Newly Planted Wheat Illustrates Resurrection
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- Published on Friday, 12 April 2013 10:29
- Written by Bishop Tyson
Dear Friends:
Check out these photos from St Andrew's Parish in Ellensburg. Father Tómas Vázquez asked his parishioners to plant seeds of wheat on Passion Sunday, and the spouts of new wheat were visible on Easter Sunday. A week later, they were growing rapidly. What a powerful way to underscore the scriptural passage from John 12:24, "Truly I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed; but if it dies, it produces much fruit. Whoever loves his life will lose it. Whoever hates his life and this world will preserve it for eternal life."
Take Action to Preserve State Safety Net
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- Published on Friday, 12 April 2013 08:54
- Written by Bishop Joseph Tyson
The Washington State Catholic Conference has issued the following Action Alert in regard to preserving vital safety net programs in the Washington State biennial budget. The following information summarizes the concerns of Washington State's Bishops. To send a message to your local legislators, click on the following link:
The 2013 Legislature has moved into the budget phase of the session facing a $1.2 billion deficit. On April 5th, the Senate passed a $33.2 billion budget for the 2013-15 biennium. The House Appropriations Committee held a hearing on the House’s proposed $34.5 billion biennial budget. It is expected to be considered by all House members in the next couple of days.
Both budgets allocate significant funding to address the McCleary decision, which requires increased funding of public K-12 education. The Senate budget proposes an increase of $1.5 billion for public education, and the House increases it by $1.4 billion.
Safety net programs were substantially cut in the Senate budget including the Housing and Essential Needs (HEN), the Aged Blind and Disabled (ABD), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and the Working Connections Child Care (WCCC) programs. The House budget did not reduce the present level of funding in these programs. TANF received funding enhancements in the House budget, but not in the Senate’s. While the state Food Assistance Program received partial funding restoration in the Senate budget, the restoration was not funded in the House proposal. The capital budget proposals both include funding for low-income housing in the Housing Trust Fund, though the House appropriation is higher than the Senate.
Bishop Announces July Priest Assignments
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- Published on Wednesday, 10 April 2013 14:25
- Written by Bishop Joseph Tyson
After a series of consultations with the Priest Personnel Board, and the men involved, I’m making available to you the decisions I have made regarding new assignments for some of our priests. With you, I’m very grateful to them for their generosity in accepting these changes.
The changes are all effective July 1 or on a date close to it and mutually agreed upon by those involved in the change.
+Bishop Tyson
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Present Assignment |
New Parish Assignment |
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1. |
Rev. Francisco Gutiérrez |
Studies, Mundelein Seminary |
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2. |
Rev. Jaime Chacón |
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3. |
Rev. José Herrera |
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4. |
Rev. Mario P. Salazar |
Pastor, Immaculate Conception, Mabton |
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5. |
Rev. Tomás Vidal |
Parochial Vicar, St. Joseph, Kennewick and |
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6. |
Rev. Rafael Hinojosa |
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7. |
Rev. Rogelio Gutiérrez |
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8. |
Rev. Eleazar Díaz |
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George Weigel at Holy Spirit in Kennewick, WA April 22, 2013
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- Published on Tuesday, 09 April 2013 14:02
- Written by David B. Valdivia
In 2005 George Weigel published his bestselling biography of Pope John Paul II, Witness to Hope. Now in 2013, Mr. Weigel has published a new book entitled Evangelical Catholicism. He was recently quoted in TIME magazine, describing his vision for effective Catholic evangelization in the present and the future. George Weigel will give a lecture at the parish of the Holy Spirit, 7409 West Clearwater in Kennewick on Monday, April 22, 2013 at 7 p.m. His recent work will be on sale, all are welcome to attend.
God and Contemporary Science Presentations: April 22 & 25, 2013
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- Published on Tuesday, 02 April 2013 15:19
- Written by The Divine Child Institute, Inc
"Mark your calendars for Monday April 22nd at St. Joseph Catholic in Wenatchee and Thursday April 25th at St. Pius X in Quincy as Karlo Broussard, founder and president of The Divine Child Institute, Inc., will be presenting a talk entitled “God and Contemporary Science.”
Lightworks
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- Published on Tuesday, 02 April 2013 15:04
- Written by Igantian Spirituality Center of Yakima
Are you looking to deepen your relationship with God this Lenten and Easter season?
