The End is Near!

Dear Parishioners,

The end is near! Not likely the end of the world, rather the end of the Liturgical Year. I hope the title of this letter didn’t alarm you, but simply drew your attention.

For those of you who may not know, our liturgical year always ends with the Solemnity of Christ the King and begins with Advent. The Solemnity of Christ the King is an appropriate way to remind us of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It caps off our liturgical year with a recognition that God is in control and he has power and dominion over all creation. As such, it is rightful that we give him our praise, worship, and obedience. Knowing that each of us will someday come to our earthly end in this life, we can turn to the One who has power to save us from eternal death and give us eternal life.

Each Advent begins one of the three Sunday Lectionary cycles. There are three Lectionary Sunday cycles, A, B, and C, which are built around the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke respectively. This is a marvelous addition to the Liturgy as a result of the Second Vatican Council whereby we can hear more of the Scriptures proclaimed at Mass than ever before. “Formerly, Catholics heard 1% of the Old Testament and 17% of the New Testament. Now they hear 14% of the Old Testament and 71% of the New Testament” (At the Supper of the Lamb: A Pastoral and Theological Commentary on the Mass. Paul Tuner. LTP. 2011. p. 26.). This year, we will be in Sunday Cycle C. So, that means we will hear much from the Gospel of Luke during this liturgical cycle.

May the coming end of this liturgical year and beginning of a new one assist you in your walk with Jesus knowing that he will come again with power and might to bring his faithful to himself. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger

Pastor

Thanksgiving

Dear Parishioners,

The end is near!  Not likely the end of the world, rather the end of the Liturgical Year. I hope the title of this letter didn’t alarm you, but simply drew your attention. 

For those of you who may not know, our liturgical year always ends with the Solemnity of Christ the King and begins with Advent. The Solemnity of Christ the King is an appropriate way to remind us of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It caps off our liturgical year with a recognition that God is in control and he has power and dominion over all creation. As such, it is rightful that we give him our praise, worship, and obedience. Knowing that each of us will someday come to our earthly end in this life, we can turn to the One who has power to save us from eternal death and give us eternal life.

Each Advent begins one of the three Sunday Lectionary cycles. There are three Lectionary Sunday cycles, A, B, and C, which are built around the synoptic Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke respectively. This is a marvelous addition to the Liturgy as a result of the Second Vatican Council whereby we can hear more of the Scriptures proclaimed at Mass than ever before. “Formerly, Catholics heard 1% of the Old Testament and 17% of the New Testament. Now they hear 14% of the Old Testament and 71% of the New Testament” (At the Supper of the Lamb: A Pastoral and Theological Commentary on the Mass. Paul Tuner. LTP. 2011. p. 26.).  This year, we will be in Sunday Cycle C. So, that means we will hear much from the Gospel of Luke during this liturgical cycle.

May the coming end of this liturgical year and beginning of a new one assist you in your walk with Jesus knowing that he will come again with power and might to bring his faithful to himself. Maranatha! Come Lord Jesus!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Thank You

Dear Parishioners,

Last weekend was a wonderful time for our parish. We received hundreds of people on our campus where they were warmly greeted many times by parishioners. The main reason? Our annual Church Bazaar. With the encouragement and guidance of Fr. Arjie to reconstitute the Bazaar Guild and the leadership of Karen O’Brien, it was a great success. Despite the short time frame put it all together, we can all be proud of what was accomplished. Thank you to all who gave of their time and talent to organize the different aspects to set up, organize, serve, and take down. Thank you all!

Thank you also to our Knights of Columbus and our Hispanic and Filipino Communities for cooking and serving such wonderful food. I heard only raves about how good it all was. This was a great example of how we can work together for single purpose.

While the Bazaar was clearly the main draw, people also came to St. Anne for our Church Open House. Thank you, Evangelization Team, for your stewards’ care of our new church. I was very proud of how well you accompanied people through the church, answered questions, and shared your faith. The Bazaar and Open House were a wonderful duo of fellowship and fun.

Last weekend’s events reminded me of how our St. Anne community can step up and share love with our community at large. Thank you, again, to all who participated in last week’s events!

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Offering the St. Michael the Archangel Prayer

Dear parishioners,

As was announced last week and you should notice this weekend, we have begun the recitation of the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel at the end of our weekend Masses and Masses which fall on holy days of obligation. As for our weekday Masses, this prayer was recently added as part of the ending of the Rosary which follows our daily Masses, so we won’t be duplicating the prayer by adding it at the end of the daily Masses. 

