowing someone's microphone and making a simple recording to purchasing my own condenser microphone and bringing in professional music and doing some live podcasts with staff and parishioners. I began with a simple account with Apple, soon outgrew it, then changed to another company, Libsyn.com, who now hosts all of my podcasts. I began an online blog, learned some basic JAVA script and began to create my own liturgical calendar that automatically displays the saint of the day. Listenership first began with people in the parish and eventually grew to reach all over the world. I've had hits on my podcast page from every continent in the world. It's truly amazing how podcasting can reach so far beyond one's own little humble abode. There were times that I wondered if I would have the time or stamina to complete an entire year of podcasting. The sheer busyness of being a pastor made it sometimes pretty difficult. But, I also learned that producing an episode or developing my web site was a refreshing break from the stresses of pastoral work and administration. In the course of this past year, I even launched a new site dedicated to Catholic Geek news which can be found at www.geekisgood.org.
Idea for the Future
For some time I've toyed with the idea of encouraging listener feedback via e-mail or recorded voice comments. I've hesitated to do it as it adds another layer of work to produce the podcast. Yet, I have decided to encourage it as I come to my second year. I figure that it will give a new dimension to the program and could allow folks to hear another voice besides mine. So please consider sending me some audio feedback that I could put on the program.
Financial Assistance
As I begin year two, I thought I would invite people to consider helping me defray the costs of producing this podcast by making donations via PayPal. The music I use cost me $200 last year. The fee for use of the server which hosts my audio files is $10/month. My broadband connection runs about $45/month. There have been other costs like the purchase of a microphone, headphones, software and an SD card for my Palm Treo in order to do interviews in the field, and other items that I won't get into. Basically, I am looking for assistance for the regular costs that I know occur either annually or monthly. If you have found the St. Anthony's Podcast to be a worthwhile ministry for you, would you consider making a donation to help me lower my costs? If so, you can simply click the link below. If not, I certainly would appreciate your prayers not only for the podcast, but for me as a pastor and St. Anthony's as a Church.
Podcast Expo
On Sept. 29-30, the Podcast Expo will be held and celebrate three awards to programs from the SQPN: The Catholic Insider, The Daily Breakfast, and the Rosary Army. I am very happy for Fr. Roderick of the Catholic Insider and Daily Breakfast as wekk as Greg & Jennifer for the Rosary Army. Furthermore, I am even more excited to be able to go to this wonderful even if only for the first day. I will be able to meet these new friends whom I've only had conversations with via the Internet. I am excited to cheer on these three as standouts in the sea of podcasts.
I will be flying to Ontario, CA and back the same day just to attend the conference. It may seem crazy (and it very well may be), but I am very excited about the opportunity to meet these new friends as well as feed my geeky hobby of podcasting. Yipee! I hope even to do a podcast while I'm there, but we'll see. This is going to be my first time at this Expo. Heck, it's only the second run for the organizers of this Expo.
If you are reading this and are wondering, "What the heck is a podcast I why should I care?" Well, I'm so glad you asked! A podcast is basically an audio file on the internet that people canlisten to directly or through special software which allows them to automatically receive the latest episode. People from all over the world can listen to and create podcasts right from their homes. It's like radio without boundaries. Most podcasts are actually quite bad, but there are many that are outstanding. The shows from the SQPN are a perfect example. Podcsting exploded as a phenomena when Apple introduced iTunes with podcast subscription capability. So, today, people can go to many places and simply subscribe to a podcast of their choice. I am so glad that awards are now being given in recognition of the outstanding work by podcasters. I think it will encourage others to increase the quality of their show, but also inspire others to begin their own podcast.
That's probably enough for one blog for now. Thank you for all your prayers!
God bless you all,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Saturday, September 9, 2006
School's In
Dear Parishioners,
School is In
Each year when I was a student I recall having dreams of forgetting where my classes or locker were or what my locker combination was. As a teacher, I would dream that my classes were completely out of control and in a state of anarchy. Ah, dreams! Thank goodness that they were only that. As the schol year begins, our minsitries begin to wind up. If you have children or teens in your family, now is the time to connect with our Coordinators of Faith Formation for the young ones and our Coordinator of Youth Ministry for your teens. We also have opportunities for adult faith fomration. I'll be teaching a series of classes on Christology through the Archdiocese. While people can take it for credit towards a certificate in ministry, folks can also simply audit the class for their own personal faith formation.
Thank You!
This past month, our parish put on a rummage sale. It was a wonderful success! Thank you to all of you who spent so much time making it work. The outcome of the revenue will be directed towards out needs in personnel. From reports I've heard, it was more than just a fund raiser, it was also a friend-raiser. It was an opportunity for St. Anthony's to come together and work towards a common goal. It was also a form of connection with the larger community of Forest Grove and beyond. Many charities were also able to come and receive things free of charge to help them in their work.
Parish Picnic
One of our annual fun gatherings I always look forward to is our annual parish picnic sponsored by the Pastoral Council. The weather is going to be nice and I hope that you can come. I thouroughly enjoy seeing everyone in a different environment with their families. There will be games and lots 'o food. Bar-b-que hamburgers and hotdogs will be offered in addition to whatever items you plan to bring. Bring on the nitrates!
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
School is In
Each year when I was a student I recall having dreams of forgetting where my classes or locker were or what my locker combination was. As a teacher, I would dream that my classes were completely out of control and in a state of anarchy. Ah, dreams! Thank goodness that they were only that. As the schol year begins, our minsitries begin to wind up. If you have children or teens in your family, now is the time to connect with our Coordinators of Faith Formation for the young ones and our Coordinator of Youth Ministry for your teens. We also have opportunities for adult faith fomration. I'll be teaching a series of classes on Christology through the Archdiocese. While people can take it for credit towards a certificate in ministry, folks can also simply audit the class for their own personal faith formation.
Thank You!
This past month, our parish put on a rummage sale. It was a wonderful success! Thank you to all of you who spent so much time making it work. The outcome of the revenue will be directed towards out needs in personnel. From reports I've heard, it was more than just a fund raiser, it was also a friend-raiser. It was an opportunity for St. Anthony's to come together and work towards a common goal. It was also a form of connection with the larger community of Forest Grove and beyond. Many charities were also able to come and receive things free of charge to help them in their work.
Parish Picnic
One of our annual fun gatherings I always look forward to is our annual parish picnic sponsored by the Pastoral Council. The weather is going to be nice and I hope that you can come. I thouroughly enjoy seeing everyone in a different environment with their families. There will be games and lots 'o food. Bar-b-que hamburgers and hotdogs will be offered in addition to whatever items you plan to bring. Bring on the nitrates!
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Monday, July 24, 2006
Summertime Heats Up
Dear Parishioners,
The Heat Is On
Recently, we have been suffering through hot days in the high 90's and even 100's. As I write this, the weather service tells me that the high today was 106 degrees. That is very hot. As such, I abbreviated parts of the Mass as was appropriate this weekend. Yes, I am capable of a short homily. Whoo hooo! I'm glad that none of our celebrations were during the peak of any of this heat.
With our eyes on the weather, I've decided to add a weather widget to my home page. It defaults to Forest Grove, but you can add any zip code to get the temperature of the city of your choice. I will eventually put it at the bottom of this web page. Check it out.
Update On New Cathedra
As I mentioned in my previous blog (click here for previous blogs), we have set in motion to replace the presider's chair and server's chairs in our sanctuary. The decision has been made and the chairs have been picked out and paid for. Below you will see how the chairs will look. The center chair, the cathedra, will have a crown back with a cross on it (see photo below on right). We should receive these chairs in four to six weeks. The fabric will be red, though not a solid as seen in these photos. The reason behind this is to hide any possible stains in the future. The Liturgy Committee chose the wood stain color to match our altar and the fabric to contrast the back of the sanctuary. I am very excited to replace the chairs we have so faithfully used for so many years. I believe you will agree that these new chairs will be dignified replacements.
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
The Heat Is On
Recently, we have been suffering through hot days in the high 90's and even 100's. As I write this, the weather service tells me that the high today was 106 degrees. That is very hot. As such, I abbreviated parts of the Mass as was appropriate this weekend. Yes, I am capable of a short homily. Whoo hooo! I'm glad that none of our celebrations were during the peak of any of this heat.
With our eyes on the weather, I've decided to add a weather widget to my home page. It defaults to Forest Grove, but you can add any zip code to get the temperature of the city of your choice. I will eventually put it at the bottom of this web page. Check it out.
Update On New Cathedra
As I mentioned in my previous blog (click here for previous blogs), we have set in motion to replace the presider's chair and server's chairs in our sanctuary. The decision has been made and the chairs have been picked out and paid for. Below you will see how the chairs will look. The center chair, the cathedra, will have a crown back with a cross on it (see photo below on right). We should receive these chairs in four to six weeks. The fabric will be red, though not a solid as seen in these photos. The reason behind this is to hide any possible stains in the future. The Liturgy Committee chose the wood stain color to match our altar and the fabric to contrast the back of the sanctuary. I am very excited to replace the chairs we have so faithfully used for so many years. I believe you will agree that these new chairs will be dignified replacements.
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Let Us Rejoice in Faith
Dear Parishioners,
Ordinary Faith
Now that Easter is truly over and we've completed the three post-easter solemnities (Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, & Corpus Christi), one might begin to think that we no longer have reason to celebrate. Ah, hah! Ordinary Time is not so ordinary as one might think. Look around. Summer is officially here! The weather has turned hot and the skies are clear. Nature is anything but ordinary. The liturgy is also not so boring nor the lectionary so drab. For the coming weeks, we will be challenged to have faith, to not fear, to trust in the Lord. This is still a challenge for each one of us. What are the things that cause you stress, doubt, or fear? When you come to Mass in the coming weeks, plan to have these disabilities confronted and maybe even healed. Ordinary? That's not so ordinary. This is a time to rejoice for life is all around us. God never leaves us alone. His creation is the sign of his love. So, look around and recognize the beauty of God's love and rejoice.
For more reflection, check the readings out for yourself: USCCB Web Site for the Lectionary.
I also want to extend my gratitude to all the parishioners who have been bringing the harvest of their flower gardens for use in the Church. All of these flowers look extraordinary. It's quite amazing. It is also amazing the volunteers who come each Saturday morning to arrange them in our sanctuary. It looks like we have professionals doing all our labor. Next time you see the flowers in the Church, say a prayer for all those who have donated them and those who have arranged them. It's quite an honor. The liturgy is all the more beautiful for the natural gifts of creation inside the Church.
Speaking of the Liturgy!
