June 29, 2016
During the weekend of June 25 – 26, we marked a very bittersweet chapter in Paulist Fathers history. We celebrated the final Sunday Masses at St. Philip Neri Church in Portland, Oregon, while the parish was under our pastoral care.
Many parishioners, Paulists, Paulist Alumni, family and friends returned to honor our 104-year history at the parish. Paulist Fathers Ted Vierra (former associate pastor), John Hurley (founder of the Paulist Evangelization Center), and Rich Colgan (former pastor) traveled to Portland to be with the community. Among the Paulist Alumni who joined us included Fr. Les Sieg (former pastor, now a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Portland); former Paulist Fathers Larry Rossini and Mike Devenney; and former Paulist students Ed Lemma and Brandon Kaetzel. There also were many family members of Paulist Fathers, past and present.
At the Saturday evening vigil Mass, Archbishop Alexander Sample presided and preached. He rightly pointed out that the occasion was “bitter” for obvious reasons, but it was also “sweet” because of the thanksgiving for the faithful service of the Paulists to the parish, the Archdiocese of Portland, and the entire Pacific Northwest. There was a good crowd and reception that followed. The archbishop was cordial and sensitive to the grief of our leaving. He promised the parishioners that they would not be abandoned by the archdiocese.
On Sunday morning, I preached and presided. I started by sharing that the weekend felt to me like an old fashioned Italian wake and funeral: the whole family comes back to tell stories, to cry, to laugh, to bury the hatchet with one another, and to share plenty of good food. Picking up on the first reading from Kings (1 Kings 19: 16-21), I wondered with the congregation whether it was harder to start a new mission or to leave one. Who had it easier, Elijah who passed on the mantel, or Elisha who had to take it up? St. Philip Neri Parish began in 1912 with virtually nothing but a mandate from the archbishop to the Paulists to serve. From a remembrance by Fr. Guy Quinan, C.S.P.: there were a handful of Italian families at first, limited resources, and an atmosphere of anti-catholic bigotry in the city, not to mention anti-Italian bigotry within the local Church. When Mother Frances Cabrini came to Portland during that time, she consoled Fr. Quinan and encouraged him to keep the faith. She predicted (prophesied?) that the Paulists would have a thriving foundation. He was greatly encouraged. Shortly thereafter, the first church building was erected, and the congregation grew.
Mentioning the reading from St. Paul to the Galatians (Galatians 5: 1, 13-18), I noted that the parish community, fortified by the Holy Spirit, never felt enslaved by the oppression that surrounded them. Rather they became a community that reached out to others, loving their neighbor. They joyously shared their faith through the Mass, festivals, processions, and most importantly food! Their Italian dinners were the toast of Portland! (I mentioned that Italians didn’t need fancy evangelization programs — good food in quantity was just as effective as anything else.) I suggested that the experiences of being strangers in a strange place, overcoming bigotry and racism, and maintaining that strong sense of family and connectedness, led naturally to the evolving sense of the parish as a home for mission activity. At first, the parish sent Paulists throughout the Northwest on parish missions. Later, they supported the creation, through Paulist Fr. John Hurley’s leadership, of the Paulist Evangelization Center, which provided outreach resources to the region. With an expanding sense of family they nurtured a welcoming home to LGBTQ Catholics and also advocated for the care of the earth, our common home, through successful events like The Muddy Boots Festival, a contemporary expression of those parish festivals of old.
It is amazing how the parish and the Paulist Fathers grew together, being led by the Holy Spirit, to find new ways to express the Gospel call to go out and tell the Good News. As a footnote, I called everyone’s attention to Fr. Bill Eden’s recent efforts to launch Portland-Aha website, which invites young adults to tell their experience of the transcendent. While we depart physically, our digital footprints will be one of the many ways our Paulist DNA remains in Portland.
Finally, I addressed the leave taking of our mission in Portland by referencing the Gospel passage from Luke chapter 9, verses 51 – 62. Jesus calls all of us to follow him — an easy thing to do when things are going well. However, Jesus reminds us that following him includes going up to Jerusalem, to the Cross. He tells us that there is a physical end to all of our earthly activities, and we have to walk this part of the walk, as painful as it is. I urged the congregation to remember that in faith we walk these dark roads, so that a new day with new opportunities can present themselves. Ultimately, the goal of our journeying this way, as hard as it may be at times, is to seek the Kingdom of God where all of our grief and loss may be redeemed, when all the saints (including beloved Paulist Missionary and parish son Fr. Vincent Sampietro, C.S.P.) will be joined together to celebrate in the great feast of heaven and earth.
I provided assurances of on-going Paulist support, through the Paulist Associates, the internet, and frequent visits. The congregation was reminded that Paulist Father Jim Kolb remains pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Church, across the Willamette River in Southwest Portland, when they need a local Paulist fix. Invoking the Italian origins of the parish, I reminded them that we were family and while we may move away, we will always remain connected. Of course there was some singing along the way, and everyone joined me in a verse of “Happy Trails to You.”
There were sustained standing ovations at both Masses not only for the Paulists in general, but most especially for pastor Fr. Charlie Brunick, C.S.P., and associate pastors Fr. Mike Evernden, C.S.P., and Fr. Bill Edens, C.S.P., who were given the heavy burden of being those Paulists who had to lead the congregation through this difficult and upsetting time of transition to the farewell. Of course, there is on-going worry and anxiety in the parish about who will pastor them in the future and whether those pastors will continue the tradition of welcome, especially to the stranger and the marginalized. So, I ask you, dear reader, to commend this parish community to your prayers that the Good Shepherd will send them new shepherds who will care for them with the depth of love and understanding the Paulist Fathers have.
Receptions followed after both liturgies. The tradition continued with plenty of good food and conversation. Touching tributes were offered to the three departing Paulists. The parish put together memory books on the history of the Paulists and St Philip Neri. Contact the parish if you would like one.
As we prepare for the final departure, our hearts are heavy. Yet, the weekend experience left us grace-filled and hopeful. It is clear the people of St. Philip Neri have been blessed with the charism of the Paulists which will, with the grace of God, be lived out for decades to come. The Paulists too have been richly blessed by this community of faith whose witness, service, and commitment to the Gospel has enriched and deepened our encounter with Christ.
