50 years ago

President JF Kennedy (1917-1963)

John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), commonly known as "Jack" or by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from January 1961 until he was assassinated on November 22, 1963, 50 years ago today, one of the saddest days in our nation, probably only surpassed by the September 11, 2001 attack and the Pearl Harbor attack.
After military service as commander of Motor Torpedo Boats PT-109 and PT-59 during World War II in the South Pacific, Kennedy represented Massachusetts' 11th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1947 to 1953 as a Democrat. Thereafter, he served in the U.S. Senate from 1953 until 1960. Kennedy defeated Vice President and Republican candidate Richard Nixon in the 1960 U.S. presidential election. At age 43, he was the youngest to have been elected to the office, the second-youngest president (after Theodore Roosevelt), and the first person born in the 20th century to serve as president. To date, Kennedy, a Catholic, has been the only non-Protestant president and the only president to have won a Pulitzer Prize.
Events during his presidency included the Bay of Pigs Invasion, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Space Race—by initiating Project Apollo (which would culminate in the moon landing), the building of the Berlin Wall, the African-American Civil Rights Movement, and early stages of the Vietnam War.

One of the newspapers of November 23, reporting the shocking news

Kennedy was assassinated at 12:30 PM on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was taken to Parkland Hospital for emergency medical treatment, but pronounced dead at 1:00 pm.  He was shot once in the throat, once in the upper back, with the fatal shot hitting him in the head. Only 46, President Kennedy died younger than any U.S. president to date. Lee Harvey Oswald, an employee of the Texas School Book Depository from which the shots were suspected to have been fired, was arrested on charges for the murder of a local police officer, but was never subsequently charged with the assassination of Kennedy. He denied shooting anyone, claiming he was a patsy, but was killed by Jack Ruby on November 24, before he could be indicted or tried. Ruby was then arrested and convicted for the murder of Oswald. Ruby successfully appealed his conviction and death sentence but became ill and died of cancer on January 3, 1967, while the date for his new trial was being set. The FBI and the Warren Commission officially concluded that Oswald was the lone assassin. However, the United States House Select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) concluded that those investigations were flawed and that Kennedy was probably assassinated as the result of a conspiracy.

30 years ago

In the region of Lake Placid, NY, summer of  1983

Some of my new parishioners in Bend have become quite interested in my blog, checking it as early as 6 AM, wondering why I was late in posting my daily entry. I know also they are looking forward to my presentation about my home country of Malta, set for December 5, but today I'll go down memory lane to 30 years ago, when I was settling in my first parish in New Hyde Park on Long Island. The first photo shows me in one of my favorite T-shirts in Lake Placid, during a summer trip with my former Pastor.

Before a bike-trip of 120 miles to Montauk Point, NY

The second photo shows me with 4 altar-servers on one of our bike-trips to Montauk Point, at the very tip of Long Island, a 120 mile bike ride which took 2 days to cover. We were supposed to take our bikes back on the train on our return trip, but were denied traveling with our bicycles. And so I had to call my pastor who came to our rescue and picked us all up in a van he had to borrow.

Fluting away on Saranac Lake, NY

The third photo shows me playing the flute on Saranac Lake in upstate New York, during a week-long summer vacation. I learned the flute by myself and have been practicing on my own ever since. Incidentally yesterday, during the school Mass I played the Thanksgiving melody "Simple Gifts" with a quartet of school children in chorus, Alycen, Emily, John and Charlie, accompanied by their music teacher Colleen Rastovich.

With parents by Twin Towers, 1983

 The last photo shows my parents and myself by the World Trade Center, the Twin Towers, again in New York, during one of their visits they made to my parish at Holy Spirit. In all of these photos you can see a skinnier version of myself, coming from Malta in 1981 at 130 lbs, gaining 10 lbs every year until I reached 170. Then my weight stopped and stayed at 170 lbs ever since, eating as much as I want and anything I want (except for pumpkin pie and macaroni and cheese)

Holy Humor

When a church seeks a pastor, they want in him the strength of an eagle, the grace of a swan, the gentleness of a dove, the friendliness of a sparrow, the night hours of an owl. And when they catch that bird, they expect the pastor to live on the food of a canary.

