Would we call a Spanish-language immersion school successful if its graduates could barely understand Spanish? We should take the mission of our Catholic schools just as seriously. Academic excellence matters. So does forming students who know Jesus Christ and can understand, articulate and live the faith. Therefore, I am calling for a significant and genuine renewal of Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Portland, beginning in our Catholic elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools and eventually extending to the religious education and faith formation programs in our parishes. I am calling for a renewal of what we call “Mission Passionate Catholic Education. Read more: archdpdx.org/news/go-therefo…

I ask Catholics throughout Western Oregon and all people of good will to join me in praying for the full recovery of Pope Leo XIV following his surgery for lung cancer. At a time when war, division and uncertainty weigh heavily on people around the world, the Holy Father’s calls for peace, dialogue and respect for the dignity of every person offer a much-needed message of hope to people everywhere.

What are the key signs of a thriving parish? In this conversation, I discuss three core elements: reverent liturgy, solid faith formation, and ongoing care for the poor and suffering in our communities. If any one is missing, we are neglecting an essential part of our life as disciples of Jesus Christ. All three depend on a deep spiritual life rooted in prayer and the Holy Eucharist. As I emphasized in my recent pastoral letter, renewal of the Church begins with personal conversion, among clergy and laity alike. We cannot give what we do not have. To bring others to Christ, we must deepen our own faith and relationship with Him. That relationship also calls us to look beyond ourselves. Our parishes are not meant to be insular social clubs. They must look outward and live the Church’s mission to proclaim the Gospel and make disciples.

The Church is not another NGO. She is the Mystical Body of Christ, divinely founded and sent to make disciples of all nations. Our good works and acts of charity belong to this mission. They express Christ’s love and bear witness to him as we lead others to him and his Church. Let us proclaim Christ with humility and sincerity, with confidence in the Church he founded and renewed zeal for evangelization and the salvation of souls, all for the glory of God. Pastoral Letter on Mission Renewal: archdpdx.org/news/go-therefo…

As the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass is the source and summit of Christian life, its reverent celebration is central to the Church’s mission of evangelization. In my recent Pastoral Letter on Mission Renewal, I call upon my brother priests in our archdiocese to celebrate the sacred liturgy with renewed reverence and fidelity to the Church’s liturgical norms. The ars celebrandi, the art of celebrating, must give outward expression to what the Mass truly is: Christ’s sacrifice on the Cross made sacramentally present upon the altar. Through his prayerful and reverent demeanor, the priest should help the faithful recognize this sacred reality and participate more deeply in the transcendent mystery of the Mass. A beautiful and reverent celebration is itself a form of catechesis, bearing witness to the faithful and visitors alike that we stand before a mystery worthy of our deepest love and adoration. Read the pastoral letter here: archdpdx.org/news/go-therefo… Archdiocesan Liturgical Handbook: archdpdx.org/divine-worship

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” A PASTORAL LETTER ON MISSION RENEWAL Today, October 1, on the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, I am pleased to share my new pastoral letter, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.” I call the ordained and lay faithful of Western Oregon to deepen their prayer and sacramental life, celebrate the Sacred Liturgy reverently, and personally serve the poor and those in need—all so that we may bring others to Jesus Christ. I also call for a renewal of our Catholic schools and parish faith formation programs, strengthening their Catholic identity in partnership with parents as the primary educators of their children. Please prayerfully read the letter and consider how the Lord is calling you to share the Gospel in your daily life. May St. Thérèse, patroness of the missions, intercede for us. Read: archdpdx.org/news/go-therefo…

"And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18

Three years ago, almost to the day, a devastating fire severely damaged St. Joseph’s Church, just a few minutes’ walk from the Oregon State Capitol. In the years since, the parish continued to celebrate Mass in the school gym, receive the sacraments, and carry on its life together while the church was rebuilt. On Monday evening, I had the privilege of returning to St. Joseph to solemnly dedicate the restored church and altar to Almighty God. I am especially grateful to Fr. Jeff Meeuwsen for his steady leadership from the day of the fire through the long process of rebuilding, and to the parishioners whose generosity, patience, and commitment made this restoration possible. St. Joseph is once again a beautiful house of worship in the heart of Salem. As I reminded the faithful Monday evening, we ourselves are the living stones of the Church. May this restored church strengthen the people of St. Joseph to bring the light, mercy, and truth of Jesus Christ to the people of Salem.