News & Events
UTILITIES STIMILUS CHECK (USC) PROGRAM
$50 TOWARD PAYMENT OF UTILITIES FOR PARISHIONERS
We have received a $4,000 grant to help St. Joseph the Worker parishioners with utility payments. Through the USC program each parishioner is eligible for a check equal to 25% of their current monthly electric or gas utility bill up to $50 until the grant has been spent. In the event that demand is great, we will reduce each check in proportion to allow all requests to be fulfilled. Request forms are in the narthex and you must submit your request by October 31, 2020. Send the completed form to Deacon Mike.
St. Joseph the Worker, 2310 SE 148th Ave. Portland, OR 97233
WILDFIRES AFFECT HUNDREDS OF CATHOLICS IN OREGON
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A mother and her son mourn the loss of their home due to wildfires in Talent, OR. Photo from AP Photo, Paula Bronstein.
WILDFIRES DEVASTATE SOUTHERN OREGON CATHOLICS
Hundreds of Catholic Families lost their homes in the wildfires in Talent and Phoenix, Oregon. The Archdiocese has established a relief fund for the victims. To donate, write a check to Archdiocese of Portland and include on the memo line: Wildfire Relief Fund.
Mail the check to:
ARCHDIOCESE OF PORTLAND
WILDFIRE RELIEF FUND
P.O. BOX 15149
PORTLAND, OR 97293972939908
Click here to view
Archbishop Sample’s video message.
To use your credit card, follow this link to the archdiocesan web site.
Read more about the wildfires and their effects on fellow Catholics in the Catholic Sentinel.
LETTER TO PARISH FROM JANET RATHBONE
Beloved St Joseph the Worker Family,
As I write this letter, I am one week into retirement. Due to the pandemic I didn’t really have the opportunity to say good-bye to so many of you that I decided to write a letter.
In reflecting over my years as Youth Minister at St Joseph the Worker, I can honestly say that it has been driven by the Holy Spirit---beginning back in the Fall of 2003 when the Life in the Spirit Seminar was held. The Holy Spirit broke into my life in an incredible way---turned it upside down and led me down a path I would never have taken on my own. As Fr John like to say “The Holy Spirit wrecked my life.” But I wouldn’t change a minute of it!
It’s mind boggling when I think about all the ways my life intersected with so many people at the parish: there’s people from RCIA, the Prayer Group, Bible Study, Living Your Strengths, LOOP, Church Campouts & Picnics, the morning Mass group, working together on the Knights Seminarian Dinner, the LOOP Teas, the Spaghetti Dinner and the list goes on and on. Add in the youth and families involved in LIFE TEEN and EDGE and I have a treasure trove of memories that bring me incredible JOY.
My time as Youth Minister was a very blessed period in my life. I owe so much to all of you for your love, support and encouragement. For starters, I had tremendous support from adults willing to serve on the LIFE TEEN or EDGE CORE Teams, the Confirmation CORE and as Adult Leaders for the Summer Trips. Youth nights and activities couldn’t have happened without their commitment. Over the 13 years, 15 different parishioners were on LT CORE, several logging 5+ years—one just finished her 10th year! EDGE had 16 parishioners, including teens and college students who served on CORE. The various Summer trips had 17 adults, and Confirmation CORE had 14 adults. Of these different parishioners who answered the call to serve, I met 18 of them during RCIA and somehow convinced them to join a CORE Team. Turns out being on the RCIA Team was a bonus for me in recruiting people to love on our youth--What a BLESSING!! 😊
LIFE TEEN, EDGE and Confirmation all involved a weekly commitment and the summer trips meant using personal vacation time to help. Such generous and caring people---this commitment and willingness to give of their time and energy and share their faith spoke volumes to the youth. Their mentoring had a huge impact on so many of the young people.
The parents of the youth played a huge role --- so many willingly provided transportation each year to different activities and events. Without their willingness to help, I wouldn’t have been able to offer the different activities that helped build community and opportunities to experience their Catholic faith and serve in the larger community. The trust the parents placed in me was incredible. It was a trust that I took very seriously. Parents, I owe you all a huge THANK YOU!!
