​We celebrate these young people who received their First Communion and First Reconciliation last weekend:

Many thanks to all the parents, godparents, and grandparents who assisted with the retreat and celebration. Thanks also to Pauline Weir, Sandy Bossom, and Fernando Madrid for their tireless help. And a special thank you to Julie Hommes and Mayra Torres for organizing the entire celebration! See the pictures below!

On May 7 the Eritrean Catholic Community of Portland "hosted" Sunday liturgy at St. Charles. What an amazing cultural and spiritual experience for all. We sang hymns and heard readings in Tigrinya. We experienced extraordinary dance. And we feasted on delicious, authentic Eritrean dishes. 

This community is made up of Eritrean immigrant families who live throughout our region. As Catholics they are members of many parishes in the area. They come together monthly at St. Charles for prayer and an occasional mass in their native language, Tigrinya. When we asked them to share their culture with us by hosting a Sunday liturgy, they were happy to do so. Enjoy the pictures and video below.

As you may know, we have received a matching grant of $10,000 from the Archdiocese to help fund new carpeting in the church. The carpeting buckles in many places, which creates a safety hazard. But in order to make use of this grant, we need to come up with an estimated $15,000 to do the job. 

When we reported the above information from the pulpit and in the bulletin, many parishioners offered ideas and suggestions for how to proceed. We really appreciate the input. Seriously! 

Many of the questions and suggestions center around the fact that while carpet is buckling, it is not particularly worn. Is it possible to stretch it? Is it possible to replace only parts of the carpet? So far, responses to these questions from carpet companies has been: since the carpet is glued down, it is not possible to stretch it to remove buckles. And patching creates more seams that will wear out and come up much quicker than we desire. All this said, we continue to ask these questions and more, seeking as much information and advice as possible in order to make the best possible decision. 

A new issue has arisen that makes the project even more complicated. In a word: asbestos! The carpet is glued down to a tile floor; the tiles almost certainly contain asbestos. Pulling up the old carpet will surely pull up tiles, releasing asbestos. Suddenly, the cost for this project much higher than anticipated. UGH!

So, now we really welcome you comments, suggestions, and ideas. Use the comment feature in this article, or contact Leif Kehrwald directly at lkehrwald@stcharlespdx.org or 503-351-9889.