The U.S. Bishops just recently met in Los Angeles to make a final approval of our revised Sacramentary, soon to be renamed The Roman Missal. The revisions now go to the Vatican for final approval. But, don't think that the changes will happen soon. Likely we won't see the new Roman Missal nor its adaptations or changes for a couple more years. But noteworthy will be some of our responses at Mass. For example, when the presider proclaims, "The Lord be with you" we are used to replying, "And also with you." But that response, according to the latest working edition of the Roman Missal sent to Rome, will be "And with your spirit." You might ask why? Well, it's quite simple actually. The Church desires that the English texts used be closer to the original Latin. Monsignor James P. Moroney also expressed that the Vatican desires "a deeper language that's more expressive and more poetic." In an AP report, other texts are being revised as well. See below for some of the details.
Below is the text from Archbishop John Vlazny's e-column also found in the Catholic Sentinel. He give some background of these events as they hapened:
CELEBRATING THE SACRED MYSTERIES
Archbishop Vlazny 6/29/2006
Last month I attended the annual spring assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This year we gathered in Los Angeles and were privileged to concelebrate the Eucharist at the new Los Angeles Archdiocesan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. In many ways that was especially appropriate this time, since probably our most important discussion during the meeting focused on the new English Translation of the Order of Mass.
Early in the meeting we were privileged to be addressed by the Most Rev. Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds, England, Chairman of ICEL (the International Commission on English in the Liturgy). He was elected to that position four years ago from among the representatives of the 11 English-speaking countries that are member of ICEL. Francis Cardinal George is the American representative.
For years we have known that the English version of Mass we currently use is far from perfect. I am privileged to celebrate the Eucharist in Spanish frequently, and I can recognize the difference in richness between the two texts. When the first English version was published after the Second Vatican Council, the bishops of ICEL at the time recognized that some revision of their work would eventually be needed. Back in the early 1970s, the bishops were eager to make an acceptable English version available to people as soon as possible.
Hence the work was done quickly, and as in all hurried matters, the need for improvements quickly surfaced. Bishop Roche reminded us that the translators back then clearly were focused on bringing the liturgy closer to the people. But it remains important for us to preserve and transmit our inherited liturgical tradition as it has been passed onto us. This time both objectives have been uppermost in the minds of the translators.
What is ICEL? The International Commission on English in the Liturgy is a mixed commission of Catholic bishops' conferences in countries where English is used in the celebration of the sacred liturgy according to the Roman rite. Its purpose is to prepare English translations of each of the liturgical books and any individual liturgical texts in accordance with the directives of the Holy See.
The 11 conferences of bishops which are currently full members of ICEL are Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Scotland, South Africa and the USA. The bishops from the English-speaking countries who were attending the Second Vatican Council set up the commission in Rome back in 1963. The Holy See later that year formally established ICEL as a mixed commission in accordance with the mind of the Holy Father and the council fathers.
In 2001 the Holy See issued an instruction on the use of vernacular languages in the publication of the books of the Roman liturgy. In many ways this altered the compass for those working on such translations, including the members of ICEL. This instruction is commonly referred to by its Latin name Liturgiam Authenticam. It sets forth authoritatively the manner in which vernacular translations of the texts of the Roman liturgy are to be derived from the original Latin text.
Of particular note was the insistence that the translated text was not to be seen so much as a work of creative inventiveness as one of fidelity and exactness in rendering the Latin texts into the vernacular. Consideration, of course, must be given to the particular way that each language expresses itself. Likewise the vocabulary chosen for translations should be easily comprehensible and at the same time expressive of the dignity and oratorical rhythm of the original. A very important consideration is to be given to the fact that liturgical texts are intended to be publicly proclaimed aloud and even sung.
Over the years some differences surfaced that impeded the collaborative efforts of the members of ICEL with the Roman Congregation for Worship. In order to facilitate this collaboration and clarify some questions the Roman Congregation established in 2001 the Vox Clara Committee, a group of senior bishops from episcopal conferences throughout the English-speaking world whose purpose would be to give advice to the Congregation concerning the translation of Latin texts into the English language and to strengthen the relationship between the Congregation and the 11 conferences represented in ICEL. Five advisors from the English-speaking world were appointed by Rome to assist in the work of the Vox Clara committee. They include our own Father Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, of Mount Angel Abbey.
The major project under consideration by the Roman Congregation, the members of ICEL and the Vox Clara Committee is the completion of the translation of the Roman Missal. As you know, in recent years the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved vernacular editions of the Lectionary for Mass and the Rites of Ordination of a Bishop, a Priest and of Deacons. Both of these texts were confirmed by the Holy See and are now in use throughout the USA.
On June 15, during the Plenary Session of our USCCB Spring Assembly, we bishops approved the translation presented to us by ICEL. We also offered 62 amendments to ICEL as proposed by the bishops with the recommendation of our own committee on liturgy. We paid particular attention to the precision, proclaimability and memorability of the translation. In a separate action we also approved eight adaptations to the Order of Mass. Both of these actions will require confirmation from the Holy See.
Most of the adaptations have already been a part of the Roman Missal in present usage. If approved, there will be no discernable change as far as worshipers are concerned. The two new adaptations concern the eventual inclusion of additional proper formulae in the Eucharistic Prayers and the inclusion of proper forms of the Act of Penitence for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.
These changes have received some attention in the media, but the end result is still a couple of years away. I know that many of our priests, pastoral ministers, liturgists and musicians have serious concerns about the proposed changes and the effect they will have upon the full and active participation of our people.
I am confident that the eventual agreement of all our English-speaking countries on a single version of the Mass will be, as Bishop Roche reminded us American bishops last month, a wonderful sign of our catholicity. I ask for your patience and I encourage the cooperation of all as we continue to promote and assure beautiful and prayerful worship in keeping with the authentic tradition of our Roman Catholic faith. Special thanks to all who continue to make the liturgical celebrations in parishes across western Oregon the best that they can be.
New Cathedra
Since I arrived four years ago, we've been saving the stipends offered for Masses requested for loved ones. With these restricted funds, we have purchased new items for our liturgies such as vessels and a chasuble. We are now in the final stages of purchasing new chairs to replace the ones that have been with us so long. The current chairs are getting old and showing it. So, as we get closer, I will post images of the chairs we will be getting. One might ask why the chairs matter. Again, the answer is quite simple. The chair or cathedra is the sign of the bishop. In fact, the cathedra in the Church of the bishop is where we get the name for his Church, a cathedral. It is the "seat' of the local ordinary or bishop. So, I don't just sit in the cathedra or presider's chair, but rather I have been chosen by the bishop to be his agent and sit in his stead. So, the chair is an important symbol along with the altar and the ambo. These three pieces of furniture make up the most important pieces of furniture within the sanctuary. All of these, by the way, also symbolize Christ. The altar is the symbol of Christ the priest and sacrifice, the ambo is the symbol of Christ as the Word of God, and the cathedra is the symbol of Christ as head of the Church. These could also be seen as the roles of priest, prophet, and king. However, the presider should not preside over the community as a king might lord over his subjects in any authoritarian way. The leadership of Christ and his priest is one of a shepherd and servant leadership.
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Ordinary Faith
Now that Easter is truly over and we've completed the three post-easter solemnities (Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, & Corpus Christi), one might begin to think that we no longer have reason to celebrate. Ah, hah! Ordinary Time is not so ordinary as one might think. Look around. Summer is officially here! The weather has turned hot and the skies are clear. Nature is anything but ordinary. The liturgy is also not so boring nor the lectionary so drab. For the coming weeks, we will be challenged to have faith, to not fear, to trust in the Lord. This is still a challenge for each one of us. What are the things that cause you stress, doubt, or fear? When you come to Mass in the coming weeks, plan to have these disabilities confronted and maybe even healed. Ordinary? That's not so ordinary. This is a time to rejoice for life is all around us. God never leaves us alone. His creation is the sign of his love. So, look around and recognize the beauty of God's love and rejoice.
For more reflection, check the readings out for yourself: USCCB Web Site for the Lectionary.
I also want to extend my gratitude to all the parishioners who have been bringing the harvest of their flower gardens for use in the Church. All of these flowers look extraordinary. It's quite amazing. It is also amazing the volunteers who come each Saturday morning to arrange them in our sanctuary. It looks like we have professionals doing all our labor. Next time you see the flowers in the Church, say a prayer for all those who have donated them and those who have arranged them. It's quite an honor. The liturgy is all the more beautiful for the natural gifts of creation inside the Church.
Speaking of the Liturgy!
The U.S. Bishops just recently met in Los Angeles to make a final approval of our revised Sacramentary, soon to be renamed The Roman Missal. The revisions now go to the Vatican for final approval. But, don't think that the changes will happen soon. Likely we won't see the new Roman Missal nor its adaptations or changes for a couple more years. But noteworthy will be some of our responses at Mass. For example, when the presider proclaims, "The Lord be with you" we are used to replying, "And also with you." But that response, according to the latest working edition of the Roman Missal sent to Rome, will be "And with your spirit." You might ask why? Well, it's quite simple actually. The Church desires that the English texts used be closer to the original Latin. Monsignor James P. Moroney also expressed that the Vatican desires "a deeper language that's more expressive and more poetic." In an AP report, other texts are being revised as well. See below for some of the details.
| Rite of the Mass | Current Version | Revised Version |
| Presidential exchanges | "And also with you" | "And with your spirit" |
| Penitential Rite | "through my own fault" | "through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault" |
| Nicene Creed | Introductory words: "We believe" | "I believe" |
| Sanctus/Holy | "Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might" | "Holy, holy, holy Lord God of Hosts" |
| Communion Rite | "Lord I am not worthy to receive you" | "Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof." |
Below is the text from Archbishop John Vlazny's e-column also found in the Catholic Sentinel. He give some background of these events as they hapened:
CELEBRATING THE SACRED MYSTERIES
Archbishop Vlazny 6/29/2006
Last month I attended the annual spring assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. This year we gathered in Los Angeles and were privileged to concelebrate the Eucharist at the new Los Angeles Archdiocesan Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. In many ways that was especially appropriate this time, since probably our most important discussion during the meeting focused on the new English Translation of the Order of Mass.
Early in the meeting we were privileged to be addressed by the Most Rev. Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds, England, Chairman of ICEL (the International Commission on English in the Liturgy). He was elected to that position four years ago from among the representatives of the 11 English-speaking countries that are member of ICEL. Francis Cardinal George is the American representative.
For years we have known that the English version of Mass we currently use is far from perfect. I am privileged to celebrate the Eucharist in Spanish frequently, and I can recognize the difference in richness between the two texts. When the first English version was published after the Second Vatican Council, the bishops of ICEL at the time recognized that some revision of their work would eventually be needed. Back in the early 1970s, the bishops were eager to make an acceptable English version available to people as soon as possible.
Hence the work was done quickly, and as in all hurried matters, the need for improvements quickly surfaced. Bishop Roche reminded us that the translators back then clearly were focused on bringing the liturgy closer to the people. But it remains important for us to preserve and transmit our inherited liturgical tradition as it has been passed onto us. This time both objectives have been uppermost in the minds of the translators.
