Year of Discipleship – Parish Updates – July 26, 2023
I hope this note finds you well and enjoying our warm summer days. I’m going to cut right to the chase in today’s post, because there is so much to share with you.
First, I am grateful to share that our Director of Youth Ministry, Karen Schindler, continues taking very positive (and miraculous) steps in her recovery. As you know, Karen was involved in a very serious car accident a week ago and is still hospitalized in Bend where the accident occurred. We are happy to report that she is out of the Intensive Care Unit and can receive your cards and letters at St. Charles Medical Center, Attn: Karen Schindler – Room 307, 2500 NE Neff Road, Bend OR 97701. Recovery will take time as she has a broken neck, orbital bone, sternum, four broken ribs, a broken hand and her pelvis is broken in possibly two locations. Her spinal cord was damaged, but thankfully she is up and using her legs and toes! Karen reaches out to us regularly, and always extends her thankfulness for your prayers telling us they are working.
Due to Karen’s absence, along with our current staffing shortage, we must make changes to the Faith Formation programming we had scheduled for the Fall. We will be offering Sacramental Preparation for First Communion, as well as Confirmation, beginning later this year. We are currently revising the calendar and will publish dates and times in the very near future. We are grateful to our neighboring parishes, the Proto Cathedral of St. James, as well as St. Joseph’s, for welcoming our OCIA (formerly known as RCIA) and OCIC (formerly known as RCIC) candidates into their programming. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
As you know, World Youth Day is a worldwide annual gathering of youth and young adults. This year, along with Pope Francis, youth will gather in Lisbon, Portugal for prayer, worship, and celebration of our Catholic faith. Here at Our Lady of Lourdes, we have the unique opportunity to join Pope Francis in Lisbon for World Youth Day on Thursday, August 3rd. Staff from the Seattle Archdiocese will be with us to offer a day of prayer, formation, discussion and reflection for our high school and college aged youth. I cannot encourage our youth highly enough to participate in this day….and bring friends!! Time spent together will include lunch, followed by meaningful, well-prepared talks around campus. Students will have an opportunity to discuss and ask questions about their faith centered on popular and relevant topics of interest. We’ll end the day with an opportunity for Eucharistic Adoration, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (for those who wish to participate) and Mass. Daniel Oberreuter will be onsite to offer praise and worship throughout the day, as well. Again, I cannot encourage the participation of our young adults enough. Please sign up for this life changing experience: World Youth Day at OLL – Sign Up
Last, but certainly not least, please save the date for our second annual “Parish Day” celebration to be held on Sunday, September 10th after the 11 a.m. Mass. The Knights of Columbus will once again be offering Bratwursts, Hot Dogs and Beer. If you are involved in one of our ministries and would like to add some fun to our day, we would welcome your contribution. Cake walks, face painting, arts and crafts, games in the field…..all are welcome! Won’t it be wonderful to sit outside under the shade of our new arcade cover!
Thanks for hanging in there with me through this “newsy” note. There’s a whole lot more to share about upcoming ministries and retreats, but we’ll save that for next time.
With Love,
Mary