All priests received this request from Archbishop Sample last month. Here’s an excerpt from that letter explaining why he has made the request:

We find ourselves in very distressing times with continued revelations about the failures of our brother priests and bishops. It seems to me that the evil one has intensified his war against the Mystical Body and its members.

There are many things we can do as a local church to play our part in the purification of the Church at this time, however prayer will also be the foremost and most appropriate response, on which all other efforts will build.

I would like to strongly encourage you therefore to pray the St. Michael Prayer after each parish Mass and in turn encourage your parishioners also to personally say this prayer daily.

I think that after the final blessing and at the foot of the altar would be the appropriate time and place, after which the recessional hymn, could begin.

The St. Michael Prayer composed by Pope Leo XIII, is a forceful weapon in our armory of devotions, and St. Michael the Archangel is an intercessor of great power. 

Pope Leo XIII wrote this prayer in 1886 and it became a mainstay at the, now called, Extraordinary Mass. Later, other prayers were also added, called the “Leonine Prayers”.  They were officially suppressed via Vatican II’s Instruction Inter Oecumenici, which went into effect on March 7, 1965. The faithful were never prohibited to offer this prayer on their own, but the obligatory recitation at the end of Mass ended at that time.

The prayer to St. Michael the Archangel is easily found on the back cover of our music book in the pews. As for our Spanish Mass, we will be placing the prayer in the inside cover of the Spanish music books, Flor y Canto.

In addition to this prayer of protection, I would like to also add that we all engage at home in prayers for the victims of abuse by anyone working in the name of the Church. We are a hospital of sinner in need of healing and grace, and what hurts one of our members, hurts the entire body. Let us join together in solidarity for this important healing mission of our Church.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Letter from the Archbishop Regarding Measure 106

October 10, 2018

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Praised be Jesus Christ!

With your help, Oregon voters were able to get an important, state-wide citizen initiative on the November ballot. Measure 106 is the Stop Taxpayer Funding for Abortion measure.

Through the Oregon Health Plan, Oregon taxpayers fund ten abortions every day. It is heartbreaking to know that our public taxes are used in a way that not only results in the death of a child in the womb, but also harms women and families.

Catholics have a special responsibility to be involved in political affairs. While the church is non-partisan, we do speak out on matters that impact the good of our neighbors and the larger community. Following the example of Jesus, we reach out especially to assist those who are struggling with life’s difficult burdens and protect those who are vulnerable.

In the case of abortion, the Church understands the difficult choice a woman may face if she has an unplanned pregnancy. Abortion can seem like an easy solution, but ending the life of a newly conceived child is a costly choice. Every child is a precious gift. In addition to killing a child in the womb, abortion causes devastating emotional, spiritual and physical harm to women, children and families.

Our public tax dollars should be used to truly support women and families in need and not to pay for the irreversible and harmful effects of abortion. Oregonians should no longer be forced to pay for elective, late-term and even sex-selective abortions. Please vote Yes on Measure 106.

We know that the majority of Americans oppose using taxpayer money for elective abortions. In fact, thirty-two states and the District of Columbia already prohibit the use of public funds for abortion. Oregon can join them by voting YES on Measure 106.

Voting YES on Measure 106 will not stop all taxpayer money from funding abortions, and it will not prevent women from continuing to choose abortion, but it will limit the use of public money that can be used to pay for abortions. By voting YES on Measure 106, we will let Oregon legislators know we do not want public funds used to pay for elective abortions.

Please vote YES on Measure 106. As Catholics, in good conscience, we have a responsibility to work through the legislative process to reduce and even eliminate abortions whenever possible. Measure 106 gives us that opportunity. Please join me in voting YES on Measure 106. May God bless you and your family.

Sincerely yours in the Lord,

Most Rev. Alexander K. Sample
Archbishop of Portland in Oregon

Update on Miscellaneous Items For Our New Church

Dear Parishioners,

In the ongoing process of rebuilding our new church, there are things that we are still working on. In the spirit of letting everyone know about where we are on some things, I offer you these items to think about and pray about.

1. Confessional Update - We have installed acoustical paneling on the ceiling of each confessional which has really helped.  But, that is not sufficient.  The walls need acoustical abatement. So, at the time of this writing (Oct. 1), we are expecting a shipment of 2”-thick acoustical panels which will then need to be installed.  Once installed, I have confidence that this will make these rooms very quiet and private. Due to the extended dividers in the confessionals, a penitent who enters and desires to offer their confession face-to-face will be hidden from those outside of the confessional, rendering others from knowing if the confessional is occupied or not.  So, we will need to install some kind of additional system to let waiting penitents know that the confessional is available.