What is ICEL? The International Commission on English in the Liturgy is a mixed commission of Catholic bishops' conferences in countries where English is used in the celebration of the sacred liturgy according to the Roman rite. Its purpose is to prepare English translations of each of the liturgical books and any individual liturgical texts in accordance with the directives of the Holy See.
The 11 conferences of bishops which are currently full members of ICEL are Australia, Canada, England and Wales, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Scotland, South Africa and the USA. The bishops from the English-speaking countries who were attending the Second Vatican Council set up the commission in Rome back in 1963. The Holy See later that year formally established ICEL as a mixed commission in accordance with the mind of the Holy Father and the council fathers.
In 2001 the Holy See issued an instruction on the use of vernacular languages in the publication of the books of the Roman liturgy. In many ways this altered the compass for those working on such translations, including the members of ICEL. This instruction is commonly referred to by its Latin name Liturgiam Authenticam. It sets forth authoritatively the manner in which vernacular translations of the texts of the Roman liturgy are to be derived from the original Latin text.
Of particular note was the insistence that the translated text was not to be seen so much as a work of creative inventiveness as one of fidelity and exactness in rendering the Latin texts into the vernacular. Consideration, of course, must be given to the particular way that each language expresses itself. Likewise the vocabulary chosen for translations should be easily comprehensible and at the same time expressive of the dignity and oratorical rhythm of the original. A very important consideration is to be given to the fact that liturgical texts are intended to be publicly proclaimed aloud and even sung.
Over the years some differences surfaced that impeded the collaborative efforts of the members of ICEL with the Roman Congregation for Worship. In order to facilitate this collaboration and clarify some questions the Roman Congregation established in 2001 the Vox Clara Committee, a group of senior bishops from episcopal conferences throughout the English-speaking world whose purpose would be to give advice to the Congregation concerning the translation of Latin texts into the English language and to strengthen the relationship between the Congregation and the 11 conferences represented in ICEL. Five advisors from the English-speaking world were appointed by Rome to assist in the work of the Vox Clara committee. They include our own Father Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, of Mount Angel Abbey.
The major project under consideration by the Roman Congregation, the members of ICEL and the Vox Clara Committee is the completion of the translation of the Roman Missal. As you know, in recent years the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has approved vernacular editions of the Lectionary for Mass and the Rites of Ordination of a Bishop, a Priest and of Deacons. Both of these texts were confirmed by the Holy See and are now in use throughout the USA.
On June 15, during the Plenary Session of our USCCB Spring Assembly, we bishops approved the translation presented to us by ICEL. We also offered 62 amendments to ICEL as proposed by the bishops with the recommendation of our own committee on liturgy. We paid particular attention to the precision, proclaimability and memorability of the translation. In a separate action we also approved eight adaptations to the Order of Mass. Both of these actions will require confirmation from the Holy See.
Most of the adaptations have already been a part of the Roman Missal in present usage. If approved, there will be no discernable change as far as worshipers are concerned. The two new adaptations concern the eventual inclusion of additional proper formulae in the Eucharistic Prayers and the inclusion of proper forms of the Act of Penitence for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Lent and Easter.
These changes have received some attention in the media, but the end result is still a couple of years away. I know that many of our priests, pastoral ministers, liturgists and musicians have serious concerns about the proposed changes and the effect they will have upon the full and active participation of our people.
I am confident that the eventual agreement of all our English-speaking countries on a single version of the Mass will be, as Bishop Roche reminded us American bishops last month, a wonderful sign of our catholicity. I ask for your patience and I encourage the cooperation of all as we continue to promote and assure beautiful and prayerful worship in keeping with the authentic tradition of our Roman Catholic faith. Special thanks to all who continue to make the liturgical celebrations in parishes across western Oregon the best that they can be.
New Cathedra
Since I arrived four years ago, we've been saving the stipends offered for Masses requested for loved ones. With these restricted funds, we have purchased new items for our liturgies such as vessels and a chasuble. We are now in the final stages of purchasing new chairs to replace the ones that have been with us so long. The current chairs are getting old and showing it. So, as we get closer, I will post images of the chairs we will be getting. One might ask why the chairs matter. Again, the answer is quite simple. The chair or cathedra is the sign of the bishop. In fact, the cathedra in the Church of the bishop is where we get the name for his Church, a cathedral. It is the "seat' of the local ordinary or bishop. So, I don't just sit in the cathedra or presider's chair, but rather I have been chosen by the bishop to be his agent and sit in his stead. So, the chair is an important symbol along with the altar and the ambo. These three pieces of furniture make up the most important pieces of furniture within the sanctuary. All of these, by the way, also symbolize Christ. The altar is the symbol of Christ the priest and sacrifice, the ambo is the symbol of Christ as the Word of God, and the cathedra is the symbol of Christ as head of the Church. These could also be seen as the roles of priest, prophet, and king. However, the presider should not preside over the community as a king might lord over his subjects in any authoritarian way. The leadership of Christ and his priest is one of a shepherd and servant leadership.
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
A Season of Renewal
Dear Parishioners,
Pentecost
Now is the time for us to rejoice in the gift of our faith. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is with us. This Pentecost we celebrate the birthday of the Church and the gifts that come along with the indwelling of God's Spirit. Too often, we do not appreciate or even know that those gifts are there. Maybe we don't utilize them or don't know how to offer them. It is very simple, yet very challenging to have a "life in the Spirit." Our postmodern culture is suspicious of anything supernatural. Furthermore, we all struggle with the desire to do things our own way. We struggle with pride.
In order to live a life in the Spirit, I must first recognize God's Lordship in my life. I must submit myself to God's plan and ask for the strength to let go of any of my own selfish desires. Then, I simply ask God to help me to be open to the prompting of the Spirit. What gifts might the Spirit offer? Well, there's the ones mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:8-11, 1 Pt. 4:11, Eph. 4, Rom. 12, and Is. 11:1-5. But, this list is not intended to be exhaustive. For each person, there is a particular gift. The question is, what is yours, and are you offering it to build up the community? If you sense that you are embarrassed to offer your gift, take some more time and ask God to give you the courage you need. Regarding the various ministries in your Church, spend some time discerning how God is calling you to offer your gifts to your community. Then, make yourself known to whomever is responsible for the ministry related to your gifts. If your Church doesn't have such a ministry, maybe you are the one being called to start it and lead it. Don't be afraid and don't assume that it needs to be huge. Maybe it would involve just a few people. Maybe it needs more time to germinate. Maybe it needs to be brought to your pastor or Pastoral Council for advisement. Ultimately, God will bless you if you listen and just try to be obedient to the Spirit's prompting's.
TWiCC is Here!
The Starquest Podcast Network (a.k.a. SQPN) produced by Fr. RoderickVonhögen is now offering a new podcast entitled "This Week in the Catholic Church," or " TWICC" for short. I participated in the first recording on Monday via Skype and had a ball doing it. The show is hosted by Fr. Roderick. It includes several other very intelligent and funny people talking about current events and things of interest within the Church. I am excited to see how it will grow and develop. I hope that it will be a source of encouragement for people. Check out www.twicc.com or www.sqpn.com to listen to episode #1. You can also subscribe to it via iTunes by clicking here.
In this first episode we talk about all kinds of things including the largest gathering at the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI, astronomy and faith, the significance of the date 6/6/06, a Jesuit surprise, the latest in the TV show LOST, a review of the Omen movie, and much more. Please check it out and give us your feedback. We're looking for topics that may interest you.
Summertime and Church
Finally, as summer approaches, all of us find opportunities to go on vacation. I just recently returned from four days away with friends. There's nothing better than to retreat and recharge. I hope that you and your family find the needed time to enjoy the coming days of summer.
Often our vacations take us to places far away from home. They give us opportunities to visit other parishes and connect with the universality that is present in the Church. I always appreciate my own parish and miss my community after being away and visiting other Churches. Sometimes, however, people simply forget to go to Church and participate in the Eucharist while on vacation. Sometimes our plans preclude this as a possibility while other times they are mutually exclusive due to large distances. Whatever your situation may be, I hope that you will do your best to also plan for your faith as well as playtime while on vacation.
It is common for Churches to also struggle financially during this time as families sometimes also take a vacation from the financial support they typically give to their homes of worship. I can testify that our bills still come in and still have to be paid. So, I want to encourage all of us not to forget the commitments we have all made, particularly to St. Anthony's. Here at our parish, we are particularly sensitive to this ebb and flow and want to find ways to even out the valleys that cause stress in the business side of things. A simple way to help in this matter is to either pay forward the amount your family committed to make before leaving on vacation or make a special effort to make up any donations that weren't made while they were away. Every effort helps. When talking to parishioners who report such behaviors, I am truly humbled and thankful for their faithfulness. No matter what situation you find yourself in during this summer, please pray for your community of faith. Prayer matters and so do you.
Graduation
Now is also the season for graduations of all kinds. It is a time of goodbye's to old friends. It is also a time of stress and excitement for those moving on. It is a time of new beginnings. My best wishes for all of you who are in any way connected to someone graduating at this time. May this time of change be an opportunity for God's amazing grace grow and strengthen in you.
Safe Travels
Finally, enjoy the gifts that summertime offers you. Spend some time to slow down and re-create with God at your side. Know that God's grace is abundant no matter where you are. May God bless you and give you safe travels.
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Pentecost
Now is the time for us to rejoice in the gift of our faith. Why? Because the Holy Spirit is with us. This Pentecost we celebrate the birthday of the Church and the gifts that come along with the indwelling of God's Spirit. Too often, we do not appreciate or even know that those gifts are there. Maybe we don't utilize them or don't know how to offer them. It is very simple, yet very challenging to have a "life in the Spirit." Our postmodern culture is suspicious of anything supernatural. Furthermore, we all struggle with the desire to do things our own way. We struggle with pride.
In order to live a life in the Spirit, I must first recognize God's Lordship in my life. I must submit myself to God's plan and ask for the strength to let go of any of my own selfish desires. Then, I simply ask God to help me to be open to the prompting of the Spirit. What gifts might the Spirit offer? Well, there's the ones mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:8-11, 1 Pt. 4:11, Eph. 4, Rom. 12, and Is. 11:1-5. But, this list is not intended to be exhaustive. For each person, there is a particular gift. The question is, what is yours, and are you offering it to build up the community? If you sense that you are embarrassed to offer your gift, take some more time and ask God to give you the courage you need. Regarding the various ministries in your Church, spend some time discerning how God is calling you to offer your gifts to your community. Then, make yourself known to whomever is responsible for the ministry related to your gifts. If your Church doesn't have such a ministry, maybe you are the one being called to start it and lead it. Don't be afraid and don't assume that it needs to be huge. Maybe it would involve just a few people. Maybe it needs more time to germinate. Maybe it needs to be brought to your pastor or Pastoral Council for advisement. Ultimately, God will bless you if you listen and just try to be obedient to the Spirit's prompting's.