A very old pastor made it a practice to visit the parish school one day a week. He walked into the 4th grade class, where the children were studying the states, and asked them how many states out of 50 could they name. They came up with 40 names, which was pretty good. He then jokingly told them that in his days students knew the names of all the states.
One boy raised his hands and, “Yes, but in those days there were only 13 states.”

A little girl became restless as the preacher’s sermon dragged on and on. Finally, she leaned over to her mother and whispered, “Mommy, if we give him the money now, will he let us go?”

My alarm clock

Possibly my new alarm clock

Many people who know me, know that I’m an early bird, waking up at 4:30 AM every day and hitting the sack by 9 PM, or 9:15 PM at the very latest. Like everyone else, I can be an owl or a rooster. Owl stay up late at night, and some people seem to work better at 11 PM or even beyond midnight. Others, like myself, work much better in the wee hours of the morning. My alarm clock is very reliable, as they all are, unless we have a power failure, in which case I wake up usually around 4 AM with the figures of “12:00" flashing repeatedly in my face. Lately I’ve been thinking of replacing my alarm clock with something more natural and down-to-earth, like this exotic rooster. In Malta, they usually wake up the entire neighborhood when everyone is still sleeping, but I remember well in the summer months, when one leaves a window open, the roosters compete against each other on who hits the highest note and they alternate their cock-a-doodle, or as we say in Maltese ‘quqqu-ququ.’ (Trust me it’s much easier to pronounce than it looks.)

Basilicas of Sts Peter and Paul

St Peter's majestic Basilica at the Vatican, Rome

Barely a week ago, we commemorated the dedication of the Mother Church of the Catholic Church, St John Lateran. Today we commemorate the dedication of two other major basilicas combined together, St Paul outside the walls and St Peter’s basilica, known as the Vatican. These dedications are important because they symbolize in a way the birth and baptism of each edifice.

When the early persecutions ended in 313 AD by King Constantine, he later built a basilica over the tomb where St Peter was buried. It lasted almost a thousand years, and the reconstruction of the original building started in the 14^th century. The present Basilica, an ingenious structure built with the collaboration of Michelangelo, Bramante, Carlo Moderno, Giovanni Pannini and Bernini was officially consecrated on November 18 1626 by Pope Urban VIII. It is by far the most imposing and impressive church in all of Christendom, where major celebrations, elections of Popes, funerals, Canonizations etc, are held.

Basilica of St Paul outside the walls, Rome

The Basilica of St Paul was started by Valentinian II on the Via Ostiense in 386, on the place where St Paul was buried. It was subsequently modified by Pope Gregory the Great in the 6^th century. It has a graceful cloister that was built in the 13^th century. Of all the churches of Rome, it had preserved its primitive character for 1435 years.

However a negligent fire destroyed it in 1823 and the new and present Basilica was built in the 19^th century and consecrated on December 10, 1854 by Pope Pius IX. The whole world contributed to its reconstruction. The Viceroy of Egypt sent pillars of alabaster, the Emperor of Russia the precious malachite and lapis lazuli of the tabernacle. The work on the principal facade, looking toward the Tiber, was completed by the Italian Government, which declared the church a national monument. Pope Pius IX ruled that both Basilicas will have their dedication celebration together, on November 18. Both churches are majestic in appearance, but also very imposing in their stature as two of the 4 major basilicas in Rome.

Filfla - rock or island?

Since Malta is only 18 miles by 8 miles, we are very limited in space, and every square inch literally is precious to us. We refer to this mid-Mediterranean archipelago as the Maltese Islands, and they include the main island of Malta, the sister island of Gozo, two smaller inhabited islands Comino and Cominotto, lying between the two main islands, and then there is a smaller island called Filfla. This is an island just 3 miles south of Malta, and even though anyone would consider it as a rock, we proudly refer to it as an island. 

