Dear Friends in Christ,
Today is the beautiful Solemnity of the Nativity of John the Baptist. Summer officially began on June 20, which was our longest day of the year. From now until the birth of Christ at Christmas, the days will gradually get shorter. Today’s feast is a beautiful reminder for the Christian life: We must decrease, and Christ must increase to the point we can say with St. Paul:
It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me
. As we mark the birth of John the Baptist, of whom no one born of women is greater, let us strive as an archdiocese to become least in the kingdom of God, for even the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he (cf.
Lk 7:28
).
Thanks for all your prayers and support. Kathie and I are now home, and she is recovering well from surgery. She will need additional treatment for her brain cancer, but this important step was a big success. We are both a little embarrassed after I used this forum to solicit your prayers, but we could not be more grateful for your love and support. Your prayers sustained us. Thanks for your understanding. Here is a
picture of Kathie
following the surgery. She was happy when the ICU nurse let her have a frozen Otter Pop! She is now up and about and doing well and very glad to be home.
Archbishop Sample
- Area Vicars Meeting – This morning, the Archbishop met with his area vicars. These meetings are now occurring every other week. Many churches are in counties in Phase II, so more people are able to attend Mass with the relaxed restrictions. In the meantime, the Archbishop is advocating directly with the Governor’s Office for greater parity between churches and certain businesses in Phase One. One of our priests tested positive last week for COVID-19, so he is currently in self-quarantine to prevent any spread.
- Next Tuesday, June 30 at 7:00 p.m., Join Archbishop Sample LIVE for a special message to those who have been or are being confirmed this season.
- Livestream Schedule
- Wednesdays at NOON - Angelus & Rosary
- Fridays at 6 PM – “Chapel Chat” LIVE
- Sundays at 11 AM – Mass at the Cathedral
Want to be Confirmed by the Archbishop?
As Confirmations are taking place in parishes by pastors, if there are students/confirmandi that desire to be confirmed by Archbishop Sample in the fall, please email Rozanne Johnson at
rjohnson@archdpdx.org
and let her know. We will look to get a date on the schedule in September. Thank you!
Religious Freedom Week – June 22-29
John the Baptist paid the ultimate price for his witness to Christ. His birth is a fitting feast during this
Religious Freedom Week
.
10,000 Gathered for Mass
This is a historical note: Twenty years ago tomorrow, on June 25, 2000, 10,000 people gathered for Mass at the Memorial Coliseum in Portland as the Archdiocese of Portland celebrated “Eucharist 2000” during the Great Jubilee Year 2000. We look forward to the day when such large gatherings will again be possible. In the meantime, we thank God for the beautiful gift of the Eucharist and we pray for a speedy return to the altar of the Lord for all of the faithful.
Beware Scam/Malicious Emails
It has come to our attention that some clergy email addresses have been hacked and emails are being sent that appear to be from priests asking for money. Others may have attachments that you are asked to open. Please do not click any links or open any attachments in these emails. Please do not reply to these emails. If you have questions about an email, please contact the purported sender by phone or other means.
Has your diocesan email account been hacked?
Take these steps:
- Contact our IT service provider, Portland Internetworks, and report the problem: Support@PDX.Net
- Send an email to your contact list, or your parish's contact list, alerting them of the scam emails and urge them not to reply.
- Tell friends and parishioners to contact you directly via phone or email if they have any questions about an email. They should NOT attempt to reply to the questionable email.
Next COVID-19 mailing on Friday, June 26
Sincerely in Christ,
Todd Cooper
COVID-19 Pastoral Center Response, Core Team Chair
Reopening Resources