TWiCC is Here!
The Starquest Podcast Network (a.k.a. SQPN) produced by Fr. RoderickVonhögen is now offering a new podcast entitled "This Week in the Catholic Church," or " TWICC" for short. I participated in the first recording on Monday via Skype and had a ball doing it. The show is hosted by Fr. Roderick. It includes several other very intelligent and funny people talking about current events and things of interest within the Church. I am excited to see how it will grow and develop. I hope that it will be a source of encouragement for people. Check out www.twicc.com or www.sqpn.com to listen to episode #1. You can also subscribe to it via iTunes by clicking here.
In this first episode we talk about all kinds of things including the largest gathering at the Vatican for Pope Benedict XVI, astronomy and faith, the significance of the date 6/6/06, a Jesuit surprise, the latest in the TV show LOST, a review of the Omen movie, and much more. Please check it out and give us your feedback. We're looking for topics that may interest you.
Summertime and Church
Finally, as summer approaches, all of us find opportunities to go on vacation. I just recently returned from four days away with friends. There's nothing better than to retreat and recharge. I hope that you and your family find the needed time to enjoy the coming days of summer.
Often our vacations take us to places far away from home. They give us opportunities to visit other parishes and connect with the universality that is present in the Church. I always appreciate my own parish and miss my community after being away and visiting other Churches. Sometimes, however, people simply forget to go to Church and participate in the Eucharist while on vacation. Sometimes our plans preclude this as a possibility while other times they are mutually exclusive due to large distances. Whatever your situation may be, I hope that you will do your best to also plan for your faith as well as playtime while on vacation.
It is common for Churches to also struggle financially during this time as families sometimes also take a vacation from the financial support they typically give to their homes of worship. I can testify that our bills still come in and still have to be paid. So, I want to encourage all of us not to forget the commitments we have all made, particularly to St. Anthony's. Here at our parish, we are particularly sensitive to this ebb and flow and want to find ways to even out the valleys that cause stress in the business side of things. A simple way to help in this matter is to either pay forward the amount your family committed to make before leaving on vacation or make a special effort to make up any donations that weren't made while they were away. Every effort helps. When talking to parishioners who report such behaviors, I am truly humbled and thankful for their faithfulness. No matter what situation you find yourself in during this summer, please pray for your community of faith. Prayer matters and so do you.
Graduation
Now is also the season for graduations of all kinds. It is a time of goodbye's to old friends. It is also a time of stress and excitement for those moving on. It is a time of new beginnings. My best wishes for all of you who are in any way connected to someone graduating at this time. May this time of change be an opportunity for God's amazing grace grow and strengthen in you.
Safe Travels
Finally, enjoy the gifts that summertime offers you. Spend some time to slow down and re-create with God at your side. Know that God's grace is abundant no matter where you are. May God bless you and give you safe travels.
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Friday, May 19, 2006
"Veni, Vidi, Da Vinci?"
Dear Parishioners,
"He, Came. He Saw, but, did he (Dan Brown) conquer the box office?" Time will tell. Unfortunately, too many people have given their minds over to the attractive arguments made in the best selling novel and movie, "The Da Vinci Code. " Bottom line: It's a suspense-thriller novel, but disingenuously claims to be based in accurate historical facts, a lie that should make all authors grimace and seek cover.
I will go to see it and make my own critique of the movie. But, in the meantime, I have read the book and combed through many of the details. My conclusion? The book is trite and laughable for those who are educated about their faith. It is dangerous, deceptive, and a work that does not give glory to God for those who are ignorant of Church history and the Catholic Church. It has made many people ponder and doubt the witness of the believers of the early Church. It has thrown into doubt the historicity of the Sacred Scriptures and lifted up heretical texts in their place. It has fed right into our critics, but in a way that even makes them look stupid. I could go on, but instead, I would like to draw your attention to a podcast I've been producing entitled, Jesus, Mary & Da Vinci. It was going to be a three-part series, but has been continually growing since the first episode.
Just recently, Fr. Roderick of the Starquest Podcast Network , The Catholic Insider, and Daily Breakfast invited me to join his community of podcasters and make these episodes available as a separate feed on his network. I was honored and agreed. So, you can now also go to The Da Vinci Cast: Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci via SQPN as well as subscribe via iTunes.
While many of the TV shows debunk the historical events, people, and places (an easy thing to do), I've spent time reflecting on the authority and value of the witness of the early Church, Gnosticism, The Gnostic texts, chapter 55 of the book, and answer listeners' questions.
The USCCB have produced what looks to be a good program, Jesus Decoded, about the real historical Jesus. The makers spend time debunking the bad research that comes from the book and offer a wonderful web site with supplementary information. Check out the video trailer by clicking this link. Thank you to all who have given generously to the Catholic Communications Campaign for making their web page and TV special possible.
Should you see it or not? That is ultimately an individual's decision. I will be seeing it. I have an obligation to do so. You need not see it nor read the book. However, know that if you don't, your ability to argue the case for the Jesus Christ of our faith will be less effective. Either way, check out books or TV programs that offer responses to the fast-food theology and history that is the Da Vinci Code.
Thank you again, Fr. Roderick for the honor of collaborating with you and your fellow SQPN podcasters.
Here are some related links for you to check out:
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
"He, Came. He Saw, but, did he (Dan Brown) conquer the box office?" Time will tell. Unfortunately, too many people have given their minds over to the attractive arguments made in the best selling novel and movie, "The Da Vinci Code. " Bottom line: It's a suspense-thriller novel, but disingenuously claims to be based in accurate historical facts, a lie that should make all authors grimace and seek cover.
I will go to see it and make my own critique of the movie. But, in the meantime, I have read the book and combed through many of the details. My conclusion? The book is trite and laughable for those who are educated about their faith. It is dangerous, deceptive, and a work that does not give glory to God for those who are ignorant of Church history and the Catholic Church. It has made many people ponder and doubt the witness of the believers of the early Church. It has thrown into doubt the historicity of the Sacred Scriptures and lifted up heretical texts in their place. It has fed right into our critics, but in a way that even makes them look stupid. I could go on, but instead, I would like to draw your attention to a podcast I've been producing entitled, Jesus, Mary & Da Vinci. It was going to be a three-part series, but has been continually growing since the first episode.
Just recently, Fr. Roderick of the Starquest Podcast Network , The Catholic Insider, and Daily Breakfast invited me to join his community of podcasters and make these episodes available as a separate feed on his network. I was honored and agreed. So, you can now also go to The Da Vinci Cast: Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci via SQPN as well as subscribe via iTunes.
While many of the TV shows debunk the historical events, people, and places (an easy thing to do), I've spent time reflecting on the authority and value of the witness of the early Church, Gnosticism, The Gnostic texts, chapter 55 of the book, and answer listeners' questions.
The USCCB have produced what looks to be a good program, Jesus Decoded, about the real historical Jesus. The makers spend time debunking the bad research that comes from the book and offer a wonderful web site with supplementary information. Check out the video trailer by clicking this link. Thank you to all who have given generously to the Catholic Communications Campaign for making their web page and TV special possible.
Should you see it or not? That is ultimately an individual's decision. I will be seeing it. I have an obligation to do so. You need not see it nor read the book. However, know that if you don't, your ability to argue the case for the Jesus Christ of our faith will be less effective. Either way, check out books or TV programs that offer responses to the fast-food theology and history that is the Da Vinci Code.
Thank you again, Fr. Roderick for the honor of collaborating with you and your fellow SQPN podcasters.
Here are some related links for you to check out:
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Thursday, May 4, 2006
"The Faith and the Da Vinci Code"
Coming May 19th will be the release of the Summer blockbuster movie, "The Da Vinci Code." Reactions from Christians and non-Christians alike have varied from intrigue, surprise, amazement, scandal, offense, anger, as well as ambivalence. But how should we react? How are Catholic Christians to respond to this best selling novel and soon to be released movie?
I've just completed the first in a set of three episodes of my own in an attempt to reflect on the theology offered in the book and movie. Entitled, Jesus, Mary, & Da Vinci, I spend time reflecting on the importance of the lived community as the the foundation for understanding who Jesus is. I try to offer an explanation as to how any "objective" unearthing of the historical Jesus outside of the believing community is seriously flawed and by no means neutral. While many of the TV shows debunking the secular source material (an easy thing to do), I spend time reflecting on the authority and value of the canonical Gospels and offer some reasons why the "Gnostic Gospels" shouldn't be given the same authority.
I hope to put out one episode each week, though my own work schedule will determine how that will happen. Either go to my podcast page or click the link above in order to download and listen to my podcast. Whether or not you go to the movie or read the book (now under $5 at Costco), it is important to do our own research and understand why we believe what we do. This is an opportunity for us all.
On my other web site, Geek is Good, I've offered several reflections. Better yet, the US Bishops have produced a TV special to be aired on the opening weekend of the "Da Vinci Code" movie. They have also created a very nice web site to accompany this special. The program and web site are both called Jesus Decoded. Check out the video trailer by clicking this link. Thank you to all who have given generously to the Catholic Communications Campaign for making their web page and TV special possible.
Archbishop Vlazny just wrote about how we are to respond to the movie in his weekly article in our archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Sentinel. Click here to read his reflection.
In cooperation with the movie producers and hollywoodjesus.com, an series of ecumenical reflections have been posted on a new web site called, The Da Vinci Dialogue. It's definitely worth reading.
In my opinion, we need to understand what we believe and know what teachings are contrary to our belief. 1 Peter 3:15-16 offers another way of putting it: "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope. but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame."
We must be careful not to be fanatical about this issue, but clear and kind. I don't recommend picketing or making grand protests as such politic have historically backfired. We should all understand what the issues are and be able to respond to them. Reading the book nor going to the movie is necessary. Yet, be aware that the skeptics will likely stop listening to you if you have not made any of these efforts. Unfortunately, this is a common fallacy in logic, but it is sadly our human nature.
The issues presented in the fictional story are many and varied, but the most important is the claim about Jesus' "true" identity. To posit one contrary to the witness of the early Church is not only be an act of unfaithfulness, but intellectual dishonesty. The facts that have been reported even outside of Christian circles verify that Jesus was understood to be the Messiah, God incarnate, and the Lord of all. Any other depiction is simply fiction and ahistorical. So, let us remember that "The Da Vinci Code" is truly fiction, but a powerful fiction that deserves an appropriate response. I hope that those who have read the book or will see the movie will be inspired or encouraged to learn more about the facts of history. I highly recommend the book, "The Da Vinci Hoax" by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel. Cardinal Archbishop George of Chicago calls it "the definitive debunking."
In the coming weeks, I will be releasing the first of a series of podcasts reflecting on the issues presented in the book. It is my hope that this book and movie will be an occasion for people to seek out the truth and understand the fictional nature of the details offered in "The Da Vinci Code."