Filfla as seen from the mainland Malta

Up until the 1970s, it was used for target practice, but this custom was stopped by the Government. It is uninhabited and is the home of some unusually looking lizards. Very few people visit it, but most passengers on an Air Malta flight usually get a close-up glimpse of this rock-island, as the planes hover above it while descending into the local airport.

Malta Pine Crucifix

The Pine Tree Crucifix of Malta

Trees grow in various shapes and sizes. The majority are normal healthy trees and they grow for decades until they may be cut down to be used for wood. Other trees become deceased after a few years and they eventually decay and die. It is incredible how so many millions of trees grow by themselves, watered by rain, and nature takes care of them without any fanfare. Then there are trees that grow in a very unusual way, like a pine tree in Malta that grew up in the shape of a crucifix. It is located on a main road that leads from Attard uphill to Rabat. One can easily see the contortioned figure of Christ with head and arms extended, with the twisted body and and legs on the vertical part of the pine tree. 
I don’t know if it’s still in existence, but until a few years ago, it was still in perfect shape, and when I took this photo in the 1980s, it was mostly unknown to many. Someone went a little bit too far and stained it, which probably caused its disappearance. I am not sure about its present state, but the last time I was in Malta, I could not find it. People started also putting holy cards around it, garnering more attention, and soliciting a prayer, which I will repeat here: We adore you o Christ and we praise you, because by Your Holy Cross, you have redeemed the world.

Praying for the Philippines

Heavenly Father, We ask your blessing on us today, and especially we ask you to bless the people of the Philippines after suffering so much devastation this past week as a result of a terrible typhoon. Give a sense of comfort to all those who lost loved ones, those who lost just about everything they had. May God reward the victims with the gift of eternal life in heaven. As many natives of this great archipelago grieve, mostly devout Catholic and certainly dedicated Christians, we ask You Lord to console them, give them hope for a better tomorrow, and as they try to re-build their lives, be with them in the coming weeks and months.

Help those who are homeless, hungry, thirsty, and in need of almost everything. May we think of them and support them by our prayers and donations. Give strength to all the service men and woman, nurses and doctors, rescue workers who are doing their best to restore some kind of normalcy in Tacloban and other surrounding areas effected by the typhoon. May the Blessed Mother and her Son Jesus protect the people of the Philippines - may Mary give them the courage and hope to persevere in the midst of the heartache they experienced. We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.

God's work

1. Be ye fishers of men. You catch them - He'll clean them.
2. Coincidence is when God chooses to remain anonymous.
3. Don't put a question mark where God put a period.
4. Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
5. Forbidden fruits create many jams.
6. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
7. God grades on the cross, not the curve.
8. God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit" over "religious nuts!"
9. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
10. He, who angers you, controls you!
11. If God is your Copilot - swap seats!
12. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.
13. Prayer: Don't give God instructions  - just report for duty!
14. The task ahead of us is never as great as the Power behind us.
15. The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of God will not protect you.
16. We don't change the message, the message changes us.
17. You can tell how big a person is by what it takes to discourage him.
18. You do your best. God will do the rest.

Bend Sunrise

October and November can give us some spectacular sunrises and sunsets. With the exception of yours truly, many people are still asleep when these magnificent natural paintings flash across the sky. Such was the case last Sunday when I was heading to my new church for the 7:30 AM Mass. I arrived in time, about 6:40 AM to take a few photos by the church, but especially by a cross that is placed at the entrance of the St Francis of Assisi Catholic Center. 

Since the church is a modern one, the outline is quite simple, but at least, I was able to compose a fairly good photo of the entrance to the complex, but the cross stole the show that early morning. Too bad that sunrises last 5 to 10 minutes, and worse yet, very few people see them, especially when they occur on a weekend. Thanks to a few early risers like myself, and thanks to photography, now everyone can enjoy them.

