The last two weeks have been pretty wild. The installation Mass on the memorial of the Holy Guardian Angels was wonderful. Despite having made the Oath of Fidelity several times in my life, I was surprised at how nervous I was before the Mass. I am particularly grateful to Bishop Schuster for setting me at ease throughout the liturgy and to all of those who greased every skid before, during, and after the celebration.
We also our third parish family townhall gathering. Held at Queen of Angels in Port Angeles, it was well-attended and featured a good number of topics. Unfortunately, my phone & app failed me about 45 minutes in and I didn’t notice to restart the recording until 30 minutes after that. However, you can still catch the majority of the townhall meeting – check out the recording and timestamped questions here.
Last Friday also saw the kick-off of our school’s annual Partners in Excellence fundraiser. Hosted at Olympic Cellars Winery, our principal Ceci Kimball offered a ‘state of the school’ address and invited those present to join in the mission of Queen of Angels school. And it’s not too late to be part of that work! Check out the school fundraiser page for more information.
Though all of that has been exciting and fruitful, I’m looking forward to a few hopefully less eventful days ahead! May it be a peaceful and grace-filled week for you and your loved ones.

A panoramic shot of the landscape behind Olympic Cellars Winery in Port Angeles.

October 6 – This Sunday is Respect Life Sunday, the kickoff of Respect Life Month in the United States. In his statement inviting us to enter into this month of prayer, Bishop Michael Burbidge chairman of the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities reminds us that “Jesus, truly present in the Eucharist, gives us the fullnes of life”. Though there have been judicial victories in the protection of human life, the real victory will only come when every person comes to know and treasure the gift of human life from conception to natural death. Take a moment to read Bishop Burbidge’s full statement, available at the USSCB website.

October 7 – Today is the memorial Our Lady of the Holy Rosary. Though my family prayed the rosary together each week, I must admit that praying the rosary wasn’t something I found particularly compelling until the first few years of my priesthood. Perhaps providentially, I fell in love with the rosary during my time as pastor of Holy Rosary parish in Tacoma! Meditation on the mysteries of Christ’s life, death, and resurrection – facilitated by slow, repetitive recitation of simple prayers – has proven to be a source of great consolation and peace.
This year, Pope Francis is inviting all of us to not only join in praying the rosary for the gift of peace, as well as participating in a day of prayer and fasting. Read his invitation at the Vatican website as we, together with the Blessed Virgin Mary, intercede for peace in our world.

October 8 – Today is the memorial of Saint Pelagia. Prior to her baptism, she was part of a dance troupe in Palestinian Antioch. She happened to be passing by a church where a bishop – Bishop Nonnus of Edessa – was preaching. He decided to pray for her despite (or perhaps, especially) her lifestyle and, by God’s providence, she heard him preach the following day. Moved by his homily, she asked to be baptized and was received into the Church. She gave away all that she had and became a hermitess in Jerusalem, disguising herself as a monk under the name Pelagius. She became known as ‘the beardless monk’, her true identity only revealed after her death. Read more about her at Loyola Press.

October 9 – Today is the memorial of Saint John Henry Newman. A convert from the Anglican community, he was a priest, popular preacher, and theologian. Shortly after his reception into full communion as a Catholic, he was ordained and joined the Congregation of the Oratory. He is perhaps best known for his very prolific writing – some forty books and twenty one thousand (!) letters. I find his motto particularly poignant: Cor ad cor loquitur (“Heart speaks to heart”) – he spent his life opening his heart to God and seeking to enter more deeply into the heart of the Lord. Check out Bishop Barron’s article, written shortly before Newman’s canonization in 2019.

October 12 – Today is the feast of Our Lady of Aparecida – which translates as “Our Lady, the Appeared” – the patroness of Brazil. According to the story of her appearance under this name, three fisherman were on the Paraiba River, looking to provide for a banquet for the visiting governor. After fishing for hours with nothing to show for their efforts, they were ready to give up. But one of them – João Alves – decided to cast his net out one more time. When he did, he caught not fish but a wooden statue of Mary, the head missing. When he did so again, he found another piece of wood – the missing head. On the third cast of his net, he found it full of fish. When his companions – Domingos Garcia and Filipe Pedroso – cast their nets, they too pulled them in full of fish. The miraculous catch of fish fueled curiousity and devotion and the statue was named “Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida,” Our Lady of the Appeared Conception. Read about Our Lady of Aparecida at the Vatican News website.
Priests celebrating their anniversaries this week

- Rev. Andrii Oliinyk (October 10, 2021)
Remembering our deceased priests
- Fr. Richard J. Basso (October 6, 2018)
- Fr. John A. Jennings (October 7, 2018)
- Fr. Peter Ryan (October 9, 1910)
- Fr. Thomas Delahunty (October 9, 2007)
- Fr. Felix Verwilghen (October 12, 1915)

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