December 7th - Saturday – 10: 30 am - Ministry Presence Meeting December 15 – Sunday - Ministry of Meeting for Gold Beach after 11:00 am Mass in Gold Beach December 17 – Tuesday - Faith Formation Closed for Christmas Break and Resume January 7, 2025 December 21st - Saturday – 10: 30 am in Liturgy Meeting Advent Penance Service/Christmas Confession – December 19, 2024s December 19th - (Thursday)– 10:30:00 am – 12:00 pm in Brookings December 19th – (Thursday) 5:00 pm – 6:30pm in Gold Beach What is the 2025 Jubilee? - A Jubilee Year is a special time in the universal Church, celebrated every 25 years. It’s a year of grace, forgiveness, and renewal, offering Catholics a chance to restore their relationship with God, others, and creation. The tradition comes from the Bible, where every 50th year was marked as a time for forgiving debts, freeing captives, and letting the land rest (Leviticus 25:8-13). The theme for Jubilee 2025 is “Pilgrims of Hope,” emphasizing hope for a world facing the challenges of war, the climate crisis, and disease. Archbishop Sample to Celebrate Opening Mass - To begin the year, His Excellency, Archbishop Sample will celebrate a special Jubilee Mass at St. Mary's Cathedral on December 29, 2024, at 5:30 PM. Please join us as we prepare to celebrate the new year and the Jubilee. Pope: Schools should be centers of formation, not 'achievement factories': Pope Francis called for education to inspire social transformation and foster hope. Speaking to members of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, he encouraged them to address educational inequality and combat "the shadow of nihilism" in today's culture

It is our faith and belief that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven. Firstly, it's important to understand Mary's identity as the Mother of God. Mary has been identified in many scriptural passages as the “Mother of Jesus the Savior” (John 2:1; Mat. 1:18, 2:11, 12:46). Since Jesus is God (cf. John 1:1), Mary must be recognized as the one who bore God in her womb (Theotókos, Council of Ephesus, 431 AD) i.e., the Mother of God (Council of Ephesus 431 AD)....

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, I welcome you to “All Parish Faith Formation” starting for the first time. This is a way we all can embrace the call to re-evangelize our lives. This program is set for us to go back and rediscover our faith in Christ. This program has been named “A.S.K” by name, tracing back to the Scriptural passage of Matthew 7:7 (Ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock, and the door shall be opened to you). ...

This is to officially announce an invitation from the Archdiocese for us to participate in the upcoming “Healing the Whole Person Conference,” scheduled November 30, 2023, through December 3, 2023. There will be both an in person and livestream program. In person program (in English) at our Lady of Lavang in Portland, and in person (Spanish), at St. Alice, in Springfield. The Archdiocese has mapped out and scheduled (in coordination with their pastors), four parishes to serve as livestream satellite locations for the Archdiocese on this program.

The Assumption of Mary, Mother of God, and Queen of Heaven Happy Feast/Solemnity of Assumption, dear my brothers and sisters in Christ! Every August fifteenth of the year, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It is our faith and belief that Mary was assumed, body and soul, into Heaven. The first thing to understand and integrate, is the identity of Mary, as Mother of God. Mary has been identified in many scriptural passages as the “Mother of Jesus the Savior” (Cf, John 2:1; Mat. 1:18, 2:11, 12:46). Since Jesus is God (cf. John 1:1), Mary must be recognized as the one who bore God in her womb (Theotókos, Council of Ephesus, 431 AD) i.e., the mother of God. Evidently, the prophecy of Isaiah 7:14, applied to Jesus and Mary in Matthew 1:23. So, Mary is that “Virgin” who gives birth to Emmanuel (God is with us). Also, we can clearly witness the most outstanding Scriptural support for Mary as the Mother of God, in Luke 1:43, where Elizabeth speaks of Mary as “Mother of my Lord.” According to the Catechism...

Why we bless Sacramentals and wear them? First, those crosses/sacramentals, that we wear and carry about are also blessed. They were blessed by the priests (Deacons can also bless Sacramentals)., for the purpose of reminding them something spiritual around them. Just like in the book of Numbers 21: 8-9, God commanded Moses to make " a bronze Serpent" and hang it on a pole, so, that whoever beholds it would live. In order words, anyone who looks at it will be healed. God manifests His Power through these signs....

I had interesting chat with a friend of mine, from another faith who did ask me during our conversation:  Fr Justus, as you know many Catholics are my friends and they are my brothers and sisters in Christ. You know well, I do like the Catholic Church and respect the orderliness in your Catholic Church. However, I have problem on why the Catholic Church members worship images? Could you tell me why the Catholic people worship Images? The Bible itself tells us that “You shall not have another God except me.” God says clearly in Exodus that; we should not make any graven images etc. So, what is going on in the Catholic Church with worshipping images, bowing, and kneeling before them as God?...

For the past few weeks now, we have been quite busy with ministry activities. May I thank all of you for your hard work, prayers, and good will. This year has been busy, but in a good way. The good news is that we are gradually experiencing sunshine… 

Happy Easter!  May I first congratulate our brothers and sisters, who were welcomed into the Catholic Church this Easter. We have about thirteen in all that received the Sacraments of Initiation into the Catholic Church. That brings a lot of spiritual hope to our parish Community of faith. I want to say a bigger congratulations to all of you (parishioners), for your faith, because these our brothers and sisters who received Sacraments were drawn to the Church, by watching closely, your life in Jesus Christ, within your various Communities in Brookings, and Gold Beach.

