This coming June we bishops of the United States will be gathering for our annual spring assembly in Tampa, Fla. Every three years the June assembly is a “quasi” retreat rather than a business session.
BEND — I have heard it said, not infrequently, that the perfect is the enemy of the good. This has recently been used in reference to the present and ongoing national health care debate. There is certainly some validity to this adage.
The halfway mark of every Lenten season is a time when the liturgy begins to remind us of the upcoming celebrations of the Lord’s passion, death and resurrection.
BEND — The week’s travels covered more miles than usual and more days than usual but fewer miles on any given day than most weekends. The travel began with a trip to Hood River for the missioning ceremony of the CEO of Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital.
My cousin, John Pobuda of Sun City West, Ariz., died this year on his 89th birthday, Valentine’s Day. Our family Marine was very much like a big brother to me. My first memories of John go back to the days of World War II when he was granted a break from action in the Pacific and enjoyed a leave back home with family and friends.
BEND — The confirmation travel season has begun. From now until the end of May nearly every weekend will involve some kind of travel to a parish for the conferral of confirmation. This past weekend involved a trip to Milton-Freewater. There, besides conferring the sacrament of confirmation on 40 young people, I had the opportunity to see and bless the newly completed parish hall.
During this Year of the Priest, I have taken advantage of opportunities to write about priests outstanding in their life and ministry whom the church has honored with canonization and/or beatification.