Cardinal Domenico Bartolucci

Cardinal Bartolucci with one his many choral scores

The death was announced yesterday, November 11, 2013, of Cardinal Dominco Bartolucci, who for 40 years led the Sistine Chapel Choir. He may be unknown to many people, but he actually did more to choral sacred music than anyone else still alive, especially within the Vatican. Born in 1917, he was ordained a priest in 1939, and showed interest in music at a very early age.  After serving as Chapel Master in il Duomo of Florence, at the end of 1942 Bartolucci went to Rome in order to deepen the knowledge of sacred music. Having served as Deputy Master of the St. John Lateran, in 1947 he was appointed Master of the Liberian Choir of St. Mary Major, succeeding Licinio Refice. In 1952, on the advice of Lorenzo Perosi, he was appointed Deputy Master of the Sistine Chapel.
When Perosi died in 1956, Pope Pius XII gave him the position of permanent director of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir. The ensemble of the Pontifical Sistine Chapel Choir upon the death of Perosi was in poor condition. The situation was restored, however, thanks to the commitment of Bartolucci and personal interest of Pope John XXIII. In the forty years of Bartolucci's leadership, the choir balanced the obligation of papal liturgies with tours in various countries throughout the world, including Austria, France, Belgium, the Philippines, Australia, the United States, Turkey, Poland, and Japan. In the years of the Second Vatican Council, Bartolucci, against abandoning Latin, committed himself that the liturgical reform should not take a direction hostile to sacred music. Bartolucci was also dedicated to teaching and composition. He was a child prodigy, having composed his first Mass at age 12; his best known Mass is the "Misa Jubilei," written in the Holy Year 1950. The body of his work already published fills more than forty volumes and includes Masses, motets, madrigals, hymns, symphonic, organ, and chamber music, and above all a series of oratorios for soloists, chorus and orchestra.

Cover of a record of the Sistine Chapel Choir directed by D. Bartolucci

In 1997 Bartolucci was replaced at the helm of the Sistine Chapel by Msgr. Giuseppe Liberto, an event which aroused some controversy in the context of liturgical music, and which was criticized by Cardinal Ratzinger, the future Benedict XVI. Bartolucci was invited back to the Vatican to conduct a concert of choral music in 2006, and was elevated to Cardinal by the same Pope in October 2010. Even the motto he chose as Cardinal shows his love of music, “Psallam Deo Meo” (I will sing to my God.) Bartolucci was 97.

Honoring Veterans

They are the men and women who live every day in pain. Physical pain from their wounds, lost limbs, or maybe it's the shrapnel they still carry. Emotional pain from being separated from their families for long periods of time. For missing the birth of their child, or death of a parent. Mental pain for what they have seen and what they had to do. They are the ones who make life-long friends. They know how precious life is and they never forget the ones who didn't make it back. Never. That is why you will see Veterans at the cemetery on Memorial Day walking around and silently thanking the ones who are buried there. They don't have to know them personally to know the sacrifice each one made.
They are not the ones who are loud and boisterous. They are the ones who are quiet.
They are the ones who shivered in the foxhole, trying to keep the enemy at bay.
They are the ones who crawled through sand when the temperature was 126 degrees.
They are the ones who carried their buddy to safety.
They are the ones who sometimes drink too much, trying to keep the memories from haunting them.
They are the ones who carry the flag with the honor and respect it deserves.
They are the ones who wear their military uniform with pride and still have it in their closet 30 some years later.
They are the ones who don't ask you to go out of your way for them.
They are the ones who have gone out of their way for you.
They are the ones who spent many nights awake on guard duty so you didn't have to.
They are the ones who helped keep our shores safe while you played video games.
They are the ones who missed their birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates.
They are the ones who got shot and got sent home, but felt guilty because their buddies were still there.

They are the ones who followed orders even when they didn't want to.
They are the ones who had enough love and pride in their country to do a job many others couldn't do.
They are the ones who cried when they were alone in their tent.
They are the ones who flew planes, drove tanks, worked a ship, and armed the missiles.
They are the ones who had moms at homes praying for them every minute of every day.
They are the ones who made it safe for you so you could go to school or work.
They are the ones who missed ordering pizza, the movies, the shopping trips, and all that you take for granted.
They are the ones who asked to take a friend's deployment because that friend had a family.
They are the ones who gave their girlfriends a lock of their hair to keep as a promise of their return.
They are the ones who wanted to come home.
They are the ones who didn't return.
They are the ones who waited months for a letter.
Let us pray and remember them, and never forget what they did for our country.