I can’t thank you enough for your financial support year in and year out. From Car washes, Bake and Pie Sales to the Spaghetti Dinner, your generous, caring hearts were so visible. And how can I not mention Cans & Bottles---over the years I got to know so many people from each Mass, along with what each family’s “beverage of choice” was😊. Side Note: Since 2007, when I began to keep records, over $56,000.00 has been raised just through can/bottle recycling. This money was used to help offset the cost for youth activities and trips. Most of it was raised a nickel at a time since the deposit has only been 10 cents since April 2017. Plus, there were so many times over the years that a check would arrive in the mail, or after Mass someone would hand me cash or a check and say “It’s for the youth.” or “Use it for the trip.” I eventually realized that if we put in the work, God would see that we had what we needed.
So, THANK YOU---we always had enough!!
The goal or mission of youth ministry is to help young people encounter Christ, to help grow and deepen that relationship and to guide them in how to live their faith in their daily life. We strived to create a safe space for them to explore their faith and to form friendships with other youth trying to follow Christ. Through your love and support the youth have had so many opportunities and experiences available to help them in their faith journey. My hope and prayer are that whoever follows as the next Youth Minister you will love, support and encourage in the same way you did me.
This letter could be endless as my life has been touched by so many different people over the years, but it’s time to close. We are beginning to settle into our new home outside Bend in a small community called River Meadows. It is the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. It’s really my “heaven on earth”—deer in our yard, a short walk to the Deschutes River, no traffic, endless outdoor activities and beautiful weather—we’re even looking forward to the snow😊.
In closing, know that I will hold onto important lessons I learned at St Joe’s: first being that JOY is a choice---second: We truly are BLESSED BY THE BEST and finally to share often the truth of the saying “YOU ARE LOVED!”
I will forever cherish my family at St Joseph the Worker. Janet
FALL FAITH FORMATION
Posted August 27, 2020
FALL FAITH FORMATION UPDATE
Due to COVID, in-person classes will resume Sunday, January 17th. Until then, children, pre-k –5th grade can participate in virtual Faith Formation classes from October 4 to January 10. To register, complete the registration form and turn it in to the office or hand it to Sarah after weekend Masses. More information on this website at Children's Faith Formation. For questions, please contact Sarah Phillips, phillipsgs@comcast.net
OFFICE HOURS
OFFICE CLOSED SEPTEMBER 7-11, 2020; NO WEEKDAY MASS
September 7-11, the office phones, door, and emails will be un-staffed during this time and there will be no weekday Masses. If an urgent, near-death anointing is needed, please call Father Ted at 503-568-2600.
STARTING SEPTEMBER 15, THE OFFICE HOURS WILL BE: TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY 9:00-4:00PM
We will remain closed Mondays and Fridays through December 31st.
NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS FOR WEEKEND MASSES: Capacity up to 50 people per service
Please be sure your mask covers both mouth and nose.
The number of people who can be in our church sanctuary at one time has increased from 25 to 50. So, we are now taking reservations for weekend Masses and will allow up to 50 socially-distanced individuals into the church for each service. You are required to wear a mask. Thank you!
To register for an ENGLISH Mass, email Terri at sjtwadmin@comcast.net, or text/call at 503-730-8281.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR MASKS, KEEP 3 TO 6 FEET FROM OTHERS, AND SIT AT ONE OF THE LETTERS POSTED ON THE PEW-BACKS IN THE CHURCH.
The obligation to attend Sunday or Saturday Vigil Mass is still not required during this time of COVID-19 pandemic. Anyone in the "high risk" categories is encouraged to stay at home.
ENGLISH MASS TIMES ARE:
- WEEKENDS (Pre-registration required) 4:00pm SATURDAYS and 8:30 and 10:30am SUNDAYS;
- WEEKDAYS (Register at the door) 7:00am MONDAY, 6:00PM TUESDAY, 8:00am WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY and 9:00am SATURDAY, IN LATIN.
SPANISH MASS IS: 1:00PM SUNDAYS
ZOMI MASS IS: 3:30PM EVERY 2ND AND 4TH SUNDAY
You must have a "confirmed reservation" from Terri Fessler Boris to attend the Saturday Vigil or Sunday Morning English Masses, from Carmen Velazques to attend Spanish Mass, and from Francis Kham to attend Zomi Mass.
Give the names and phone numbers of all who will attend, as well as your first and second choice for date and time to attend. (Each family member gets one registration slot. i.e., if there are four family members you get four spaces on the list and in the church. You will know your registrations are valid when Terri, Carmen, or Francis have CONFIRMED via text, email, or voice.)
PRECAUTIONS Please review before attending your reserved Mass.
- Please wear a mask that covers both mouth and nose to Mass.
- Each Mass is limited to 50 people, including Father Ted.
