Children – Youth – Social Justice
 
As a parish seeking to live the vision of Vatican II in the 21st century, we must recognize and respond to our call to fulfill our canonical responsibilities of sacramental preparation for Baptism, Reconciliation, Eucharist, and Confirmation; our pastoral responsibilities of faith formation for children and youth; and our social responsibilities to work for justice and continue our engagement in works of mercy in the neighborhood.
 
We are at a crossroads with respect to our ministries for children, youth, and social justice. It’s time to set a new course for these important pastoral ministries.
 
The first step is to listen. Let’s engage in conversation with those who participate in these ministries, care about them, and volunteer to help in them.
 
Please join us after Sunday Mass, 11:15 – 12:45 in the Parish Center
 
Youth Ministry – July 28
Including discussion of:
- implementing sacramental preparation for Confirmation
- implementing effective faith formation for middle school and high school youth
- how to select and use appropriate materials and methods for faith growth and learning
- how to recruit, train, and sustain needed leaders and volunteers
- how to integrate youth into the life of the parish

​​Brief summary of the session. 
Attended by nine people. The conversation was spirited and fruitful. We care about our youth! These statements provide a short summary of the listening session:

• To effectively reach youth, we must also reach their parents and families.
• Not realistic for youth to participate in church if their parents aren’t participating.
• We should listen to youth and their families via survey and direct conversation.
• We must recognize the gifts as well as the challenges of the multicultural make up of our families.
• Programming should be relational, faith-based, communal, and action-oriented.
• We must support our youth in the face of racism and other forms of discrimination that they experience.
• Effective youth ministry needs broad support from the adult community.
• Programming must be broad to appeal to the needs/desires of all youth.
• We should explore the potential of a partnership with Young Life that might provide training, support, and supervision of youth ministry leadership. Leif will look into this possibility.
• A couple of people at the session indicated a willingness to help with youth ministry programming.

 
Children’s Faith Formation – August 4
Including discussion of:
- implementing sacramental preparation for First Eucharist and First Reconciliation
- implementing Liturgy of the Word for children during Sunday Mass
- implementing effective faith formation for children post First Communion
- how to select and use appropriate materials and methods for faith growth and learning
- how to recruit, train, and sustain needed leaders and volunteers
- how to integrate children into the life of the parish
- other
 
​Brief summary of the session.
Attended by nine people. The conversation was animated, filled with lots of ideas, and lots of care and concern for our children. It was a bilingual discussion – English and Spanish. These statements provide a short summary:

• Parents are reluctant to participate, presents a challenge for effective faith formation.
• We should communicate a clear schedule to parents and promote the program widely.
• Program(s) need to be well-organized.
• Three general age-groups: 1) First Grade and younger = Children’s liturgy of the Word, 2) Second Grade = Sacramental Preparation, 3) Third – Fifth Grade = Religious Education
• Find the right time for classes – is after Mass on Sunday the right time?
• Importance of food, fun, and prizes to enhance learning and growth.
• Possible that younger children (Grades  4 – 5?) could be trained to be altar servers.
• Get input from parents via survey and direct conversation.
• Sacramental Prep – conduct several bilingual parent sessions for each sacrament (Reconciliation and Eucharist)
• Sacramental Prep – Jane Evans and Jeanne Moser will lead and coordinate. Will create a detailed plan by Sept 1.
• Children’s Liturgy of the Word – Mary Evans will lead and coordinate. Will create a detailed plan by Sept. 1.

Social Justice Ministry – August 11
Including discussion of:
- how to maintain our associations with key agencies, e.g. Living Cully, MACG, CCHD, other
- how to fulfill our commitments with respect to housing advocacy and immigrant justice
- how to effectively steward dedicated funds (CCHD grant, immigrant justice fund)
- how to recruit, train, and sustain needed Justice Committee members
 
Brief summary of the session.
Attended by nine people. The conversation was animated, filled with lots of ideas, and lots of care and concern for our future efforts in social justice. These statements provide a short summary:

• SJ ministry must be connected to work of Multicultural Committee, but not run by Multicultural Committee
• Would like to raise up multicultural leadership, particularly Hispanic
• SJ action should be linked to SJ education to the whole parish – how does the action connect to the Gospel, and to Catholic Social Teaching?
• SJ ministry should permeate all aspects of Parish Life
• Need to be good stewards of the CCHD grant ($5000)
• Interest in simultaneous translation technology
• We must maintain relationships with other agencies (MACG, Living Cullty, etc.)
• Consider engaging in relational development listening/dialogue process – perhaps at the beginning of mass
• Consider how to connect with and build relationship with DLS
• User readerboard more effectively
• Ask residents of Oak Leaf what they need now, for ongoing support.
• There is stipend $$ to support and affirm a Coordinator of SJ ministry. Need to find that person.
• Coordinator will help determine role of SJ Committee

Questions? More info? Contact Leif Kehrwald at 503-351-9889, lkehrwald@stcharlespdx.org.
 