Going Deeper on our Lenten Journey, towards Interior Transformation My beloved sisters and brothers in Christ, I feel like asking us, how is life going so far since the beginning of the 2023 Lenten season? How about your personal encounter with Jesus Christ? ...

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, As we approach the 2023 Lenten Season and Easter, please find below, the Liturgy Schedule between February 19 and almost near the end of April. This schedule is subject to modification or change. Should such change occur, you will be communicated to. There may be another Lenten program that is not included in this program at this time. However, I feel you should have these important dates to schedule ahead of time and avoid any confusion. Please feel free to call the parish office if you have any questions. God’s Blessings upon each of you!

Pope Francis offered eight points on discerning for true spiritual consolation/good My brothers and sisters in Christ, as a way of keeping pace for our new year relationship with Jesus Christ, I feel it would be good for us to holding on with faith and God’s presence by reflecting on below message from Pope Francis about spiritual consolation through St. Ignatius. I pray it will help our daily spiritual encounter with Jesus Christ the Savior and you will enjoy reading and reflecting on them:

My brothers and sisters in Christ, we are in the week of the celebration of Mary, the Mother of God. It is the teaching of the Church that Mary cooperated with God in a unique way. The teaching of the Church in the Lumen Gentium 56, highlights Mary as the “New Eve.” The first Eve was disobedient, but Mary was obedient, and was prepared through Her Immaculate conception. Mary’s obedience and her understanding as the handmaid of the Lord, (Lk. 1:38), led to Her “Yes” to God. According to St. Thomas Aquinas, the “Yes” Mary said to God, was for on behalf of all human nature. In other words, Mary said “yes” in the name of all human nature. In Her fiat, Mary became our spoken person by saying yes to God, on behalf of all humanity. Her yes to God, was without any human reservation, nor contamination, selfish, nor a yes that was violated. Mary’s Yes, was a perfect yes from the beginning to the end, rooted from the depth of her whole being. Her "yes," changed her life, and changed the face of humanity to God. Humanity suffered by the disobedience of the first Eve, and the “yes” of Mary to God (as the New Eve), brought back the presence of God, tangibly, to the face of humanity. Mary played an indispensable role in fulfilling God’s plan to save all humanity.

New Year Blessings once again! As we all know, and as I mentioned at Mass, about the passing of our former Holy Father/Vicar of Christ on earth, a theologian, Pastor, and great teacher of Sacred Liturgy, Pope Benedict XVI, who has gone to enjoy eternal communion with God in Heaven. There will be a funeral Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on January 5, 2023 at St. Peter's Basilica, and there will be another Mass to be celebrated by Archbishop Sample at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland, Oregon, the same January 5, 2023, at 5:30pm. All priests and faithful are invited to attend the Mass. 

We are once again, celebrating something very joyful, spiritual, and special, to our lives and our world, the gifts of God with us (Emmanuel). Every year, no matter the struggle we have gone through and going through in life, we once again come to the point of new hope with a new fulfilling life in God, through Jesus Christ, the God with us. We are once again, reached another point we can have access to God directly, and reclaim the presence and power of God.

Happy New Liturgical Year/Advent! Advent presents us with three parts: First, is the birth of Jesus Christ – the God with us (Emmanuel), His ministry, and life among us. The second part is the second coming of Jesus Christ (the Parousia), and the third part is about our daily encounter with God (namely, our response), the advent of now. Advent is a time that prepares us...

Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, please, this weekend and next we are challenged to demonstrate our Catholic faith through reaching out to the suffering people of God around and beyond us, financially and spiritually. The church is dedicating this weekend as “World Mission Sunday.” It will be the week and month we focus deeply on our spiritual calling to reach out to the needy. It is a spiritual call to show our faith by reaching out to the poor and the suffering around the world. As Archbishop Sample rightly mentioned below; “Each baptized person is called to mission, in the Church and by the mandate of the Church.” All of us are called to participate in the world’s Mission Sunday, all over the world.

From Pastor’s Corner: Fr. Justus Alaeto First, may I please thank you all once again for the opening of the year breakfast at Star of the Sea Parish in Brookings, and the opening of the year picnic at St. Charles Borromeo Church in Gold Beach. Both events were well attended by many parishioners, and each of the events was a great time of joy and fellowship with one another. Periodically, we shall be having similar activities that bring us together to rejoice in the Lord and appreciate our faith in Jesus Christ. Please, special thanks to the organizers, Randy Hall and Gerry Herbage, and the Knight of Columbus members in Brookings in coordination with the Grand Knights. We are so grateful, thank you!

Mis hermanos y hermanas en Cristo, ¡Paz de Cristo para ustedes! Espero que todos hayamos tenido un buen verano y disfrutado de visitar a amigos, familiares, seres queridos y otras actividades que realizamos durante el verano. Mientras nos preparamos para el otoño y el invierno, deseo anunciar con alegría que reanudaremos nuestro programa de vida parroquial y formación en la fe el próximo miércoles 21 de septiembre de 2022 con la Santa Misa a las 5:15 p. m.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, Peace of Christ to you! I hope we all had a good summer time and enjoyed visiting with friends, family, loved ones, and other activities we engage in during the summer. As we prepare for the fall and winter, I wish to joyfully announce that we shall be resuming our parish life and faith formation program next Wednesday, September 21, 2022, with Holy Mass at 5:15pm.