Pope Francis Invites Witness in First Homily

TO WALK, TO BUILD, TO WITNESS, ALWAYS WITH THE CROSS

Vatican City, 14 March 2013 (VIS) – This afternoon, the Holy Father Francis celebrated the “pro Ecclesia” Mass in the Sistine Chapel with the 114 Cardinal electors who participated in the Conclave and those who assisted with its functions.

The first reading was a canticle from the Prophet Isaiah that begins with the words: “In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established as the highest mountain” and continues with the celebrated verses: “He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples. They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again.” The second reading was from the First Letter of Peter dedicated to the common priesthood of the faithful, which reads: “like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood” and exhorts us to be “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of His own, so that you may announce the praises” of him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light”. The Gospel reading told the story of Peter's confession when Christ asked His disciples: “And you, who do you say I am?” and Peter answered “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply: “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.”

In his first homily as Pope, and speaking in Italian without a text, Francis noted that the three readings have something in common: “Movement. In the first reading the movement is the journey; in the second the movement is the building of the Church; in the Gospel the movement is in the witness. To walk, to build, to witness.”

The pontiff recalled that the first thing God said to Abraham was: “'Walk in my presence and be blameless.' Our life is a path. When we stop walking there is something that isn't right. To walk always in the presence of the Lord, in the light of the Lord, seeking to live the blamelessness that God asks of Abraham in His promise.”

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Updated Field Trip Insurance Packet Available

Dear Pastors and Principals:

Attached below please find the most recent Field Trip Packet for youth programs from our insurer, the Catholic Mutual Group.  The forms can be filled in online and then printed out, or printed out and filled in by hand.  The packet is being e-mailed also to your parish bookkeepers.  Please make sure that your youth ministers and teachers and others who help organize field trips are using the most up-to-date forms for parish and school activities.  If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Melody Gulley at the Diocese Finance Office, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

God bless,

Msgr. Siler

Attachments:

CMFieldTripPacket2012PDF.pdf

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Help Fight Hunger in Dominican Republic

"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."

This week, we visit the Dominican Republic. This nation occupies two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, which it shares with Haiti.

Despite steady economic growth that has benefited some Dominicans, more than 25 percent of the population—or about 2 million of the country’s 9.3 million people—still live in poverty.  This week we visit a community savings project in the small town of Las Lomas, where women are pooling their money for emergencies, learning leadership skills and investing in a future that offers work with dignity.

Pray

The story of the prodigal son is so familiar. Who doesn’t know the plot? A son asks for inheritance, squanders it, nearly starves, moves back home, asks his father for forgiveness … and gets it. End of story. But this rich narrative from the Gospel of Luke is worth a revisit – and it may be a good place to start your week of prayer.

The characters are rich and varied – there is the father, who is generous to the point of wastefulness (the meaning of prodigal); there is the younger brother who leaves and returns; there are the friends who benefit from the young man’s spending; there is the farmer who hires him at a wage that doesn’t even provide food for his belly; and there is the older brother who stayed home and harbored resentment toward his wayward sibling.

Each day this week, reflect on the parable of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of a different person in the story. How would he or she recount the narrative? Which person in the story is most like you, or how are you like him or her?  Who is God calling you to be? How has God been generous with you, and how have you stewarded God’s gifts?

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Mass of Thanksgiving Held for Pope Francis

Saint Paul Cathedral in Yakima held a Mass of Thanksgiving at 5:30 p.m. March 13, to celebrate the election in Rome earlier that day of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as Pope Francis.  Msgr. John Ecker, pastor of the Cathedral parish, was the main celebrant, assisted by Deacon Ray Miller and several priests of the diocese.

"We should all be extremely grateful to the Cardinals for their careful discernment,” said Yakima Bishop Joseph J. Tyson, who is visiting Mundelein Seminary in Chicago.

“The election of Pope Francis from Argentina is hugely significant for the Church in the Americas and our chance to make a gift of our faith from the Americas to the global church,” Bishop Tyson said.  “Needless to say this is also so significant for us in the Yakima Diocese given that the majority of our parishioners are Hispanic.  It's a great day for the Church and a great moment for all of us, regardless of our background, to renew the Church under the patronage of Saint Francis.”

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Exec. Assistant & Events Coordinator for Bishop

The Diocese of Yakima seeks a highly motivated, energetic individual to serve as the Executive Assistant & Events Coordinator for the Bishop. The person who fills this position will perform administrative and secretarial assignments utilizing in-depth knowledge of the operations and procedures of the Diocese of Yakima.  In addition, the Executive Assistant & Events Coordinator will provide support to the directors of the Ministry & Education Office and serve a vital role in coordinating events and assisting with projects. The position will require the individual to be self directed, organized and detail oriented, have a professional demeanor and understand the Catholic Church and its teachings. If you are enthusiastic about supporting Diocesan programs, you are encouraged to apply!

Applications and related information can be obtained at the Diocese of Yakima website at www.yakimadiocese.org. If you have further questions, please contact Diana Aparicio-Sosa, Vice Chancellor, Diocese of Yakima, 5301-A Tieton Drive, Yakima, WA 98908, (509) 965-7117.

The deadline for applications is March 25, 2013.

Building Intercultural Competency for Ministers Train the Trainer Workshop: May 29-31, 2013

The Training of Trainers workshop will cover the five learning modules of the guidelines on Building Intercultural Competence for Ministers:

1. Frame issues of diversity in terms of the Church’s identity and mission to evangelize

2. Seek an understanding of culture and how it works

3. Develop intercultural communication skills in pastoral settings

4. Expand one’s knowledge of the obstacles which impede effective intercultural relations

5. Foster ecclesial integration rather than assimilation in Church settings, with a spirituality of reconciliation and mission.

Attachments:

BICMInformation-Packet_Region_XII.pdf	[ ]	533 Kb
NROHA Registration Form.pdf	[ ]	295 Kb

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Granger ACA Gets Personal Touch

Friends I was in Granger recently at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish. Fr Mario collects his Annual Catholic Appeal pledges personally before and after Mass!  El es lo máximo!

+Bishop Joseph Tyson

Bishop's Liturgy Day Presentation

Dear Friends;

Attachments:

LiturgyDayMarch2013.pdf

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Ministry Clearance Forms Updated

The following forms for requesting clearance for visiting priests and lay speakers have been updated and are available on this website.  The forms can be filled out online, then printed off for the appropriate signature before being mailed to the Bishop's Office.  Don't hesitate to contact Diana Aparicio-Sosa, Vice Chancellor for Personnel and Policies, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions or concerns.

Request For Testimonial For Guest Priest or Deacon - English (PDF)

Request For Testimonial For Guest Priest or Deacon - Spanish /Petición de Testimonio Para Un Sacerdote o Diacono Invitado (PDF)

Clergy Request For Testimonial To Minister Outside Diocese (PDF)

Ministry Clearance Request Form For Visiting Laity from Outside the Diocese (PDF)

Ministry Clearance Request Form For Visiting Laity from Outside the Diocese - Spanish/ Forma para Solicitar Aprobación de Ministerio para Laicos Visitantes de Afuera de la Diócesis (PDF)

St. Rose of Lima Youth Retreat March 9, 2013

St. Rose of Lima Youth Retreat

Our Parish Youth retreat is coming up this weekend March 9th 2013, 8:30AM to 7:00PM this is going to take place at the St. Rose of Lima School Gymnasium. Grades 7th—12th grade are Encouraged to join us! Call the parish office at  509-754-3640 to register.

Thank You!