Stop – Look – Listen

We had a terrific celebration of Pentecost on June 9. Many, many people helped out with this year's celebration including (but not limited to): Kathy Brown, Huong & Manh Nguyen, Shirley McClendon, Nispet Johnny, Zaida Schmich, Rosa Barajas, Aztec Dancers, Linda Pashley, Launnie Littowinski, Margaret Retz, Barbara McCormick, Yanet Reta, Haban Reta, Frank Nwagbo, Sr Phyllis, Fernando Madrid, Tony Mapapalangi, Joe Schiwek, Dado Duran, Laura Peraza, Mahari Reta, Marianne Mauldin, Sherry Wagner, Cinderella and Juwisanne Cesar, Linda & Egbert Kunrath, all our musicians and decorators. A very special thanks to Barbara Hays and the Multicultural Committee for taking the lead on this year's celebration.

Listen to the entire mass
Listen to "An Immigrant's Story"

Congratulations to these children who were baptized on June 2:

• D’Mac Michael, Jeremiah Michael, Jacob Michael, Sarayah Tebelak – children of Maverick Tebelak and Daify Michael.
• Amato Gilliam, child of William Gilliam and Lupe Mapapalangi
• Semira Lynae Branch, child of Carl Branch and Assomption Tebelak

Please rejoice with these children and their parents and godparents!

On Sunday May 19 we had the 3rd Annual Joint Mass and Celebration with the Eritrean Community. During mass, they lead the music for three songs -- opening, offertory, and closing. They also read the first two readings in their native language. After mass, they provided a wonderful and exotic meal for all. During the meal we all sang the GIFT song and prayed the GIFT prayer. Then Fiori Redie gave a short, but lovely presentation on how much it means to all of them to worship at St. Charles. It was a great celebration for all.

The annual Altar Society Salad Luncheon took place in the gym on Saturday, May 18. It was great fun for all ages -- newborn to oldsters. This annual fundraiser helps the Altar Society keep the church supplied with all the things we use in worship -- communion wafers, altar wine, song books, candles, etc. Thank you to the Altar Society for their great work, and thanks to all who support them. 

A booklet of Fr. Bob Krueger’s writings has been compiled and we are hoping to inform parishioners at St. Charles where he was pastor from 1973 to 1981.

Before Fr. Bob Krueger's passing April 28, several of us at St. Andrew worked with him to compile a series of his writings into a printed booklet. Regrettably, he never saw the final printed piece or received praise from friends and former parishioners.

A Time of Blessing – Ten Years of Study and Reflection has been completed by volunteers, a 40-page 6x9-inch printed compilation of 29 writings that first appeared in the St. Francis Sunday Bulletin from November 2014 to August 2015. Fr. Bob told us that “These writings are the most important compilation of my understanding of Christian Life.”

​Print the order form below and send it in to get your copy.

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Fr. Schwab has drafted a letter to Archbishop Sample seeking his support of driver’s licenses for state residents who may not have all their documents. See draft below. If you would like to co-sign the letter, you will find it in the church entrance.

P. Schwab ha redactado una carta para que el Arzobispo Sample solicite su apoyo a las licencias de conducir para los residentes del estado que no tengan todos sus documentos. Ver borrador a continuación. Si desea co-firmar la carta, la encontrará en la entrada de la iglesia.

We are excited to enter into a long term partnership with De La Salle North Catholic High School (DLSNC). Pasted below is a press statement released by DLSNC on March 12. Lots of details to work out, but we embrace the change and we feel it is a great investment in our future. 

PORTLAND, Ore. - (March 12, 2019) - Today, De La Salle North Catholic High School (DLSNC) announced it has signed a historic agreement with St. Charles Parish to co-locate at the parish situated on the southeast corner of NE 42nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street. The two parties are currently negotiating the details of the lease and have signed a Letter of Intent to a 50-year lease with two 25-year extensions.
 
The church property includes a former parish grade school that was opened in 1950 and closed in 1986. The new campus will accommodate more than 350 students, ensuring the school’s strong and transformative education will continue to change a growing number of students’ lives long into the future.
 
Since it opened in 2001, De La Salle North Catholic has rented its two locations and is looking forward to having a permanent home. The lease on its current building, which formerly served as Kenton Elementary School and is owned by Portland Public Schools, expires in June 2021.  The school will be the first new Catholic high school campus in Portland in more than 50 years. 
 
“After exploring more than 40 sites over the past three years, we are thrilled to have found a new and permanent home for De La Salle North Catholic High School,” said Patti O’Mara, chair of the board of trustees of DLSNC. “The first time I visited St. Charles Parish, I could envision our students filling the classrooms of this building. We are very grateful to establish this long-term partnership with St. Charles and to become a vital member of the Cully neighborhood.”
 