Lightworks is a series of retreats designed to help you develop your prayer life and connect your prayer to the church year. Small group sharing and weekly presentations provide support along the way.
 easter lightworks sign up.pdf | [ ] | 111 Kb |
The Resurrection is Our Way to Heaven
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- Published on Saturday, 30 March 2013 22:42
- Written by Bishop Tyson
Dear Friends:
The stunning news we must repeat each year because we can scarcely believe it is this: Jesus bodily rose from the dead! He is risen! We forget what an earth shattering revelation this “resurrection news” really is!
To underscore the point, note that all along Italy’s ancient Roman road, the Appian Way, today’s tourists can still see tombstones with epitaphs with a longing to know what happened beyond death and beyond the grave: “O Horatio, how I miss you! Where are you!” “O Cecilia, we loved you but where have you gone?” “Oh Felix you are dead. What is your fate?”
For Christians, the Rising of Jesus points to God’s ultimate intervention in our human history. In Jesus, God takes his place among us so fully that he willingly suffers and dies for us. He shares our mortal human fate but – and this is unique – he conquers death in a real and physical way so that we might rise with him to new life too.
Pray the Stations with Pope Francis Friday
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- Published on Wednesday, 27 March 2013 08:54
- Written by Msgr. Robert Siler
Dear Friends,
As is customary, our Holy Father, Pope Francis, will lead the Way of the Cross at the Colosseum in Rome on Good Friday. The following meditations were prepared by Lebanese young people under the guidance of His Eminent Beatitude Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï.
Introduction
"A man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, ‘Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?’" (Mk 10:17).
Jesus answered this burning question, which arises in the innermost core of our being, by walking the way of the Cross.
We contemplate you, Lord, along this path which you were the first to tread, and after which "you built a bridge to death with your Cross, so that men might pass from the land of death to the land of Life" (Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Homily).
The call to follow you is addressed to all, especially to the young and to those who are tried by division, wars or injustice and who fight to be signs of hope and builders of peace in the midst of their brethren.
We therefore place ourselves before you with love, we present our sufferings to you, we turn our gaze and our heart to your Holy Cross, and strengthened by your promise, we pray: "Blessed be our Redeemer, who has given us life by his death. O Redeemer, realize in us the mystery of your redemption, through your passion, death and resurrection" (Maronite Liturgy).
Abortion Mandate: Religious Liberty at Risk!
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- Published on Tuesday, 26 March 2013 21:28
- Written by Bishop Tyson
Dear Friends,
The following is the text of an Action Alert on Abortion from the Washington State Catholic Conference:
The Washington State House of Representatives passed EHB 1044 which would mandate insurance coverage for abortion in any private health insurance plan which provides coverage of maternity care. EHB 1044 is scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Health Care Committee on April 1, 2013 at 10:00 a.m.
This bill is a reintroduction of a nearly identical bill which passed the House but failed in the Senate in 2012. Advocates raised concerns that the abortion coverage mandate not only violated a fundamental right to religious liberty, but also stood in direct violation of the Hyde/Weldon Amendment of the federal Labor/HHS appropriations bill.
EHB 1044 also presents a clear challenge to the conscience rights of those who do not wish to participate in health plans which support abortion. This bill does not offer conscience protections for employers who do not wish to provide insurance coverage for abortion services. It also does not offer an exemption to an employee or anyone who does not wish to support abortion through their insurance premiums.
Ending our Rice Bowl Journey in Holy Week
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- Published on Tuesday, 26 March 2013 21:21
- Written by Msgr. Robert Siler
“Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.”
On this last week of Lent, we accompany Christ as he carries the weight of the world. He walks through injustice and hears the cry of the poor. He suffers. He sacrifices. And he returns home.
This week we conclude our Lenten journey in Oakland, California, remembering that the cry of the poor can be heard in our own communities and neighborhoods. We walk the passion alongside Christ this week, even though we are already an Easter people.
Resource for Ministers of Holy Communion
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- Published on Friday, 22 March 2013 14:56
- Written by Bishop Joseph Tyson
Dear Fathers:
In many of our parishes, our Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, besides assisting at Mass, extend your pastoral care into the parish and community by bringing Holy Communion to the sick who are homebound or hospitalized. Please find a document to assist them in this corporal work of mercy, titled: Holy Communion Outside of Mass and the Roman Missal. The document updates the existing communion rites with the new translations of prayers found in the Roman Missal. As revisions to the Misal Romano in Spanish are still underway, your existing Spanish-language resources remain the norm for those ministering in Spanish.
Blessings to you all as we enter Holy Week.
+Bishop Tyson
| Holy Communion Outside of Mass 2013.pdf | [ ] | 334 Kb |