2. Votive Candle Tables - I have been asked by many people about this topic. In the process of setting up the church, we planned to put the votive candle stands back, yet we cannot find where they went after removing them from the old church. It is possible that we had a parishioner store them for us, but we don’t know if that is the case or who that was if so.  So, if you know where those stands are, please notify the office so we can arrange to have them picked up.  Thanks.

3. Audio-Video System Update - This past week, we got the camera behind the baptismal font working and on the network. You may have noticed one of our sound engineers walking and sitting about during Mass with an iPad. This iPad is networked to our digital mixer. This now allows the person managing the sound system to manage the system without the need to be sitting at the desk in the back. The desk will eventually be set aside on the North-facing wall and free up space behind the last pew. Next, we need to bring audio and video to the Cry Room, Bride’s Room, and Day Chapel. The speakers in the Narthex will also need to be connected to the audio system. Additionally, we need to install a larger screen for our projector and then tune the system to the specific acoustics  to the church nave (think seating area with pews). Our wireless system has extra antennas that will be mounted in the entry area of the church so as to increase the range of our wireless system to include places outside the front of the church. We also have plans to have speakers outside for folks to hear when we have ceremonies outside such as the Blessing of Fire at the beginning of the Easter Vigil Mass.  There are other details, but those are the highlights.

4.  Stations of the Cross - I am in an ongoing email dialogue with a vendor about the siz and costs of a specific set of Stations of the Cross that the Bazaar Guild agreed would be appropriate. At this time, I cannot nail down a cost, but will let everyone know once I do know. I am cautious that they will be ready in time for the first weeks of Lent.  

5. Outside St. Anne Statue - This has also been a topic of questions from many parishioners. The status and due date of delivery for this statue for our outside South-facing niche is not fully known. The actual artisan lives in Central America. We inquired via our vendor, and we received a list of projects the artisan is working on, ours being third on his list. So, we are discerning about our direction for this project. I recommend you send this to prayer.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Liturgical Changes, Part 4, Altar Servers

Dear Parishioners,

Back in July, I wrote about some liturgical changes that effect our Readers when processing in with the Gospel Book at Mass. Changes that we are making are due to four things: A more thorough reading of the General Instructions to the Roman Missal (GIRM), the new Archdiocesan Liturgical Handbook (ALH), input by parishioners, and our present situation with the new church. So, let me offer some of the changes that you will be seeing or have already observed, as it relates to our Altar Servers.

Genuflecting and Bowing

At St. Anne, during the Introductory Rites, the procession will be lead by the two Altar Servers with lighted candles, between them a minister carrying the cross. Visually, they will be walking parallel to each other. This is only possible due to the width of the new center isle. This formation will be repeated at the Concluding Rites when the procession departs from the Altar. In the past, the Altar servers walked behind the cross and didn’t carry them again after the Gospel procession. We will be examining how these norms can be reflected at our mission churches. The Gospel procession will remain unchanged. When there are not enough Altar Servers in the procession, we will look to a Reader, Sacristan, or another minister to carry the cross. Adaptations must happen when we are short ministers. When the procession reaches the foot of the Sanctuary, either in the Introductory (cf. GIRM 274) or Concluding Rites (cf. GIRM 193), the group of ministers are to genuflect to the Tabernacle unless they are carrying an object (ex. cross, candles, incense) or who otherwise cannot genuflect, in which case they are to make a profound bow. Altar Servers, indeed all ministers, are not to genuflect during the celebration of Mass itself (GIRM 274) unless specifically prescribed (ex. the Priest genuflects three times during the Eucharistic Prayer). Instead, when they enter the Sanctuary, as their duties frequently require, they will bow to the Altar and then enter the Sanctuary to execute their prescribed ministry.

Bells & Incense

Upon the dedication of our new church, it was decided to re-introduce the use of bells at Mass. Altar Servers are to ring the bells at the elevation/showing of the species of bread and wine after they have been consecrated and transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Bells are a sacramental of the Church. In general, the use of bells are optional, but are a long standing tradition in the Church (Introduced around 1100 and became common around the 13th cent.) that signals special moments in the liturgy. In this case, they alert and proclaim the presence of Christ in the Eucharist. They are also used on Holy Thursday and Easter Vigil Saturday at the Gloria.

implemented are the ringing of bells at the elevation/showing of the species of bread and wine after they have been consecrated and transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. Bells are a sacramental of the Church. The use of bells are optional, but are a long standing tradition in the Church (Introduced around 1100 and became common around the 13th cent.) that signals special moments in the liturgy. In this case, they alert and proclaim the presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