First steps

Prepping up for the Tour de France

After yesterday's post showing you the house where I was born, I share with you today the very first photos taken of me, most probably taken by one of my uncles, since I don't remember my parents having a camera during my early childhood years. The first one shows me on a tricycle, balancing precariously and wearing what some people referred to as a dress. Well, since my mother had two girls ahead of me, it was common that as a baby I would wear some hand-me-downs. Moreover some people called what I was wearing a 'rumper' which one might call a 1950s unisex outfit. However my main concern was how on earth I was balancing on a tricycle when I probably didn't even walk at that time.

First steps, and lots of bumps and bruises

The second photo was probably taken as they were waiting for my first solo walk, outfitted in the cloth diapers my mother used for many years. God bless innocence, childhood and the early 1950s!

Where I was born

A historic room where I saw light for the first time

A nostalgic trip today to the very first day of my life, the day and place I was born. At that time, my family lived at 16 St Angelo Street in St. Julian's, and my mother gave birth to all her first four children at home. My younger brother Marcel was born in our new house at 100 Birkirkara Hill. A few years ago, in fact just before the house was sold to someone else after an uncle and aunt lived in it from 1956 till the early 1990s, I took a picture in the room where I was born on August 27, 1952. The other photo shows the front door of the same house. Incidentally, one hour after I was born, another boy was born two houses down the road from us, and me and Tony Xerri grew up together. I also celebrated his wedding in 1980, and I presume that by now he is a grandfather. 

Front door of 16 St Angelo Street, St Julian's

At that time a popular mid-wife made the rounds in the neighborhood delivering babies. Her name was Giuseppa Xiberras, the sister of a beloved priest Fr Anton who served in my parish for many years. One of my duties as a seminarian was to record the baptismal information in Latin in large registers and which are kept in the parish archives. I remember clearly that the last verse was always "Obstetrix fuit Giuseppa Xiberras," meaning "Nurse/midwife was Giuseppa Xiberras." In the 1970s and later, nurses from the MMDNA were also making the rounds delivering babies at home. I believe that MMDNA stood for Malta Midwives District Nurses Association. A little nostalgic trip down memory lane today, 61 years ago.

If Jesus came to your house

I shared this reflection last Sunday in my homily, and had an overwhelming response from people, and so here it is for everyone to reflect on....

If Jesus came to your home to spend a day or two –
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you’d do.
Oh, I know you’d give your nicest room to such an honored Guest,
And all the food you serve Him would be the very best.
And you would keep assuring Him you’re glad to have Him there –
That serving Him in your home is a joy beyond compare.

But – when you saw Him coming would you meet Him at the door
With arms outstretched in welcome to Your Heav’nly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in,
Or hide your magazines, and put the Bible where they’d been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope He hadn’t heard,
And wish you hadn’t uttered that last, loud, hasty word?

Would you hide your worldly music and put some hymns books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder – if the Savior spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you go right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?

Would your family conversation keep its usual pace,
And would you find it hard each meal to say table grace?
Would you sing the songs you always sing, and the read the books you read.
And let Him know the things on which your mind and spirit feed?
Would you take Jesus with you everywhere you’d planned to go,
Or would you, maybe, change your plans for just a day or so?
 Would you be glad to have Him meet your very closest friends,
Or would you hope they stay away until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,
Or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.

But He is really here among us, as hypothetical as this may seem – he is there in your home, as that Unseen Guest at every meal you share, as the Silent Listener at every conversation you are involved in. He is here in front of me as I see Jesus in every one of you – that is why we are called Christians, other Christs.

