Saint Mary's
Catholic Church

We are one community—Holy, Catholic, Apostolic and Evangelizing, enriched by people of various cultures and ages. Dreaming the same dream, we challenge ourselves and invite others to move toward living it. Uniting in love and humility, sharing materially and spiritually God’s blessing for God’s honor and glory, and journeying together as true brothers and sisters toward the promised land and a face-to-face encounter with God. 

Somos una comunidad: santa, católica, apostólica y evangelizadora, enriquecida por personas de diversas culturas y edades. Soñando el mismo sueño, nos desafiamos e invitamos a otros a avanzar hacia vivirlo. Uniéndose en amor y humildad, compartiendo material y espiritualmente la bendición de Dios para el honor y la gloria de Dios, y viajando juntos como verdaderos hermanos y hermanas hacia la tierra prometida y un encuentro cara a cara con Dios.

Greetings from St. Mary’s Parish!

I am extremely happy to present you the newly designed website of St. Mary’s Parish. It has been our endeavor to get connected with our Catholic community in the Parish and this website will go a long way in realizing it. The site provides you with all the different forms of ministries that the parish organizes during the course of the year. It offers a pictorial presentation of all the activities that the different sectors of the Parish undertake. The rich information that the site has uploaded both in English and Spanish can become very handy for anyone who cares to know about the different programs of the Parish.  Frequent browsing of this site is one of the ways of getting involved in the life and the mission of the Parish.  I invite everyone to make good use of it and experience intimacy with the parochial community.  I pray that this new venture helps each one of us to come closer to the person of Jesus Christ and to our fellow Christian Brothers and Sisters, especially of our Parish.  May it enable us to become His worthy followers by being part of every activity that the Parish arranges for bolstering the Faith!     

Fr Tomy Chowaran, Pastor

                                                                                                                                                      .St. Mary’s Church
                                                                                                                                                         Hood River, OR 97031
04/02/2020
Dear Parishioner,
We are living in an unprecedented time. The vast majority of people in the world and many of us in our parish are confined at home during the past couple of weeks not being able to go where we want to.  We are told to change our work schedules without no end in sight. Life is almost paralyzed.  We are almost cut off from friends and families physically. Added to these untold miseries, you are also experiencing a spiritual vacuum. You are not able to go to Church, to participate in the Eucharistic celebration and to receive the Eucharist. I understand this is a painful experience for most of you.
I have made one of the rooms in the rectory as a chapel for me to celebrate daily mass and to say the daily prayers. While reflecting on what we can do to move forward in the midst of cascading of cancelations of various events, preoccupations with health and financial instability, I am realizing more and more that every situation, however depressing it may be, is a privileged moment for us to grow in faith. After all, nothing happens in our lives without the will of God. I remember reading a poem some time back. Though the author is unknown, I think the poem depicts the present situation very aptly and may it bring us comfort these days:
“Things don’t just happen to children of God,
They’re part of a wonderful PLAN!
The troubles, reverses, the sorrows, the rod,
Are strokes of the Great Sculptor’s hand!
Things don’t just happen to children of God,
The blueprint was made by His hand;
He designed all the details to conform to His Son,
So all things that happen are planned!” (Author unknown).
We are at the threshold of the holiest week in our Catholic Liturgy. The Holy Triduum (Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Vigil) is only a stone’s throw away. I can imagine how preoccupied you would be at this time without being able to take part in these celebrations in the Church physically this year. I would like to request all of you to join me spiritually wherever you are as I celebrate privately the Lord’s Supper at 7.00 pm, the Lord’s Passion at 3.00pm, Easter Vigil at 8.00 pm and Easter Sunday Eucharist at 8.00 am. The great mysteries we celebrate in the coming days bring us rays of HOPE as we pass through this pandemic. The Holy Thursday and the Good Friday lead to Easter Hope. I am reminded of the words of Jesus, after his suffering and death on the cross, to Mary of Magdala on Easter Sunday: “Woman, why are you weeping” (Jn 20:1) and she ran to break the Good News to the disciples saying: “I have seen the Lord” (Jn 20:18).
Yes, we should not lose the sight of HOPE. We are entering into these great days of HOPE. This is what Pope Francis said when he imparted the Urbi et Orbi (to the city of Rome and to the World) blessing from Vatican on March 27, 2020. It was a grace-filled moment for me as it was for all of you who had the opportunity to watch it on the television. The Pope, in his beautiful homily, commenting on the Gospel passage from the Gospel of Mathew 8: 23-27, reminded us that the boat is being swamped due to the great storm of COVID -19.  The world is overshadowed by sadness; the automatic cry is: we are going to perish, save us, Lord! Furthermore, he reminded the whole world that we should not lose HOPE. JESUS IS IN THE BOAT. HE WILL SAVE US.
You can count on my prayerful support as I do pray each day for every one of you, for your families and for your intentions. Let us overcome the uncertainties of these days with the consoling words that the LORD IS WITH US.
I also take this opportunity to inform you that we are working on the possibility of online giving through our ParishSoft program. Once it is set up, I will pass the information through your emails. Some of you have already mailed your contributions to the parish. I want to acknowledge your generosity. Others please feel free to mail your precious contributions for the welfare of the parish. Thank you,
                                                                    HAPPY EASTER
Fr. Tomy Chowaran
        Pastor