Leif Kehrwald, the pastoral administrator of St. Charles Parish, said, “On behalf of the St. Charles Parish community, we extend a warm welcome to the students, staff and families of the incredible De La Salle North Catholic High School. We have a dedicated, passionate group of parishioners and the extra space to accommodate this transformative school. We look forward to merging our communities.” The church will maintain its operations, including parish offices for staff members and the St. Vincent de Paul Food Bank.
 
"Joining with De La Salle will be a real benefit to both our institutions and our community. I'm looking forward to it," said Father Elwin Schwab, St. Charles Parish Priest. 
 
President of DLSNC Oscar Leong said, “The new site ensures that we are well-equipped to meet the needs of DLSNC students and staff, now and into the future. It will serve as a hub of opportunity for the youth of Portland as well as a place of ministry for St. Charles parishioners. Together, we will build community and inspire past, current and future students of De La Salle North Catholic.”
 
A capital campaign will be forthcoming as the school works to raise funds for renovations and additions to the new campus.
 
Leong added, “We are celebrating this news along with the victory of our boys’ basketball team earlier this month to become the 2019 OSAA 3A state champions. In many ways, all of our students step on to the court of a big game every day just when they come to school. The court is not a championship basketball game, but their very life. Every day, the community of De La Salle North Catholic is winning at changing people's lives.”
 
DLSNC is currently accepting applications for the class of 2023. For more information, visit www.delasallenorth.org. 
 
ABOUT DE LA SALLE NORTH CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL
De La Salle North Catholic High School opened in 2001 to provide a rigorous, faith-based education to students from the Portland area who would not otherwise have access to a reliable college-preparatory education. An average of 98 percent of graduating seniors have been accepted to college, more than two times the rate of peers with similar backgrounds and demographics. Students at De La Salle North Catholic High School attend class four days a week and work for a local company one day a week as part of the Corporate Work Study Program (CWSP). The CWSP provides work experience, business contacts and helps offset the cost to educate students. By the time they graduate, each student has the equivalent of one full year of real-world work experience. A nationwide, independent rating agency has identified De La Salle North Catholic High School as the most diverse private high school in all of Oregon. De La Salle North Catholic is a member of the Cristo Rey Network, is sponsored by the Lasallian Christian Brothers, and belongs to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland/Western Oregon. www.delasallenorth.org
 

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Middle School and High School youth ministries will again fold back into one group.   
For a number of reason's including, participation, age demographics, and volunteer capacity, the Youth Group Core Team has decided to concentrate our ministry efforts into a single group that will include all St. Charles youth between 5th-12th grades.  A schedule for the rest of year can be found here.  If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact our Youth Ministry Coordinator, Gabriel Triplett at gabet@stcharlespdx.org
Los ministerios juveniles de secundaria y preparatoria se volverán a unir en un solo grupo.Por varias razones, entre ellas, la participación, la demografía de la edad y la capacidad de los voluntarios, el Equipo Central del Grupo Juvenil ha decidido concentrar nuestros esfuerzos ministeriales en un solo grupo que incluirá a todos los jóvenes de St. Charles entre los grados 5º y 12º. Un horario para el resto del año se puede encontrar aquí. Si tiene alguna pregunta, no dude en ponerse en contacto con nuestro Coordinador del Ministerio de la Juventud, Gabriel Triplett en gabet@stcharlespdx.org

Charles Joseph Keenan went to be with the Lord on Friday, February 8, 2019, at the age of 72.   Chuck lived many years with the disabilities of Multiple Sclerosis. He was an inspiration to many.  He was born to Joseph and Helen Keenan in Chicago, IL., on July 10, 1946.  He was the oldest child of three children. At the beginning of high school years, the family moved to Redlands, CA.

Chuck was a computer program and system analysis, and worked many years in California, Las Vegas, NV., Seattle, WA., Spokane, WA., and Portland, OR . He was a Marine and Air Force Reserves.
He met his wife, Janet Bielenberg Keenan in Spokane, WA.   They were married at  St. Aloysius Catholic Church, Spokane, WA.,  on June 29, 1974.   They were blessed with three children,  and six grandchildren, and two step-grandchildren.    His family was very important to him.   He was a member of St. Charles Catholic Church in Portland, OR.

In death he joined his parents, Joseph and Helen Keenan, and brother, Kevin Keenan.    He is survived by his wife, Janet Keenan of Portland, OR., and children, Katie Keenan of Portland, OR., Kelly Keenan of Peterborough, N.H., and ,  Shawn Keenan of Portland, OR., and six grandchildren, Tori Keenan, Gabby Cote, Kennedy Keenan, Lily Molloy, Carrie Molloy,  Jenny Molloy  and two step-grandchildren, Randy Molloy, Angela Molloy, and his sister, Sheila Field of Redlands, CA. and many in-laws, and nieces and nephews.

Memorial  and burial services will be at a later date due to family members living on the East Coast.   
Arrangements are being managed by Riverview Funeral Home,  Portland ,OR.   

​In lieu of flowers we ask that donations be sent to Multnomah Multiple Sclerosis Society, House Call Providers, or St. Jude Children Hospital.