- Please arrive 15 minutes before Mass.
- Contributions accepted in the box located near the baptismal font. There will be no basket passed around.
- The Quieting Room is closed but the bathroom is available
- All missals, etc. have been removed from the pews but you may bring your own.
- The bulletin will continue to be distributed online and a limited number of the printed version will be available in the narthex.
HARVEST FOR ST. VINCENT DE PAUL
FEED THE HUNGRY (Posted 8/13/20)
ST VINCENT DE PAUL GARDEN HARVEST
Tuesdays & Fridays 10-1
We need your hands to help harvest crops for St Vincent De Paul Food Pantry. Bring gloves, facemask and water bottle. Help weed and gather in food. To join the fun, just show up. For questions, contact Becky Fletcher at 503-665-0600 or beckyf@spiretech.com
A huge thank you to Reggie, Jason, and Nicholas of our Youth Ministry for spreading a nice, thick layer of wood chips along our garden paths. We love your strong, generous, and helpful backs! God bless you!
SJTW YOUTH TRAVEL TO SOUTH CAROLINA
Leadership Service Trip July 4-12
TIRED, BUT A JOB WELL DONE.
(Left to right) Top row: Janet, Nick, Reggie, Rhenna (LeaderTrek staff), Jason, Logan. Front Row: Elise (LeaderTrek - L.T. - staff) Elizabeth (L.T. staff), Becca (L.T. staff) Colten, Liezl, Jim, Evii
Ten teens and three adults from St. Joseph the Worker boarded a plane from PDX on July 4th, destined for Ground Zero, a youth ministry in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Led by Janet Rathbone, our Youth Ministry Coordinator, and accompanied by Pam Allison and Jim Anderson, the teens spent seven days constructing a wheelchair ramp for Miss Stella, a small, frail woman who was recently diagnosed with cancer. (See article regarding Janet's retirement on this webiste.)
DAISY: POWER TOOLS!
The group wore masks in airports and in flight, wiping down seats, seat belts, and trays with disinfectant, frequently employing hand sanitizer, and checking temperatures every morning and evening. Because the group lived as a "family" throughout the trip, they only needed to wear masks when Miss Stella or her caregiver were around. The only "sight-seeing" they undertook was to visit the Holy Name of Jesus cathedral in Raleigh, North Carolina, so being in contact with other people was not an issue.
PULLING OUT OLD CEMENT Colten, Jason, Nick, and Elizabeth
The main purpose of the trip was three-fold: Service, Discipleship (developing spiritual habits) and Leadership building. They started and ended every day with spiritual self-reflection, scripture reading, and activities designed to help them learn to focus on others' needs. Their days were filled with construction of the wheelchair ramp, sharpening tool-using skills (or learning to use them), taking measurements, and engineering the ramp for Miss Stella. During the seven days they lived in community with each other, learning how a group of people can work together as a team, putting aside grievances and living out the words of Peter when he said, ...be like-minded, be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble. 1 Peter 3:8
MIXING NEW CEMENT TO STABILIZE POSTS: Liezl, Evii, Daisy, and Maddie .
This particular trip, the last for Janet since she is retiring, was particularly challenging because of the pandemic. But they did it, and all are safely back home, healthy and ready to carry out the gospel message they honed while on the trip.
AT HOLY NAME OF JESUS CATHEDRAL IN RALEIGH,
N.C.
In front of St. Joseph statue.
(Left to right) Janet, Daisy, Colten, Logan, Liezl, Evii, Maddie, Reggie, Nick and Pam in front of Reggie (Front Row) Elizabeth, Jim, Jason
JANET RATHBONE RETIRES AS YOUTH MINISTRY COORDINATOR
You Are Loved!
Seventeen years ago, parishioner Janet Rathbone responded to a call from then pastor, Fr. John Amsberry, asking her to assist with a Youth Leadership Service mission to Mexico. Holy Family parish had organized the trip, and one of the leaders suddenly could not make it. Janet's children were young when this unexpected opportunity fell into place. At first, she declined, thinking that her family would need her attention. However, the Holy Spirit had other plans and Janet heard the call. She told Fr. John that, though she didn't know how, she would make it happen. So she became a team leader for that trip. And again the next year, and the year after that. Finally, in 2007, Father John hired her as our Youth Ministry Coordinator where she became expert at fundraising, organizing, planning, and executing youth service trips, Higher-Calling Ropes camps, on-going faith formation instruction and sacramental preparation for Confirmation. The missions, instruction, and camps have provided numerous youth with the opportunity to know their faith as a blessing in their lives, to see, first hand, the poverty in which so many live, to experience gathering in a community of fellow Catholic teens, and to discover how to put Jesus' message of love into day-to-day practice.
