I spent last week (July 21-26) at Ignite NW, a one-of-a-kind Catholic convention for high schoolers. It was a real shot in the arm for the 300 kids and 175 adult volunteers who attended at least some of it. Of those 175 adults, about twenty of them were young adults aged 18-25. These young adults are committed to their Catholic faith—some zealous—willing to help others on their journey with the Lord.

I’m writing about the Liturgy of the Hours, a topic I can write about quickly with a lot of copying and pasting from the internet. That’s a good thing because I’ve been at Ignite Northwest this past week, a five-day conference for high schoolers at the University of Portland. It is led by priests, consecrated religious, and a lot of lay folks, many of whom are from our parish family (roughly 475 people in total).

Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life are super important to us. Today I’m giving you an update on some of the young people from our parish family that are pursuing religious life. 

Last year Columbia River Catholic had a fundraiser and food packing event for an organization called Cross Catholic Outreach (CCO). It was a big success, providing thousands of meals for hungry children in the Third World. We’re doing it again this year and hopefully annually going forward.

I saw a movie a couple of months ago called The Story of Everything. It is excellent and I highly recommend it. It succinctly lays out the origins of the universe—and life—using the empirical evidence we have discovered over the past five centuries, and especially in the past century. After watching the movie, no honest person can believe that the universe is eternal.

Following up on my pastor’s columns about the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the First Friday and Saturday devotions, I here present to you a step-by-step rite of consecration of your home to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is a powerful devotion that will help to protect your home and family from the enemy, as well as to help foster a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through His Sacred Heart. Jesus promised to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque that, "I will bless the homes where an image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored."

Religious devotions are religious practices that are not obligatory. After the Precepts of the Church which are obligatory (attending Mass on Sundays, Confession at least once a year, etc.), devotions are the surest way to achieve communion with God and to serve Him. To that end, I encourage everyone to develop a devotional life, to grow in relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the Communion of the Saints.

Two weeks ago, I began a three-part series on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In case you missed the first two parts, you can find them part on the CRC or Holy Redeemer website. What follows is the final installment of Archbishop Etienne’s letter on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is excellent and worthy of a focused and prayerful reading. You will gain much spiritual fruit if you do.

Last week I began a three-part series on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In case you missed it, you can find the first part on the CRC website by scanning the QR Code. What follows is the second installment of Archbishop Etienne’s letter on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. It is excellent and worthy of a focused and prayerful reading.

This year the United States of America marks its 250-year anniversary. Because of this and Pope Francis’ 2024 encyclical (letter) on the Sacred Heart of Jesus the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has been inspired to consecrate America to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This will be done on June 11, when the USCCB gathers for their bi-annual meeting.

This Sunday we celebrate the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ into heaven. I submitted this pastor’s column a couple of years ago and found in re-reading it how good it is. Therefore, I submit it here again for your enlightenment and edification.

Last Monday, May 4^th, Anthony Jackson, a parishioner of ours, left for St. Martin’s Abbey in Lacey, Washington to become a Benedictine monk. What a blessing for Anthony and the whole Church! Please keep Anthony in your prayers as he’ll need them. I’ve attached a short autobiography of Anthony’s vocation at the end of this pastor’s column.

Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. We want that as well. Receiving the Last Rites before our death is one powerful way to ultimately reach heaven. Sadly, many Catholics don’t receive the Last Rites because those taking care of them in their dying days don’t reach out to a parish to have a priest come and administer the sacraments to them. Let’s talk.

Who’s the leader of the Lutherans, Methodists, Seventh Day Adventists, Southern Baptists, Mormons, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, etc.? I bet you couldn’t name a single one, but I bet you could name the Pope, and so could most people around the world (Pope Leo XIV). We are so fortunate to belong to the one universal Church established by Jesus Christ two thousand years ago.

This week’s Pastor’s Column is a special collection of the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget.

The Sunday after Easter is called Divine Mercy Sunday. In light of what our sins did to Our Lord on Good Friday, and His mercy upon us after His Resurrection; this day, Divine Mercy Sunday, is a day in which we meditate upon Our Lord’s mercy, thank Him, and worship Him for it.

In past pastor’s columns at Easter, I’ve written about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. This year I want to write about a different kind of resurrection, that of the Church.

This Sunday is Passion Sunday, popularly known as Palm Sunday. At Mass we participate in the telling of Jesus’ passion and death. That was the worst thing that has ever happened, yet it led to the greatest thing that has every happened, at least for humanity: the Resurrection of Jesus and our potential resurrection as well. Here I include many facts from the Shroud of Turin in Italy, the burial cloth of Jesus.

We hear in this Sunday’s Gospel the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. But what if we were to rise from the dead only to continue to suffer for eternity? It wouldn’t be worth it. What if we were to rise from the dead free of what causes suffering? What if we could be free of what causes suffering in this life? What if we could be free of sin? That would be worth it.

In a follow up to last week’s pastor’s column on the virtues, I thought I would write one on the vices. Many of you have seen the “How to go the Confession” guide that Holy Redeemer has been using for years; now at St. Thomas and Star of the Sea. In it, there is an excellent examination of conscience. The list of sins in it has helped thousands of penitents to get a better grasp of what acts would constitute serious sin, when coupled with knowledge of the seriousness at the time it was committed, and freedom on the part of the penitent at the time it was committed.