Together

Together we rejoice as new members join us….           
Together we teach our children and youth….
Together we take care of our seniors, and cherish their wisdom…               
Together we support our needy cases and help whenever we can…   
Together we pray as a community of faith…           
Together we plan, ponder and decide…
Together we celebrate in fellowship…               
Together we sympathize and empathize, we hold hands for support…
Together we enhance our Christian marriages...           
Together we nurture our families…

Together we help and volunteer…               
Together we grow in spirit, truth and love…
Together we share signs of peace and embrace in loving friendship…               
Together we are proud of our parish community…
Together we support our neighboring towns and churches…
Together we dream and hope of a happy future…           
Together we follow our Pope, Bishop and Pastors…   

Together we support all forms of life, including the unborn...    
Together we live, move, share and grow…
Together we pay respect to those who are called to Eternal Life…
Together we are the Body of Christ…..   
Together we are Church.

On handling children

Some years ago the Brooklyn Tablet  - one of the best Catholic papers in the country, related the experience of a father who had offered to keep house one day while mother went shopping.  This father was an auditor by profession.  He had a knack for keeping accounts.  Figures were his forte.  He could remember them clearly and record them rapidly.  He decided to keep a running record of what took place that day.  Here are some of the day's totals:

Opened the door for children                 106 times
Closed the door for children                    106 times
Tied their shoes                                         16 times
Rescued creeping baby                            21 times
Told two-year old George "don't"          94 times
Stopped quarrels                                       18  times
Spread butter and jelly on bread           11 times
Distributed cookies                                   28 times
Served glasses of water                           15 times
Answered telephone                                 7 times
Wiped noses                                               19 times
Answered questions                                 145 times
Stumped by questions                             175 times
Lost temper                                                47 times
Ran after children (approximately)       4 miles

The exhausted head of the house had to admit that he might have been too busy to       record every time, and that there were incidentals, like picking up toys and taking the scissors away from the baby, which he did in stride without having the second of leisure needed to jot it down.
His list also failed to include the countless other activities of the average mother: washing and ironing and patching and cooking.  It lists not the long hours of watching and nursing, the numberless interruptions of sleep to cover the child, to prepare its bottle, see to its feeding and change its essential clothing.
Nor did he record the hours of anxiety when the little one was sick or upset, or when mother was wondering what was going on at school or at play.  Neither could he list the wearying worries of wife during the teens of her children. Needless to say, next day he went to work, and started to appreciate his wife much more.

Family grave

The Cassar Family Grave at the Addolorata Cemetery, Malta

During the month November, we remember our loved ones. Faithful in the thousands visit their graves in the local cemeteries, placing flowers, candles and most importantly saying a prayer. Our family grave was recently finished thanks to the work of my siblings, as we honor our parents John and Mary, our brother Paul and brother-in-law Carmelo Garzia, all of whom are buried there. The ceramic photos of my mother and brother are not finished yet, but the general overall look is very reverent, respectful and a fitting tribute to their memory. For many years, the graveside was simple and empty with occasional flowers placed by my sister. We are all happy with the dignified tombstone made of granite. 

Praying on the family grave in January 2002 after my father was buried

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord, and let the perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace.

2013 - St Francis of Assisi, Bend, OR

St Francis of Assisi new church, built in 2009

Still feeling like the new kid on the block, I started my ministry here in Bend on October 17, and it has been as hectic as I ever imagined it to be. Shuttling between two big churches has become routine for me and I enjoy serving in both of them, with the weekend Masses heavily attended and with a very generous attendance even at the weekday Masses, which are held in the historic church, built in 1920 and run by the Capuchin Franciscans for 66 years. 

An elaborate reredos at the St Francis historic church,

Recently a number of pastors have served here with a few more Associates helping out this ever-increasing town with close to 90,000 residents. The number of Catholics may be around 5,500, including a large number of Hispanics for whom we offer a weekend Mass in Spanish, besides other classes and celebrations.

Myself with Fr Joseph by the historic church

The new church was built in 2009, and is adjacent to the parish offices and the Catholic School, which originally had their own school in downtown Bend, and which has recently been transformed int a pub, movie theater and health spa, known as McMenamin's. With me as an Associate is a priest from Kerala, India, Fr Joseph Kunnelaya, and together we bring the missionary spirit into the parish, as well as a spirit of healing, harmony and happiness.