 
     
 
 

                                                                                                                                                       St. Mary’s Church
                                                                                                                                                    Hood River, OR 97031
04/02/2020
 
Estimado feligrés,
 
Estamos viviendo en un tiempo sin precedentes. La gran mayoría de las personas en el mundo y muchos de nosotros en nuestra parroquia estamos confinados en casa durante las últimas dos semanas sin poder ir a donde queremos. Se nos dice que cambiemos nuestros horarios de trabajo sin ningún fin a la vista. La vida está casi paralizada. Casi estamos separados de amigos y familiares físicamente. Además de estas innumerables miserias, también estás experimentando un vacío espiritual. No puede ir a la Iglesia, participar en la celebración eucarística y recibir la Eucaristía. Entiendo que esta es una experiencia dolorosa para la mayoría de ustedes.
He hecho una de las habitaciones de la rectoría como capilla para celebrar la misa diaria y rezar las oraciones diarias. Mientras reflexiono sobre lo que podemos hacer para avanzar en medio de una cascada de cancelaciones de varios eventos, preocupaciones con la salud y la inestabilidad financiera, me doy cuenta cada vez más de que cada situación, por deprimente que sea, es un momento privilegiado para nosotros. crecer en la fe
Estamos en el umbral de la semana más sagrada en nuestra liturgia católica. El Triduo Santo (Jueves Santo, Viernes Santo y Vigilia Pascual) está a tiro de piedra. Me imagino lo preocupado que estarías en este momento sin poder participar físicamente en estas celebraciones en la Iglesia este año. Quisiera pedirles a todos que se unan a mí espiritualmente donde sea que estén, ya que celebro en privado la Cena del Señor a las 7:00 p.m., la Pasión del Señor a las 3:00 p.m., la Vigilia de Pascua a las 8:00 p.m. y la Pascua dominical a las 8.00am. Los grandes misterios que celebramos en los próximos días nos traen rayos de ESPERANZA al pasar por esta pandemia. El Jueves Santo y el Viernes Santo conducen a la esperanza de Pascua. Recuerdo las palabras de Jesús, después de su sufrimiento y muerte en la cruz, a María de Magdala el domingo de Pascua: "Mujer, ¿por qué lloras?" (Jn 20: 1) y ella corrió para dar la Buena Nueva a discípulos diciendo: "He visto al Señor" (Jn 20,18).
Sí, no debemos perder de vista la ESPERANZA. Estamos entrando en estos grandes días de ESPERANZA. Esto es lo que dijo el Papa Francisco cuando impartió la bendición Urbi et Orbi (a la ciudad de Roma y al mundo) del Vaticano el 27 de marzo de 2020. Fue un momento lleno de gracia para mí, como lo fue para todos ustedes que tuve la oportunidad de verlo en la televisión. El Papa, al comentar sobre el pasaje del Evangelio del Evangelio de Mateo 8: 23-27, nos recordó que el barco está siendo inundado debido a la gran tormenta de COVID -19. El mundo está eclipsado por la tristeza; El grito automático es: ¡pereceremos, sálvanos, Señor! Además, le recordó a todo el mundo que no debemos perder la ESPERANZA. JESÚS ESTÁ EN EL BARCO. Nos salvará.
Pueden contar con mi apoyo de oración, ya que rezo todos los días por cada uno de ustedes, por sus familias y por sus intenciones. Superemos las incertidumbres de estos días con las palabras consoladoras de que el SEÑOR ESTÁ CON NOSOTROS.
También aprovecho esta oportunidad para informarle que estamos trabajando en la posibilidad de donaciones en línea a través de nuestro programa ParishSoft. Una vez que esté configurado, pasaré la información a través de sus correos electrónicos. Algunos de ustedes ya han enviado sus contribuciones a la parroquia. Quiero reconocer tu generosidad.
Otros pueden enviar sus valiosas contribuciones por el bienestar de la parroquia. Gracias.
 
                                                              
                                                                     FELICES PASCUAS
Fr. Tomy Chowaran
        Pastor