Dear Parishioners, As we end the holy season of Christmas in the celebration of the feast of our Lord’s Baptism, let us call to mind our own baptism. As baptized followers of Jesus Christ, let us be reminded that we in our own baptism, were anointed to be sharers in our Lord’s priestly, prophetic, and kingly ministry – let us persevere in…

Dear Parishioners, Happy Feast Day of the Lord’s Epiphany! The Feast of the Lord’s Epiphany is always wonderful to celebrate for we are reminded of our Faith’s universality – the Lord came to be King of all the world. In this feast, we commemorate the manifestation of the Lord to all the world as represented by the Magi coming from different parts…

Dear Parishioners, As we celebrate today the feast day of the Holy Family, let us be inspired by the openness and obedience of Mary and Joseph to the will of the Father in heaven. Mary and Joseph had to go through a lot of trials but they triumphed because of their obedience to God’s will – they listened to God for instructions and…

Dear Parishioners, A few days more and we will be celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Merry Christmas!!! Let us welcome Jesus into our hearts and let us allow ourselves to become his living presence here on earth so that even if all the decorations are gone and the season is over, we will still feel the spirit…

Dear Parishioners, Time really flies fast! We are already halfway through the Advent Season and we mark it with a day of Joy. As we celebrate Gaudete Sunday this third Sunday of Advent, we are filled with joy for truly, the Lord is coming and we wait with joyful anticipation. But I would like us to be reminded that our preparation for…

Dear Parishioners, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Brothers and sisters, this call from John the Baptist is always relevant especially in our preparation for Christmas and for the coming of the Lord at the end of time. Let us be reminded that repentance, is not a feeling, although it is often accompanied by feelings of sorrow and regret.…

Dear Parishioners, Advent is upon us and Happy New Year! The First Sunday of Advent always marks the beginning of a new liturgical year for us and in every beginning there will always be exciting possibilities. As we enter the Holy Season of Advent, our preparation for our Lord’s coming is once again put into focus. Let us be mindful of the…

Dear Parishioners, You have read this before but I will say it again. Thanksgiving Day is truly something that should be celebrated all over the world! It is a wonderful practice that builds relationships not only among people but also and more importantly, it builds relationship with God – the One who is truly worthy of all praise and thanksgiving. The celebration…

Dear Parishioners, You probably don’t want to “hear” this right now but from today, Sunday November 17, we’re only 38 days from Christmas! I know some tend to panic when Christmas time draws near and it seems that it is always too early to talk about it. It’s not even Thanksgiving yet (!) but there are already Christmas decorations in the malls…

Dear Parishioners, As you all already know, I was in Portland this past week to attend two meetings. First (last Wednesday), was the joint meeting of the College of Consultors and the Archdiocesan Finance Council and second (last Thursday), the Presbyteral Council meeting. I always treasure these meetings with the Archbishop and his councils that I get to attend. Quite honestly, sometimes…

Dear Parishioners, Every time we come close to the first and second of November, we should be reminded of our oneness as members of the mystical Body of Jesus Christ – the Church. With Jesus as our head, we are the body – Jesus is the head of the body to which we belong. This is what we profess we believe every…

Dear Parishioners, During the All Parish Leaders Meeting at Shepherd of the Valley two weeks ago, the keynote speaker was Bishop Peter Smith. He talked about the challenges of doing ministry in an environment where the culture is rejecting God. Decades ago, the people of faith in the American society used to be accepted and respected, but not anymore. Some of you…

Dear Parishioners, “Congratulations and welcome to the United States!” my friend told me when I shared that I will have my Naturalization Oath Ceremony in Portland. At that time, it felt funny because I have been living in the US since 2006. I know 13 years is not a very long time, but I see myself spending the rest of my life…

Dear Parishioners, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” The Gospel that we have for this weekend reminds us that faith plays an important part in our own salvation. Without faith, it would really be hard for us to be saved especially if we already know who our God is. There are times when we claim that we have faith…

Dear Parishioners, As always, the convocation of the priests of the Archdiocese in Newport was successful. It was a great time to see and visit (and yes, have a little bit of fun too) with my brother priests from the different parishes around Western Oregon. This year we continued with the pastoral planning for the Archdiocese and the plans will be discussed…