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
I've just completed the first in a set of three episodes of my own in an attempt to reflect on the theology offered in the book and movie. Entitled, Jesus, Mary, & Da Vinci, I spend time reflecting on the importance of the lived community as the the foundation for understanding who Jesus is. I try to offer an explanation as to how any "objective" unearthing of the historical Jesus outside of the believing community is seriously flawed and by no means neutral. While many of the TV shows debunking the secular source material (an easy thing to do), I spend time reflecting on the authority and value of the canonical Gospels and offer some reasons why the "Gnostic Gospels" shouldn't be given the same authority.
I hope to put out one episode each week, though my own work schedule will determine how that will happen. Either go to my podcast page or click the link above in order to download and listen to my podcast. Whether or not you go to the movie or read the book (now under $5 at Costco), it is important to do our own research and understand why we believe what we do. This is an opportunity for us all.
On my other web site, Geek is Good, I've offered several reflections. Better yet, the US Bishops have produced a TV special to be aired on the opening weekend of the "Da Vinci Code" movie. They have also created a very nice web site to accompany this special. The program and web site are both called Jesus Decoded. Check out the video trailer by clicking this link. Thank you to all who have given generously to the Catholic Communications Campaign for making their web page and TV special possible.
Archbishop Vlazny just wrote about how we are to respond to the movie in his weekly article in our archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Sentinel. Click here to read his reflection.
In cooperation with the movie producers and hollywoodjesus.com, an series of ecumenical reflections have been posted on a new web site called, The Da Vinci Dialogue. It's definitely worth reading.
In my opinion, we need to understand what we believe and know what teachings are contrary to our belief. 1 Peter 3:15-16 offers another way of putting it: "Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope. but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame."
We must be careful not to be fanatical about this issue, but clear and kind. I don't recommend picketing or making grand protests as such politic have historically backfired. We should all understand what the issues are and be able to respond to them. Reading the book nor going to the movie is necessary. Yet, be aware that the skeptics will likely stop listening to you if you have not made any of these efforts. Unfortunately, this is a common fallacy in logic, but it is sadly our human nature.
The issues presented in the fictional story are many and varied, but the most important is the claim about Jesus' "true" identity. To posit one contrary to the witness of the early Church is not only be an act of unfaithfulness, but intellectual dishonesty. The facts that have been reported even outside of Christian circles verify that Jesus was understood to be the Messiah, God incarnate, and the Lord of all. Any other depiction is simply fiction and ahistorical. So, let us remember that "The Da Vinci Code" is truly fiction, but a powerful fiction that deserves an appropriate response. I hope that those who have read the book or will see the movie will be inspired or encouraged to learn more about the facts of history. I highly recommend the book, "The Da Vinci Hoax" by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel. Cardinal Archbishop George of Chicago calls it "the definitive debunking."
In the coming weeks, I will be releasing the first of a series of podcasts reflecting on the issues presented in the book. It is my hope that this book and movie will be an occasion for people to seek out the truth and understand the fictional nature of the details offered in "The Da Vinci Code."
Sincerely,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Saturday, March 25, 2006
"Cardinals and Oblates"
Dear Parishioners,
William Joseph Cardinal Levada
This weekend marks the beginning of an historic period of time for our Church and our Archdiocese in particular. On March 24, 2006, 15 new cardinals were made by Pope Benedict XVI. The first of whom was our former archbishop, William Levada. As the new Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Levada now ranks just below the Vatican Secretary of State who is just below the Pope himself. This is the highest any American Catholic has ever served in the Curia of the Church.
Levada served in our Archdiocese from 1985 to 1995. He was sometimes seen through the most critical of views as arrogant, stuffy, right-wing, and mean. However, nothing could be further from the truth. As a seminarian, he was my archbishop for five out of my seven years of schooling. I found him to be a gentleman, an intellectual, and an introvert. He was on the board of regents of Mount Angel Seminary and should be given credit for helping Mount Angel Seminary become the preeminent seminary in the United States that it is today. When confronted with difficult situations, I observed him demonstrate kindness, moderation, and tolerance. Sometimes when he would gather all of us seminarians together, I would would express my naive passion (another way of saying I put my foot in my mouth) and he was always loving when he responded to my silliness. When in San Francisco, I believe he again showed great insight when having to thread the needle of politics and Church teaching when legislation was being proposed that involved domestic partnerships and health benefits as well as the reorganization of struggling parishes within his archdiocese.
I believe that his appointment will also help give the Vatican a greater insight into the cultural struggles of the Church in the United States. I am proud of our former archbishop and wish him all the grace that will be needed to carry out the duties required of his new position.
Days of Lenten Renewal
This coming week of March 26th-30th, Fr. Robert Morin, OMI will be guiding our parish in a journey of what we are calling our Days of Lenten Renewal. Fr. Morin is a priest in the of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The title of his talks is "This Wondrous Love." On Tuesday, he will lead us in our only communal reconciliation service during lent. We will have five priests present for individual confessions. Fr. Robert is a dynamic and friendly man with a wonderful sense of humor. Through story, ritual, and scripture he will be leading us through a journey of reconciliation and healing. If you've been looking for that "shot in the arm" for your soul this lent, here is your opportunity.
Fr. Morin's talks will begin at 7 pm after our Life Teen Mass on Sunday. He will then offer sessions after our morning Masses (Mon. - Thurs.) as well as in the evening again at 7 pm. The evening talk will be a repeat of the morning talk for those whose work day or daily schedule makes one or the other impossible. There will be refreshments afterwards where you can chat with Fr. Morin and fellow parishioners.
He will be preaching at all the Masses this weekend and I plan on recording his homily for this week's St. Anthony's Pocast.
Come to renew your heart. You'll be glad you did.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
William Joseph Cardinal Levada
This weekend marks the beginning of an historic period of time for our Church and our Archdiocese in particular. On March 24, 2006, 15 new cardinals were made by Pope Benedict XVI. The first of whom was our former archbishop, William Levada. As the new Prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith, Levada now ranks just below the Vatican Secretary of State who is just below the Pope himself. This is the highest any American Catholic has ever served in the Curia of the Church.
Levada served in our Archdiocese from 1985 to 1995. He was sometimes seen through the most critical of views as arrogant, stuffy, right-wing, and mean. However, nothing could be further from the truth. As a seminarian, he was my archbishop for five out of my seven years of schooling. I found him to be a gentleman, an intellectual, and an introvert. He was on the board of regents of Mount Angel Seminary and should be given credit for helping Mount Angel Seminary become the preeminent seminary in the United States that it is today. When confronted with difficult situations, I observed him demonstrate kindness, moderation, and tolerance. Sometimes when he would gather all of us seminarians together, I would would express my naive passion (another way of saying I put my foot in my mouth) and he was always loving when he responded to my silliness. When in San Francisco, I believe he again showed great insight when having to thread the needle of politics and Church teaching when legislation was being proposed that involved domestic partnerships and health benefits as well as the reorganization of struggling parishes within his archdiocese.
I believe that his appointment will also help give the Vatican a greater insight into the cultural struggles of the Church in the United States. I am proud of our former archbishop and wish him all the grace that will be needed to carry out the duties required of his new position.
Days of Lenten Renewal
This coming week of March 26th-30th, Fr. Robert Morin, OMI will be guiding our parish in a journey of what we are calling our Days of Lenten Renewal. Fr. Morin is a priest in the of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate. The title of his talks is "This Wondrous Love." On Tuesday, he will lead us in our only communal reconciliation service during lent. We will have five priests present for individual confessions. Fr. Robert is a dynamic and friendly man with a wonderful sense of humor. Through story, ritual, and scripture he will be leading us through a journey of reconciliation and healing. If you've been looking for that "shot in the arm" for your soul this lent, here is your opportunity.
Fr. Morin's talks will begin at 7 pm after our Life Teen Mass on Sunday. He will then offer sessions after our morning Masses (Mon. - Thurs.) as well as in the evening again at 7 pm. The evening talk will be a repeat of the morning talk for those whose work day or daily schedule makes one or the other impossible. There will be refreshments afterwards where you can chat with Fr. Morin and fellow parishioners.
He will be preaching at all the Masses this weekend and I plan on recording his homily for this week's St. Anthony's Pocast.
Come to renew your heart. You'll be glad you did.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
"Thank You"
Dear Parishioners,
Thank you to all who gave of their time to the 24th Italian Dinner and all the festivities surrounding it. A big thank you needs to go to Becky Pettit and her chairpersons. Without them, it simply couldn't have happened. The Italian Dinner has traditionally been our moment to show what is great about St. Anthony's: the people! Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Heck, with a plate of linguini and the fixin's, who could frown? From a pastor's point of view, I just love the Italian Dinner. It not only warms my heart, but my tummy too. Each year I am amazed at the turn out of people who spend their time to make the event what it is. Service is at the heart of the Gospel, and so too with the Italian Dinner. To observe everyone working together is truly inspirational. I am so proud of all of you who served in what ever capacity you could whether out in the public eye or behind the scenes. You inspire me!
I'd like to especially thank those who continued their tradition of helping out in the roles they have become so accustomed to whether that was in serving, cleaning, setting up, taking down, doing the accounting, cooking, food preparation, sign making, etc. You are our faithful veterans. Thank you also to those who were new to the whole thing. There was a wonderful outpouring of new faces who heard the call and responded. Thank you to all who donated the fruits of their talents to the Bazaar. It's amazing to see all the hand-crafted items that were created with love. The addition of our own home-spun entertainment was truly a delight! The religious gift store peaked many people's interest too. There was even talk about having an enhanced store throughout the year.
So, the clean up is done, people are massaging their feet and backs, and Becky and her chairpersons need to rest. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I love St. Anthony's and all that happens here. As I have said before, this is truly the crown jewel of the archdiocese. Today is a day to lift our heads in celebration. We did it. The Italian Dinner has once again brought out the best in us all. Thank you!
Now, we have meatballs to sell.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Thank you to all who gave of their time to the 24th Italian Dinner and all the festivities surrounding it. A big thank you needs to go to Becky Pettit and her chairpersons. Without them, it simply couldn't have happened. The Italian Dinner has traditionally been our moment to show what is great about St. Anthony's: the people! Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Heck, with a plate of linguini and the fixin's, who could frown? From a pastor's point of view, I just love the Italian Dinner. It not only warms my heart, but my tummy too. Each year I am amazed at the turn out of people who spend their time to make the event what it is. Service is at the heart of the Gospel, and so too with the Italian Dinner. To observe everyone working together is truly inspirational. I am so proud of all of you who served in what ever capacity you could whether out in the public eye or behind the scenes. You inspire me!