A teacher by profession, Janet has brought her talent as well as her loving, passionate spirituality to our faith community. St. Joseph the Worker's teens have benefited from her management, her expertise, knowledge, and depth of commitment.
Janet and her husband plan to move to the Bend area where they will begin a new life adventure, living out the same spirit of love and joy they have always brought to others. We wish you many, many blessings, dear Janet. You are, indeed, loved.
SIGN UP FOR FLOCK NOTE
KEEP INFORMED
Our parish has the ability to send notes to you to help with your spiritual health. We can send you excellent spiritual, scripture, and seasonal inspirations from Bishop Robert Barron during these times when we cannot attend Mass. Click Here to sign up if you don't already have Flock Note or Log in if you are already receiving our notes.
CANS AND BOTTLES FOR YOUTH GROUP
STILL COLLECTING DURING COVID-19
Our youth group is still collecting cans and bottles. Even though we're between coordinators, the fund-raising still continues since there will be future trips, once a qualified candidate is found. You may drop off cans and bottles as you have done in the past: either here at the church/office or at a BottleDrop location . Thank you for helping our youth gain these valuable spiritual, mental, physical, and educational experiences! Call Terri x101 or email at sjtwadmin@comcast.net for questions.
HOW TO CONTRIBUTE FINANCIALLY DURING THIS PANDEMIC
We understand that many of you may not be receiving a pay check during this time, so please don't feel pressured to give if you cannot. However, if you can, it will help us pay our bills also. We will be making weekly deposits of all contributions.
You may find it easier to sign up for online giving on our Web Site, or through your bank, so you don't have to worry about writing a check or gathering cash. To sign up for online giving through our web site, click GIVE here, or at the top of this page.
You can also drop your envelope off at the parish office, placing it in the mail slot to the right of the office door, or you can mail your contribution directly to us at 2310 SE 148th Ave, Portland, OR 97233.
We sincerely thank you for remembering us, if you can. All of you are in our prayers!
TIME ON YOUR HANDS? START WORKING ON SJTW BAZAAR PROJECTS!
2020 BAZAAR UNCERTAIN; ALTAR GUILD WILL POST WHETHER OR NOT IT WILL TAKE PLACE THIS YEAR AFTER REVIEWING COVID-19 REGULATIONS LATER THIS FALL
Whether or not the Bazaar takes place this November, or is postponed until 2021, we still want your hand-made items and your energy. You might want to start (or continue) creating crafts.
We hope you are all doing well during this shelter in place time. Here are our registration forms for this year’s (or next year's) Bazaar (anticipating that some of you might be working on your items during this time you are required to be at home). We can’t wait to see what you are creating!
The attached registration form has all of the details, your contact person will be Susan Johnson, her information is below this article and also on the attached form.
Wishing you and your families all good health during this time.
Susan Johnson randsjohnson76@aol.com
ATTENDING MASS WHILE AT HOME
COPING WITH COVID-19, CORONAVIRUS, PRECAUTIONS
REGARDING MASS
During this challenging time of limited social interaction, we would like to invite you to watch the Mass with Archbishop Sample which he will LIVESTREAM EACH SUNDAY AT 11:00AM FROM THE CATHEDRAL. The Mass is in English.
You can find it by going to: https://www.facebook.com/archdpdx/.
You can also view weekend and daily mass on EWTN at https://www.ewtn.com/.
REGARDING COMMUNION
Father Ted will continue to bring anointings and communion only to those who are seriously ill, in an effort to minimize the possibility of "accidental" transmission. If you are not able to attend one of the limited-space Masses during the week or on a weekend, we suggest that you make a spiritual communion by reverently reciting the following prayer (especially during the time of communion in the Mass broadcast). This prayer can also be found on the archdiocesan web site.
MAKING A SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
At times when you cannot receive Holy Communion, this prayer can supply spiritual connection with Our Lord, and bring comfort to your soul.
My Jesus, I believe that You are present in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things, and I desire to receive You into my soul.
Since I cannot at this moment receive You sacramentally, come at least spiritually into my heart.
I embrace You as if You were already there and unite myself wholly to You.
Never permit me to be separated from You.
Amen.