Perpetual Adoration at the historic church

Stained glass window at the new church

Please check the parish website, which is being upgraded, while hoping to also include a photo gallery, as soon as I find out how to manage the entire website, which seems a little bit complicated at the moment - St Francis of Assisi, Bend, OR

2005-2013 - St Francis De Sales, Baker City, OR

The renovated Cathedral at Baker City

My last 8 years were spent at the Baker City Cathedral dedicated to the patron of journalists, Saint Francis De Sales. When I arrived there I instantly thought of the upcoming centennial of the Cathedral church in 2008, and soon I got together a committee to see how best we could celebrate this historic event. I have to say that on my first trip to the Cathedral in April 2003, I was shocked to see the wall or screen behind the main altar, and for three years I wondered who on earth ever thought of such a contraption in an otherwise beautiful sanctuary. There were various renovations done in the 1930s, 1958 and finally in 1980, and so it was decided that we needed to bring back the splendor of the Cathedral, with the tabernacle in a prominent central place. 

The re-dedication Mass October 27, 2007

The Cathedral was re-dedicated on October 27 2007, to coincide with Bishop Connolly's 60th anniversary as a priest, and the dedication Mas was held exactly on the 100th anniversary, April 9, 2008. Many other activities and functions highlighted the 8 years I spent there, and if you go back to three weeks ago and view the posts of October 15 and 16, you can see some of them. And if you go to the parish website, you can still see hundreds of photos of the parish life, celebrations, the entire renovation process and much more in the photo galleries....   www.saintfranciscathedral.com

The Cathedral built with volcanic tuff between 1906 and 1908

2003-2005 - St Elizabeth of Hungary, John Day, OR

Christmas at St Elizabeth's in John Day, OR

The start of my ministry in the Baker Diocese was in March 2003, when Bishop Robert Vasa drove me to my new parish in John Day, dropped me off and simply said "OK Father Julian, you're on your own!" That was the start of two and a half years of re-organizing a small country parish with people collaborating and cooperating with me to bring a new spirit in the parish dedicated to Saint Elizabeth of Hungary. The church was built in 1939 and did not change much over the years, although the inside was frequently remodeled giving the sanctuary area a new look, especially during Christmas and Easter. Once again, I worked well with the children, re-organizing the Religious Ed program, which I taught myself in groups, with the help of some volunteer parishioners. 

Teaching the children about Baptism in John Day.

I also had two mission churches to attend to, one in Long Creek and the other in Monument with an average attendance of anywhere between 5 to 15 people at each church. The parishioners in John Day were about 150 and they welcomed me enthusiastically. Eventually, after I left them in June of 2005, they would have 5 pastors within 8 years and each one of them brought his own style and gifts, as the people adjusted as best as they could to constant changes.

St Katharine mission church in Long Creek/Dale, OR

2003 - St Joseph's Abbey, Spencer, Massachusetts

The entrance to the Abbey at Spencer, MA

Even though this was not a parish I served in, but after 25 years serving in various parishes I did do a six-month sabbatical at the Trappist Monastery of St Joseph's Abbey in Spencer, Massachusetts, which was a brief break from parish work before I embarked on my next stage of my priesthood, ministering in Oregon. My time at Spencer was a truly spiritual experience like none other, living with the monks, praying with them and working with them. Their motto of 'Ora et Labora' fitted me well as prayer was frequent and intense at times, 7 times during the day, as early as 3:30 AM. 

The Monastery church at St. Joseph's Abbey

On the other hand work was varied, interesting and at times even entertaining, as a change of pace for me. The Trappist Preserves factory they have allowed me to help in the production of jellies, preserves and jams, even though my role was just to put 12 jars in a box within 3 seconds, and then seal the box with tape and stack them up. It also included cleaning the cloisters, cleaning the 'jakes' (a slang for toilets), pruning trees, raking a zillion leaves and even producing the famed Cantica and Jubilate incense. They were glorious months and truly inspirational to be in a monastery built by the monks themselves at time I was being born in 1952.