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Recent Happenings - Archives Giving Swag - On Saturday, December 15, 2011, you brought joy to the hearts of hundreds as 75 families received food and present deliveries from St. Cecilia’s St. Vincent de Paul and another 100 waited in a very long line of cars to pick theirs up. The work began in October as organizers began gathering names of those in need, arranging for food and writing out more than 1000 tags for the Giving Swag. St. Cecilia parishioners generously answered the call, returning gifts, turkeys, canned food and money. Photos of volunteers sorting and sending gifts can be seen here. St. Cecilia Feast Day Celebration - Our annual celebration of St. Cecilia Feast Day took place on November 6, 2011. Over 750 people enjoyed a delicious spaghetti dinner, great fellowship, and talented entertainment. It would not have been possible without the many generous people who volunteered their time and talents, including Men's Club, Knights of Columbus, Liturgy Committee, Money Counters, St. Cecilia Middle School and High School Youth, St. Cecilia Young Adults, Pastoral Council, St. Cecilia School Jazz Band, Steve Fulks, St. Cecilia RE, St. Therese Guild, St. Jude Guild, Mom’s Club, Ushers, and the Parish Staff. Photos of the event can be seen here. Parish Picnic and Fair - Our annual Parish Picnic was held at the church on August 13th after the 5:00pm Mass. There was a simple meal of hot dogs, beans, and salad prepared by the Men’s Club. The Knights of Columbus helped with the setup, cleanup, and the Beer and Wine Garden. John Crocker led games for the children, including a balloon toss. Various parishioners and parish groups had vendor tables available, which added a farmers' market feel to the evening. One of these was St. Vincent DePaul, which collected 166 pounds of food for the food pantry. Approximately 300 people attended, with beautiful weather. A great time was had by all! Father Charles Borho, Former St. Cecilia Pastor, Dies - Father Charles Borho died on July 9, 2011, at the age of 85 years after a fruitful ministry as a priest of the Archdiocese of Portland. Father Borho served as pastor of St. Cecilia from 1979-1989. The Office of the Dead was prayed here at St. Cecilia on Wednesday and he was buried from the Cathedral, Thursday, July 14 with burial at Mt. Calvary. Father was born in North Dakota in 1926, entered the Marines and World War II, and served in Okinawa and Northern China until 1946. He attended University of Portland, Mt. Angel and St. Edward Seminaries, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1957. Father Borho was a great priest. He affected countless number of lives with hope, reconciled thousands through confession, prayed over hundreds of dead as they left this world, and celebrated the Divine Liturgy for the people of God. May he Rest in Peace. Partner Parish - Fr. Dan Kassis, the pastor of Christ the King Parish, was warmly welcomed by all of you the weekend of May 14/15, 2011. The Parish Partner Committee wishes to thank the Men’s Club, the Knights of Columbus, St. Jude Guild, the School Parents Club and others for providing the fruit, muffins and pastries for the reception after all the Masses. The 2nd collection brought in $10,700 for Christ the King parish. An additional $2,000 will be sent also, from the Lenten collection. Your generosity is an answer to pray for this parish. The Parish Partner Committee thanks all of you. Easter Egg Hunt - On April 30th, 2011, the Moms Club hosted the annual Easter Egg Hunt for the parish children. Thanks to the glorious weather, the hunt was held outside in the playground and field areas next to the activity center. After a short prayer and blessing by Fr. Ysrael, 60+ kids ranging in age from babies to 10 years old were off in search of eggs. Prizes were awarded and all of the kids received goody bags. This was truly a St Cecilia community event. The filled eggs were donated by the Moms Club, prizes were donated by school and parish families, and the goody bags were donated by the Social Concerns Committee and filled by Michelle Hallett and her band of helpers. Pictures of the event can be seen here. School Auction - The 2011 St. Cecilia School Auction “Ride a Wave… Catch the Spirit” was held on February 12 at Embassy Suites Washington Square, and was a great success! We were able to sell all available raffle tickets and exceeded our foal for a Fund a Need. Over $30K was raised, which along with our donor match means that we will have a beautiful new stage in our Activity Center this Spring! Raffle winners were: trip to Hawaii - Celina Gomez, iPad - Gradey & Erin McRae, $250 in Scrip Gift Cards - Mike Skokan. Thank you to everyone who supported the auction and raffle. Crab Feed - The 8th Annual Parish Crab Feed was held on January 22, 2011. About 350 parishioners gorged themselves on crab, salad, coleslaw, roasted potatoes, clam chowder, and bread, washed down with wine and beer. This event raised about $5000, which will be used to help complete the Activity Center Kitchen. A video of this event can be seen here. St. Cecilia Feast Day Celebration - On November 14, 2011, we celebrated St. Cecilia Feast Day. There were special liturgies at all weekend Masses, honoring our parish community and our Patron Saint. The day was capped off with a gathering of more than 400 parishioners in the Activity Center, featuring food provided by the Men’s Club, Donna Schuetze, and our Hispanic, Filipino, and Vietnamese Communities. The Hispanic Children’s Choir provided great entertainment. Over $4000 was raised to help complete the new kitchen in the Activity Center, which is key to many parish events. We would also like to thank the Knights of Columbus, Pastoral Council, St. Jude Guild and the Worship Committee for their help with this event. Photos of this event can be seen here. Chili Feed - The first annual Christopher Columbus Chili Cook-Off was held on October 23, 2010, and was a great success. There were 24 contestants in western costumes (except the cows) promoting their own special recipes and competing for the best chili and other awards. Over 200 people came to taste and judge the chili and costumes while they were entertained by the Hansen Family Singers. Great music, chili, food and fun were enjoyed by all! Winners were:
Parish Picnic - The annual Parish Picnic was held on July 18, 2010. It was a lot of fun, and the weather was perfect! We offered more food lines than last year, which made serving much more efficient. We ran out of desserts again this year, but the Knights of Columbus made up for it by serving about 500 snow cones! Damon Gentry and John Crocker did an awesome job, and Sister Catherine kept the crew organized.
Thanks From Father Pat - I am overwhelmed with your generosity and kindness on the occasion of my 40th anniversary as a priest. Thank you for your prayers and good wishes; thanks especially for Your gifting of funds initiated by the Pastoral Council at Mass in August for my trip to the Scandinavian countries and Russia. Your funds collected covered the entire cost of the cruise I will take in May. A parishioner very generously also gave me mileage for the cost of airfare. Thank you for providing this trip of a lifetime. You all have been a blessing to me at this wonderful time of my priesthood. I am thankful for all that you have done for me and your love for priests. Crab Feed - On January 30, 2010, the Men's Club hosted their 7th annual Crab Feed, with about 350 people attending. Profits will go toward kitchen equipment for the new Activity Center. Photos of this event can be seen here. Sister Parish - On November 22, 2009 (Feast of Christ the King), we celebrated Mass with guests from the City of Roses Kateri Circle, who are a group of Native American Catholics. The Mass included a collection for our Partner Parish (Christ the King in Shiprock, NM), which serves the Navajo Communities there, and a blessing, which can be seen here. 2009 Building Project Videos: |
Celebration - Fr. Pat McNamee celebrated 40 years of
Ordination as a priest with a reception in the Activity Center on June
19, 2010. Special guests include Monsignor Dennis O'Donovan, Vicar
General of the Portland Archdiocese, and Fr. James Mayo, Pastor of
St. Michael Church. A video reflecting on Fr. Pat's many years of service can be seen