I'd like to especially thank those who continued their tradition of helping out in the roles they have become so accustomed to whether that was in serving, cleaning, setting up, taking down, doing the accounting, cooking, food preparation, sign making, etc. You are our faithful veterans. Thank you also to those who were new to the whole thing. There was a wonderful outpouring of new faces who heard the call and responded. Thank you to all who donated the fruits of their talents to the Bazaar. It's amazing to see all the hand-crafted items that were created with love. The addition of our own home-spun entertainment was truly a delight! The religious gift store peaked many people's interest too. There was even talk about having an enhanced store throughout the year.
So, the clean up is done, people are massaging their feet and backs, and Becky and her chairpersons need to rest. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I love St. Anthony's and all that happens here. As I have said before, this is truly the crown jewel of the archdiocese. Today is a day to lift our heads in celebration. We did it. The Italian Dinner has once again brought out the best in us all. Thank you!
Now, we have meatballs to sell.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Sunday, February 12, 2006
"Technology, Da Vinci, & Meatballs"
Dear Parishioners,
What's New on the Web?
For some time now, I've been recording my homilies and posting them on my web page as well as making them available as a free subscription through the iTunes Music Store. Additionally, I've been working monthly on the above liturgical calendar which I've named the Liturgical Calendar Live!© I've made it so that your web browser will check the day and thendisplay the saint of the day or other memorial or feast of the Church. It's geared for our Archdiocese which means that it doesn't show other local celebrations, just universal ones and those specific for our region. I've also set out to create a simple web page which offers a popouri of news items that specifically merge faith with technology or in some way connect these two together. That web site is called "Geek is Good. God is Better", or http://www.geekisgood.org for the more internet saavy.
Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci
The book, "The Da Vinci Code," will soon be coming out in the theater and I think it's important for Catholics to be informed as to what is true, false, or some shade of grey within the book. Consequently, I've been preparing three different presentations for our adult education ministry entitled, "Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci." Hysteria should not be our reaction, but rather education. In the past when controversial movies or books have been released, I have noticed that the Church's reaction has simply caused the story to become even more popular. Moderation may be more of what we need. If you are planning on going to the movie or read the book, I would urge you to read one of the many books which offer correction to the shoddy research done by the author, Dan Brown. I highly recommend The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel. There are also some helpful links on geekisgood.org as well as a large set links on our web site, www.stanthonysforestgrove.org
Italian Dinner
Finally, our 24th Annual Italian Dinner is approaching very soon. I encourage you to plan on coming to the parish or swinging by our drive-thru for the latest in pasta and meatballs. Mmm. They make my mouth water as I write this. Anyhow, there are many opportunities to volunteer. Our web site, once again, has many of these listed out. Tickets are available through our web site or you can just come to the office any Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. We will also be offering wine from Shafer Vineyard Cellar Wines an, of course, our wonderful Bazaar of homemade baked goods and crafts. This is truly a labor of love by so many at our parish. Please come and enjoy the food and fellowship.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
What's New on the Web?
For some time now, I've been recording my homilies and posting them on my web page as well as making them available as a free subscription through the iTunes Music Store. Additionally, I've been working monthly on the above liturgical calendar which I've named the Liturgical Calendar Live!© I've made it so that your web browser will check the day and thendisplay the saint of the day or other memorial or feast of the Church. It's geared for our Archdiocese which means that it doesn't show other local celebrations, just universal ones and those specific for our region. I've also set out to create a simple web page which offers a popouri of news items that specifically merge faith with technology or in some way connect these two together. That web site is called "Geek is Good. God is Better", or http://www.geekisgood.org for the more internet saavy.
Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci
The book, "The Da Vinci Code," will soon be coming out in the theater and I think it's important for Catholics to be informed as to what is true, false, or some shade of grey within the book. Consequently, I've been preparing three different presentations for our adult education ministry entitled, "Jesus, Mary, and Da Vinci." Hysteria should not be our reaction, but rather education. In the past when controversial movies or books have been released, I have noticed that the Church's reaction has simply caused the story to become even more popular. Moderation may be more of what we need. If you are planning on going to the movie or read the book, I would urge you to read one of the many books which offer correction to the shoddy research done by the author, Dan Brown. I highly recommend The Da Vinci Hoax by Carl Olson and Sandra Miesel. There are also some helpful links on geekisgood.org as well as a large set links on our web site, www.stanthonysforestgrove.org
Italian Dinner
Finally, our 24th Annual Italian Dinner is approaching very soon. I encourage you to plan on coming to the parish or swinging by our drive-thru for the latest in pasta and meatballs. Mmm. They make my mouth water as I write this. Anyhow, there are many opportunities to volunteer. Our web site, once again, has many of these listed out. Tickets are available through our web site or you can just come to the office any Monday through Thursday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. We will also be offering wine from Shafer Vineyard Cellar Wines an, of course, our wonderful Bazaar of homemade baked goods and crafts. This is truly a labor of love by so many at our parish. Please come and enjoy the food and fellowship.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Monday, January 23, 2006
"Our Hope is in Christ"
Dear Parishioners,
The Crown Jewel
When asked who are we and what we are about, I quickly brag about St. Anthony's being the crown jewel of the Archdiocese and that I am spoiled by the love of the people here. When we run into issues or problems, I know that in comparison to some of the things that have happened in the world around us, we are very fortunate.
In the 3+ years I've been here, we have been able to increase our ability to evangelize, educate, and bring Christ close to our hearts. In wonder and awe, I testify that our faith has grown as well as our joy. Three years ago, our Pastoral Council put forth a new mission statement which drives everything we do. Providentially, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council recently did the same and set forth three pastoral goals which are akin to the direction we have already been traversing. Amazing, no? Check out our parish mission and the three goals of the Archdiocese:
The Crown Jewel
When asked who are we and what we are about, I quickly brag about St. Anthony's being the crown jewel of the Archdiocese and that I am spoiled by the love of the people here. When we run into issues or problems, I know that in comparison to some of the things that have happened in the world around us, we are very fortunate.
In the 3+ years I've been here, we have been able to increase our ability to evangelize, educate, and bring Christ close to our hearts. In wonder and awe, I testify that our faith has grown as well as our joy. Three years ago, our Pastoral Council put forth a new mission statement which drives everything we do. Providentially, the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council recently did the same and set forth three pastoral goals which are akin to the direction we have already been traversing. Amazing, no? Check out our parish mission and the three goals of the Archdiocese:
St. Anthony's Parish Mission Statement
We are a welcoming and diverse community, empowered by the Spirit to carry within us the living Word of God, and sent by Jesus Christ to love and serve the Lord and each other.
Archdiocesan Pastoral Council Goals
1. Faith formation at all levels,
2. Youth and young adult ministry, and
3. Multicultural ministry.
1. Faith formation at all levels,
2. Youth and young adult ministry, and
3. Multicultural ministry.
Take a look at the makeup of our staff and you will see that we have all three goals present. Our mission and these goals go well together. Our staffing and the vision of the Archdiocese match. It has taken much dedication, work, and prayer in order for it all to happen. They are all a work in progress, and we still have much work to do in each of these areas. We have also put forth a Parish Offertory Program in order to increase participation in the financial stewardship of the mission of the parish. Like never before, there are more people involved in the growing ministries, and the level of involvement in the stewardship of our facilities has been extraordinary. All of these things are signs of life, vitality, and health in our faith community.
Financial Situation
Part of that life, vitality, and health is also a continual reviewing and critique of what we are doing and where we are going. It means that we need to talk about our issues and do so truthfully with compassion. Otherwise, our mission is empty and all our words are artificial, akin to saccharine, similar taste but not real. As people of faith, we have an obligation to take a sober look at our progress towards our mission goals and refine as we go.
When we concluded the previous year's Parish Offertory Program, we noted an alarming number of pledges that went unfulfilled, thus creating a financial problem whereby our income has not kept up with our budgeted expenses. I realize that there are countless reasons why this may have happened. For every reason, there are human stories of struggle involved. Several weeks ago, I made a generic plea at Mass for families who were behind. I asked them to do what they could to complete their pledge, and some did just that, for which I am grateful. Once again, we demonstrated the greatness present in our parish. Our current dilemma certainly demonstrates that we are all in this together and that everyone's actions effect the whole. I believe, furthermore, that we have the ability to solve this situation. An ad-hoc committee gathered recently and generated a basic plan for addressing our situation. Upon their recommendations, I have agree to begin these steps immediately. First, we must cut expenses. Second, we must get creative about how we can bring up our income.
First, I have implemented many spending cuts including a 20% cut in personnel costs. That means that our core staff is working less hours with fewer resources. The philosophy in my approach to cutting has been driven by our parish mission. I believe we need to maintain, as far as possible, the ministries currently present so as to continue in the direction set by the Pastoral Council. That is why I tried to cut expenses across the board. Because of these cuts, our level of service will be diminished by a similar factor. That is why I decided to close the office one day a week (20% of the work week). Friday is our least busy day and is close to the weekend, so I chose that day for staff to be absent. Another approach is to target areas and make deeper cuts while leaving others relatively untouched. I tried to avoid this where ever possible. As with life, hard decisions had to be made. It is a matter of philosophy and it's driven by mission. Regardless, this is very difficult for all of the staff. Everyone of them works incredibly hard and is driven by the Spirit to help spread the faith. Please pray for them. Such cuts will not stop us from going forward with the life, vitality, and health of our parish. Our mission is still the same. We are still dedicated to moving forward.
Secondly, both Administrative and Pastoral Councils have been making plans to understand the root of this problem and then begin to brainstorm ways to increase the income of the parish. Part of that process is to begin a parish-wide pastoral survey. Again, please pray for them as they go about this challenging task. All of them have the best intentions for the parish community and want to be the best of stewards. They all have busy lives and are working as much as time permits to find the appropriate avenues for resolution of our financial problem. Please be patient with them as they work through the necessary processes of problems solving.
Parish Survey
Plans are afoot to make an attempt to call every active parish household in order to get a better sense of direction. A committee will be meeting soon to determine how this could be done and what questions should be asked in order to help us gather statistically significant and relevant information. It won't be a time to air out all one's complaints or praises, but must must be concise and well directed. Please be gracious and answer the questions when our wonderful volunteers call you. You will be helping your parish family discern what road we need to take for the future. As I publish this on the internet, there are always people who are scammers. Please know that nobody at the Church will be calling you as part of this survey and ask you to divulge personal information about your bank account, credit card numbers, or the exact dollar amount of your giving.
Despair or Joy?
We may all have opinions as to why our income is down, but I caution us from drawing conclusions before we have completed this survey. In the meantime, I want to encourage every household to pray for guidance, wisdom, and joy. I mention joy because, it is in times like these that the spirit of despair can find a home in our hearts. I reject that spirit and encourage you to do the same. Furthermore, I believe that these times will bring out the best in St. Anthony's as gold is tested in fire. We will find a solution and put into place a plan to avoid such a problem in the future. Times are tough, but the Spirit of the Lord is strong. I have good reason to believe that we will be a stronger community because of this struggle. And so I also want to encourage you to reject any sentiments that tell you that the sky is falling. That simply isn't the case, and such an attitude demonstrates a sad lacking in faith. That is not who we are. It is not our struggles that define us, but our response to those struggles. It is our faith in action that defines us. So I invite you to remember who you are and set your heart steady on that vision.