The use of incense is a very ancient tradition, being mentioned 147 times in the Bible (NABre). It was placed on an altar accompanying the Ark of the Covenant (cf. Exodus 30:1-10), referenced as a sign of prayer in Psalm 141, placed in the Temple in Jerusalem, and imaged in golden bowls in the Book of Revelation (Rev. 5:8). It’s use today is a more controversial sacramental since many people find it difficult to breathe when incense is being used, and some have allergic reactions when it is merely present. These issues extend to the use of parishioners wearing perfume at Mass (this is why all liturgical ministers are not to wear cologne or perfume). Incense can be included in the Introductory Rites (procession, blessing the Altar), the Gospel Procession, the Preparation of the Gifts, and the Concluding Rites (procession). We will continue to use incense for our most special solemnities in the year (Christmas and Easter) and when requested at a Funeral Mass. Altar Servers who have shown exemplary service will typically be chosen at Thurifers (one carrying the Thurible and Boat needed for incense) for this particular. Finally, we are considering the idea of choosing a few of these same Altar Servers to be further trained-up to become a Master of Ceremony who can guide, lead, and teach junior Altar Servers during the Mass.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

The Church Is Not Falling Apart

Dear Beloved Faithful,

Given the current issues afoot in the Church, I’d like to offer the following challenge and encouragement...

The Church is not falling apart. The sins of man do not define the Faith. Have no fear. Christ is our light. In this difficult time, let us not allow punditry to win the day. All abuse and cover-ups will come to the light. In time, things will become more clear. Our role as Catholics is not to add to the hysteria with cries of schism or destruction. Our calling is to be faithful. 

Jesus promised us that the gates of hell would would not prevail against his Church. Regardless of who may be guilty, incompetent, innocent, or otherwise unworthy, the Bride of Christ will remain. We are not built on the holiness of the bishops or the Pope. Even if all of those who are being accused by Viganò are guilty, and even if the pope steps down, a new pope will be selected by the grace of the Holy Spirit. 

All we need to worry about is whether each of us are living the life worthy of the calling we have received. Just remember whose Church this is. I choose to be ever more mindful of my own sins and be open to God’s grace working through me, his imperfect vessel. Other than that I refuse to listen to punditry. 

God will once again heal and absolve his Bride. God will continue to inspire others to greatness in the faith. God desires, in his perfect compassion and mercy, to bind up and heal the wounded victims. We must join in solemn prayer and concord for the Holy Spirit to breathe fresh upon us all and remember the true source of all healing: Jesus Christ. In the meantime, fasting from news and praying for victims of abuse in all walks of life are spiritual acts of love which we all can do. 

Despite all the punditry, in our RCIA groups this year, the Spirit is clearly at work. Candidates have awareness and concern for victims of abuse, and they are truly focused on the Faith and Holy Mother Church. It’s inspiring. They are not shaken by the prophets of doom. Do not be shaken by alarmists. 

Finally, let us, once again, take heed of the wisdom of St. Pope John XXIII who proclaimed just prior to the opening of the Second Vatican Council:

At times we have to listen, much to our regret, to the voices of people who, though burning with zeal, lack a sense of discretion and measure. In this modern age they can see nothing but prevarication and ruin … We feel that we must disagree with those prophets of doom who are always forecasting disaster, as though the end of the world were at hand. In our times, divine Providence is leading us to a new order of human relations which, by human effort and even beyond all expectations, are directed to the fulfilment of God’s superior and inscrutable designs, in which everything, even human setbacks, leads to the greater good of the Church.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Keeping our Church Beautiful, Clean, and Focused

Dear Parishioners,

Well, we’ve had a few weeks and weekends under our belts and we continue to work on kinks throughout the building. In addition, we are pondering on processes and policies for good stewardship of the church. In this regard, we are being very mindful to keep the church clean and free of clutter.  We ask that folks do not bring old magazines, prayer books, pamphlets, religious sacramentals, or food items for the purpose of sharing them. Our old church narthexes quickly got cluttered up with all kinds of things which started to make it look like a swap meet or thrift store.

As far as sharing food or seasonal garden items are concerned, our school is considering creating a location outside in the front of the school building for people to share their home garden produce. That means, if such items are left anywhere else on the campus, they will likely be thrown away. If parishioners would like to have some items (ex. pamphlets, posters, free items to give away) put in the narthex of the church, please submit a written request to the office which will be reviewed by the staff for consideration.  If you feel called to help out in cleaning the church or any other part of our campus, please reach out to Stephen Voehl, our Business Manager who, among many other roles, manages the physical stewardship of our facilities. Our church is an amazing work of art. It is a building which has been inspiring people long before it was even completed. Let’s keep it that way.