On a personal note, I have come to a new realization about being dependent on God. I have worried quite a bit about this situation and conclude that this situation is beyond my ability to solve alone. Instead, I am resolved to know that I have and will continue to do what the best I can and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit. So, I choose not to worry so much anymore, but trust that God will take care of it. We are Christians. As such, we are all called to be people of faith. So, let us all do the best we can and continually give it over to God.
Our Hope is in Christ
In closing, I am reminded of so many other larger problems in our world. I think about the souls of those who suffered so greatly during the tsunamis in Southeast Asia and Africa. I look to the lives of those who are still in disrepair in the Gulf Coast. I imagine the struggles of the people who have been crushed by the earthquake in Iran. I ponder on all these things and I realize how fortunate we have it here at St. Anthony's. I turn to our Archbishop and observe his reaction to the struggles of the bankruptcy (read his latest article in the Catholic Sentinel) and I am amazed at his faith and hope. Finally, I turn to God and ask, what are you trying to tell us? Certainly, God does not cause such problems, but is always ready and deeply desiring to pour upon us even greater grace (Rom. 5:20). Let us place our hope in Christ. Let us claim that promise. Let us look for those moments. Let us show the world, our community, our loved ones just who we are and in whom we trust. We are St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Forest Grove, Oregon. We place our hope in Christ.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
"Let Peace Reside in Your Hearts"
Dear Parishioners,
Happy New Year! And what a year is will be if we all seek peace in our lives. It may seem daunting to think that our personal inner peace will effect the world. But, it will. It must begin with each one of us. The first day of the year is a dual celebration: Mary, Mother of God and World Day of Peace.
Peace sure seems elusive for us, the people of the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. With the recent ruling against the Archdiocese in the bankruptcy court, some might get discouraged or angry. But, this will be another opportunity for us to show our faithfulness. Don't let the nay sayers win the day. Rather, stay fast in your faith and remain constant in your convictions. This is a time for us to remember what we are about and why we gather each week for Mass. We come to celebrate Christ's saving actions in our lives and to encounter him in the flesh through the Eucharist. No bankruptcy, no judge ruling, no scandalous behavior should deter us from proclaiming Christ alive in our hearts.
On January 3rd, the Archbishop released a statement which he hopes all parishioners will read. We will make it available at all the Masses this coming weekend.
This is how we offer our lives as spiritual sacrifices. Let peace reside in your hearts, a peace that the world does not know.
For more reflection on the recent events surrounding the bankruptcy as well as a wonderful message on World Day of Peace, check out the following links:
Archbishop John G. Vlazny's Statement: PDF doc or html
Oregonian Report on Judge Parris' decision
Statement of the Archdiocese of Portland
Pope Benedict XVI's message: "In Truth, Peace"
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
"These are the Best of Times"
Dear Parishioners,
In the past month it has become clear that our expected offertory income has not been hitting the mark so far in this fiscal year. This, honestly, causes me much stress. However, with the advice of the Administrative Council, we will make a plan to deal with this issue. Being a pastor can be a daunting thing, but after reading Archbishop Vlazny's current column in the Catholic Sentinel, I was able to see much bigger picture and I encourage you all to read it too. No matter what struggles we have as a community, God will give us the grace to fulfill his will. With the eyes of faith, these days can be seen as the "best of times."
Each week, the Catholic Sentinel publishes the Archbishop's Column in their publication and e-mail's it out to those who wish to subscribe to their e-list. In this week's column, Archbishop Vlazny reflects on his eight years of being our chief shepherd. I was so encouraged by his words that I have decided not to write my own reflection, but rather let him do the talking... writing.
Each week's e-column can be found on the Catholic Sentinel's own web site.
You can also subscribe to his column via e-mail by clicking this link: http://www.sentinel.org/ecolumn/
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Archbishop Vlazny:
"THE WORLD STILL NEEDS OUR GREAT GIFT: CHRIST'S CALL TO CONVERSION"
How quickly Advent hurries by. For me it went by even more quickly eight years ago. It was then, back on Dec. 19, 1997, that I was installed as Portland's 10th archbishop. Roses were still blooming in the cathedral courtyard. How could I help but like my new home!
As I look back upon these eight years of service, I see that God had a plan, and I am grateful that he did not reveal it to me at the time. The first two years were a honeymoon. Clergy, religious and laity were welcoming and supportive. Problems were few. I had died and gone to heaven, or so I thought. But in late 1999, on the eve of the third millennium of Christianity, I was abruptly brought down to earth. Earth certainly isn't like heaven, but it's not bad.
This good earth of western Oregon has been the scene of many struggles over the past six years, ever since the first of many allegations of child sexual abuse by our priests was brought to my attention. We have struggled together, trying to do our best in a seemingly impossible situation. Right from the start I was intent upon being fair and compassionate with victims while at the same time making every effort to safeguard the mission and the good name of our church.
The mission continues, not without some trepidation, but, sad to say, our good name has been besmirched time and again. Some would say deservedly so. As the father of this family, I am deeply saddened by this development. You good people have every right to your reputation and the respect of our neighbors. I have not succeeded in protecting your honor and I am sorry.
The personal attacks directed at me and those who have assisted me in archdiocesan leadership have been hurtful, but not totally unexpected. Others had warned me but, in my naiveté, I thought that our track record and good intentions would be transparent enough to overcome whatever hard feelings could accompany such a scandal, not of our own making. I thought there might be more sympathy for those of us dealing with the misdeeds of a former generation, so overwhelming in their number and gravity. Wrong again.
Bankruptcy is often described in the media as a choice we made. There was no choice. We were out of funds. Critics point to restricted funds and parish funds as assets that should have been available on demand. Can you imagine the President of these United States trying to govern this land according to the laws of Brazil or France or China? Yet that was what was expected of me, or so it would seem. The lack of respect for church law in our secular culture is incredible. But it is happening and is a powerful tool in the hands of secularists and anti-Catholics who would delight in derailing our evangelizing mission.
In spite of it all, I assure you that my coworkers and I are resolved to continue every effort that is humanly possible to deal with all the victims of these terrible past crimes justly and compassionately while at the same time doing our best to safeguard the rights of our church and our people.
Most of the victims are looking only for what is fair, and I applaud them for that. Some of them have been further victimized by those who would exploit them to advance their own agendas or promote their own well-being. It's useful in these moments to remember that we still live in a world that is far from perfect and greatly in need of the proclamation of the kingdom and the call to conversion which Jesus Christ brought to us nearly two thousand years ago.
But these last six years have not been exclusively the "worst of times" for the ministry of your archbishop and the mission of our church.
Even though many folks, including estate planners and attorneys, discourage contributions to the Catholic community of western Oregon at this time, you good people contributed more money to this year's Annual Archbishop's Appeal than you did last year. I am humbled and gratified by that meaningful gesture.
We have more seminarians studying for the priesthood now than we've had in recent times. Their number has nearly tripled since my arrival. Our young people are still attracted by the person and message of Jesus Christ and remain eager to give their lives for a higher purpose.
When I made my rounds in our parishes, I find you still joyful and prayerful at Sunday worship and eager to welcome newcomers to the faith, witnessed by the huge numbers who are received into the church each and every Easter.
The work of the church has become more collaborative and more focused as pastors work with pastoral councils and finance councils to establish plans and priorities and the archdiocese as a whole is more committed than ever to promoting faith formation at all levels, youth and young adult ministry and multicultural evangelization.
For all these reasons and many more, it can be said, in spite of the darkness, these are the "best of times."
The final week of Advent is before us. A new year is just around the corner. I didn't know the future eight years ago, and we don't know the future this December. But we do know that God will continue to walk with us and provide for our needs. A leaner church is not necessarily a weaker church. Now more than ever is the time to lean on Jesus, whose birth in Bethlehem nearly 2,000 years ago we shall soon once again celebrate.
We are not Catholics merely because of what we believe but because of whom we believe. It is Jesus who is the reason for the season, the reason for our faith, the reason for our church. We can live as people of faith without many things but not without Jesus. I know he has not abandoned us, and I entrust this local church once again to his providential care as we journey together to Bethlehem once again this year. God bless us all with greater unity in our struggles and renewed commitment to our evangelizing mission. Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel, please come!
For more information and to offer suggestions, please contact us:
Catholic Sentinel
(503) 281-1191 (Portland area)
(800) 548-8749 (outside Portland)
http://www.sentinel.org
Saturday, December 3, 2005
"Attention Shoppers"
Dear Parishioners
Commercialism
As of this writing, there are only 21 shopping days left before it's too late! Or is that just a rouse being perpetrated by our commercialized society in order to get you to buy more stuff? Think about it. Does your local department store really care about the true meaning of Christmas? Better yet, do we? Would it help to know that the commercialization of Christmas would be foreign to peoples just 200 years ago? So, why do we do it? Could it be that maybe that "gift" you're thinking about buying is not being done freely, but out of a sense of obligation, an idea planted and fertilized by the advertising of powerful retailers who are telling us that love can only be expressed by spending money on our loved ones? Where does love reside in such gestures? Maybe we need to free our hearts from the fierce Christmas advertising puppet strings and realize that Christmas is not the only season for giving? Could it be that now is always a good time to give that person in your life the gift you wish to give them? Could it be that the greatest gift is something that cannot be bought but something that comes with the words, "I am sorry" or "I love you" or "I thank God for you in my life" ?
Gifts Given from the Heart
This Advent, prepare your hearts so that Christ may be born again in your heart. Don’t listen to the voices that say the only way to show love is to buy them the most expensive thing you can. Not everything we want should we have. Besides, how many of you still have last year’s gifts or remember what they were? So, instead, spend time with your loved ones. Consider carefully to buy less stuff and spend more time with each other. Do not get sucked into obligatory gift giving, for love is not love when it is not done with a heart that is not freely giving. I don’t mean that one shouldn’t give any gifts, but rather to let go of the obligation and see it as an opportunity... and give from the heart not the pocket book. Consider putting your money into charitable ventures that might impact the poor of our society.
Faith-filled Decorating
As you put up decorations, pray as you go. Bless each thing and ask that God will enlighten your heart to his love. Prepare with purpose not just with presumption. Be mindful of the reasons for each thing. Clear out things that are mere sentimentality and replace them with spirit-filled significance to the faith. Make your home a place where Christ is likely to visit. If his second coming occurred on Christmas Eve 2005, what would he think about your home as he walk through your front door? How would he react when he approaches your Christmas tree?
Putting Your Heart in the Wrap
Wrap your packages with care as you would wrap the child Jesus in his infant blankets. Consider the person for whom you give the gift and pray for them as you tie the bows. Think hard about the person for whom you wish to give the gift, for too many times have people received gifts that have no meaning to them or are unable to fully receive (ie. food allergies). Don't assume that they will like something just because you like it. Spend time thinking about the person and their interests. And when that person seems to have everything, realize that they are the perfect target for love beyond Christmas giving: offer your time or write them a letter describing why they mean so much to you. By the way, experience has taught me that a loving letter written to Mom is the best gift I have given and she has received.
Un-Wrapping with Jesus
When you open the presents under the tree, consider carefully the rituals you employ. Will it be a mad dash, a free-for-all, a frenzy of paper shredded packages? Or will it be something more respectful of the ones who gave the gifts? Could Christ be allowed into this time and sanctify it by starting with a family prayer of thanksgiving?
Your Heart: A Manger
Prepare your heart as you prepare your home. Make it a manger for Christ where he can reside once again. Then, like a shepherd he will feed his flock; in his arms he will gather you, his lamb, carrying you in his bosom, and lead his loved ones to heaven with care. (adaptation of Isaiah 40:11)
Come Home For Christmas
Finally, if you know of someone who has been away from the church or will be alone during this season, consider inviting them into your home and bring them back to church. Let them know that for all our flaws, all our sins, Christ still makes his home here. Be that open hand of welcome to someone who needs it the most. Maybe it's you. Come home for Christmas.
O Come Emmanuel!
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
"Entering a Season Close to Our Hearts"
Dear Parishioners
Thanksgiving
I hope you have a joyous time with family and friends on Thanksgiving Day. Anticipation mounts as many parishioners prepare to offer our first Thanksgiving Dinner for the general public. I am so proud of Linda Wardenburg and Becky Pettit who have been so instrumental in making it all happen. Way to go ladies!
Our Thanksgiving Day Mass at 9 am will kick off a day of love in action. If you plan to come to that Mass, try not to come empty handed. The collection taken on that day will be directed to our local St. Vincent de Paul who is in serious need. Because the Oregon Food Bank has redirected many of its resources towards victims of the hurricanes in the South, we have been receiving a fraction of food stuffs that we need. Therefore, please consider making an effort to also bring some nonperishable food items as well as toiletries to Mass which we will gather at the foot of the altar during the Preparation of the Gifts. I hope that our sanctuary will be full of gifts for the St. vincent de Paul. What great symbol that will make of our willingness to help out those less fortunate. We may not be able to solve the world's hunger problem, but we can sure make a dent here locally.
Pope John Paul II TV Program
A week from Thanksgiving, ABC will be airing their version of the life of our late Pope entitled, "Have No Fear: The Life of Pope John Paul II.". Amidst the constant blast of immoral programs on TV, it's nice to see something wholesome and positive about the faith. You may notice that the program is being aired at the same time as our Advent Mission (see below). My advice is not to miss the mission and dust off that VCR of yours. So you need not pit one event against another. Besides, that way you can fast forward through the commercials. I heartily encourage you to consider watching this program when you can. While I haven't seen it myself, it reports to be a "reverent" view of his life.
Advent and Preparation
This coming Sunday, we begin Advent, the time to prepare for the great solemnity and season of Christmas. Commercially, Christmas arrived immediately after Halloween, but we Catholics recognize that Christmas is still a month away. The Advent season is our way of spiritually preparing ourselves.
As a parish, we will be offering many opportunities in which you can prepare your family. This Sunday, we are offering our Advent Event where you can get involved in crafts that will create a more festive environment at home as well as prepare your own advent wreath for prayer. We will also be hosting Br. Robert Rodriguez, OFM as he guides us through our parish mission which begins this Tuesday. Our younger members will be presenting a Christmas play and go caroling to the local Good Shepherd homes in our area. Finally, we will be offering two chances at our parish to celebrate communal reconciliation services. Make sure to check out the dates for all these activities in our bulletin or go online to our parish calendar.
Please make this Advent a special one by slowing down, focusing on the things that are most important, avoiding the commercialism of the season, and nurturing your relationship with Christ and your family. May this Advent offer you a new chance to prepare your heart for the coming of Christ.
O Come Emmanuel!
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Saturday, October 15, 2005
"Stewardship"
Dear Parishioners,
Gearing Up
Our fiscal year has begun, and once again I am asking each of you to participate in the financial planning process of St. Anthony’s through our annual Parish Offertory Program. Plain and simple, it’s the best form of financial stewardship we know about. By asking parishioners to contemplate and commit to giving to the parish, we can make informed decisions about the present and plan for the future.
Offertory Program
At all Masses on the weekend of October 22-23, I will ask each parish household to make a specific commitment to weekly offertory giving. The involvement on that weekend, and the follow-up process to contact those who do not respond, will stress the necessity of having every household contribute regularly using “Sunday envelopes.” This will allow us to plan our financial expectations for the year ahead.
This annual process does not simply ask for an increase in giving. Rather, it asks each of us prayerfully to: 1. consider what God has given to us, 2. decide if what we return each weekend is enough, too much, or not enough, and then, 3. decide whether to increase, decrease or continue the commitment we are currently making.
Stewardship
This year, we are expanding the reflection to include other ways you may feel called to serve that do not necessarily include money. Stewardship is a more holistic way of reflecting upon our response to God’s call in our lives. It involves not only money, but also how we give of our time and talent.
I hope that each of us will accept the call to reflect upon whether our financial support and other gifts represent an adequate thanksgiving for the many blessings God has bestowed upon us. If together we join in this planning process and project our support for the year ahead, St. Anthony’s can continue to expect a very bright future for years to come.
If you have any questions about this program or our budget, please call the parish office, and I will be happy to answer them. Then, please respond to this request with charity and love.
Prayerfully yours,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Monday, September 26, 2005
"St. Anthony's Alive!"
Rummage Sale
This past weekend, the parish, under the leadership of Becky Pettit and her cochair, Floralee Stadelman, opened our parish hall and let in the wider community for our Rummage Sale. It was a big hit. Thank you ladies! First and foremost, it was another opportunity for us to put forth our mission of welcoming others. I believe that the environment was indeed friendly. People felt comfortable coming in and all seemed to leave with a smile, hopefully finding a great deal on an item for which they had been searching for a long time. It was also a financial success. The money raised has been designated to assist in paying our bills associated with being part of the Committee of Parishes. This committee serves as the voice of our parish, as well as 76 other parishes, in the bankruptcy proceedings. A BIG THANK YOU needs to go to all the volunteers who prepped, staffed, and cleaned up the event. A thank you also needs to go to Angela Jones who graciously let us store many of the donated items until the actual event. Please know that some items of clothing were put aside and designated to be given to charities. Near the very end of the sale, the remaining items were combed through by local charities who were given a free reign to take anything they thought useful. Finally, those things that were not sold or taken by charities were given to the Goodwill.
New Schedule & Kickoff
I must say that our new 9:30 am Mass was vibrant and full of life. From my personal point of view, the responses within the Mass felt more alive as there were more people, thus more energy being brought out in the acclamations. Bravo!
The kickoff to coffee and donuts was also a huge success! I don’t know when as many people have come over for food and fellowship after Mass. It just felt, pardon the repetition, alive! The Pastoral Council came early and did a great job with the balloons, tables, and food. The wonderful balloon arches were made by Claudia Bermejo and her friends. Lani Vandehey was especially busy and did her best to offer a variety of drinks other than our standard coffee and juice. She also cut up countless fruits to offer instead of just donuts.
Parish Picnic
The weather couldn’t have been any more perfect! It was ideal. Thank you to Pete VanDyke for the smoker-bar-b-que’s as well as Ed Stadelman for arranging for the electrical. The balloon arcs were moved over to the park which made an especially festive feeling about the event. Moving tables to the park seemed to go smoothly as well. Fun, food, and fellowship seems to have been had by all.
This past weekend was full of activity. While frenetic and exhausting for many, I believe that these events will be moments for all to treasure. I know I already do. I am so proud to be part of such a warm and friendly parish. God bless all of you who helped make it all happen. Most of all, all praise and glory must be given to our Lord who made it all possible.
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
Thursday, September 15, 2005
"Things Are A-Happenin'"
Dear Parishioners,
The school year is under way, the days are getting shorter, and the football season has returned. Ah, Fall! We at St. Anthony’s have also been busy trying to gear up in order to offer old and new opportunities to grow in our faith.
CONSTRUCTION:
Construction is nearly completed in St. Anthony House. Three walls have come down, plumbing has been rerouted, dry rot damage has been repaired, the walls have been painted, and new carpets have been installed. All of this has been done in order to offer larger and more inviting spaces for gatherings.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
We also have many events planned. Just this month we have the 5th Annual Mexican Dinner, our first ever Rummage Sale, our very popular Fall Bazaar, and our annual Parish Picnic. I hope you can make it to these events.
FAITH FORMATION:
Discernment continues with regard to ways to offer new and compelling adult educational opportunities. Our religious education for our children, now called G.I.F.T. (Growing In Faith Time), is getting organized. We also have many people of various ages who are investigating Catholicism through our RCIA. Youth ministry is concluding CSI (Catholic Scripture Investigation) and now preparing for their first youth group night.
NEW LITRUGY SCHEDULE:
Most obvious, we are changing our liturgy schedule which will be effective Sept. 25th. This change was made after much reflection and prayer by the Pastoral Council, discussions with the Administrative Council, several listening sessions with parishioners, and a survey conducted at Mass. This new schedule creates an evening Mass on Sunday evening with a focus on teens, though families and people of all ages are welcome. If you haven’t made it to the Life Teen Mass, please do so. We’ve been hard at work in order to keep the length more conducive to our common expected length and we’ve added more explanations for the variations that happen during that celebration. Finally, the music group and the teen involvement continues to develop. So, please make an effort to come.
LIFE TEEN MASS:
In order to accommodate the Life Teen Mass in the Sunday Evening slot, one of the morning Masses had to be moved. Caution has been voiced about overcrowding at the morning slot, but data gathered from two year’s worth of attendance counts indicates that we should be able to seat everyone. Rarely have we used the balcony in our recent history. But, with this new schedule, we expect the need to dust off the pews in the balcony and let the additional people get a more bird’s eye view of Mass. During Christmas and Easter we will need to have special schedules. These will likely return us to our previous schedule which will add an additional Mass in the morning to handle the larger numbers of people.
COFFEE & DONUTS:
Plans are still underway to look harder at the time after our 9:30 am Mass and rethink our common “Coffee and Donuts.” This means that we may be offering other food items to encourage more people as well as the possibility of hosting occasional breakfasts. Opportunities for adult education and/or guest speakers may also sprinkle those gatherings. Bottom line: We need to gather more as community and build our relationships as well as make new ones.
So, things are a-happinin'! Changes are afoot. We are all looking forward to a dynamic year of exploration, education, and deepening in our Catholic faith. Get involved and be a part of an exciting year!
Blessings,
Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor
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