The same goes for all parts of our campus. During demolition and construction, and the need to move to the Parish Center for Mass, we became much closer as a community. We also became more aware of the need for repair and upkeep of the Parish Center and other buildings. Please commit yourself to being mindful of the trash or other things that clutter up our facilities. If a ministry in which you are involved uses the kitchen and especially the stove/oven/grill/refrigerators, etc., please make sure that you leave things cleaner and better than how you found them. Clean up the floor and take out the trash accumulated after your meeting. Check the bathrooms to make sure trash isn’t about the floor and that the toilets are flushed. Report any issues to the office at your next opportunity if something is broken. Make sure to lock the doors of a facility if you are the last one’s. Communicate to another group that you are leaving and what doors are or need to be locked.

We must all commit ourselves to being stewards, tending the goods which God has given us.  An entitlement or attitude of assumption (that someone else will do what you should do) can very easily become sin. So, let us all take responsibility and be accountable to each other about our collective need to keep our buildings, facilities, grounds, indeed all the physical goods of our parish clean. When new people come to our church, the state of repair and cleanliness of the facilities speaks volumes. Let them see how much we love God and each other by taking good care of St. Anne Parish.

Let’s commit ourselves to good stewardship of the amazing gifts given to us by God. Let us keep our focus on the Eucharist and the sacramental life where we encounter and commune with Christ, the reason why our parish exists. May we and our campus demonstrate our mission that we are a “welcoming community, inspired by the Holy Spirit, we seek out to proclaim Christ’s loving mission.”

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor

Thank You!

Dear Parishioners,

Last Saturday’s Dedication Mass was a momentous event in the history of our parish. It was truly awe-inspiring. I am so grateful to all who made it possible. This miracle in our midst is the fruit of our faithfulness and the graciousness of God to help us on our pilgrim journey.

In my remarks at the end of the Mass, I failed to mention some important people who have been deeply involved in the process of making our new church possible, a group that has demonstrated great patience when the process intersected and/or disrupted their normal work of ministry. Probably hardest his is our school. Second would be our pastoral ministries for our children and adults. I want to express my thanks to all of our staff who have sacrificed in myriads of ways during the fundraising, demolition, and construction may displaced a ministry or caused gaps in communication or forced something to cancel. Our Business Manager, Stephen Voehl, and school Principal, Colleen Kotrba, have had to shoulder many unexpected things and roll with the punches as them came. Our parochial vicars, Frs. Tetzel and Arjie have especially helpful in taking on more work, as I had to take on more administrative duties related to the new church building. Indeed, I am very proud of all of our staff, for they have demonstrated a steward’s response to the continually changing situations in this journey, especially those which presented themselves without warning at times. Again, thank you to our administrative and ministry staff, teachers, aides, and volunteer ministers who have done so much behind the scenes during the last two years of this building project.

I also failed to thank our Evangelization Team who helped to reach out and contact various clergy and other important persons who have played important roles in our history. Thank you to our Evangelization Team! A big thank you needs to be offered to Cora Carino whom I asked to lead and coordinate our reception that followed the dedication Mass. She was able to seek out and find parishioners from our Knights of Columbus, Hispanic community, and Filipino community to offer food. She was able to recruit helpers to set up and take down the tables and chairs that we used. Clearly, everyone thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Thank you to all who did their part to make the reception such a wonderful and joyous event! Thank you also to Alan Crews and his Transition Team who quietly moved us out of our old church and is still in the process of moving us into the new church. Thank you to our Liturgy Committee who has been reflecting on our Divine worship ever since I arrived eight years ago and who has been studying ideas and options to lift up and normalize our liturgy. Their work continues, for which I a am so grateful. Finally, thank you to all those whom I have not mentioned who made many sacrifices, mostly unseen, which enabled us to be where we are today.

Hopefully, we will now be more present and able to offer pastoral ministry while letting our new church serve as an opportunity and catalyst to lift up our faith knowing what God has done in our midst. As for me, I look forward to offering opportunities for faith formation for our parish and missions.  In that vein, I plan to personally offer opportunities via a workshop on the Theology the Body for adults and a six week series for our teens. I am planning on guiding a six-week series on the Mass via some new videos produced by Bishop Robert Barron. See the rest of this bulletin for details about these as we get closer to October.

May God help us continue to be faithful stewards of the gifts which we have been given, for by being people of gratitude, we proclaim Christ’s loving mission.

Blessings,

Fr. William Holtzinger
Pastor